Window AC unit - worth repairing? Who?

[Henry W]

THe former owner of our house was a WWer and built a shop that I love. He even put an window type AC unit into the back wall. I have used AC sporadically over the 14 years we have owned this place, and enjoyed it each time. But last night it was failing.

1. Given that the unit is likely 20+ year sold, is it worth repairing (or attempting to have it repaired)?
2. Given that it is 'permanently' mounted in the wall - I have not examined exactly how it is mounted - should I try to extract it for repair? I know that is an abstract Q without seeing the setup.
3. Is this a repair that you think would be done by a small appliance repair place (fridges etc) or an house AC place repair?

Henry

 

[scsmith42]

Unless it is some high dollar commercial type of window AC, you are probably better off financially to replace instead of repairing.

Let's say that a new unit cost $500.00, and you can repair the one you have for 200. After spending the $200 on whatever components need to be replaced, the rest of your unit will still be old.

Plus, a new unit may qualify for a tax break (high efficiency).

Obviously, do some basic troubleshooting first (or take it to a repair shop with an agreed upon dollar amount for them to make sure that the problem is not an easy/inexpensive fix), before spending the coin on a replacement.

See if you can find something that will slip into the exact same size hole.

Scott

 

[Bryan S]

I am going to say no. The average life is around 15 years so it most likely has exceeded its life expectancy. Now if you have a friend that knows refrigeration it could be worth a quick look.

 

[Dudelive]

I hate to say it but I also agree with the posts above, with the age of it there is not any way that would cause me to want that one to be fixed.

Even with the economy the way it is, I feel like you will actually save money with a more efficient unit. Almost anything you install will be more efficient than the older unit. Just be sure to add another type of filter to it so the fine dust won't clog up the evaporator.

 

[Charles Lent]

It's not worth fixing if it's that old.

If it is mounted in the wall it most likely will pull out of it's case. Most larger window/wall type air conditioners are designed this way. Remove the plastic face and then try pulling toward you on the machine part. It may require a bit to get it moving, but then it should just slide completely out of the cabinet like a drawer. You might get lucky and find another unit that will fit in that case, but I doubt it. The newer units of the same rating are smaller than they were 20 years ago. You will most likely need to remove the cabinet and reduce the hole size to fit the new replacement.

I have a 2 ton (24,000 btu) heat pump version of a window type unit that is installed through the end wall of my detached shop building and it has been providing all of the shop's (14X26) heating and cooling needs for the past 14 years. I use a standard 12X24X1 pleated filter in it (fits under the cover) and I change (or blow out) the filter frequently. It usually only runs when I am in the shop or when I have been applying finish to something, but I also run it in the winter when the temp will be below freezing for more than a few hours, because of the water lines, paints, and nicad batteries that are out there. When you replace your unit you may want to consider paying a bit more to get a heat pump, as it's a very clean , efficient, and safe way to control shop temperature.

Charley