AC Repair vs Replacement - How to Decide
This is the question I get asked most, and it has an actual answer rather than an opinion. Two numbers decide it: how old the unit is, and what the repair costs against a replacement.
Price ranges last checked .
Side by side
| Repair | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $150 to | $6,500 to |
| How long it lasts | The unit’s remaining life | 15 to |
| Best when the unit is | Under 12 years old | Over 12 years old |
| Time to complete | Same day, usually | 1 to |
| Permit needed | No | Yes, we pull it |
| Rebates | None | None for straight AC |
| Repeat failure risk | Higher on an older unit | Low, under warranty |
Figures are typical San Jose ranges, not quotes. Your price depends on your equipment, your panel and the access to it, and we confirm it before any work begins.
What the table does not tell you
Why running cost barely moves the decision here
A new system is more efficient, but San Jose summers are mild and the cooling season is short. The energy saving is real and it is small, and it will not repay the difference between a repair and a replacement on its own. Anyone selling you a replacement primarily on energy savings is using a number that works in Phoenix, not here.
What "repeat failure risk" actually means
A twelve-year-old system that has just had its second major part fail is telling you something. The components aged together and they are failing together. That is different from a fifteen-year-old unit that has never been touched, which may well have years left.
Which one is right for your unit
Both lists cover the same four factors in the same order, so you can read straight down either one.
When repair is the right call
- The repair quote is under thirty percent of a replacement.
- The unit is under twelve years old.
- The fault is a capacitor, contactor or thermostat - cheap, and not a sign the system is dying.
- You are selling within a year or two and need a working system, not a new one.
When replace is the right call
- The repair quote is over half of a replacement.
- The unit is past twelve years old.
- The fault is a compressor, an evaporator coil, or anything involving R-22 - all systemic and uneconomic.
- You are staying put, and this is the second failure in two years.
Not sure which applies to you?
Tell us the age of the unit and what failed. That is usually enough to answer it.
Questions about this decision
What is the 30 and 50 percent rule?
If the repair costs under thirty percent of a replacement, repair it. Over fifty percent on a unit past twelve years, replace it. In between, the unit’s age and its failure history decide.
My unit is 15 years old but working fine. Should I replace it now?
No. A working system that is not costing you repairs owes you nothing. Replace it when it fails or when a major repair comes due, not on a calendar.
How do I know if I have R-22?
The data plate on the outdoor unit lists the refrigerant. Anything installed before roughly 2010 may well be R-22. Read it to me on the phone and I can tell you what it means for your options.
Talk it through with someone
Two minutes on the phone usually settles this faster than any table can.
Call (408) 555-0134