Repair or Replace

An older system broke, and the question is whether to fix it or replace it. These guides set out how we decide, so the answer does not depend on who is selling.

Three things decide it: how old the equipment is, what actually failed, and whether this is the first repair or the third. As a rule, a single failed part on a furnace under about 15 years old is usually worth repairing; at 15 years and older, or when the same problem keeps coming back, we usually recommend replacing it.

Repair ranges and the starting prices of new equipment sit side by side in each guide, from our calculator and price list: a new 80% gas furnace starts at $3,300 installed and a 96% furnace at $4,400. A replacement usually takes one to two days, and removal and haul-away of the old equipment are included.

How we read the age of a furnace

Under 10 years, a repair almost always makes sense: the rest of the furnace has plenty of life left. Between 10 and 15 years, repair, unless the repair is a large share of the replacement price. At 15 years and older we usually recommend replacing it, especially when the same problem keeps coming back: if a single repair on a 15 year old furnace costs a large part of a new 80% furnace, put that money toward the replacement instead.

What the guide covers

Repair or replace your furnace walks through the three questions, the repair ranges and replacement prices side by side, the choice between an 80% and a 96% furnace, how a replacement goes, the signs that a furnace is near the end, and what a replacement quote should include. It also explains a third option we have done on a real job: moving the furnace instead of replacing it.