My current 3 ton 14 SEER AC was installed in 1997. I'm wondering if a new 14 SEER or higher unit would make much difference in my electric bill due to it being 12 years old. I'm in south Florida and my electric bill can range from $130 in February to $290 in August. Right now being 95 degrees out, the unit runs for about 13+ hours in a day.

That's a long time for it to run... sounds to me like something is wrong. They do say at 10 years you double your electric consumption to run an ac unit. A new 14 seer isn't going to change it much for you though.

There should be no need to replace unit, just have it serviced.

Couple things you can do yourself... clean the condenser coil outside. Change filters in furnace. Let me know if this makes a difference.

You will not gain anything by replacing a 14 seer with a 14 seer. You will gain very very little(actually almost nothing) by going to a higher seer. Trust me, just clean the condenser, change filters, and if need be, have a pro in to service the system.

Does the current system cool the house nicely? If so, remember that when it is that hot outside, ac units will run a lot. Try to keep window shades closed and if you don't have a ceiling fan, seriously think about installing one. I really think you should be fine with the unit you have, just may need to have it looked at.

I haven't ever cleaned the condenser outside . I have done the coils inside though.

The air coming out is pretty cool around 60-65 degrees depending on the time of day. I keep the temp set at 78 and it is comfortable inside.

I have dark tint and blinds throughout. The tint upgrade definitley makes it feel nicer inside, but didn't seem to cut back usage very much. Maybe new windows would help more than anything, they are 22 year old builder grade windows.

Anymore advice would be appreciated, if not, I guess I'll just pay the price for living in HOT south Florida.

If the condenser outside has never been cleaned, I would definatley do it now. It really should be done once a year. If the condenser coil is dirty(clogged) you will lose very very very much efficiency, not to mention it will shorten the life of the compressor. Go out and take a garden hose with a spray bit and clean the outside of the coil. Trust me, this will make your ac system much happier, and you too. Please let me know if the cond coil was extremely dirty, or if seemed clean. Sometimes its hard to tell just by looking at it, but once you start spraying it will water, you will most likely see how much dirt and grass and gunk gets washed off. Please do this and let us know how things work out.

And yes, windows, doors and insolation are a huge factor in how well an ac system will work.

I took the best look I could with the cover still on and the fins look clear from any pieces of debris, but there looks to be a lot of white looking build up in between them all. I put a flashlight on the outside in the dark and saw zero light come through. Any recommendation on a good coil cleaner spray?

You could be in a worse area.. try living in phoenix!!

There are mild condenser coil cleaners out there, can't think of the name of them right off, but you will be just as well to just spray it off with water or compressed air. Just be careful not to use to high of pressure or you could bend the fins and you don't want to do that. Just try the water first, its real easy, don't even have to take the cover off, and see if you can see through the fins with a flashlight after that.

I googled condenser cleaners, and found this. There are many different types, some are pretty spendy, this one is cheap, it says it doesn't need to be rinsed off with water, but trust me, you should rinse it with water anyway. Let me know how things work out. Take care.

Lee.

My neighbor who works for one of the big HVAC manufacturers has loads of Calgon for cleaning coils. Yes, Calgon the dish washer detergent. Try mixing the powder with some water, spray on, leave for a while and gently rinse with the hose.

When you spray it out with water or whatever,, be sure to kill the power to unit and let it dry out at least an hour before turning power back on