AC Replacement in Elgin & the Fox Valley

Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner

Some of these are obvious. Some only show up on the electric bill or the repair invoices.

• It’s over 12 to 15 years old. Central air in northern Illinois typically lasts 12 to 17 years. Past that, every summer is borrowed time.
• It runs on R-22. R-22 hasn’t been produced since 2020. Any leak or compressor failure on an R-22 system is a replacement, because there’s no economical way to recharge it.
• A major repair is on the table. Compressor, evaporator coil, condenser coil or a refrigerant leak that can’t be reached. If the repair costs more than half of a new system, replace.
• Two or more repairs in the last two summers. A pattern of failures means the system is wearing out as a whole, not just one part.
• Cooling bills keep rising. A 10 SEER system from the early 2000s uses far more electricity than a new SEER2 unit for the same cooling.
• The house never gets comfortable. Hot upstairs, humid everywhere, or a system that runs all day on a 90-degree afternoon. Often that’s a sizing or airflow problem the old unit can’t fix.
• It’s loud. Older condensers run 75 to 80 decibels. New inverter units run in the 50s and 60s. If you can hear it through a closed window, it’s old.
• Rust, oil stains or a leaning pad. Oil on the line set or at the coil means refrigerant has been leaking. Heavy corrosion on the cabinet and coil means the end is near.
• You’re replacing the furnace anyway. The indoor coil sits on top of the furnace. Replacing both at once saves labor and lets us match the whole system.

If a couple of these apply, get a quote before it fails. A planned replacement in April gets you a better selection, a normal schedule and time to think. An emergency replacement in the last week of July gets you whatever is in stock.

Repair or Replace: The Math

We use the same rule of thumb on every call, and we’ll show you the numbers.

The 50% rule: if the repair costs more than half of what a comparable new system would cost, replacement is usually the better use of the money. Add the age factor: past 12 years, the odds of a second big repair go up fast, and past 15, they’re near certain. A useful shortcut is to multiply the system’s age by the repair cost. Over about $5,000, replace. A $400 repair on a 10-year-old system is $4,000: repair it. A $1,800 repair on the same system is $18,000: replace.

Refrigerant changes the math too. R-410A is being phased down under federal rules, and its price rises every year. A leak repair that also needs several pounds of R-410A costs more each season. New equipment uses R-32, which has about a third of the global warming potential and meets the new 700 GWP limit for residential systems. Read more about the repair side on our AC repair page.

What Changes With a New Air Conditioner

It’s more than a new box outside. Here’s what’s actually different.

How an AC Replacement Goes

From the first visit to the last handshake.

1. Free in-home quote. We measure the house, look at the existing furnace or air handler, ductwork, line set, electrical and the pad, and size the new system to the house. You get written options, usually two or three, with the discount already applied. No pressure, no expiring price.
2. Equipment and scheduling. Once you approve, we order or pull the equipment, schedule the install and file the mechanical permit where your town requires one. Spring and fall schedules are the easiest; summer emergencies get fit in as fast as we can.
3. Installation day. One day for most changeouts. We recover the old refrigerant per EPA rules, remove the old condenser and coil, set the new pad and unit, install the matched coil, flush or replace the line set, pressure test with nitrogen, pull a vacuum to 500 microns, weigh in the charge and commission the system. The full process is on our AC installation page.
4. Walk-through. We show you the thermostat, the filter, the disconnect and the drain, go over the warranty and leave the commissioning numbers with you.
5. Old equipment gone. The old condenser, coil and any scrap are hauled away and recycled. Refrigerant is recovered, never vented.
6. Inspection and registration. Where a permit was pulled, we meet the inspector. We register the warranty in your name and keep a copy.

What AC Replacement Costs

Every quote is free, written and specific to your house. Here’s how the number comes together.

We don’t quote installed prices over the phone, because the price depends on things we have to see: the size the house calls for, the efficiency tier you choose, whether the line set can be reused, the condition of the electrical and the furnace the coil will sit on. What we will tell you is that the quote is a flat price, it includes the permit, the matched coil, the pad, the disposal and the startup, and any ComEd discount you qualify for is already subtracted.

• Size. Larger homes need more tonnage. Oversizing costs more up front and runs worse, so we size to the house, not the old label.
• Efficiency tier. Single-stage, two-stage and inverter-driven systems each cost more than the last and run better than the last. We’ll show you the payback for your house.
• Heat pump or straight AC. A heat pump costs somewhat more than an equivalent AC, but ComEd’s instant discount of up to $2,000 on a ducted heat pump often closes most of that gap, and it heats the house in spring and fall for less than gas.
• Site conditions. A new line set, an electrical upgrade or a furnace that also needs replacing add to the job. We’ll tell you up front.

Paying over time? You can prequalify in about 2 minutes with no impact to your credit score, and we also offer on-bill financing on qualifying equipment. The discount comes off the invoice first, so you finance less.

Timing Your Replacement

The best time to replace an air conditioner is before it fails. The second best is right now.

Spring and fall are the easy seasons. Equipment selection is wide, schedules are open and there’s no rush. If your system is over 15 years old or on R-22, get the quote in March or April and decide on your own timeline. If you’re also replacing the furnace, fall works well: the coil goes in with the new furnace and the outdoor unit follows, or both go in the same day.

Mid-summer failures happen, and we handle them. Call, and we’ll get the old system diagnosed the same day where we can. If it’s a replacement, we quote on the spot, order what’s needed and install as soon as the equipment and permit allow. If you need cooling in the meantime, we’ll tell you honestly whether a temporary repair is possible or a waste of money.

What Our AC Replacements Include

Every bid should say this. Ours does.

An Amana central air conditioner installed by our team. We install Amana and Daikin equipment and stand behind the installation.

• Sized to your home, not the old label; Manual J load calculation available on request
• AHRI-matched outdoor unit and indoor coil
• Line set flushed or replaced, nitrogen pressure tested, vacuum to 500 microns
• Refrigerant charge weighed in and verified by subcooling
• New pad, whip, disconnect and surge protection where needed
• Permit filed under our own license where required
• Old equipment removed, refrigerant recovered, everything hauled away
• Manufacturer’s warranty registered in your name

Ready for a number? Request a free quote or learn how annual maintenance keeps the new system at peak efficiency.

AC Replacement Across the Fox Valley

Based in Elgin, we serve homes throughout Kane, McHenry, DuPage and DeKalb counties.

• Elgin
• South Elgin
• St. Charles
• Aurora
• Bartlett
• Streamwood
• Huntley
• Plato Center
• Sycamore
• Carpentersville
• West Dundee
• East Dundee
• Algonquin
• Gilberts
• Hampshire
• Pingree Grove
• Campton Hills
• Geneva
• Batavia
• Barrington
• Hoffman Estates
• Schaumburg
• Burlington
• Marengo
• Wayne
• Sleepy Hollow

Don’t see your town? Call (847) 224-2420. View all service areas.