Heat/AC experts ...

Looking for some info from folks with this sort of knowledge.
My AC ran and ran during last week's hot spell. When it finally dawned on me that it was always running, I tried to turn it off and it wouldn't shut off. It wasn't pumping cold, but it was running. Took the batteries out of the thermostat and it still ran.
Nutshell, a service tech came and said the compressor outside was 25 years old and shot. They don't even use that type of freon anymore. The heating/AC unit in the garage was more than 10 years old. There was a bad relay in a masterboard.
Anyway, he said the whole thing should be replaced, heating/AC unit and compressor.
What are we talking about price wise?
Thanks in advance for advice.

 

Depends on the size of the house and therefore, the unit.

I replaced my smaller one, to cool my 800-square-foot condo, last year, and it cost $2,400. Had a similar problem to yours. A bit more annoying was that the outside unit had been replaced only two years earlier, but to do this, I still had to replace everything. I financed same as cash and paid it off before the interest kicked in.

If you've got a home, it will cost more. No way around it, really, particularly with a unit that old.

 

I replaced a unit for a 1,600 SF house in 2007 and it cost $3,200.

Depending on size of house, it could cost as much as $10,000.

 

My house is about 2,000 sq. ft., two story, if that makes a difference.

 

Well, upwards of $3,000 then. In Florida, there are some rebates for energy efficiency, and there might still be some federal incentive that way as well. In my case, I basically signed over the rebate to the AC company right there, and reduced the cost by that amount. Not sure how it will work for you in California.