05/08/2025
When do you need to replace your equipment?
We at Air Brothers Mechanical provide our customers the option of whether to replace or to repair their equipment. However many factors go into considering replacing your equipment. In an everchanging field and market, our technicians will always offer what is the best choice at the time of replacement. But what factors into replacing your A/C?
-Age: This plays a critical role in what determines the necessity of replacement. If your equipment is still in warranty there is no need to replace it. However if your unit is over 12-15+ years old, parts may not be widely available, which can cause repair costs to go up due to price increases on the part that needs to be replaced. Some equipment is also outdated due to EPA regulations.
-Refrigerant: In the last 3 decades the HVAC field has experienced the phase down and phase out of CFCs, HCFCs, and now HFCs. For A/C this includes R-22 which has been phased out since 2020 (R-22 A/C units since 2010) and now R-410A. As of 2025 R-410A equipment will no longer be produced, which includes parts in the near future. If your system contains refrigerant that is phased out, it'll likely need to be replaced. (As of now R410A replacement parts will still me manufactured, but due to regulations set by the DOE, prices may increase over time)
-Condition: If your A/C equipment is in good condition but is 15 years old, it need not to be replaced. We always advise our customers to start saving once the unit is over 10 years old, however equipment can last much longer. If your unit is in poor condition and needs major repairs, it's likely a safer option to choose to replace as due to poor conditions, there's no guarantee no other issues will occur.
-Reparability: If your system needs minor repairs, things like capacitors, fan motors, relays, boards, or contactors, you will not need to replace your equipment. However major repairs such as replacing a coil or compressor may factor into your decision to replace. This goes back to refrigerant type and condition of your equipment. However if the cost is high, replacing your equipment may be the best decision to make. However we do not push for either, and our technicians will give you their best answer based on some of these factors we've considered here.
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