AC Repair vs Replace Calculator
Answer five quick questions and we'll show you which way the math leans — and the reasoning behind it. It's a starting read, not a substitute for a diagnostic.
Five questions that change the math
Age, repair cost, refrigerant, recent breakdowns, and comfort. Answer them here, then read the lean and the reasons. Nothing is emailed, stored, or used as a quote.
Our read
Repair is probably the right call
Why
- Your system is 11-15 years old — past the midpoint of a typical HVAC lifespan.
A good diagnostic can change this answer — a scary symptom is sometimes a $300 part. This is a starting read, not a verdict.
These are planning ranges for the Sacramento area, not a quote. Real pricing depends on an on-site inspection of your home, ductwork, electrical, and equipment options. We'll give you exact numbers in writing before any work.
What each question is actually asking
The calculator asks five things, because those five change the math more than a brand name or a sales script. System age is the first: a well-maintained central AC typically lives in a 15-to-20-year window, so an 18-year-old machine and a 4-year-old machine should not get the same advice. Repair estimate, if you have one, is the second — a small electrical repair is a different conversation than a sealed-circuit failure. If you do not have an estimate yet, say so; the tool will not invent one.
Refrigerant type is the third, and it is not trivia. R-22 is no longer produced, so refrigerant work on those systems is expensive dead-end money. Existing R-410A systems can still be serviced; new equipment installed after January 1, 2026 uses lower-GWP refrigerant. That distinction belongs on the R-410A transition guide, and this tool only uses it as a scoring input. Breakdowns in the last two years is the fourth: two or more failures is a reliability pattern, not bad luck. Comfort problems even when it runs is the fifth — a system that still starts but never catches up upstairs is already telling you the equipment, the ducts, or both no longer fit the house.
What the output means
The output is a lean, not a quote. Three verdicts: repair is probably the right call, worth comparing a repair quote against replacement math, or replacement likely makes more financial sense. Under the headline you will see the reasons that actually fired — age, the $5,000 test, refrigerant, repeat breakdowns, comfort — so you can disagree with a specific input instead of arguing with a black box.
The $5,000 test is one scoring rule, not a price. It multiplies a midpoint for the system's age by a midpoint for the repair estimate. If that product clears $5,000, replacement deserves a serious look alongside the other factors. It does not mean the job costs $5,000, and it does not run if you have not entered a repair estimate.
A good diagnostic can still change the answer. A scary symptom is sometimes a small part. An optimistic repair on an old R-22 system is sometimes a delay. That is why the longer write-up is the repair-or-replace guide, and why the next step is still an on-site visit for AC repair or a written replacement scope on AC installation. If a heat pump is in the mix, heat pump installation is the comparison, not a default.
What this tool is not
This page does not invent a replacement price. It does not know your ducts, your electrical panel, your attic, or which city or county issues the permit. It does not promise a rebate. It does not replace a load calculation. If someone quotes a single number from five dropdowns, they are selling certainty they do not have.
Want a second opinion?
A real diagnostic can change the answer. Send your details and we'll take an honest look before recommending anything.