What is the $5,000 rule for HVAC?
Multiply the system’s age by the repair quote. Over 5,000, a replacement is often worth pricing; under 5,000, the repair usually makes more sense.
A 12-year-old system with a $500 repair scores 6,000. A 7-year-old system with a $400 repair scores 2,800.
It’s a starting point, not a verdict. The kind of repair matters: a capacitor and a compressor are very different jobs.
What does my refrigerant mean for the decision?
Older systems may use R-22. Since 2020 it hasn’t been produced or imported in the US.
You can keep using and servicing an R-22 system, but its refrigerant is limited, so a large leak on one is a strong reason to price a replacement.
Newer systems usually use R-410A, which the EPA calls the most common alternative to R-22. You can keep repairing one for its useful life, including with a similar R-410A condensing unit or coil.
Replacing both together counts as a new system, which generally must use a lower-impact refrigerant. A May 2026 EPA rule lets equipment built before 2025 still be installed until that stock runs out.
How does Las Vegas heat change the math?
Las Vegas averages 78 days a year at or above 100°F, and the record is 120°F, set on July 7, 2024, according to the National Weather Service.
A system that can’t keep up in July is already working its hardest, and a breakdown in that heat can’t wait a week for quotes. Know your system’s age and condition in spring.
When does a repair make sense?
When the system is under about 10 years old, the failure is a single part such as a capacitor, contactor, fan motor or thermostat, and it otherwise cools well.
When is a replacement worth pricing?
When the compressor fails on an older system, when an R-22 system needs refrigerant, when repairs come every summer, or when the $5,000 rule says so.
If you have a home warranty, file the claim first. Your warranty company decides what it covers before you pay for anything.
When should I call?
Call (702) 750-2608 for an $89 diagnostic. The technician finds the cause and gives you the repair price before any work starts, so you can run the numbers. See AC repair and AC replacement.
Sources
- CBS News: What is the $5,000 rule for HVAC systems? (June 24, 2026)
- EPA: Phasing out HCFC refrigerants to protect the ozone layer (R-22)
- EPA: Phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons, frequently asked questions
- EPA: Technology transitions reconsideration fact sheet (May 2026)
- National Weather Service Las Vegas: days at or above a given temperature
- National Weather Service Las Vegas: temperature overview
- Trane: AC replacement or AC repair, what’s right for you?