When replacing beats repairing, we tell you straight

There comes a point where another repair is money thrown at a system that will not make it through the next summer. When we look at a unit for replacement, we tell you what we found — the age, the condition of the coil and compressor, what it would cost to keep it going — and let you decide.

If replacement is the right call, we size the new system to the house rather than simply matching whatever was there. An oversized unit short-cycles, never pulls the humidity out, and wears itself down early. The right size runs longer, quieter and cheaper.

Installation is where most systems are won or lost. We set the line set properly, pull a real vacuum, charge to the manufacturer's spec, and check the airflow before we leave. Then we walk you through the thermostat and the filter schedule so the system starts its life the way it should.

Ask about financing if you would rather spread the cost, and about a maintenance plan to keep the new unit under warranty and running right.