Repair or replace?

Should you repair it or replace it?

Most contractors use a simple rule of thumb. Plug in your system's age and the repair price to see where you land.

How the $5,000 rule works

Multiply the system's age by the repair price. Under $5,000, repairing it usually makes sense. Over $5,000, a replacement is worth pricing out.

Most systems in our heat last 12 to 15 years. Past that, repairs come more often.

A $300 capacitor is a different decision from a $2,500 compressor.

Older systems may use R-22, which is no longer produced and costs more every year.

A newer system can cost noticeably less to run each summer.

Hot rooms, humidity or noise are reasons to look at a new system even if the old one runs.

We'll look at it, tell you what we'd do if it were ours, and put the repair and replacement prices in writing.