Should You Repair or Replace Your Air Conditioner?

Replace If Your AC Is Over 15 Years

An Air Conditioner Has a Typical Lifespan of Around 10–15 Years. If Your Unit is Acting Up, Repair Bills Are Getting Costly, and It's Over 15 Years Old, It Might Be Better to Replace It.

An Ac Will Start to Break Down More Often as It Reaches 15 Years and Beyond. Did You Just Have It Serviced Last Year and It's Broken Again? Did You Add Refrigerant Last Year and Now It's Low Again? These Are the Instances Where Replacement Becomes More Viable.

Replace If Energy Bills Keep Rising

If Your Energy Bills Keep Rising but Your Utility Company Hasn't Raised Rates, It Might Be Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner.

If Your Ac Has a Low Seer Rating, It Costs More to Operate. Newly Manufactured Units Must Have a Seer Rating of at Least 14 for the Southwest Region (Texas). Upgrading Can Significantly Cut Energy Costs.

Replace If Repair Cost Is Too High

When Facing an Expensive Repair, Weigh the Costs Against a New Unit. If the Repair Would Cover a Large Part of a New System, It Will Likely Make More Financial Sense to Replace It.

Multiply the Cost of Your Repair by the Age of Your Unit (in Years). If the Result is Less Than the Cost of a New Ac, Then Invest in the Repair. If You're Unsure About Replacement Cost, Use "$4,000" as a Baseline.

Replace When Your Home Isn't Comfortable

If Your Home Struggles to Stay Cool in Summer or Some Rooms Can't Keep Up, This is a Telltale Sign of an Aging or Incorrectly Sized System.

Air Conditioners Lose Efficiency Over Time. Many Older Homes (Pre-2000) Lacked Adequate Insulation for Today's Temperatures. Modern Units Are Designed to Save Energy by Running Less Often and Are Sized Differently.