Knowing When to Replace or Repair Your AC

Posted by mikemerritt on August 20th, 2018

Few people like spending money on AC repairs in Mandarin; however, even fewer people are happy with AC replacement costs. Unfortunately, once you and your family have grown accustomed to a cool home, it's difficult to go without for very long. That's why when your AC isn't working properly it's important to know whether you should pay for AC repair in Mandarin or bite the bullet and buy a new unit. Here's what you need to know.

Age of AC

An important first consideration when weighing repairs versus replacement is how old your AC is overall. As a general rule, ACs are built to last 10-15 years. However, some ACs won't last this long while others can last well past the 15 year mark. There are things to factor in as well, but if your AC is older than 15 years and requires a major repair or frequent repairs, you're usually better off replacing it instead.

Repair Costs

Some homeowners prefer to have a concrete method of determining whether or not repairs are worth it. If you fall into this category, you can try using a formula to help make your decision. Multiply the estimated cost of the repair times the number of years old your AC is. If the cost is substantially less than the cost of a new AC and your AC isn't really old, you're probably all right to make the repairs. More expensive repairs like a compressor replacement or refrigerant leak problem are typically expensive enough to warrant a replacement.

Energy Efficiency

If you feel like you're spending way more in energy bills each summer than you should, it's important to note that there's generally not a lot you can do to increase the energy efficiency of an older AC. If energy efficiency is paramount to you, you'll probably need to replace the AC rather than repair it.

Refrigerant Leak

Different AC contractors will often tell you different things when you have an R-22 refrigerant leak. Some will recommend replacing the AC right away while others will recommend doing AC repair in Mandarin to find and repair the leak. In some cases, locating and repairing the leak can cost as much as a lower-end AC unit. Some homeowners might even avoid repairing the leak and instead have the refrigerant topped off. This is a gamble because the topped off refrigerant could last anywhere from a few days to a few months or years.