AC Compressor Repair: Replace for $1,200 to $2,800 (2026)

Installed prices, parts and labor, unless noted. HomeGuide's compressor guide and its AC repair table give different ranges; both are shown.

Do this now: AC compressor not turning on or making noise

1. Hot house, someone at risk? The CDC says a fan can raise body temperature once indoor air is above 90 F; move people 65 and older, infants and anyone with heart disease or asthma somewhere cool (dial 2-1-1 to find one). Heat stroke signs such as a body temperature above 103 F or confusion mean call 911 (Ready.gov).
2. Turn cooling off at the thermostat if the outdoor unit is grinding, banging or humming without starting. HomeGuide lists those sounds and repeated start attempts as compressor failure signs.
3. Check the breaker and the outdoor disconnect. Bryant says all breakers should be ON and the disconnect (a gray box near the outdoor unit, about 8 by 16 inches) must be ON. Reset a tripped AC breaker once; if it trips again, leave it off and tell the technician.
4. Replace a clogged filter. Bryant says an extremely blocked filter can shut down the outdoor unit.
5. Ice on the lines? Leave cooling off until it thaws. Bryant says running a frozen unit strains the compressor.
6. Leave the unit's panels closed. Carrier warns that AC capacitors store high-voltage electricity that can cause serious injury or death even when the power is disconnected.
7. Find the model number and install date on the outdoor unit's label. They decide whether the compressor is still under warranty.

Can an AC compressor be repaired?

An AC compressor itself is not repaired: it is hermetically sealed and cannot be rebuilt on site, so a failed compressor is replaced, HomeGuide says. What can be repaired is everything around it. HomeGuide says electrical problems and leaks in the connecting lines may be fixable, and PickHVAC prices repairs to relays, seals and similar parts at $120 to $600, $250 on average.

That matters because a compressor that will not start is often not dead. Carrier names a failed capacitor among the reasons a compressor will not turn on, and PickHVAC tells homeowners to insist the technician test the start capacitor and relays before declaring the compressor failed. A capacitor runs $100 to $250 in HomeGuide's table (see AC capacitor replacement), and a hard start kit $100 to $270.

Signs of a bad AC compressor

The clearest sign of a failing compressor is an outdoor unit that tries to start and cannot, with clicking or repeated attempts, HomeGuide says. Other signs HomeGuide and Carrier list:

• Warm air from the vents, or weak cool air while the fan runs.
• Grinding, squealing, rattling or banging from the outdoor unit.
• Breakers that trip often, blown fuses or burned wiring near the compressor.
• Frequent cycling, or an outdoor unit that overheats or shuts down early (Carrier).
• Ice or frost on the coils or refrigerant lines.
• Higher cooling bills with no change in use.
• No response when the thermostat calls for cooling.

AC compressor not turning on: what it usually means

When the compressor will not turn on, the cause is often the thermostat, a tripped breaker, a failed capacitor, low refrigerant or a safety switch that has shut it off, Carrier says. Bryant's homeowner checks cover the first two: thermostat on Cool, breakers ON and the outdoor disconnect ON. The rest need a technician. To reset the compressor, reset the AC itself at the thermostat and breaker, covered step by step on AC not turning on and how to reset it.

AC compressor replacement cost by size

A new compressor costs more on a bigger system: $1,500 to $2,000 for a 1.5 ton unit and $2,500 to $3,500 or more at 5 tons, in HomeGuide's 2025 guide.

Most compressor swaps take 4 to 8 hours (HomeGuide).

Refrigerant moves the price most. HomeGuide says an older R-22 system can top $5,000, and PickHVAC puts a compressor-only swap at $700 to $2,800 on an R-410A system of 2 to 3 tons against $1,500 to $5,500 on R-22. PickHVAC puts labor for a single swap at $225 to $750.

Is the compressor under warranty?

Check the warranty before you pay for a compressor: HomeGuide says manufacturer warranties run 5 to 12 years, and that under warranty you may pay only for labor, which its AC repair guide puts at $600 to $1,200 for a compressor job. Bryant's terms show how registration changes the answer:

• 10 years of parts coverage if the unit was registered within 90 days of installation; 5 years if not (Bryant).
• California, Quebec and other places that bar tying benefits to registration get the 10 years without registering (Bryant).
• Labor is not covered by the parts warranty. Bryant says repair labor can run $100 to $1,000 or more, and dealers may add warranty processing and service call fees.

Ask the technician to look up the warranty by serial number before you approve the job.

Replace the compressor or the whole AC?

Replacing only the compressor makes sense on a unit under about 8 years old that is still under warranty, HomeGuide says; out of warranty on an older unit, a new AC is usually the better buy. HomeGuide's signs to replace the whole system:

• The compressor is out of warranty.
• The unit is more than 10 years old. Carrier says the same for systems over 10 years old, especially R-22 or R-410A units.
• It has a history of other problems.
• The repair costs 50% or more of a new unit.

Compressors last 10 to 15 years on average, both HomeGuide and Carrier say, and HomeGuide puts it at 8 to 10 years in the Southern US. A new central AC runs $3,887 to $8,073 installed in HomeAdvisor's 2026 data; see AC replacement cost, or HVAC system replacement cost if the furnace is old too.

Is a failing compressor an emergency?

A failing compressor is urgent when breakers keep tripping, wiring near the compressor looks burned, or the house is getting dangerously hot; HomeGuide lists burned wiring and tripped breakers among the failure signs. Shut cooling off and leave the breaker off if it trips twice. If someone at risk is in a hot house, remember the CDC warning that a fan can raise body temperature once indoor air is above 90 F. Emergency HVAC repair lists after-hours rates, and local pages cover Phoenix, Houston and Las Vegas.

Questions to ask before you approve a compressor replacement

• Did you test the capacitor, contactor and relays? PickHVAC advises it before any compressor is condemned.
• Is the compressor or the unit still under warranty, and what will labor cost if it is?
• What refrigerant does the system use? R-22 compressors cost the most (HomeGuide).
• What would a full replacement cost? HomeGuide suggests comparing both on older units.
• Is the technician EPA Section 608 certified? It is required to recover and recharge refrigerant.
• What is your license number? Check it with your state board, and ask for proof of insurance.

The service call runs $75 to $200 in HomeGuide's and HomeAdvisor's guides, and HomeAdvisor says most companies apply it to the repair. Every other part is priced on AC repair; if the AC also freezes, see why an AC keeps freezing. Local AC repair pages include Phoenix, San Antonio and Orlando. The HVAC repair hub covers heating, and home repair costs compares trades.

Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job. Ask for its license number and proof of insurance yourself. Some companies take emergency calls; hours vary. How calls work.