I was an HVAC contractor for 38 years in Massachusetts and in my opinion the contractors around here always scare people into premature replacement of their systems. An 8 or 10 year old system, even in this climate is NOT old. I've seen compressors that ran for forty years without a problem. What can really ruin an AC is running it with a low charge of refrigerant. The refrigerant cools the compressor. So the chances are that if you have a tight system that cools well and doesn't need Freon added every year it'll last a long time. Yes, fan motors and capacitors fail, but they shouldn't be that expensive to replace. I also hear all of the time about contractors saying you need a new evaporator coil. That too is rare - don't trust it! Bottom line- if your unit runs well and you get it checked periodically don't be pushed into unnecessary and costly replacement!
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