At some point, you will have to replace your home air conditioner. All machines eventually wear out and break down; sometimes they can be repaired, and sometimes it makes more sense to have them replaced with a new model. But how can you know whether you should repair or replace your old air conditioning system?
At Long Island’s T.F. O’Brien, we understand your dilemma. We’ve been there. Actually, we’ve been there thousands of times over: As Long Island’s air conditioning and heating professionals, we’ve been advising homeowners on the “repair or replace” decision for decades. Based on that experience, we can give you a pretty good idea of whether you would be better off repairing or replacing your air conditioning system, based on your particular situation.

Some factors to consider when deciding whether you should repair or replace your air conditioning system:

Age. If your air conditioner is over 10 years old, you should consider having it replaced. Since it is nearing the end of its expected life, any repair job would likely be a temporary fix.
Efficiency. If your summer electric bills have been on the rise, it could be a sign that your air conditioner is becoming less efficient because of age and wear. New models are required to meet more stringent efficiency standards, so savings on your utility bills would go toward covering the cost of a replacement.
Repair history. One repair job may be cheaper than buying a replacement unit, but frequent repairs negate that advantage.
Performance. Is your home excessively dusty or humid? Do some rooms remain hotter than others? Is your air conditioner noisy? If you said yes to any of those questions, you should probably consider a replacement. All are signs that your current system is not performing properly and may have fundamental problems.

If you are not certain whether to repair or replace your air conditioner, contact us at T.F. O’Brien. We can stop by your Long Island home to evaluate your air conditioner and give a professional opinion. We are always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about repairing/replacing air conditioning systems and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area. To get started, get a quote from us or check out our special offers.