This is always a difficult a decision. On one hand you don't want to spend money on a new system, but on the other hand, you don't want to throw good money after bad. Which way should you go? It really boils down to the condition and age of the air conditioning system.

If you have been keeping your equipment properly maintained by a licensed air conditioning technician, then perhaps the current repair is isolated to a single, simple problem and not indicative of a major or potentially recurring issue. In this case it might make sense to repair and fix the problem. However, with any equipment it is important to consider its efficiency and the impact that wear and tear has on that efficiency and on your monthly electric bill.

Importance of Efficiency

When looking at the efficiency of your desired system, you’ll want to look for SEER ratings. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It’s measured by looking at the energy consumed vs. the amount of cool air put out by the machine. This means you’ll want to look for units with higher SEER ratings, since they’re putting out more cool air while using less energy. The typical spread on SEER ratings tends to be from 13 SEER (the Department of Energy minimum requirement) to just over 25 SEER.

High SEER ratings tend to mean a higher cost for the AC unit, but also can mean a higher quality. When you see a unit’s rating it's best to compare the cost of a higher-SEER unit with the amount of money you’d actually be saving on your electric bill. There should be specific information about savings each year in the unit's information.

Rebates on new installs

Around March 15, the air conditioning manufacturers and CenterPoint Energy start their rebate program. These 2 rebate amounts vary from year to year and have certain requirements that must be met to qualify.  Ask your air conditioning technician for details.