Questions to ask
- How old is it? Past about 12 to 15 years, large repairs are harder to justify.
- What does the repair cost? A common rule: repair price times system age. Over about $5,000, get a replacement quote too.
- Is this the first problem? A string of repairs over two or three years points toward replacing.
- Does it use R-22? That refrigerant is no longer made, so leak repairs on older systems get expensive.
- Is it a safety issue? A cracked furnace heat exchanger is usually a replace, not a repair.
When in doubt, ask the technician for both prices in writing and take a day to compare.