One of the biggest concerns homeowners have when it comes to air conditioning units is the repair and replacement costs that AC represents. It is important to make sure we give regular maintenance to our equipment in order to avoid constant repair costs. However, having to cover such costs is something that will happen sooner or later, whether because our equipment is too old, or because of its normal wear and tear as it ages. If you are worried about AC repair costs, or if you think your service provider is charging you too much, here we have a short guide on the most common types of repairs and the average cost you should expect.
As many of us might already know, one of the first expenses we must cover when servicing our AC units comes in the form of service fees. The vast majority of contractors charge this fee for every service call they get. This is mainly to cover labor and overhead costs of dispatching a technician to your location and having them check your equipment. Usually, service fees are between the $50 to $100 range, but these fees can be higher if we need a technician during the weekend, on a holiday, or after business hours.
When it comes to actual repair costs, furnaces and heating systems include several components that are quite sensitive, and that may eventually malfunction, leading to the need of being repaired. Homeowners pay, on average, around $300 for a furnace repair, but there are many different components that fall under this category that we should keep in mind. These components include the blower motor, the thermostat, ignitor, flame sensor, heat exchanger, pressure sensor or circuit board, gas valve, smart valve, and draft inducer.
| Average Repair Cost
Blower Motor – $150 Flame Sensor – $80 Heat Exchanger – $110 Pressure Sensor or Circuit Board – $50
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Average Replacement Cost
Blower Motor – $450 Thermostat – $50 to $200 Ignitor – $300 to $400 Flame Sensor – $250 Heat Exchanger – $500 to $1,000 Pressure Sensor or Circuit Board – $350 Gas Valve – $150 Smart Valve – $750 Draft Inducer – $150 to $450 |
Now, cooling systems such as air conditioners and heat pumps include several indoor and outdoor components that are used to cool the air inside your home or office. These components are also prone to suffering malfunctions, which include the condensate drain tube and drain pump, drain pipe, drain lines, refrigerant, compressor, outdoor fan motor, breakers, relays, fuses, and the condenser coil.
| Average Repair Cost
Flush Drain Line – $75 to $250 Recharge Refrigerant – $250 to $750 Refrigerant Leak – $200 to $,1500 Outdoor Motor Fan – $200 to $600
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Average Replacement Cost
Condensate Drain Tube – $20 Condensate Drain Pump – $240 to $450 Drain Pans – $250 to $600 Compressor – $1,900 Breakers, relays, or fuses – $70 to $300 Condenser Coil – $1,900 to $3,000 |
All these repair and replacement costs might vary, depending on the contractor or technician we hire and the model of our equipment. However, it is always useful to know how much we should expect if we needed to repair or replace a component on our HVAC units. Since these malfunctions can be unexpected, we should always talk to our service and maintenance company to see if they have payment plans available for us. This way, we wouldn’t have to worry about being without cooling and heating systems while the repair expenses are covered.