As we come to the end of the summer, many of us are going to confront a conundrum with our air conditioning systems: they’ve lasted for many years and are showing signs they’ll soon need a replacement. Repairs are still a possibility, however. So what is the best approach: replace the AC before the system hits a major decline, or try to push the cooling system for a few more years with repairs?
There is no simple answer we can provide in this post because the situation differs from home to home, AC to AC. Our best advice is to contact our expert technicians and ask them to examine your air conditioning system. They can provide you with an answer about whether to arrange for AC repair in Haughton, LA or schedule a replacement.
The Case for Repairs
If you can make cost-effective repairs on your AC that will keep it working efficiently for several years, this is probably the best choice. The age of the system is important here—if your AC is young enough (usually 10 years or below) to still be under warranty, then repairs are affordable and a good investment.
If the air conditioner has never required repairs before, or a single repair many years ago, the case for repairs is higher. Most air conditioning systems need at least one repair during their service lives, so if the price isn’t prohibitive (more than half the cost of getting a replacement system), then the repair is a good idea.
The Case for Replacement
System age is an important factor in determining if an air conditioning system is ready for replacement. The average service life of an AC is 10 to 15 years. We strongly recommend replacing an air conditioner that’s more than 15 years old, even if it still seems to work outwardly fine. For the 10 to 15 range, replacement is advisable if other problems have started to appear…
- A rise in the cost to run the AC. An air conditioning system near the end of its service life will start to rapidly lose energy efficiency, causing a climb in the cost to operate it. This is a waste of money best channeled into a replacement.
- Too many/too expensive repairs. We mentioned above that paying a repair cost that’s more than half the price of a new system isn’t wise. Similarly, if repairs have become an annual or semi-annual occurrence, too much money is going to repairs rather than to a more cost-effective replacement.
- Unreliable performance. Ask yourself how well the AC has held up over the past few years. Is it able to evenly cool the entire house, or are there hot spots? Do you worry the system won’t come on when you need it, or that it won’t make it through a whole summer? Does the house feel warmer and more humid than before? Take poor performance from an old system seriously: repairs may be merely quick patches that don’t do much good.
Moon’s Air has provided whole-home comfort since 1971. Call us for service today—it’s good to be Mooned!