Repair or replace your AC?

Nobody wants to sink money into a dying system, and nobody wants to buy a new one they didn't need. Here's the way we actually think about it when a customer asks.

Start with age

In Houston, most air conditioners last 10 to 15 years. Our long cooling season means units here work more hours per year than the same equipment in a milder climate, so they tend to land at the lower end of that range.

• Under 8 years: repair is almost always the right call.
• 8 to 12 years: depends on the repair cost, see below.
• Over 12 years: put serious money toward replacement instead of a big repair.

The repair cost test

A simple guideline: multiply the repair estimate by the system's age. If the result is more than about $5,000, replacement is usually the better value. A $400 repair on a 6-year-old unit is $2,400, so fix it. That same $400 repair on a 14-year-old unit is $5,600, and you're putting good money into a system near the end of its life.

The other rule of thumb: if a single repair costs more than a third of what a new system would, replacement usually wins.

Which part failed matters

Not all repairs are equal. Capacitors, contactors, and thermostats are inexpensive and routine, so fix those at nearly any age. A failed compressor or a leaking evaporator coil is a different story: those are the most expensive parts in the system, and on an older unit they usually tip the decision toward replacement.

The refrigerant question

If your system runs R-22 (phased out in 2020), that changes things. R-22 is no longer produced, and what's left is expensive. A leak on an R-22 system can cost more to recharge than the repair itself is worth. Newer systems use R-410A, and the industry is now moving to R-32, which is more efficient and better environmentally.

Don't ignore the running costs

Efficiency is measured in SEER. A 12-year-old unit might run at 10 SEER; a new one starts around 14 to 15 and goes well above that. In a Houston summer, that difference shows up on your electric bill every month, sometimes enough to offset a meaningful chunk of the new system over its life.

Signs it's time to replace

• You've called for repairs more than twice in the last two years.
• Electric bills keep climbing with no change in how you use the AC.
• Some rooms never get comfortable no matter what.
• The system uses R-22.
• The compressor has failed and the unit is out of warranty.