Repair or Replacement of Your HVAC System: Which is Better?

An HVAC system consists of many components and has a definite life span. You can utilize your air conditioner to its optimum capacity provided you clean, maintain, and inspect it regularly.

The Bay Area does not have severe winters, but you don’t want to live in a 50 degree home. That’s not ideal! With so many moving parts, elaborate ductwork, wiring systems and indoor, outdoor units, you are bound to face minor issues and technical snags once in a while; especially due to the wear and tear of parts.

But if you are facing a problem frequently, and especially with the evaporator and condenser coils, the compressor or refrigerant leaks, it may be worth thinking about replacing your air conditioning unit rather than spending frequently on repairs that cost high as well.

Factors that must be taken into consideration while choosing between Repair and Replacement

Lifespan of your air conditioner

Every brand and every particular unit will have a specific lifespan. Generally, AC units function well for 15-20 years if maintained well.

If you are facing issues with your unit because the unit is already more than 14 or 15 years old, replacing it would be a better option, rather than spending on recurrent repairs which will only get more frequent with time.

Maintenance

A machine that has not undergone regular cleaning, maintenance, and inspection is bound to give trouble much sooner.

If your AC has not been well maintained, you should know that you will face major repair work which will be inconvenient, costly, and time consuming. The technical issues that occur may reoccur as well. In such a case, it is better to replace the unit but lack of maintenance on your new unit will result in the same problems.

Inadequate AC capacity

If you have been using an AC unit that is smaller than your cooling requirements, it has to work harder to give you adequate cooling. This makes the parts wear out faster. If this is the case, you should replace your unit with the right sized system, necessary for your home.

Repair costs

If you are not sure whether to repair or replace your existing HVAC system, get an estimate of how much the repairs will cost you.

HVAC professionals generally recommend, that if your AC has completed more than 75% of its lifespan and the repairing cost of you are facing is more than one third of the replacement cost, it is not worth investing in repairs. You might as well get yourself a new system.

Availability of parts

Certain components of HVAC systems that are old and are no longer being manufactured, are not available any more. If you have an old system, repair cost will be higher as it will be difficult to source the necessary parts and the technicians who know how to deal with the old equipment.

Major and frequent repairsCertain components like the compressor are expensive to repair and problems in that or the coils in fact indicate issues with your system. The leaks caused are tough to repair and are likely to occur again.

Based on these factors, you can decide if it is worth repairing or replacing your HVAC system.