AC Repair vs. Replace: When to Fix It and When to Buy New

The 30-second answer

Repair if the unit is under 10 years old, the repair is under $1,500, and the rest of the system is healthy. Replace if it's 12+ years old AND the repair is over $1,500, OR if it uses R-22 refrigerant, OR if you've had multiple major repairs recently.

The "$5,000 Rule" — the real math

Multiply the repair cost by the age of the unit. If the number is over $5,000, replace. Under? Repair.

Repair this — replacement is overkill

• Capacitor — $185–$320, 10-minute fix
• Contactor — $185–$320, common after Texas storms
• Condenser fan motor — $485–$795
• Float switch / drain line clog — $150–$295
• Thermostat — $185–$385
• Refrigerant recharge (R-410A, small leak) — $295–$695

Replace — repair is throwing money away

• Compressor failure on a 10+ year unit ($1,800–$3,400 repair, full system $5,999)
• Evaporator coil replacement on R-22 system (R-22 is banned, prices triple)
• Multiple refrigerant leaks in coil
• Cracked heat exchanger (gas furnace)
• Reversing valve failure on a 12+ year heat pump

San Antonio-specific factors

Our heat is brutal — most ACs here run from April through October, often 12+ hours a day. A 10-year-old AC in San Antonio has had the workload of a 14-year-old AC in Denver. Factor that in. We typically see units last 12–15 years here, vs the national 15–20.

Hard water in the Edwards Aquifer area also scales coils faster. If your unit is in Boerne, Bulverde, or anywhere west of 281, knock another year or two off the expected lifespan.

The trap to avoid

If a tech quotes you a $1,500+ repair AND a $10,000 replacement at the same visit, get a second opinion. We see this constantly — homeowners getting talked into replacements on units that needed a $400 fix. We do free second-opinion quotes for exactly this reason.