Private, no-contact tool
Repair or replace AC calculator (free, private)
A free, private tool that weighs your AC's age, repair cost, warranty, comfort, and plans to point you toward repair or replacement.
Direct answer
Direct answer
This calculator helps you think through one of the harder HVAC decisions: whether to keep repairing your current system or replace it. You answer a few questions about age, the repair quote, warranty status, repeat failures, comfort problems, and how long you plan to stay, and it sorts the result into repair-leaning, gather-more-evidence, or replacement-leaning, and shows you the reasoning. It's a decision aid, not a diagnosis: it can't inspect your equipment or predict a future failure, and it never replaces a qualified technician's written findings. Everything you enter stays in your browser, and you don't have to give us any contact information to use it.
Key takeaways
- Your inputs stay in your browser and are not submitted to us.
- You get the reasoning behind the result, not just a verdict.
- It's a directional guide to inform your questions, not a diagnosis.
What the calculator weighs
The tool looks at the factors that genuinely tip a repair-or-replace decision, and it's transparent about how each one pushes the result. Skim the list so you have your answers ready.
- System age relative to typical service life
- The repair quote versus the cost of replacement
- Whether the failed part is under warranty
- How often the system has needed repairs recently
- Comfort problems like hot rooms or humidity
- How long you plan to stay in the home
How to read your result
The result is a lean, not a ruling. 'Repair-leaning' means the evidence you entered favors fixing it for now; 'replacement-leaning' means several factors point toward replacing; and 'gather more evidence' means it's genuinely close and you need a verified diagnosis before deciding. In every case, the reasons shown are the real value: take them to a contractor as questions rather than treating the label as final.
What it can't do
Be clear about the limits. This tool can't measure refrigerant, test a compressor, or confirm what actually failed, and it can't predict when something will break next. Those answers come from a qualified technician's measured diagnosis. Use the calculator to frame the decision and pressure-test a contractor's recommendation, not to skip the inspection.
Your privacy
This is a no-contact tool on purpose. Whatever you type stays in your browser for the session and isn't transmitted or stored by us, and there's no form to fill out to see your result. If you later want a referral, that's a separate, clearly disclosed step you choose, never a condition of using the calculator.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the repair-or-replace calculator free?
Yes, and it's private. There's no fee, no login, and no contact form. Your answers stay in your browser and aren't submitted to us.
Does the calculator diagnose my AC?
No. It weighs decision factors like age, repair cost, warranty, and comfort to point you toward repair or replacement. It can't inspect equipment or confirm what failed, so pair it with a technician's measured diagnosis.
What's the '50% rule' for repair versus replace?
Some people compare the repair cost to a share of replacement cost as a rough gauge, but no single rule fits every situation. Age, warranty, repeat failures, comfort, and how long you'll stay all matter, which is why the calculator weighs several factors instead of one.
Should I trust the calculator over a contractor?
Use them together. The calculator frames the decision and gives you questions to ask; a qualified contractor provides the measured diagnosis and written scope. If they disagree, that's a reason to get more evidence or a second opinion.
Continue your decision
Sources
- ENERGY STAR, When to replace your HVACAge and performance prompts for evaluation, not an automatic replacement rule.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Home Cooling 101Maintenance and service-life context for the repair-or-replace decision.