If your air conditioner condenser is more than five years old, it may make more sense to replace the entire unit instead of repairing individual parts. Usually, when a contractor says they will repair your air conditioner condenser, they are actually going to replace the broken part. That alone is reason enough to hire an HVAC contractor to handle all air conditioning condenser repair and replacement work. If the problem is mild or isolated to a specific part, you may be able to repair the air conditioner condenser without having to to replace it completely.
In this case, replacing the entire air conditioning condenser unit may be less expensive than repairing damaged parts, even with the installation. A specific part may be responsible for the malfunction of an air conditioning condenser, in which case you can look for a local heating, ventilation and air conditioning repair company to fix the problem or replace the part, sometimes at a lower cost than the complete replacement of the unit. In many cases, a local air conditioner repair contractor will be able to perform minor repairs or replace a single part for a much lower cost. You'll generally pay more for an air conditioning condenser unit backed by a longer warranty, but a comprehensive warranty can provide cost savings over the life of the unit if it needs to be repaired or replaced as required.
Often, the signs that you need to replace the air conditioner condenser won't come until you start the air conditioner on a hot summer day. A split air conditioning system (with separate indoor and outdoor units) may be less expensive to repair or replace than an all-in-one integrated system, such as a heat pump. In many cases, you won't need to replace the entire air conditioning condenser unit; a local heating, ventilation and air conditioning repair technician may be able to replace a specific part, such as the condenser coil or condenser, with a fraction of the cost.
