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Advice on A/C unit and home warranty

477 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  RubySweet
Our AC is broken and it is 90 degrees out. The technician says he can patch it back together but the unit has almost no life left in it. It is over 12 years old I think. I have two questions- How much does a whole new heat/ac system including ductwork cost? Do you mamas think it is worth it to renew the home warranty?

The AC guy said the warranty company will always pay him to patch it back together and we would be better off saving up for a new one rather than paying the warranty. But everything in our house is ancient so we sort of thought it was worth it for all the other things that have broken. In a year of living here, we have called them three times, so it has been worth it for this year at least.
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I would have the A/C guy patch it together and save for a new unit. This will give you time to do some homework. Check with your local utility company to see if they offer any rebates toward new A/C units (compressor and air handler) Try to determine during the a/c repair if the duct work needs to be replaced or repaired. Get esitimates from at least 3 companies and keep in mind that duct replacement and a/c work will be MORE expensive during the hot months, especially if your ducts are in the attic like mine.

You said every thing in the house is ancient and you've used the home warranty 3x in the past year. To decide whether to continue, total the actual costs of the 3 repairs and compare it to another years premium. See if there are any sections of the warranty you could drop - do you need the deluxe warranty? Is your husband handy or know neighbors or friends that could help with future repairs? Having access to the internet will get you websites to repair almost any appliance. You probably have a good idea of what a new ? would cost if the old one is beyond help, not to mention the energy savings. I didn't renew my home warranty since the only thing that broke down consistently was NOT covered by the warranty!

Good luck.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by suwannee
The AC guy said the warranty company will always pay him to patch it back together and we would be better off saving up for a new one rather than paying the warranty.

that's what I'd do. I know nothing about home warranties or about AC units (it was 46 when i left for work at 930 this morning
). BUT....our local utility company grants low interest loans for furnaces - maybe your electic company has ideas for that as well.
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We were in a similar situation last year. We just got it patched up enough to get through last summer, then a couple of months ago we bought a new compressor & air handler. I can't remember what we ended up paying exactly but I think it was almost $4000. Dh taped up the ductwork and added about $200 worth of insulation in our attic to get us through this summer. The plan is for him to redo the ductwork next year.
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