When to repair and when to buy a new Air Conditioner - Tips From Experts

It happens, your air conditioner breaks down or doesn’t cool properly. At this point you have two choices, repair or replace your air conditioner. Sometimes this choice is a no brainer, if the condition of your AC is such that repair vs replacement is of a comparable cost. The next thing to find out about is how long your AC can be expected to keep running.

If your AC ought to work for six months after being repaired, that is generally enough to get you through another year and if the repair costs only a few hundred dollars it can save you from a significant outlay of capitol. If the cost of the repair starts to get beyond about $500 and the unit is fairly old it is probably time to spend the money to get a new air conditioner which will be trouble free for years to come.

Also Read: 6 Air Conditioning Repair Tips You Do Yourself

Another important question to ask is how is your air conditioner performing for you. Newer model AC’s are much more energy efficient than their older counterparts. Additionally if you would like to be cooled off in a better manner you can get the right sized unit that will do the job for you.

You have three major choices when opting for a new air conditioning unit. First is the traditional air conditioner which cools down air which your furnace fan distributes through ducts to cool your house.

Also Read: Tips to Make Your Home Cool and HVAC Happy

The second option is a mini split system which is ductless and provides indoor cooling units that cool down one or more zones within your dwelling, this is generally the only option in a condo setting where there are no air ducts but is also a viable option in a regular house, even one with existing air ducts, especially if the main cooling system is weak in certain areas of the house such as a top floor.

Also Read: 6 Common Electrical wiring Problems and How to Fix Them

The third option is a full fledged heat pump setup, also ductless, that provides both cooling and heating in a very energy efficient manner. The only potential issue with that setup is generally heat pumps can only extract heat from the outside air.

When the temperature is above minus 20 degrees Celsius and have to have a backup electric heating component for those really cold times but it has the advantage that you only have a single system to maintain instead of two different systems.

Read More: Things you Must Know Before AC Installation