When to Replace Your Air Conditioner

Replace your air conditioner when it is 12 to 15 years old or older and needs a major repair, when it uses R-22 refrigerant and has a leak, or when repairs are becoming frequent. Repair it when it is younger and the problem is a common part such as a capacitor, contactor or fan motor.

Four things to check

• Age: most central air conditioners last 12 to 17 years
• Refrigerant: R-22 systems, generally installed before 2010, are costly to recharge
• Repair cost: a compressor or coil replacement on an old system is rarely worth it
• Performance: rising bills, long run times and rooms that will not cool

A simple rule

Multiply the repair cost by the age of the system in years. If the result is more than the price of a new system, replacement is usually the better value. It is a rule of thumb, not a law.

Refrigerant changes

New air conditioners now use R-454B or R-32 in place of R-410A. Existing R-410A systems can still be serviced. This matters mainly when deciding whether to put money into an older system.

Timing

If your system is old but still running, replacing it in spring or fall is easier to schedule than during the first heat wave, when everyone’s old AC fails at once.