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First Rate Plumbing Heating and Cooling Inc Blog

Do You Need to Replace Your AC or Can it Be Repaired?

Jul 10, 2023

Your air conditioner breaks down, so you call to get it repaired, but then you run into one big problem–an enormous quote to get it fixed. Your technician may not have just found one problem; they likely found more than one that needs to be addressed to get your air conditioner working again.

So what do you do with that information? It means your air conditioning Los Lunas, NM could be repaired, but it might be better to just replace it at this point. Don’t worry; we’ll explain exactly what we mean by that.

 

There’s a 50% Rule for Replacing Your Air Conditioner

If the cost of your repair bill is equal to or more than 50% of the price of a brand new air conditioner, it’s in your best interest to opt for a replacement.

This isn’t the last repair that your air conditioner will face, and eventually, the repair costs can rival the price of a brand new unit. At that point, you have an older unit with mounting issues and an old standard for energy efficiency. It’s just not feasible to keep repairing that same unit.

Wear and Tear is Unavoidable

Wear and tear can best be described as unavoidable degradation over time. While timely repairs and a good maintenance schedule improve your odds of your air conditioner lasting a long time, wear and tear happens with usage. There’s no way around it.

Even with new components in your air conditioner, the other aspects might fail. It’s not a guarantee that an expensive repair is the key to fixing your air conditioner for the next few years–some damage just can’t be undone.

Unit Only Last 10-15 Years as it Is

Your air conditioner has a lifespan on it of around 10-15 years. That means it’s the average, so it could die out on you at the ten-year mark, or last longer. It’s best to be prepared when something like this happens by saving for it early.

If you can’t save early, you can always go for a financing option to help you with a replacement earlier than expected. Some units might be able to last past that 15 year mark, but it’s few and far between and shouldn’t be your long-term plan.

The Argument for Energy Efficiency

While your old AC might still have some fight left in it, look at when it was manufactured. Energy standards change over time, so that old AC isn’t as efficient as newer models on the market today.

On January 1st, 2023, SEER2 became the new standard for energy efficiency in all home HVAC machines. Newer air conditioners are simply built to save energy, which means you save money on your monthly energy expenditure. That’s a good enough reason to replace that old AC.

Repair or Replace? It’s Up to You

That repair bill is expensive, but other factors come into play. Sometimes a young air conditioner unit just has a big problem and the repair is justified. The context of your exact situation matters, which is why you need a technician with the right know-how to help you out. We’re just a phone call away.

Contact us today to schedule your AC repair or replacement as soon as possible.

Categories: Air Conditioning

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