Repair or Replace? Expert Advice on Making the Right Decision for Your HVAC Unit

By Aztil – December 4, 2024

Air conditioners last between 10 and 20 years depending on the model, maintenance, and climate. Some have long lifespans while others fail early. While there is no exact date, the time to replace your AC is based on when it needs repairs, and how serious those repairs become. Deciding whether to repair or replace your HVAC is crucial for your home’s comfort, budget, and energy efficiency. Consider new regulations like the AIM Act 2025. If you want to save time and money while ensuring reliable heating and cooling, we can help you determine the best course based on several important factors.

1. Age of the Unit

Most AC units have a lifespan of 10-20 years, with an average reliable performance of 15 years. If your AC is over 10 years old, consider a replacement rather than repairs. An AC unit loses efficiency as it ages, leading to higher energy bills and more frequent repairs. Eventually, it will be more cost-effective to replace instead of continuing repairs.

The AIM Act 2025

The AIM Act will phase out older eco-harmful refrigerants that pose global warming risks. Older ACs may become more costly if they use banned refrigerants like R-401A. If your old AC has a refrigerant leak, it may be a good time to upgrade.

2. Cost of Repairs vs. Replacement

The 50% rule states that if a repair costs 50% or more of the cost of a new appliance, then replacement is the wise choice. You will get better performance from a new unit, so the other half of the price will pay itself back quickly compared to the lost expense of repairing a unit that will continue to fail and need more costly repairs in the future.

With the AIM Act, you can also be certain that HVAC replacements in 2024 will all be manufactured with eco-friendly refrigerants. An upgrade will be good for the environment, more efficient, and cheaper for many years.

3. Energy Efficiency and Your Utility Bills

How energy-efficient is your old HVAC unit? HVACs have to use more electricity for heating and cooling as the years go by. A steady increase in your seasonal power bills can mean your HVAC will cost more than you realize. Repairing an older unit may come with that half-hidden higher cost of continued operation.

Upgrading to a more efficient new HVAC comes with advanced technology, a higher SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, and lower power bills. With the AIM Act, newer systems also use low-GWP refrigerants, making them eco-friendlier and more efficient, leading to lower utility bills.

4. Frequency of Breakdowns

Constant repairs are a sign that your AC will continue to fall. If repairs are more than once a year, it’s probably time to schedule your HVAC replacement. The AIM Act phase-down also means it will become more costly to service older units with phased-out refrigerants.

5. Indoor Comfort and Air Quality

An older HVAC may struggle to keep up with your home’s air needs. If you notice hot and cold spots, the blower fan or motor fails to push enough air evenly through the house. If you notice poor air quality, it could mean a failure of filtration or humidity control.

A newer system that meets the AIM Act standards provides advanced efficiency and environmental controls. You can ensure perfect air balance and reduce pollutants and allergens in your home.

6. Environmental Impact and AIM Act Compliance

The AIM Act 2025 ensures that new HVAC units are more eco-friendly than older models by phasing out high-GWP refrigerants. New systems will reduce your carbon footprint with eco-friendly refrigerants and more efficient electricity use.

7. Current Rebates and Incentives

If now is the right time to replace your HVAC, several great savings opportunities are available. Many utility companies offer rebates, discounts, and other incentives for purchasing a new high-efficiency AIM Act-compliant system. You can use these savings to reduce the upfront costs of your energy-saving upgrade. This is a chance to reduce installation costs and start saving immediately with lower seasonal power bills.

Making the Best Choice for Your Home

Should you repair your HVAC or plan to replace it? Consider your system’s age, repair frequency, seasonal power bills, and your current home comfort. If now is the right time to replace, take advantage of the savings and quality upgrades inspired by the AIM Act 2025, which drives eco-friendly and energy-efficient changes in the HVAC industry.

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Michelle Weithaas

Niko was great! He was extremely thorough and answered all of our questions. I would absolutely recommend him again.

Cynthia Dagan

Nico Garza solved my problem a nd was professional and personable.

Tyruz30

Great experience with Alex. He did a very good job and was informative.

Marlena

For those looking for a reputable AC company. We have been using Aztil for many years, as has my daughter n a few neighbors and friends. We had a loud noise coming from our air conditioner inside our house. We called aztil, and was told somebody would be at our house between 1 and 4:00 that same day.

I received an email and a phone call from Dana saying what time he would be here. Dana showed up at about 1:30, and promptly got to the issue. We needed a new inside fan, Dana got on the phone to the office, and then let us know that they had a fan and he was going to get it and he would be back.

He left and came back within a half hour 40 minutes and proceeded to put in the new fan. He changed our filters and asked if we had any questions.

Dana did a GREAT job and made sure we were happy. He was very polite, neat n clean and courteous. Could not ask for a better service call tech.
Aztil is GREAT and I highly recommend them.

Shondra Sejour

This morning, the battery for my AC system died, and when I looked at my thermostat the entire screen was blank. I started panicking because I couldn’t figure out what to do or how to replace the battery. My neighbor recommended Aztil Air Conditioning, so I called them right away. I spoke with the customer service manager, Sabrina, and she was truly incredible. She had me send her a picture of my thermostat, and then she personally walked me through the whole process step-by-step all through her own number. She was patient, kind, and made sure I understood everything. What really surprised me was that she didn’t charge me at all for the help. She told me she didn’t have to charge because she was able to guide me through it over the phone. That level of honesty and customer care is extremely rare.

Sabrina went above and beyond for me this morning, and I am truly grateful. I highly recommend Aztil Air Conditioning to anyone looking for a company that truly cares about their customers. Thank you again, Sabrina!

Jazziz

Nico was excellent. Full explanation of services. I would like to get him for any future services. I'd like to add that I was pleased with the vent cleaning that was performed by Alex Molina and his assistant.

Response from the owner:Hi Jazziz, thank you for your kind words! We're so glad to hear that Lazaro did an excellent job and that you were pleased with the outcome. Thank you for being a valued customer.

Freddy John

Dana and all the staff was very professional, courteous and prompt. Dana did an excellent job repairing my a/c and double checked his work. I am very pleased. Thanks again Dana, Juan and William.
John

Jason Poulin

Aztil has always been great. They respond quickly and are friendly and knowledgeable. Paul did my service today and was a pleasure. Thanks team Aztil!

Gilles Ouellet

Maria P Gomez

Fantastic, wonderful and professional. I renewed my contract with Aztil. Very happy.
Thank you
Paul you are excellent 👏

Morty Benedik

Tino was very professional and always friendly he done an amazing job with my air conditioning thank you Aztil for sending him

Janet Ernstein

Elder did an outstanding job at our home. Very professional.

Kelly Koch

Niko was very professional and fixed my AC quickly. Thank you!

Barbara Mitzner

Jalen and Jordan were so professional. They really did excellent work. Very happy with them.

Edward King

Niko was very professional and knowledgeable.

Melanie Fortin

Good service from Elden and Alex

Monica Guevara

Niko Garza was very helpful and professional, thank you

David Luckman

Elder was great !

Michael Solomon

Nico Garza was great. Friendly and respectful. We don’t wear shoes in our home and he respected our request

Peter Crenier

Elder Zavala Arrived on time, professional, courteous, and knowledgeable

Kathleen Sanford

Tino from Aztill was fantastic explained the work he was doing and answering All my questions thanks Aztill for a wonderful job

Angel Munoz

Michael did a GREAT job. Thank you, Michael!!

Response from the owner:Hi Angel, thank you for your kind words! We're so glad to hear that Dana did an excellent job and that you were pleased with the outcome. Thank you for being a valued customer.

Edward Liberston

Explained everything I needed to know. Concise and understandable.
Did a great job.!!!!!

Ola Oduola

Michael was professional, courteous and very knowledgeable. He’s definitely my go to technician for my HVAC at Aztil.

Alison Riconda

Raffelle Stjohn

The technician, Michael, was exceptional at servicing our AC unit. He didn't rush through and was respectful and super patient with my elderly mother's questions.We would like to request him for future servicing.. It was obvious that he was trained well for this work.

Tara Chiucchi

Elder was very professional.

C Pope

Dana, put in a new drain line for me. Excellent work. I am very pleased.

Stephen Rubin

Elder efficient and cooperative

Claire widensky

Niko was perfect.I give him 5 stars.

Don Frederick

Niko was excellent. Very thorough with my maintenance checkup.

Bruce Musser

Leslie Albert

Elder was very prompt and efficient

Glen Angel

William Nix (Bill)

Very effective in quickly spotting the and then doing the maintenance to resolve it. Pleasant and helpful personality. Seemed very knowledgeable and shared some tips and explained why I had the problem. Courteous which was appreciated!

BIll Timme

Michael Correa

Mike was early and knocked it out so well especially knowing my schedule. Amazing job and quick turnaround

Jeff Siegel

On /11/10 at 5:30 I had a service visit from Dana, My ac had a leak and eventually shut down. I cant say enough about his great attitude and knowledge. He took his time and fixed every little thing that he could find. His overall attitude was great. People like him will make your business better. A really good technician.

de fink

A/C thermostat kept rebooting and indicated the condisation pipe may be clogged. Called an a short time later Antonio, the tech, arrived. He knew exactly what to do and corrected the problem very quickly. He also did the servicing previously. He's efficient, knowledgeable, courteous and very pleasant. An asset to Aztil. No charge with my contract.

Response from the owner:Hi de fink, Thank you for your kind words! We are so glad to hear that Russell was able to diagnose the problem and that our techs were able to install the new system in two days. We strive to provide excellent service and ensure that our customers are satisfied. Thank you again for your review.

Amanda Rodman

Our downstairs A/C stopped working over the weekend. Called Aztil and they sent a technician that same morning! Antonio was excellent — diagnosed and fixed the issue in minutes. Everything was covered under our membership, including the emergency call. Highly recommend!

John Fiore

Michael is fabulous. He diagnosed the problem and fixed it immediately. A very respectful, courteous person you’ll be lucky to have him service your air-conditioning. I would not hesitate to use this company because of him.

Harriet Kutner

Jordan and Jalen were Great and professional they were the best

aztil air conditioning great had other company that was no good aztil is always there for me, and Ramon, was wonderful, very helpful great service

Response from the owner:Hi Harriet, thank you for your kind words! We're so glad to hear that Ramon did an excellent job and that you were pleased with the outcome. Thank you for being a valued customer.

Debra Williams

Antonio was a godsend no more sweating and feeling nauseous, my air conditioner is working and if possible, even colder than before! He was so polite and well mannered my mean pitbull loved him and he doesn’t like anyone! Every workplace should have a man like Antonio dealing with the public or maybe he should be a supervisor if not already and teaching any new hires how to behave while being professional and knowing his job well and fast!! thank you very much Aztel and thank you, Antonio!

Marcia Fidler

Cody and Niko were very proficient in their knowledge and professionalism. A pleasure to work with!!

Kathy Vlahov

Jorge Rivera installed my new A/C system yesterday. He was polite, knowledgeable and worked efficiently. He had David helping him. They made a great team.

Harolyn Glicker

Niko

Harvey Glicker

Niko was very pleasant and knowledgeable

Dorothy Hymowech

Antonio was very polite and professional. Very good representative of Aztil

Rich Harts

11/6/25 - I had the AeroSeal duct sealing process done today, and Jordan and Skylar were great. Jordan explained the whole process before they started and they answered my (many) questions throughout. It takes about 3-4 hours and the guys covered our furniture in the vent areas, checked for mold/dirt in the ducts, cleaned them all out, then applied the AreoSeal spray. The leakage was reduced significantly when completed - the air flow in the room at the end of the duct run was greatly improved.
Both techs were helpful throughout , right down to cleaning up the minor debris from the vent covers when done. I’d definitely recommend Aztil and Jordan & Skylar for this process.

10/21/25 - Our tech, Elder, provided great service along with good information on how to maintain my HVAC system since we’re not here full time.
He resolved the error I was receiving which shut my system down and explained how to prevent it. Thanks Elder!

Ira Goldstein

Cody & Niko did a great install of my iflo system. They were very professional and cleaned up.

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