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Air Conditioner Repair Cost Guide

It's going to be one of the first very hot weekends of the year coming up, and many of us will be sitting in a hot home, wondering how much its going to cost to get your air conditioner repaired! Unfortunately, if you are one of the millions who has an AC system breakdown, you won't have much choice, but to get it repaired!

The cost guide below covers some of the more common air conditioner repair costs you can expect to pay this summer. If you already know its too late and time to replace the ac system, you may want to jump right to the central air conditioner prices guide for 2010.

Air Conditioner Service Call Costs

Before any work is done, you are going to need to pay for the AC Service Technician to get to your home! Most companies have a flat-rate service call charge that runs from $49-$129.

The service call cost you pay is going to depend on:

  • How Hot it is Outside! – Hotter temps mean the companies are busy.
  • Time and Day – You may pay more at night or weekends.
  • Customer Status – Are you an existing customer? If so, you will likely be serviced first and ahead of non-customers.

Many people get upset about a service call fee, just to diagnose the problem… but put yourself into the HVAC repairman's position for a second. At minimum, the business owner has to pay:

  • HVAC Technician Labor – Figure 30 minutes to and from your home, along with the time there.
  • Gas in the Service Van – $2.70/gallon here.
  • Company Overhead – The fact that someone answered that phone, the van has gas and parts inside, is insured etc, that's all overhead that is not related to your service call.

Most air conditioner repair companies LOSE money on the actual service call cost, in order to gain you as a customer and get your repair work.

Air Conditioner Repair Parts Cost Guide

Now that you understand the amount of the service call, you also need to be aware that the parts used to repair the air conditioner will cost also. In many cases, when the repair is more than a few hundred dollars, the service technicians may go ahead and waive the service call cost! If they don't, make sure you ask!

Typical Repair or Replacement costs:

  • Circuit Breaker in Main Electric Panel – $49-$129
  • Thermostat Replacement – $79-$300 (Depends on thermostat type)
  • Fan Motor on Air Handler – $300-$500 (Labor intensive)
  • Indoor Evaporator Coil – $900-$1600
  • Condensate Pump and Drain Line Cleaning – $80-$120
  • Freon or Refrigerant Charge – $40-$60 per pound used! (Many contractors have a flat-rate for this, which includes the first 3 pounds)
  • Fan Motor on Condensing Unit – $120-$250
  • Compressor – $650-$1200 (If more than 10 years old, you should just replace the system)
  • Circuit Boards – $120-$600 (Wide range of circuit board costs)
  • Capacitors and Switches – $60-$120

There are many other items that may need to be repaired or replaced on your air conditioner, but those listed above are the most common.

What Did You Pay for AC Repair?

Did you have your AC Unit Repaired recently? If so, what was done and what did you pay for the repair?

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