Air conditioning
How long do air conditioners last?
Most air conditioners last somewhere between 10 and 15 years. Where yours lands depends on how well it was sized and installed, how often it gets serviced and how close it sits to the sea.
5 min read
The short answer
Spring replacement check
Free site visit and fixed quote on air conditioner replacements
From the first hot week in October our install calendar fills through to Christmas. Book before then and we will look at the old system, measure the room and give you a fixed quote for the new one, with the NSW Government discount included where the system qualifies.
For homes in our service area replacing an existing air conditioner. Book your visit by 30 November 2026.
What shortens or stretches a system’s life
Two identical units can reach very different ages. These are the differences we see most often on Illawarra jobs.
| Factor | What it does |
|---|---|
| Servicing | Dirty filters and coils make the compressor work harder for the same cooling. Regular cleaning keeps it running inside its design limits. |
| Salt air | Salt corrodes the fins and casing of the outdoor unit. Homes close to the beach see it years before homes further inland. |
| Sizing | An undersized unit runs flat out through every hot spell. An oversized one stops and starts all afternoon. Both add wear. |
| Install quality | Leaky joints or moisture left in the pipework on install day shorten a compressor’s life long after the installer has gone. |
| Hours of use | A system heating and cooling most days of the year wears faster than one switched on for the worst week of summer. |
How to tell how old your air conditioner is
Start with the compliance plate on the side of the outdoor unit. It carries the model number, often a manufacture date and the type of refrigerant inside. If there is no date, the model number usually gives the age away with a quick search.
The refrigerant line tells you a lot on its own. Most split systems sold today run on R32, with R410A the usual gas in the years before. A plate reading R22 means an old system, because new R22 air conditioners can no longer be made in or imported into Australia. Bulk imports of the gas itself stop on 1 January 2030.
On an R22 system that deadline matters as much as the age of the unit. After 2030 a regas on one has to use reclaimed gas. When an R22 unit springs a leak or its pipework needs work, we recommend replacing it rather than repairing it. Electrical faults are a different story and can still be worth fixing.
Repair or replace: three questions to ask
Age is only the first thing we look at. These are the questions that settle it.
- 1
How old is it and what gas does it run on?
A seven year old R32 split with a fault is a repair almost every time. A fifteen year old R22 unit with a gas leak is a replacement in our book.
- 2
What is actually wrong?
Filters, drains, sensors and capacitors are cheap fixes on any unit. A failed compressor, a leak in the coil or a dead circuit board is where an old system starts to argue for its own replacement.
- 3
What would a new one save?
On the NSW Government’s figures, moving from an old system to an efficient reverse-cycle model takes $200 to $600 a year off energy bills. Replacing an old unit can also attract a NSW Government discount on the new one.
The trade has a rule of thumb for this call too, the $5,000 rule. Our page on air conditioning repair explains how it works and why it frames the decision rather than setting a price.
Some age problems are really maintenance problems. A unit that has never had its filters cleaned can feel ten years older than it is. Our guide to cleaning an air conditioner filter is worth ten minutes before you decide anything.
Why spring is the time to decide
Old air conditioners rarely give out on a mild day. They fail when they work hardest, which means the first proper heatwave.
We see the same pattern every year. People put off replacing a tired system for years, then one hot day in October makes the decision for them. From then until Christmas our install calendar stays full. Anyone still waiting in February tends to decide summer is nearly over and puts it off again, right up until the next hot day in October.
If your system struggled last summer, spring is the easy time to replace it. You get the install date you want and the new system is running before the heat arrives. See how an air conditioner replacement runs, from the site visit to recovering the gas from the old unit. Whether the new system earns a discount is covered on our NSW air conditioning rebate page.
Replacing is also the moment to fix a system that never suited the room. Size the new one to the room rather than to the unit coming out, using the numbers in what size air conditioner you need.
Common questions
- Can an air conditioner last 20 or 30 years?
- Some do, usually simple units that got looked after and never worked hard. By that age a system uses a lot more power than a modern one for the same cooling. Parts get hard to find too. A 25 year old unit that still runs is usually costing you on every power bill.
- Does an older air conditioner use more electricity?
- Yes. Coils foul and parts wear, so an old system draws more power for the same cooling than it did when new. Older designs also started from a lower efficiency than current models, which is why the NSW Government counts replacing an old system among the upgrades worth making.
- Should I replace an air conditioner before it breaks?
- If it is past ten years old, runs on R22 or needed repairs last summer, replacing it in spring is usually easier than an emergency swap in January. You choose the system and the install date instead of taking whatever is available. A unit that runs well and is under ten years old can keep going.