Answer first, context after
Should I repair or replace my AC?
Run the math, not the fear. If the unit is under 12 years old and the repair is under 30% of replacement cost, repair it. Over 15 years old, leaking refrigerant, or facing its second major repair, replacement usually wins. About 60% of the systems we're asked to replace are repairable for under $400.
This is the most expensive question in residential HVAC, and the industry’s default answer, “replace it,” is wrong more often than it’s right. About 60% of the systems we’re called to replace leave our visit repaired for under $400 and run another 3 to 7 years.
The rules of thumb that actually hold up:
Age. Central Valley summers work equipment hard; local AC lifespans run about 12 to 15 years against national averages closer to 15 to 20. Under 12 years old, almost everything is a repair. Past 15, every major repair deserves the replacement conversation, honestly had.
The 30% line. If a repair costs more than about 30% of replacement, the math starts favoring the new system, especially on an older unit. A $340 leak repair on an 8-year-old system is easy. The same repair on a 17-year-old is throwing good money after tired.
Refrigerant type. If your system runs R-22 (roughly pre-2010 installs), it’s on borrowed time. R-22 is out of production, topping it off is punitively expensive, and any major R-22 repair is usually money better applied to replacement.
Repair history. One major repair is a repair. Two in three summers is a trend, and trends get worse in July.
Whoever you call, make them put the math in writing: the repair price, the replacement price, and the age-based reasoning. A company that won’t write it down is selling, not diagnosing. Ours goes in writing every time, which is exactly why the 60% number exists.
Still stuck? That's what the truck is for.
The diagnostic is $89, waived when you book the repair, with a written flat price before any work starts.