How to Decide Whether to Repair or Replace Your Air Conditioner

Repair or replace? When it comes to your broken air conditioner, that is the question. The last thing you want is to make a bad or uninformed decision with this type of investment. There are many variables to consider, including:

• Age: Most central air conditioning units will last about ten years in hot climates where units go through periods of heavy use. Take the age of the equipment and multiply that by the repair cost. If the number is more than $5,000, then you should consider replacement.

• Time Since Last Breakdown: Is this this first time your unit has broken down? Pay for the repair. If you find yourself paying for repairs once a year or more, it’s time to start thinking about a new air conditioner.

• Noise: Is there excessive noise or does your AC unit turn off randomly? That means your air conditioning unit has to overexert itself to keep up with the heating and cooling demands of your home. Replacing the unit may be recommended in this case.

• Efficiency: Today’s air conditioners are built to federally mandated efficiency standards. That means new AC units are not only more efficient, they are also better for the environment. As of 2016, all air conditioning units must have a SEER rating of 14 or higher. Even purchasing an AC with the minimum rating could reduce your monthly energy bill costs.

• Time Left In Home: If it’s not broken before you sell your home, don’t fix it! If the unit is older and the repair is a couple hundred dollars, it may not be worth fixing.

Additional Perks of Replacing Your Air Conditioner

• Cost Savings: reduce your energy bill with a new, more efficient unit.

• Tax Incentives: You could save up to 30% in tax credits by replacing your unit with a high-efficiency ENERGY STAR unit.

• Comfort and Air Quality: Newer units do a better job of controlling temperature and humidity, with advances in technology that offer higher levels of comfort.

You can use the simple guide from newAcunit.com below to find out what size AC unit you need.

We can’t tell you how expensive is too expensive a repair before you should consider replacing your air conditioner. What we can do is supply you with fixed rate energy solutions to make your unit work harder for you! For more information about Spark energy plans, Click here.