Replacing an air conditioner is a big purchase, so the first question is whether you need to. A system with a healthy compressor and a cheap failed part should be repaired. One that is old, leaking or drawing more current every summer is a different story.
We check the whole system before recommending anything and put both options in writing when both make sense. If a repair is the right call, that is what you will hear.
Two rules settle most repair-or-replace calls. First, compare the repair cost against the life the system has left, not against the price of a new one. Second, a safety failure or an obsolete refrigerant overrides everything else.
Why people call us for AC replacement
- Repairs costing more than half a new unit
- Refrigerant type no longer available
- Unit past 15 years and struggling
- Rising bills with no change in use
- Repeated compressor or coil failures
$69 diagnostic, credited toward the work
- Honest repair-vs-replace assessment
- Right-sized equipment options
- Written quote before anything is ordered
- Removal and recycling of the old unit
- Commissioning and walkthrough
How a replacement goes
The first visit checks the old system before anyone talks about a new one: compressor amperage against the data plate, refrigerant charge, both coils and the age from the serial number. That is what tells you how much life is left, and whether a repair is the better money.
When both make sense, you get both prices in writing and the reasoning behind each. If replacement is the call, the new system is sized to the house, and the ducts get inspected because they decide what the new equipment delivers.
Most replacements are done in one day, two to three if ducts are replaced too. The charge is set by measurement and the system runs a full cycle before we leave. If the job began as a $69 diagnostic, that $69 is credited toward the replacement. Our labor carries a one-year warranty on top of the manufacturer's.
We repair, maintain and install these brands. Logos identify the equipment we work on and do not imply endorsement by the manufacturer.
Before you call
The compressor decides the lifespan
Capacitors, contactors, fan motors, control boards and even the indoor coil can be replaced for a fraction of the cost of the whole system. A failed compressor on a unit past its parts warranty is usually the end. Read more
What actually sets the price
Mostly not the equipment. System size, the efficiency level, the state of the ducts and how hard the unit is to reach move the number far more than the brand does, which is why two quotes for the same house can differ so much. Read more
SEER2 in plain terms
The efficiency rating on equipment built since January 2023, and a tougher test than the old SEER. There is a regional minimum you are allowed to install here. Going above it pays back faster the more hours a year the system runs. Read more
R-22 changes the decision
No new R-22 equipment has been manufactured since 2010 and production ended in 2020, so a leak on an R-22 system can only be topped up from reclaimed supply. That usually tips an older system toward replacement rather than a costly recharge. Read more
Worth a look before you decide
Air conditioning repair
If the compressor is healthy, fixing the failed part is usually the better money.
Heat pump installation
A heat pump cools like an AC and heats as well, so it can replace two systems at once.
Duct repair, sealing and replacement
Ducts get inspected with every replacement quote, because they decide what the new system delivers.
Common questions
Typically roughly 12 to 17 years, and systems that run a long cooling season in a hot attic tend toward the lower half. The compressor decides it. Most other parts can be replaced for a fraction of a new system, but a failed compressor past its parts warranty is usually the end. Read more
Repair first. If a repair costs more than about half of a new system, or the unit is past 15 years and failing repeatedly, we will say so and price both options in writing. Read more
Yes. Systems built for R-22 can only be recharged from reclaimed supply, because production ended in 2020, so a leak on one of those usually tips the decision toward replacement. Systems on R-410A are still straightforward to service. Read more
Not automatically. They get inspected during the quote. Leaky or undersized ducts waste a good part of what a new system produces, so sometimes sealing or replacing sections is part of the job, and sometimes the existing ducts are fine. Read more
Most system replacements are done in one day. New ductwork or a full changeout with ducts typically takes two to three days.
Yes, on new systems, through Wisetack: monthly plans on approved credit. Checking your options does not affect your credit score. Read more
Often, yes, if the furnace is sound and its blower can move the air the new coil needs. The indoor coil is usually replaced with the outdoor unit so the two match. If the furnace is also old, we price a combined changeout so you can compare.
“Amazing Professional And quick service the AC technician Jonathan arrived same day one hour after he called … He replaced the filters clean the Coils … Our AC never was Cold like this and the airflow is amazing”
Schedule service
Fill in the form or call. We are on the phones 6am–10pm.
818-277-5056Licensed #1119892 · Veteran-owned · Pasadena & Reseda