Should I repair or replace my air conditioner?

How the repair-versus-replace decision really works

No single number settles it. Age matters because central air conditioners commonly last 12 to 15 years, and a major component failure late in that window often signals more failures coming. The nature of the repair matters too: a capacitor, contactor, or fan motor is routine, while a compressor or a leaking evaporator coil represents the heart of the system. Refrigerant type is a deciding factor for older units, since R-22 has been phased out and recharging an R-22 system after a leak repair gets harder to justify each year.

Questions worth asking about your current unit

• ✓Is the system more than ten years old, and is this its second major repair?
• ✓Does it still use R-22 refrigerant?
• ✓Have summer electric bills crept upward while comfort declined?
• ✓Does it struggle on the hottest days or run almost constantly?
• ✓Are some rooms never comfortable no matter the thermostat setting?

What replacement gets you beyond a working AC

Modern systems carry significantly higher SEER2 efficiency ratings than units installed even a decade ago, and a proper installation includes load-sizing the new equipment to your actual home rather than copying the old unit's capacity. That alone can fix humidity problems and short cycling that the old system created. PJ MAC HVAC installs and services all major brands, including Lennox, Carrier, Trane, and Goodman, and free installation estimates make it easy to compare a quoted repair against a replacement before deciding.

Whichever way you lean, PJ MAC HVAC is available day and night, all year, to keep the decision from being made for you by a dead unit in July.