Purchasing a Secondhand Air Conditioner

If you are looking for an air conditioner for your home, you may want to consider purchasing a secondhand air conditioning unit. You can often save a significant amount of money by buying a used air conditioner instead of a new model. Unfortunately, there are also several disadvantages to purchasing a secondhand air conditioning unit, so the cost savings may not be as great once repairs and installation costs are figured into the total.

Purchasing a secondhand air conditioner: Where to find one

Of course, the main reason to purchase a secondhand air conditioning unit is to save money. New air conditioners can cost thousands of dollars, which is out of the budget of many homeowners. If you get lucky, you may be able to find a secondhand air conditioning unit for only a few hundred dollars. Some hotels or apartment buildings that have replaced their old units with newer models may be willing to sell the secondhand units at a deep discount because it is better than disposing of them and not recovering any of their costs. The newspaper classified ads are another great place to find a good price on a secondhand air conditioner. Unfortunately, this is one of the few items that is not easily purchased or sold on eBay because of the high shipping cost.

Purchasing a secondhand air conditioner: Installation

The cost savings of purchasing a secondhand air conditioner do come with some disadvantages. Because you are purchasing your air conditioner on the secondhand market, it may be difficult to find someone to install the unit in your home. Unless you have construction experience and can do it yourself, you will have to pay a professional installer. Unfortunately, many air conditioning servicemen are wary of installing a secondhand model because they are unsure of the unit's condition. It is not usually possible to test a secondhand air conditioner before it is completely installed in the home, they will not know if it works until after doing all of the installation and calibration work. The installer may be reluctant to do the installation work fearing that the homeowner will blame them if the air conditioning unit does not work properly.

Purchasing a secondhand air conditioner: Warranties and repairs

Another problem with purchasing a secondhand air conditioner is that you will not receive a warranty. If any repairs are required, you will be forced to pay for them yourself. Parts may also be harder to find for an older model of air conditioner, making the repair more expensive or even impossible. Certain laws regulating the type of chemicals that can be used in an air conditioning unit may also have changed since that model was produced, making it illegal for you to even operate the unit.