Most AC repairs in New Jersey cost between $89 and $1,700 with an average cost of around $356.
We know that’s a pretty wide range, and the reason we can’t give you an exact number is because the cost to repair your AC varies based on:
- The type of repair needed
- The company/contractor you hire
- Whether or not your AC is under warranty
The only way to get an exact cost is to contact a technician who will assess your system and provide you with a solid price. However, we can help you better estimate how much your repair may cost by looking at each of the above factors in more detail.
Cost Factor #1: Type of repair needed
The factor that will have the biggest impact on the cost of your AC repair is the type of repair needed. A few common repairs include:
- Replacing a fuse or circuit breaker ($89 to $356) – The fuse protecting your air conditioner can blow or the breaker can go bad and need to be replaced. The cost of this repair will vary depending on the type of fuse or breaker. The AC tech should also check your air conditioner to make sure there’s not some underlying electrical problem that caused the fuse or breaker to go bad.
- Refilling low refrigerant ($200 to $1,500) – Your AC uses refrigerant to absorb heat from your home and cool your air. If your AC system is low on refrigerant, it means you have a refrigerant leak that needs to be fixed. The cost of this service should include a tech finding and fixing the leak as well as refilling the refrigerant.
- Bad fan motor ($356-$630) – The air conditioning fan in your outside unit blows air over hot refrigerant lines to help cool your home. Over time, the fan motor can burn out. The cost of the repair will vary depending on the model and if there are any other electrical problems that need to be fixed.
- Compressor replacement ($1,500 to $3,000) – The compressor is the heart of your air conditioner; it pumps the refrigerant between your indoor and outdoor unit. There are a variety of reasons that your compressor can fail, including dirty coils, refrigerant leak, electrical issues, lack of necessary lubricant and more. The cost to replace your compressor will depend on the size and type of compressor. However, if your AC system is 10+ years old and you need a compressor replacement, our suggestion would be to replace your entire system instead. As you can see, compressors are an expensive replacement, and it will likely be more cost-effective for you, in the long run, to just replace your entire system instead.
An AC compressor
Cost Factor #2: The company/contractor you hire
Of course, the company or contractor you hire will have a significant impact on the cost to repair your AC system. Typically, the more experienced a technician is, the more they will charge for their services.
However, the cost of a quality repair is not something you want to skimp on, because if you hire a less-experienced contractor, you run the risk of having to pay for the repair a second time…or worse, the repair causing other issues.
To find a quality contractor, you will want to check for:
- Good reviews on sites like HomeAdvisor, Google and Facebook
- A valid license and insurance – This is normally listed on a company’s website or you can ask for it directly
- Years of experience serving homeowners in your area. For example, we have 25 years of experience serving New Jersey homeowners, so we have a lot of knowledge about what kind of AC repairs NJ homeowners normally deal with.
Cost Factor #3: Whether or not your AC is under warranty
When you install an AC system, it comes with two types of warranties:
- Parts warranty (usually lasts up to 10 years) – Will cover any parts that were faulty when your AC system was installed.
- Labor warranty (usually lasts up to 5 years) – Will cover the cost of labor if there were mistakes made when a tech installed your AC system.
If these warranties are still valid, they may save you some money on your AC repair. To check to see if your warranties are valid, you can:
- Contact the company or contractor who installed your AC system (labor warranty)
- Check your AC’s manufacturer’s website and enter the serial number of your AC (parts warranty)
Keep in mind that even if your AC is still under warranty (in regards to time), if you’ve had your AC repaired with off-brand parts or failed to have your AC maintained annually by a licensed professional, your warranties won’t be valid.
Before calling an AC repair company, try these 3 things
If your AC isn’t working properly, there are a few things you can check before calling a pro to come and take a look.
Step 1: Change your air filter
If you notice that your AC system is…
- Blowing warm air
- Forming ice
- Blowing little to no air out of the vents
…a dirty air filter could be to blame.
When your air filter becomes full of debris, it can block air from entering your system, suffocating your AC.
Clean air filter (left) vs. a dirty air filter (right)
Step 2: Make sure your thermostat is set correctly
If you notice warm air blowing out of your vents, your thermostat may just be on the wrong settings.
Your thermostat should be set to:
- COOL, not HEAT (setting your AC to COOL puts it in air conditioning mode)
- AUTO, not ON (AUTO turns your fan on automatically when the AC turns on, instead of having your fan run even when the air is not being cooled)
- Below your home’s current temperature
Correct thermostat settings for cooling your home
We know this sounds silly, but it happens. Every year we get at least one AC repair call where the thermostat just needed to be set correctly.
Step 3: Check your air conditioner’s breaker
If your system isn’t turning on at all, your air conditioner may have tripped its breaker. Check your electrical panel and flip the breaker on if it’s off.
Note: If the breaker trips again, call an AC technician. A breaker that keeps tripping is a sign of an underlying electrical problem. Just resetting the breaker is ignoring the problem and can cause a home fire.
Get an upfront price on your AC repair: Hire Air Experts
As we mentioned above, the best way to find the exact cost to repair your air conditioner is to schedule an appointment with an AC repair company that will provide you with an accurate, upfront price.
At Air Experts, our process is:
- You pay a service call fee of $89 for someone to come to your home and check out the problem.
- The AC repairman checks your air conditioner, finds the problem and gives you a fixed, upfront price to do the repair before any work is done.
- If you choose to do the repair, the $89 service call fee is waived.