Repair or Replace?

To repair, or to replace. That is a very tough question to answer without a little professional insight, and there might never be a perfect answer to this question. However, with a little professional insight, we can offer the best solution as possible.

If you go a few months with a busted HVAC system, paying cost after cost for frequent repairs, you’re eventually going to spend close to or more than a replacement would cost. This is a terrible thing for anyone who likes to be smart with money. Therefore, that is why we recommend some guidelines to follow if you’ve been considering whether or not to repair or replace your aging HVAC system.

Saving Money
Let’s face it, we all love to save money. If it weren’t for the money and energy that you could be saving, you’d replace your HVAC system as often as possible. Unfortunately, system replacements can be pricey, so the average person is going to want to repair a system up until the moment it’s not worth the money in repairs. The hardest part is figuring out exactly when that moment is. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help identify when it is time to upgrade that system.

Age.This is the simplest and most powerful reason to choose a replacement over a repair for your system. If an HVAC system is over 15 years old, chances are it is going to require many more repairs in the coming years and even months. A system replacement will give you peace of mind for a long while. New residential systems typically come standard with 10-year parts and compressor warranties.

The repair cost. The best way to look at this from a repair side of things is when the total cost of repairs for a system is greater than or close to half the cost of a replacement, you should consider replacing it. If the repair costs in total are significantly less than half the cost of a replacement, you might be able to squeeze a few more cost-effective years out of your HVAC system. Going back and looking at the age of a system with this is typically a very good idea as well.

Leaks. Whether your system is leaking refrigerant from the coil or compressor or natural gas from a gas furnace, leaks can be a health hazard and something not worth risking. As well as can cause a system to not run properly. If you’re constantly dealing with leaks coming from your heater or refrigerant system, then it’s a good idea to replace it with something that causes fewer issues. These fixes can be very expensive with older units and a fix can never be guaranteed.

Frequent repairs. Sometimes especially if you own rental property’s it is a hassle if your system is constantly on the edge of breaking. Sometimes with older units, things will break due to other issues and it can take replacing the same thing multiple times to figure that out. Therefore, the cost might not be justified. A lot of times the relaxation of not having to deal with frequent issues is undoubtedly worth the cost of replacing an old system.

Increased Energy Bills. If your cooling and heating bills are steadily rising year after year, that’s not just inflation. Over time a furnace and cooling system will start running less efficiently. For example, a system brand new is rated for 14 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) will over 10-years of time lose that rating and slowly come down in SEER. At that point, it is going to start costing an increasing amount of money per year to run that system. At this point, it starts to be a good idea to consider changing a system out to something newer.

But in the end, what you decided to do with your home and money is your decision. At Browning Heating and Air, we strive to guide you along every step of the way and provide as much information and money savings as possible. Heating, venting and air conditioning replacements are not an attractive fun thing to do and can be expensive and a painful process if done by the wrong contractor. Choose a company with a team you can trust to get the job done quickly, efficiently, and affordably but most importantly correctly. Saving several hundred dollars on the front end of installation can end up costing a lot more than that in the long run.