The $5,000 AC rule, explained
Take the age of the air conditioner in years, multiply by the repair quote in dollars, and compare the product to 5,000. Above it, This Old House says replacement is worth considering. It is a rule of thumb with no standard behind it, and it is most useful as a trigger to get a second price.
Running the numbers
Three hypothetical Rockford systems, with repair amounts picked from inside the national ranges Fixr and This Old House publish. None of these is a real quote.
| The system | The repair | Years times dollars | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| A 6 year old condenser in Roscoe | $300 capacitor | 1,800 | Repair |
| A 12 year old system on the east side | $450 contactor | 5,400 | Get a replacement price |
| A 14 year old unit in Loves Park | $2,200 compressor | 30,800 | Replace |
The rule's blind spots
It leans hard toward replacing. The 12 year old system above trips the line over a $450 part, yet a modest fix on a unit that otherwise cools fine is often money well spent, provided you start saving for the eventual replacement. So let the rule decide whether you ask for a replacement quote. Don't let it decide what you buy.
It also knows nothing about your house. In Rockford that usually means three questions it can't answer: is the furnace under the coil due soon too, have you been paying for a repair every summer, and could your household ride out a July breakdown during a stretch of 90s.
A version that fits a Rockford house
- Do the multiplication.
- If it comes out over 5,000, request a replacement quote alongside the repair quote.
- Put the two side by side, and price a heat pump option too, along with any ComEd rebate on that equipment.
- Think about timing. A planned swap in April or October beats an emergency one in July.
Asked around Rockford
What is the $5,000 AC rule?
Age in years times repair cost in dollars. When the result passes 5,000, This Old House suggests looking at replacement instead of repair. It is a rough rule, nothing official.
Does the $5,000 rule apply to heat pumps?
It works as a first pass. Keep in mind that a heat pump runs in winter as well as summer, so it piles up hours faster than an air conditioner of the same age.