Should I Replace My Air Conditioner or Fix It?

You’ve been putting it off, but with summer just a couple months away it has come back to haunt you. If your air conditioning was struggling at the end of last summer, you now need to make a decision. Is it worth the cost of a repair or should you just bite the bullet and replace it?

Pat Yourself on the Back

First, you should be commended. You are getting ahead of the game simply by being proactive. Whether you decide to repair or replace, once summer rolls around you will be waiting for an HVAC repair company in Philadelphia to schedule you right along with everyone else. Scheduling an air conditioning repair once summer hits can become an uncomfortable waiting game.

How to Decide

When you are trying to figure out if a repair makes sense, you want to consider some things about your system.

Age

First, how old is it? There is a simple calculation that most Philadelphia AC repair technicians use when deciding if a repair is worth it. They will take the age of the system and multiply it by the anticipated cost of the repair. If this exceeds $5,000, you may want to consider a replacement.

Sometimes it makes no sense to put money into an older system. Your AC system has a functional lifespan of about 15 years. If you are repairing a system that is nearing the end of its life, you may be wasting your money. You may also want to consider your refrigerant here. Manufacturers stopped using Freon back in 2010 and Freon production will end in 2020. This may be your perfect excuse to get rid of an old system that will soon be obsolete and get a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Efficiency

An inefficient system can be a huge drain on your energy expenses once summer hits. Systems on the market today have far superior energy saving technology than old systems. According to energy.gov, even if your current system is only ten years old, you could save between 20 to 40 percent on your cooling costs by replacing your current system with a new, more efficient one. That is no small savings.

Consider the amount of the repair against the potential cost savings of a new system and you may see that putting money into an old system that is draining your wallet in other areas doesn’t make sense.

Size

If you have had a continuous issue with your old system not getting your home sufficiently cool even when it is operating properly, your AC may just be too small for your home. This is one of the most common problems we see. This is another energy drain because a small system will work nonstop trying to keep your home at a cooler temperature. This may be another waste of a repair cost. A new system that is appropriately sized for your home will make a remarkable difference in your comfort and your energy bills.

Call a Professional

If you need AC repair in Philadelphia and need an expert’s advice, call the professionals at Affordable Fixes. We can take the mystery out of air conditioning repairs before you get hot under the collar.