Home AC Compressor Replacement Cost In 2021

There could be a number of reasons why your old home air conditioner isn’t working properly. However, the most common issue is broken compressors. They are often unrepairable and need to be replaced. If you don’t have much idea about home ac compressor replacement cost, you’ve come to the right place. This article is for you.

In short, the cost of AC compressor replacement may vary depending on your warranty. If you have a warranty, then the cost will be around $600-$1200 on average. However, if you don’t have a warranty, the cost will be a lot more. It can cost you $1300-$3000 depending on various factors. Also, you have to consider additional labor costs to the main cost.

That being said, if you want to save some money on the replacement, you need to know about all the factors included with compressors replacement. So, I suggest you read through this whole article. Here, I will go through all the details and hidden cost factors that might be associated with AC compressors. So, you’ll get a fair idea about this subject.

Average AC Compressor Replacement Cost

As you might already know, the compressor is the most essential element of your AC. It’s the part that provides the cool air. So, you can say compressors are the AC’s beating heart. 

When it gets old, it might not work properly. Also, most of the time they are unrepairable. If you must have to replace them with new ones. But, as I already told you, this cost can vary widely.

If you still have the warranty of your old compressors, you won’t have to spend much on the replacement. In this case, the cost would be around $600-$1200. The average cost is around $750-$800. However, the cost will be a lot higher without a warranty. You might have to spend as much as $3200 to replace it. 

In the worst-case scenario, you might have to replace the entire AC unit along with your AC compressor. The entire process can take more than 6 hours. So, the cost will be a lot higher in these cases. It starts from $3300 and can go as high as $6000 depending on various factors. So, you need to think wisely before you replace them.

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Cost Factors Of AC Compressor Replacement 

As I have already discussed, the AC compressor replacement cost may vary depending on a lot of factors. These factors cover a wide range of things that you must consider beforehand. Else, you might spend more than what you initially expected. Some of these factors are given below.

Warranty

The most important part of your air conditioner is the compressor. This is why the warranty is a key factor to consider before you decide to replace your AC compressor.

Warranties make a huge difference to the cost of replacement. If you have a warranty, you can replace it for less than $800. But, if your warranty expires, you may have to pay four or five times the amount to replace it.

Sometimes, if your warranty runs out, you might better buy a new AC. Because that way your money will be better spent for the long run.

Type

The replacement cost will vary regarding what types of compressors you choose. That is because there are several types of compressors available. Their price range differs depending on the type. You need to choose the best-suited compressor for your home AC.

There are three kinds of compressors that are widely popular. They are single-stage, two-stage, and variable speed compressors. Single-stage compressors cost the least out of the three types. While both two-stage and variable speed compressors cost more than the single-stage ones, they are more efficient. They also last a longer period of time.

Size

This is another important factor to consider while you’re looking to replace your air conditioner compressor. The cost will be different for different sizes of compressors. The size of any AC compressor is estimated in tons. A compressor with a large capacity will cost more than the lower capacity ones.

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If you’re replacing a 1.5-2 ton compressor, it will cost you around $1000 to $1250. As the capacity gets higher, the cost will also follow. A 5-ton unit costs about two times the cost of a 2-ton one. You have to spend $1450-$2300 to replace a 5-ton compressor. Normally, for home air conditioners, you don’t need anything more than 6-ton unit compressors. They cost about $1650 to $3000.

Refrigerant

After you’ve replaced your compressor, you have to refill the refrigerant. Refrigerants are an essential component of your AC. It circulates through the compressor and the evaporators and in the process it supplies cool air.  On average, the freon refill will cost about $100 to $600.

Two types of refrigerants are widely popular in the industry. Newer AC units these days mostly use R410A refrigerant. So, you need to spend around $100 to $320 to refill one of those. Older ACs used to have R22 Freon. They cost more than the newer ones. One Freon R22 refill costs about $180 to $600.

Brand

There are various brands of compressors available in the market. The common practice is to use the same brand of compressor as the AC unit. They often work best together. Depending on the brand, a compressor might cost from $350 to $2500.

There are a lot of popular AC and compressor manufacturers available to choose from. The less popular ones like Goodman or Amana cost about $350-$1250. Popular brands like American Standard, Mitsubishi, or Copeland will charge you from $450 to as high as $2300 for a compressor.

Season

The price of air conditioner compressors varies depending on the season. Though you’ll never know when your AC compressor will break or get dysfunctional, you’ll be lucky if your compressor breaks during the winter.

The reason is summer and spring are considered peak seasons for ACs. Because the demand is high during these months. Also, the contractors stay in high demand. So, if you’re replacing your compressor in these seasons, the price will be a lot higher. The best times to replace your compressor are January to March and September to November.

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Labour Costs

This is one of the major factors regarding a compressor replacement. Often people forget to include this in their budget. So, they end up spending more than what they wanted to.

The thing is you can’t replace an AC compressor on your own. It’s too big of a task to do it yourself. Also, it’s a very delicate process. First, the refrigerant needs to be drained and when the replacement is done, it needs to be refilled again. 

On top of this, without a license, it’s prohibited to handle refrigerants. That’s why you need professional help for this job.

The labor cost for a compressor replacement ranges from $600-$1200. That’s because they usually charge on an hourly basis. They charge about $100 to $150 per hour. Usually, it takes about 6-10 hours to replace an AC compressor.

Average AC Compressor Lifespan

Normally the average lifespan of an AC compressor is 10 to 20 years. But, it may vary from region to region. In colder areas, they work perfectly for 15 to 20 years. 

But, warmer areas decrease the lifespan from 8 to 10 years. You can increase their lifespan by maintaining them properly. Make sure you do proper servicing every year and always look out for any unusual noises coming from the radiator. Proper maintenance is the deciding factor for how long your compressor will last. 

You can never predict when you might need a compressor replacement. This replacement cost depends on so many factors. Having a proper idea about home ac compressor replacement cost helps in this case.In this article, I discussed all the factors related to this subject. Hope it will be very beneficial to you. Thank you for stopping by.