Repair the air conditioner or replace it

How do I know when my AC needs replacing?

Your AC needs replacing when the next repair buys you a season instead of years. These are the signs we look for, and any two of them together usually settle it.

• It's past about fifteen years old
• It runs on R-22 and has lost its charge
• The compressor or the indoor coil has failed
• It's needed a repair each of the last few summers
• It runs all afternoon and the house still doesn't reach the setting
• The house is cool but damp and clammy, or the bill keeps climbing for the same use

One sign by itself means it's time to get both prices side by side, and that's all it means. The rest of this guide takes them one at a time.

Age

Most cooling systems in this area last twelve to fifteen years. Under ten, repair is usually the right call. Past fifteen you're keeping something alive on borrowed time, and each repair is more like rent than an investment.

Between those, it depends on the other three.

Should I replace a 20 year old AC unit?

Usually, yes. A 20 year old AC is past the twelve to fifteen years most systems here last. It likely runs on R-22, which is no longer made, and its efficiency is well below today's minimum.

If it still cools and a small part like a capacitor fails, a repair can buy one more summer. If the compressor, coil or refrigerant charge is the problem, put the money toward a replacement. Plan it in spring, before it quits on you in July.

What refrigerant it uses

A system on R-22 that has lost its charge is the clearest replace case there is. R-22 hasn't been produced for years, the price shows it, and a leak means paying that price again.

Check the label on the outdoor unit. If it says R-22 and the repair is on the refrigerant side, the math usually points toward replacing.

What actually failed

Capacitors, contactors, thermostats and condensate pumps are ordinary repairs on any system worth keeping. A compressor or evaporator coil on an older system is another matter. Those are the expensive parts, and when one goes it often says something about the rest.

What is the $5000 rule for HVAC?

It's a rule of thumb for the repair or replace decision. Multiply the age of the system in years by the repair price. If the answer is more than $5,000, replacing is usually the better spend. If it is less, the repair usually makes sense.

The older the system, the smaller the repair that tips it toward replacing. The same repair can pass on a six year old system and fail on a fourteen year old one. The $5,000 comes from the rule itself. It isn't our price for anything.

The rule ignores refrigerant, efficiency and how often the system has already failed. No formula holds up in every case, which is why we quote both numbers and let you look at them side by side.

What we won't do is quote you a repair without saying so when we think it only buys a season.

What to ask before you decide

• What exactly failed, and why did it fail
• Which refrigerant does the system use
• What does the repair cost in writing, parts and labor both
• What would a correctly sized replacement cost, also in writing
• Can the ductwork handle either option