In the world of home heating and cooling, one of the perennial questions that customers ask is, “Repair or replace?” When an air conditioning system appears to be approaching the end of its service life, you must decide whether you should continue repairs or schedule a replacement installation. Which one is the best choice, both for your comfort and your budget?
There’s no simple answer we can provide you here, because we don’t yet know about the situation with your air conditioner. Perhaps a targeted repair from a skilled technician will give you a few more years of energy-efficient performance. Perhaps your AC is only a few weeks away from a complete breakdown and you need to act now before the hot weather arrives.
However, if you call us at DuAll Heating & Cooling, we can make the process much easier for you. One of our AC specialists will inspect your air conditioner to see if there are repairs that will help. If it turns out that new installation is the better choice, our experts will help you with excellent air conditioning replacement in Bolingbrook, IL.
What factors will decide between “repair or replace”?
- System age: Central air conditioners will last, on average, between 10 and 15 years, depending on the model. Your air conditioner will have a manufacturer’s estimated lifespan on its cabinet. An air conditioner that is still a few years away from this estimate—and which has received diligent regular maintenance during its life—will usually respond favorably to quality repair work. On the other hand, an air conditioner that is older than its estimate should be replaced even if it is still outwardly capable of cooling a house down.
- Energy efficiency: An air conditioner can still seem to work well, with effective cooling power, but if its components are wearing down to the point where the system will not recover, it will start to cost more to run. When determining if an AC should be retired or not, check if your cooling bills have changed over the last two years. Continually rising bills are a major red flag that repairs will not do any good.
- Repair frequency: Since air conditioners need the majority of their repairs done during the last two years of their service life, an increase in the amount of repair jobs indicates a system is probably ready for replacement. Once it costs more than $500 a year to keep an AC scraping by, you should retire it.
The NATE-certified technicians at DuAll Heating & Cooling will help you find out the right path to take when it comes to your air conditioner.
We can perform skilled repairs and air conditioning replacement in Bolingbrook, IL—whatever you need. Call us today to beat out the summer heat.
