Is it Time to Repair or Replace Your AC?

A few questions are on our minds today, as the summer heat is increasingly hotter and our houses begin to feel like easy-bake-ovens.

 

Two of those questions are relatively easily answered, the third however is a little trickier.

HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT MY AC SYSTEM TO LAST?

The lifespan of your AC unit is completely relevant to how long you’ve had it, how much you use it, and how well you take care of it! If you’ve recently purchased a new air conditioner, you can usually expect a good 10-15 years out of it. Now, if you have an older unit and you are constantly forgetting things like changing the air filter and draining the drain lines, your unit may live a short, not-so-happy life. You can call your local HVAC professionals and have them give your unit a checkup and life expectancy estimate!

SHOULD I REPLACE OR REPAIR?

There’s really no real way to know whether or not it’s time to replace or repair your AC just by looking at it, we highly suggest you get a professional opinion on the matter before deciding, however there are a couple of rules of thumb you can follow to make you decision making easier!

If your AC unit and/or heat pump is 10+ years old, it’s probably time to be thinking about a replacement. Sometimes the unit model that you have can be discontinued so buying parts to repair it will end up being costlier vs. being effective in the long run.

If you’ve struggled with choosing between replacement or repairs in the past, you’ve probably heard of the $5,000 rule. That’s when something isn’t right with your unit, so you go and find the repair cost. Then you take the age of your unit and multiply it by the repair cost. If the resulting number is greater than $5,000 it is time to replace the entire unit, if it is less than $5,000 you should be fine with a repair. However, this rule isn’t always full-proof. Let’s say you have an AC unit of only 6 years and end up with a $1000 repair…

(AC is 6) x ($1000 repair) = ($6000)

Even though the resulting number exceeds $5,000 you’d probably be safe just to repair the system. So instead of trusting the $5,000 rule, we suggest using Energy Star’s Home Energy Yard Stick to help you decide whether or not it’s time to upgrade your unit!

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO REPLACE MY UNIT?

Unfortunatly, this is the not-so-easy-to-answer question. There is no one simple answer to the question of cost when it comes to AC units. We do however provide details on the topic which you can see here.

 

Want to know if you should repair or replace? Give us a call today and set up a free estimate!