If your warranty has expired or doesn’t cover replacements for your compressor, you will need to shop around for it on your own. You can purchase the piece yourself or hire an Evanston AC repair service to install it for you. Your best bet is to look around and try to find someone that is reputable and easy on your wallet. The approximate cost for replacing a compressor for a 3-ton AC unit can be around $1,000, but can be more, depending on where you live, the contractor and the AC unit it is being installed into.

The cost for the replacement of the compressor can raise if it had an electrical burnout. In this case, your unit must be cleaned of the acid that was produced during the burnout. An HVAC contractor will charge you extra in this case (usually around $2,000 or so). He or she will need to properly clean out your air conditioning unit and then install an acid core filter drier. An acid test is then done to ensure that it is all gone. If this isn’t properly done, the acid will burnout your new compressor, and you will have to get it replaced again, causing you more unnecessary spending.

When shopping around for a compressor for your 3-ton AC unit, you will need to ensure that it fits your brand and model. You can go to your manufacturer’s web site to buy directly from them or go to a third-party entity that may sell it for cheaper. If you have a warranty, you will deal directly through your manufacturer, so that they can record the costs for the parts and labor. You will need to make sure that you work with a contractor that works with your manufacturer or that is in your manufacturer’s network of contractors – you can ask the manufacturer for this list if you don’t have it already.

Whether you have a warranty or not, you will need to search around for the best prices for parts and labor. Your best bet is to look through the Web for reviews on contractors and sellers of AC parts. Going with the cheapest on both ends isn’t always a good idea, so focus more on the quality stated in the reviews. Remember, you get what you pay for and we all know what cheap can give us. Shop around for quotes in your locale and go with the most affordable, and reputable HVAC technician that you can find.