As a Texas homeowner, it's important to know how long you can typically expect an air conditioner to last on average. Although many factors can impact the life expectancy of an AC unit, an air conditioner that's properly taken care of will typically remain productive and healthy for between 15 and 20 years.

Well, because the summers tend to get pretty hot and humid, we typically don't recommend single-stage systems for our customers. Instead, we strongly suggest getting either a two-stage or variable-speed system for your Texas home.

Here's a breakdown of how much Texans pay for air conditioning using the average cost of energy bills. Using these figures, the average Texas home spends $16.47 every month on air conditioning costs. This means residents in Texas spend nearly $200 a year on air conditioning.

The easiest — and simplest — way to calculate your AC size is through a simple formula that relies only on your home's square footage and the number of BTUs per square foot in an average home. Simply multiply your home's square footage by 25 BTUs.