Let’s be blunt here, the cost of air conditioner repairs varies based on a lot of factors. As such, you need all the information you can get to create a reasonable budget for fixing your air conditioner.

Spring season is here and summer is right behind it — things are about to get hotter. Do you have your air conditioner in top condition? If not, you should be finding out how much to fix your air conditioner.

Your air conditioner provides the best protection against hot summer temperatures. With climate change and global warming, spring and summer times will only get hotter. You will need your air conditioners working in top condition to have a fun summer in your home.

This is even more important if you’re the type who likes to be indoors during summer. It will get really hot and uncomfortable in there if you don’t have your air conditioner keeping things cool.

You don’t want to risk your air conditioner flunking out when you need it the most. So, you need to make sure it gets proper maintenance and repairs to avoid that.

Now that you have it on your mind, you’ll need to know the average cost to repair an air conditioner. That’s why we’ve put together a pricing guide for air conditioner repairs. Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the cost of air conditioner repairs and maintenance.

Common Causes of Air Conditioner Problems

The first step in troubleshooting or carrying out repairs is identifying the problem and the cause. If and when you need to repair your air conditioner, you should know what’s causing the problem.

If you can’t identify what’s wrong with your air conditioner, it’ll be difficult to effect any repairs. Of course, air conditioner repair professionals can do all of these for you, but it’s best you also learn how to identify possible faults by yourself.

Fan problems

Most (if not all) air conditioners come with two fans that have similar functionalities. One is responsible for blowing indoor air over the air conditioner’s evaporator coil thereby cooling the air.

Conversely, the other blows outdoor air over the AC’s condenser to expel heat outside the building. This explains the hot air that blows out the other side of the air conditioner.

If either of the fans is not working properly, you will end up with a problem like poor airflow. This can result from lack of lubrication, faulty motor, worn out belt or debris build-up. The cost of repair for this type of air conditioner fault is on the affordable side.

However, neglecting this problem can lead to a bigger problem like compressor failure. That’s pretty much a death sentence for your AC unit.

Dirty condenser coils

We already mentioned the condenser coil so you should have an idea as to what its job is. What we didn’t mention is that it is part of the external unit. As such, it is susceptible to dust and debris. It is outside and open to foreign materials such as soot, smoke and other pollutants.

These materials can cover up the condenser. And when this happens, it blocks the part through which the condenser expels hot air. The unit will then need to exert itself more to be able to do its basic job. This will make it wear out faster and may even lead to system failure.

Leaking ducts

Do you know those “wires” that run from the outdoor unit of the AC to the indoor unit? Yes, those are the duct wires, and they are mostly between the walls and through the ceiling. They carry the cool air that your indoor AC unit distributes throughout your space.

What happens when the ducts are leaking? Perhaps rodents chewed through it or your neighbour mistakenly damaged it. Regardless, if it’s leaking, it won’t be able to efficiently supply cool air. When this happens, you won’t get sufficient cooling from your AC unit.

Low refrigerant

Every air conditioner has refrigerant. That’s the chemical in the evaporator coil that sucks up the heat and humidity in your space. It then leaves the air cool, dry and refreshing. Now, if there’s not enough supply of this stuff, your AC will not be able to do its job properly.

Low refrigerant levels can be a result of leaks in the AC system. It’s not enough to only refill the refrigerants, you need to find the leak and plug it.

If you don’t do that, it’ll only leak out again. When this happens, you’ll end up paying more for the cost of refrigerator repair over time. We assume you can’t do that yourself, so let the professionals do that for you.

Frozen evaporator coils

If you’re dealing with damage to your evaporator coils, the average price to fix your air conditioner will go up. The evaporator coil serves as a container for the refrigerant. So, its job is to absorb heat like a sponge.

It’s funny how a component whose job is to absorb heat also needs to be warm to function. It may seem counterintuitive but that’s how the evaporator coils work.

You don’t ever want the evaporator coil to go cold. When that happens, it will stop working and you know what that means. Nothing is absorbing the hot and humid air in your space anymore.

Thermostat problems

If your AC unit uses the old dial-type thermostats, you’ll need to take extra care of it. Most times, the calibration of the thermostat messes up. And this means your AC will receive a different instruction to what you intend. For instance, it may blow hotter air instead of a cool 21°C.

The new programmable thermostats also have their problems. The main problem is they’re quite tricky to program and may be set incorrectly. This is a similar problem to the old dial-type thermostats. Either way, the problem is often the calibration.

Clogged Drains

This is a very popular problem with any appliance that uses pipes or transfers fluids. Your air conditioner does not only cool the air in the space, but it also removes moisture. The AC sucks up moisture through a drain line, into a pan and then out or down the drain.

When something clogs up that drain, it becomes a problem for the AC unit. It can’t get the moisture out and the water will start building up in the drain line. When it gets full you’ll notice water dripping from your AC unit. That’s not good as the water can back up and damage the system.

Then again, it can also damage your walls, if you have wallpaper, that’ll be terrible. Generally, it will cause a lot of mess that you’ll need to constantly clean up. So it will do you a lot of good to find a way to unclog the drain. That said, let’s go look at the cost of air conditioner repairs and how long they may take to complete.

Cost of Air Conditioner Repairs

As we mentioned earlier, the cost of air conditioner repair varies depending on a lot of factors. To make it easy, we will discuss how much to repair different types of air conditioner problems.

The average cost to repair home AC

Home air conditioners come in varying sizes with different power and features. The repairers will have to consider all these factors when billing you for the repairs. Not to mention the type of problem your home AC may be having.

Also, keep in mind that the sophistication of your AC becomes a problem during repairs. The more sophisticated it is, the harder it is to discover the problem and effect repairs.

However, generally, the cost of repair for home air conditioners in Vaughan ranges between $500 to $600.The price can be as low as $100 if the problem is a minor one.

Cost of replacing AC compressor

Now we’re getting into discussing the problems and the cost of taking care of them. Compressors are the most important units in the AC unit. If the compressor fails, that’s usually a bye-bye, you need to replace it. The replacement will cost you between $600-$1,200.

You’ll know that the problem is compressor failure when your AC starts doing the exact opposite of what it ought to do i.e. it starts blowing hot/warm air. Sometimes, the unit will also be vibrating and become noisy.

All these are signs of a bad compressor. Get a professional to handle it for you. Air-con repair experts in Vaughan will be able to replace a compressor in a matter of hours.

Cost to repair freon leak

Gas leaks are a common problem with AC units so most technicians can handle them. That doesn’t imply that the cost of air conditioner repairs for a gas leak is cheap.

You’ll have to pay the technician to find the leak, fix it and refill the gas. All of these will combine to cost anywhere between $400 to $1200.

Also if the technician charges per hour, then the total cost may extend depending on how long it takes. Sometimes, detecting and fixing a gas leak can take up to eight hours.

Cost to repair fan coil leak

When components like fan coils and compressors are faulty in the AC, it’s often better to replace them. Replacing them provides a long-term solution to the problem, but it is expensive.

To replace a fan coil, you’ll need to spend above $800. That’s a lot of money, but it will be worth it in the long term.

Repairing them, on the other hand, is cheaper but it’s not the best solution. Why? They always break down again. Once any of these components break down, they never go back to being as good. In the short run, you’ll save money with the repair option but it will not be beneficial in the long run.

Cost to replace air handler

Similar to the compressor and fan coil, it’s better to replace faulty air handlers in an A.C. But, that costs a significant amount of money. The cost of replacing an AC air handler will be about $1,200.

We understand that’s an amount that’s not easy to part with. But the air handler is very important to your AC unit. It helps to circulate both hot and cool air to regulate temperature.

As such, it is responsible for maintaining the temperature in your space. It switches to either hot or cool air depending on the temperature you set in the thermostat.

Cost to replace AC condenser

You don’t have to replace a faulty condenser as long as you’re sure the fault is minimal. Instead, ask the technician for their recommendation. But in most cases, your condenser should work well with adequate repairs.

However, if for any reason you want to get a new one, prepare to spend around $900 on that. This price covers the cost of purchase and installation. It’s easier and faster to replace the condenser than to repair it. But replacement is more expensive.

Cost to repair AC blower

AC blowers are some of the cheapest air conditioner components to repair. You can repair an AC blower for as low as $150 but then again, for high-end air conditioners, it may be up to $400.

Regardless, they’re generally cheap and easy to repair. Furthermore, a professional shouldn’t take more than three hours to complete the repairs.

The AC blower is the motor moving the fan blades inside the unit. So without them, the AC fans will not work. That’s how important they’re to the air conditioning system. It’s a good thing they’re cheap to repair right?

Cost to repair expansion valve

This is another one of the easiest and less expensive items to repair in an AC unit. Depending on the level of damage, you’ll not need to spend more than $250 to repair this component. The price caps off at $450 for replacement.

The expansion valve’s job is to remove pressure from the liquid refrigerant (freon) to allow for expansion. The pressure prevents liquid from expanding, but the refrigerant needs to expand to be able to cool the air. The expansion valve ensures the refrigerant can expand as much as possible to function properly.

Cost of repairing inverter AC

Inverter air conditioners are expensive to maintain and the cost of repairs is even more expensive. Regular units are affordable in comparison to inverter units. However, they’re more energy-efficient so the cost trade-off is worth it.

These units can save you 50% to 60% on energy costs and do not break down very often. But they require adequate maintenance to prevent breakdown. If they do break down, be ready to spend a significant amount of money on the repairs.

Cost of replacing AC fuse

Fuse, circuit breakers and relays are easy to get so they’re very cheap. They are also straightforward to install. You can even do it yourself if you have some machine repair knowledge. However, taking the DIY route is not always the best idea as you can mistakenly damage something.

Generally, you should not spend above $150 to replace any of these components. Also, since it’s easy to do, it doesn’t take any time. A professional should be able to replace them in under an hour or two.

Cost to replace AC thermostat

Replacing the AC thermostat doesn’t cost as much as many think it is. In Vaughan, you should be able to replace the AC thermostat with $200. The cap of the price range is $250 in most areas. Regardless, that’s pretty affordable in comparison with most of the other AC components.

It costs slightly less to repair the thermostat. But repair is not often the best option unless the damage is very minute. If you can afford the replacement, it’s often better to buy a new thermostat. In the long run, it will save you from recurring thermostat problems and repair expenses.

Cost to repair AC capacitor.

The AC capacitor is very much like the fuse in that it’s easy to replace. But it is not as cheap.

You should not expect to pay less than $115 and more than $475 to replace them. A professional with experience will be able to complete the replacement job in under half an hour. It’s that quick and easy to do.

How much to fix my air conditioner?

Air conditioner problem troubleshooting and other related services can cost between $70 to $90. For the actual repairs, depending on the air-con technician you’re hiring, they can demand any amount starting from $40 per hour.

Some service providers charge up to $200 per hour. When you have a handle on the cost of labour, add that to the individual cost of a replacement part. The resulting figure is the average cost of fixing your air conditioner.

Fix Your Faulty Air Conditioner ASAP

The cost of air conditioner repairs can be as low as $200, depending on the component you’re fixing. However, you should look to repair your air conditioner as soon as it develops a fault. You don’t want to risk a minor fault spiralling into more expensive repairs.

If you’re looking for an air conditioner repair contractor, you’re at the right place. Here at ALP Heating, we have extensive experience fixing air conditioner units in Vaughan. This means we have a hands-on understanding and experience of what it takes to fix your air-con unit quickly and effectively.

Call us at (647) 972-8714 and an air-con repair expert will be with you the same day!