Repair or replace your air conditioning? How to decide in Murcia

If your air conditioning is less than 8 years old and the fault is minor, repairing it is usually worth it; if it is over 10–12 years old and the compressor has failed or there is a leak in the coil, replacing it is usually worth it. In between, decide using four facts: the age of the unit, which part has failed, the gas it uses and how much it is costing you in electricity.

In Murcia the question matters more than elsewhere, because the unit runs for many months of the year: it cools in summer and, in many homes, heats in winter as a heat pump. We give you a simple way to decide, the most common faults and the mistakes we see most often.

Repair or replace your air conditioning: the quick rule based on the unit’s age

• Under 8 years old and a minor fault (sensor, circuit board, fan, recharge after a located leak): repairing is usually worth it.
• Over 10–12 years old and a major fault (compressor, coil leak): replacing is usually worth it.
• In between: compare the cost of the repair with that of a new unit and with what you would save on your bill.

You can find the age on the rating plate of the outdoor unit or on the purchase invoice. If you have neither, the technician can estimate it from the model and the gas it uses.

How to decide when the unit is in between

1. Ask for the diagnosis with the repair price in writing.
2. Compare it with the cost of a new unit of the same power, installed.
3. Ask about the condition of the rest of the unit: if the compressor and coil are in good shape, the repair will last longer.
4. Think about your August electricity bill and how much it would drop with a modern unit.

The most common air conditioning faults in Murcia and whether they are worth repairing

In August, with the outdoor unit in the sun on a roof terrace or a west-facing wall, the unit works flat out for many hours at a time. That is when the faults that have been building up for a while appear. This table sums up the most common ones and what they usually mean:

There are signs you can spot yourself before calling. Frost on the thin pipe coming out of the outdoor unit usually points to low gas or very dirty filters. An outdoor unit that starts, stops after a few minutes and starts again may have a problem with the compressor or its protection device. A new hum or vibration almost always comes from the fan or a loose bracket.

Refrigerant gas: why a unit with R-22 is almost always replaced

Older units that run on R-22 can no longer be recharged: using this gas for maintenance has been banned since 2015. If your unit uses it and is low on gas, the normal course is to replace it with one that uses a current refrigerant.

To find out which gas yours uses, look at the rating plate on the outdoor unit: it is shown next to the charge. With a current gas, the problem is a different one. Refrigerant gas does not get used up: if it is low, there is a leak, and the first step is to find and repair it. The F-Gas regulations require handling and recharging to be done by an authorised company, and the gas to be recovered when a unit is removed.

Typical mistake: recharging every summer

It is common to find units that have been recharged every June for several years in a row. They work for a few weeks and by July they stop cooling again. In the end you pay for the recharge several times and the leak is still there, getting bigger and bigger.

How much you save in Murcia by switching to an inverter unit

A modern inverter unit can use considerably less than one from fifteen years ago to provide the same cooling. In Murcia, with long summers and the heat pump also used in winter, that difference shows on your bill every month and helps the replacement pay for itself.

The reason is the way it works. An old on/off unit starts at full power, cools, stops and starts again, and every start uses energy. An inverter lowers its output once the house is cool and keeps it there without peaks. To compare with the cost of a repair, these are the reference prices we publish:

Our quotes include the unit, materials, labour, commissioning and a 3-year guarantee, and we give them to you as a written fixed quote after the technical visit.

Before deciding, ask for an air conditioning diagnosis

What looks like a serious fault is often just a clean or a sensor. A proper diagnosis tells you what has failed, how much it costs to fix and whether the rest of the unit is in good condition. That way you decide based on facts, not blindly.

This is what the technician checks during the visit:

• The circuit pressures with a pressure gauge, to find out whether it is low on gas.
• If it is, where the leak is: joints, valves or coil.
• The compressor’s power consumption and how it starts.
• The circuit board, the sensors and the error codes.
• Filters, indoor coil and drain.

If your unit switches on but does not cool properly, in this guide we go over the reasons why your air conditioning is not cooling.

Typical mistakes when deciding

• Replacing the whole unit for a fault that turned out to be the drain or a sensor.
• Repairing a compressor on an old R-22 unit that cannot be recharged.
• Deciding in a hurry in mid-August and accepting whatever is available first.

Flats, penthouses and country houses: what changes depending on your home in Murcia

In flats in the city centre, Santa María de Gracia or Vistalegre, the outdoor unit is usually in a light well, on a balcony or on the façade. There, replacing the unit involves two details: the new unit has to fit in the same space and, if the façade is affected, you must follow what the residents’ association decides under the Spanish Horizontal Property Act.

In penthouses and in blocks in El Ranero or Espinardo with the units on the roof, the outdoor unit spends the summer in direct sun and works harder. In houses in the huerta and outlying districts, such as Churra, it is usually in a courtyard or on the roof and picks up more dust and leaves, so the coil gets dirty sooner. Knowing where the unit is and what conditions it has lived through helps you tell whether a repair will last.

We cover Murcia city and its outlying districts: the city centre, Santa María de Gracia, Vistalegre, El Ranero, Espinardo and Churra, among other areas.

Frequently asked questions

How many years does an air conditioner last?

With maintenance, a domestic unit usually lasts between 10 and 15 years. Without maintenance and with heavy use, as in many homes in Murcia that use it in both summer and winter, less.

Is it worth recharging the gas?

Only if the leak is found and repaired. Refrigerant gas does not get used up: if it is low, there is a leak, and recharging without fixing it only puts off the fault for a few weeks.

Can I replace just the outdoor unit?

Generally it is not advisable: the indoor and outdoor units are designed to work together. The usual approach is to replace the whole system and take the opportunity to check the pipework and the drain.

When is the best time to replace your air conditioning in Murcia?

If you already know your unit is at the end of its life, spring or autumn is better than the height of summer. You have time to compare, the technician can plan the installation calmly and you do not spend days without air conditioning in August.

What happens to the gas in the old unit?

When a unit is removed, the refrigerant gas has to be recovered before it is dismantled, and this must be done by an authorised company in line with the F-Gas regulations. It cannot be released into the atmosphere, and a unit cannot be thrown away while still charged.

Air conditioning diagnosis and repair in Murcia

We have been repairing and installing air conditioning and heating for more than 20 years, with our own technicians and an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. If, after the diagnosis, repairing is worth it, we tell you; if replacing is worth it, we give you a fixed quote for the new unit so you can compare. Any building work and plasterboard needed when replacing a unit is done by our own team, with no subcontracting, so you do not have to coordinate anyone else.

We are an official service centre for the main brands and work with original spare parts. Tell us what is wrong with your unit on air conditioning repair in Murcia or at Davofrío Murcia.