Common Problems and Typical Repair Costs If you've checked to make sure you do not have a blown fuse or a really loose or missing drive belt, then chances are your system is suffering from one of the three following common problems: leaks, compressor failures or contamination. Leaks: The #1 ProblemEst. Repair Cost: $50 to $200A MSN Autos survey of repair shops around the country confirms that system leaks are the number-one auto air conditioning problem faced by consumers. "Leaks account for roughly 80 percent of the problems we see day in and day out," the manager of a Brookfield, IL, repair shop told MSN Autos. Other shops concurred, reporting that leak repair accounted for 70-80 percent of their air conditioning work. Leaks can occur anywhere in the air conditioning system, wherever refrigerant passes from one component to another.Fortunately, leaks are the easiest and least-expensive A/C problems to fix, with replacement of faulty gaskets or worn hoses as the usual solutions.

If you're lucky, leak repair will set you back around $50. But prepare yourself for a figure up to four times that amount. "Leaks usually run between $150 and $200," the service manager of an Irvine, CA, repair shop told MSN Autos-an estimate echoed by many shops we surveyed. what is the best ac unit for the moneyCompressor FailureEstimated Repair Cost: $500 to $1,000The compressor is the pump that compresses and circulates the refrigerant through the system, transferring heat from the cabin to the outside environment. how to tell what size an ac unit isIn most systems, the compressor contains a magnetic clutch that engages when you turn on the air conditioning in your vehicle. ac unit is not turning onThis clutch can fail, or other compressor components can simply wear out.

As the heart of the A/C system, the compressor is costly to fix. Repairs start around $500, but as a service manager at a Phoenix Toyota dealership told us, "Compressor replacement can be spendy, sometimes going over $1,000." System ContaminationEstimated Repair Cost: $300 to $2,000Contamination is another common air conditioning problem. Contamination occurs when an A/C system is serviced using equipment that has been exposed to more than one type of refrigerant. There are two primary refrigerant types: R-12, used in older cars, and the environmentally friendly R-134a, used in all cars built since 1994. The two refrigerants are completely incompatible and any exposure of one to the other during servicing contaminates parts within the A/C system. Decontamination involves flushing and recharging the entire system, as well as replacing any or all of the following components: compressor, condenser, evaporator and dryer. "A lot of shops will not touch a contaminated system because it requires storage of contaminated refrigerant, which is considered hazardous waste-and very few shops have the capacity to store such waste," Skip Christenson, a Master Technician for Automotive Information Systems (AIS), told MSN Autos.

(AIS is MSN Autos' Reliability Ratings content provider.) Consequently, "Repair costs can run anywhere from $300 to $2,000, depending on parts," said Christenson-an estimate backed up by most shops in our survey.Free tools for Property Managers. Having to make repairs to my rental properties can be expensive. Knowing that I am able to deduct this expense from my taxes makes it a little easier to swallow. The general rule is that the cost of “repairs” incurred to maintain your rental properties may be deducted from each property’s taxable income in a given year. However, some repairs are considered “improvements” in which you’re not allowed to deduct the entire expense immediately. Repairs vs. improvements, so what’s the difference? Repairs are usually one-off fixes that help keep the property in good working condition and habitable. Although the price is irrelevant, most of my qualifying repairs tend to be under $500 in cost. Whether you’re fixing a hole in the wall, or a unclogging a shower drain, you can deduct the cost of these minor repairs from the current year’s tax liability.

The IRS clarifies in the 1040 Schedule E Instructions that “repairs in most cases do not add significant value to the property or extend its life.” Anything that increases the value of the property or extends its life is categorized as a “capital expense” and must be capitalized and depreciated over multiple years. Meaning, you can only deduct a small but even portion of these expenses in the current tax year. Improvements, such as replacing a roof or renovating a kitchen, are usually more labor-intensive than repairs and typically cost substantially more. The good rule of thumb is that if you are adding a new item, or upgrading an existing item, then it’s usually considered an improvement. The assumption is that these improvements will add value to the property over multiple years, not just the current year – and thus why you can’t deduct the entire $20k kitchen renovation in a single year. Likewise, when you sell a property, you’ll need to know the costs of these improvements and how much each one has been depreciated because you will have to pay taxes on the depreciated amount.