AC Repair or AC Replacement?

Is It Time for a New AC? Weighing AC Repair vs. AC Replacement

If your air conditioner begins to struggle during the long summer cooling season, it creates questions for most homeowners:

• Should I make a costly AC repair and limp along?
• Should I replace the entire system and be done with it?

Making a timely decision can determine whether you spend a couple of uncomfortable weeks waiting for a new system to be installed or a few days for a planned replacement. Here are some considerations to help you make the well-timed decision that meets your budget and your comfort level.

AC Repair or AC Replacement Factors

Air conditioners last between 15 and 20 years on average. Determining the age of your system is a large factor in deciding whether to repair or replace. If you were not the occupant when your system was installed, locate the manufacturer’s model/serial number, take a picture and compare it to the information on the manufacturer’s website. Armed with this information, here are some “rules of thumb” for making this decision.

• When the cost of a major repair exceeds 33% of the cost of replacing the entire system, it seems a wise financial decision to opt for replacement rather than repairing a failing system.
• If a major repair comes after the tenth year of service, propping up an aging system no longer makes financial sense.
• When multiple repairs need to be made in a short period of time, make sure to compile the repairs costs while making your decision. A compilation of the repair’s costs should be your guide in decision-making.

AC Repair: Costs of Poor Performance

Every time a furnace or air conditioner enters a heating or cooling cycle, the components, large and small, undergo micro-stresses. We call this factor “wear and tear,” an inevitable result of using the system. Wear and tear reduces the efficiency of parts, making them work harder to complete the required tasks.

• Forcing the air conditioner to work harder requires more energy, and more energy costs more money. The cost of heating and cooling increases as the system ages; this is a given. Will the increase in energy cost recommend replacing the system? It should be a factor in the decision-making process.
• New HVAC systems have improved efficiency to begin with. Watch for the SEER rating for air conditioners and the AFUE rating for furnaces. Higher SEER ratings indicate better efficiency. The AFUE rating is a percentage, ranging from 80% to 98.5%; obviously the higher percentage indicates greater efficiency.

Combining the loss of efficiency in the old system and the gain in efficiency for new systems can provide a new layer of information for decision-making.

AC Repair: Discomfort Level

Another factor concerning aging air conditioner systems is the decline in performance can be felt. It may be that a homeowner is no longer comfortable with the way an air conditioner is functioning.

• An older system may not cool or remove humidity well
• An older system may be loud or make annoying noises
• An older system may be spreading offensive odors around the house

Often, a homeowner is experiencing a combination of all of these factors. When that happens, a decision to replace the system rather than repair it becomes very obvious.

Northwind Air Conditioning and Heat can help answer your AC repair questions for your home. Contact us and get the help you need.