If your air conditioner won't start up when it gets warm or it breaks down in the middle of summer, you may worry you'll need to get new equipment, especially if your AC is old.
Call an air conditioning contractor to inspect your air conditioner. They can tell you if the AC needs to be replaced or if repairs could buy you some time before you need to invest in a new air conditioner. Here are some things to consider when weighing whether you should get AC repairs or a replacement.
The Cost Of Repairs
There are several parts in your air conditioner. Some are inexpensive and others are costly. If a capacitor goes bad, the AC repairs shouldn't be too expensive since a capacitor is an affordable part. Of course, you'll have to pay for labor too, which increases the cost.
A compressor is one of the most expensive parts. These aren't usually repaired. Instead, the AC contractor will usually need to replace the compressor. It may not make good financial sense to invest a lot of money in replacing a compressor when your AC is old. If AC repairs will be expensive, your contractor may recommend replacing the air conditioner instead.
The Frequency Of Repairs
If your AC has already broken down this season or last season, and it's broken down again, your contractor may advise you to go ahead and get a new air conditioner so you don't keep wasting money on repairs.
If you haven't had to do many repairs on your air conditioner, then having AC repairs done could make sense. Your contractor will talk to you about the type of repairs needed and their cost so you can decide if you want to make the repairs.
The Type Of Refrigerant You Have
If your air conditioner is old, it may have refrigerant that's no longer used. If your refrigerant leaks out and you need to fill it, your contractor might suggest you replace your AC instead since it will come with the new refrigerant. Since you can't fill it with phased-out refrigerant, and you'll probably need to buy new coils when you buy the new refrigerant, the AC repairs might be too costly for an old air conditioner.
If your AC is new enough to already have the new refrigerant, then repairing the leak and filling the refrigerant would be much less expensive and a better idea than replacing your entire air conditioner.
When you have an old air conditioner, it's hard to decide when to stop making repairs to it. However, if you've kept up with repairs over the life of your AC, many of the parts may still be in good shape. If that's the case, making repairs when needed could still be the right move, and that could help you put off the need for a new AC for at least another season.
Contact a company like Local Mechanical Heating & Air to learn more.