San Antonio · AC Compressor Repair · Family-Owned Since 1996
A dead compressor is the most expensive single AC repair there is — but it's also the one most companies use to scare you into a new $12,000 system. Here's the real math, straight from the family that does these every week in San Antonio.
Typical price
$1,800–$3,200 installed (out of warranty)
Time to fix
4–8 hours
Urgency
High — system is down
The compressor is the heart of your AC. It's the big sealed pump inside the outdoor unit that pressurizes refrigerant, which is what actually moves heat out of your house. When it fails, your system simply cannot cool — no amount of refrigerant or thermostat tweaking will fix it.
Here's the honest truth: if your AC system is under 8 years old and still under manufacturer warranty, replacing just the compressor makes sense — the part is free under warranty and you're paying labor only ($800–$1,400). If you're out of warranty, the math gets harder, because a replacement compressor is $1,800–$3,200 installed and a whole new system starts at $5,999 with a fresh 10-year warranty.
We'll walk you through both options with real numbers. If a new system makes more sense for your situation, we'll tell you. If a compressor swap is the right call, we'll do it. No commission-based salespeople, no pressure.
What it costs in San Antonio
$1,800–$3,200 installed (out of warranty) — Under manufacturer warranty: $800–$1,400 labor only. Whole new system: from $5,999. Our $59 diagnostic is waived when you approve the repair, so you only pay for the fix itself.
If two or more of these sound familiar, it's probably your ac compressor.
Here's exactly what a Carnes and Sons tech does at your house — no mystery, no upselling.
A bad capacitor mimics a bad compressor. We always start by replacing the capacitor and trying a hard-start kit before we condemn the compressor. Saves homeowners thousands when that's the real fix.
We use a megohmmeter to check the resistance to ground on each compressor winding. A reading below 1 megohm means burned windings — the compressor is electrically dead and cannot be saved.
Most major brands (Carrier, Trane, Goodman, Lennox) come with a 10-year parts warranty. We look up your serial number on the spot. If it's covered, you save $1,500+ on the part.
We write out the compressor-only price AND the new-system price side by side, with financing if you want it. We tell you which one we'd choose if it were our family. Then you decide.
A burned compressor contaminates the entire refrigerant circuit with acid. We recover the refrigerant, flush the lines, replace the filter dryer, pull a 500-micron vacuum, and weigh in fresh refrigerant. Skipping any of these steps kills the new compressor in months.
Get Your AC Compressor Diagnosed Today
Tell us what's happening. We'll text you back in minutes — no call center, no robo-calls.
If your system is out of warranty, $1,800 to $3,200 installed depending on tonnage (2-ton to 5-ton) and refrigerant type (R-410A vs older R-22). If the compressor is still under the manufacturer's 10-year parts warranty, you only pay labor — typically $800 to $1,400.
Honest rule of thumb: if the system is under 8 years old, repair. 8 to 12 years old, it's a coin flip — depends on the rest of the system's condition. Over 12 years old or running R-22 refrigerant, replace the whole thing. A new system from $5,999 starts a fresh 10-year warranty; a $2,500 compressor in a 13-year-old system buys you maybe 2-3 more years.
About 1 in 4 'bad compressor' diagnoses we second-opinion turn out to be a $200 capacitor or contactor instead. A real compressor failure shows specific symptoms: 0 amp draw with the contactor closed, failed megger test on the windings, or a locked-rotor condition that doesn't respond to a hard-start kit. We rule out the cheap stuff first, always.
Most systems sold in the last 10 years come with a 10-year parts warranty from the manufacturer (Carrier, Trane, Goodman, Lennox, Rheem). Labor is almost never covered after year 1. We look up your warranty using the serial number on the data plate before quoting you anything.
R-22 was phased out by the EPA in 2020, so the refrigerant alone is now $150+ per pound (your system likely holds 6-10 pounds). On top of that, R-22 compressors are getting scarce and overpriced. If you have an R-22 system, replacing the whole unit with a modern R-410A or R-454B system almost always makes more sense than a compressor swap.
A clean compressor swap takes 4 to 6 hours. If the system was contaminated by a burned compressor, add 2 hours for proper flushing, filter dryer replacement, and evacuation. Your AC is back on the same day.
Yes — 0% APR for 36 months through Synchrony, which puts most homeowners at around $200/month for a complete new system. Often the monthly payment is lower than what you'd finance on a compressor-only repair.
Most of the time, it's one of three things: (1) a refrigerant leak that ran the system low for months, (2) a bad capacitor that was never replaced, or (3) age. In San Antonio, the relentless heat shortens compressor life by 2-3 years compared to milder climates.
Only if it's not installed correctly. We use OEM-spec compressors, replace the filter dryer, pull a proper vacuum, and document everything for the warranty claim. Improper installation is the #1 reason warranty replacements get denied.
We're based in Stone Oak and roll trucks across San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country every day.
License TACLB29435E · Family-Owned Since 1996
Cities & neighborhoods we serve
San Antonio · Stone Oak · Alamo Heights · Hollywood Park · Hill Country Village · Shavano Park · Castle Hills · Leon Valley · Helotes · Boerne · Fair Oaks Ranch · Bulverde · Timberwood Park · Garden Ridge · Schertz · Cibolo · Selma · Universal City · Live Oak · Converse · Windcrest · New Braunfels
No call center. The owner or one of his sons picks up.
(210) 600-5091