Should you replace or repair a 12-year-old AC unit in Central Texas?
For most Central Texas homes, a 12-year-old AC sitting at SEER 13 or below is past the break-even point — repairs over $600 rarely pay back before the compressor fails again. Replace if the refrigerant is R-22, the coil has been recharged twice, or a single repair quote exceeds half the cost of a new system.
The "1/2 rule" is a useful sanity check, but Texas heat changes the math. Units running 1,800+ cooling hours a year wear faster than the national average, and the 2025 R-454B refrigerant transition means new R-22 systems aren't economical to keep alive.
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@author Mike Reyes · NATE-certified · TACL #B12849