I need help, when I turn on the central air, hot air blew out from the vents, and the outside a/c unit did not spin. A contractor came out and told us that the compressor is not working. We have a 35 years old Carrier central a/c, the contractor suggested that we should replace the whole central air-conditioner since the existing a/c is old and the cost to replace the compressor is as expensive as the new unit. The house is 2 stories and approx 2,300 sqft. If I should replace a new central a/c unit what size shoud I replace and what's the reasonable price. Please help. Thank you in advance for your help.

Ann from Anaheim, CA

First off I don't think it is a good investment to replace the compressor in such an old unit, if you invest in a new high efficiency air conditioning unit you will save on you utility bills and you should not have to worry about costly break downs for several years due to the good warranty that the new equipment comes with. A thirty five yeal old unit will nickel and dime you to death and cost more to operate.
As for the size of your future unit, did your old a/c keep do a good job in keeping it cool? If so then stay with the same size (less cost to replace ) Going bigger with an air conditioner is not always the best for efficiency or comfort. Good luck, Mike