Is Buying A Used Air-Conditioning Unit Worth It?

Whenever your air conditioning breaks or just needs a replacement, you know that you have to make a choice. Do you repair the unit or do you replace it? Now common wisdom says that if it costs less than half the cost of a new AC unit to repair, make the repair. Anything else, then you need to get a new unit.

This is all well and good, but it leaves out another choice that needs to be made for you. Do you purchase a new air conditioning unit, or do you try to get one that is used? This article is going to attempt to enter the annals of modern wisdom by giving you a real answer.

How Used Is It?

That’s one of the first questions that you should ask whenever you are purchasing a brand new air conditioning unit. You don’t want to save a few bucks by buying a used air conditioning unit, only to run into the exact same situation in three months whenever it breaks again. So make sure to analyze the condition of the used unit before you make any purchases, but for the most part, it needs to be as new as possible. The newer it is, the fewer problems you are likely to have with it, whereas getting a much older unit can lead to problems as parts start to fail and things start to break. You might get a fantastic deal, but if you save a lot of money on the deal only to spend those savings on repairs… did you really save at all?

Additionally, make sure to examine the entire air conditioner if you can. Even if an AC unit that is three years old doesn’t look like it has any dents or scratches on the outside, they could come with internal problems that you can see. Even if the seller is upfront about the various repairs that have been done to the AC unit or any scenarios where it might run into trouble, you still need to seek out a professional opinion.  Talking to a team of air conditioning repair experts in Ohio, or even having them do a professional inspection of the unit before you buy, is a very good idea.

Used Air Conditioners Are Often Dirty

Even if you clean the outside and the unit works perfectly fine, the internals of the AC unit might be dirty and that might impede how the AC unit works. Dirty cooling systems won’t be able to get your home down to the correct temperature in a fast manner, and they could even bring dirt and allergens into the home if the filters are clogged and haven’t been replaced. The internals of air conditioning units are very difficult and expensive to clean, and it just won’t work as effectively as a new one.

Should You Buy A New Or Used Air Conditioning Unit?

Unless you can find a used AC unit that checks all the boxes and performs just as well as a new one, you would be better off looking for a new air conditioning unit. They will work better, won’t need repairs, and will just come out of the box giving you a much better experience than wrestling with a used one will. You will save money buying a used unit, but compared to how important a good AC unit is to your home, your air, and the health of your family, you would be better off just making the purchase of a new one and taking care of it.