Repair or Replace?

When should you repair older equipment and when do you replace that equipment. This can be one of the most difficult decisions that you have to make because it always seems that the repair or replacement comes at the worst possible time.

Here is what you have to consider when making a decision to repair or replace the largest appliances in your home.

Paying for repairs:
This sometimes simply prolongs the inevitable. Are you just putting a band-aid on the system? If the repair cost exceeds half of the original cost of the equipment then you should consider replacing it. An older system, that is breaking down probably will continue to breakdown, prompting additional emergency calls and fees.

Even after putting money into your system and getting nickel and dimed to death, it still won't be as energy efficient as a new system.

Energy savings:
Installing new systems can often pay for themselves. How? A furnace or air conditioner just 5-6 years old is vastly inefficient compared to today's energy efficiency standards. Advances in technology can save you from 50-60% off of your utility bill. That's how installing a new system can actually pay for itself over time. If you don't have the financial resources for a new system, ask about financing options.

Warranties:
When you buy most systems today they come with warranties that can keep from having to pay repair bills for the next 5-10 years!!

Health considerations:
If you were to have it analyzed, you might find that the indoor air consists of mostly invisible gases and particulates, including many which can be characterized as pollutants. These pollutants include many substances taken for granted, such as cooking smoke and grease, aerosol sprays, tobacco smoke, animal dander, ashes, human skin flakes, household cleansers, carbon dioxide, viruses, bacteria, pollen and fungi, dirt, dust, mold, mildew, and bacteria, among other things. People spend up to 93% of their time indoors where -- surprisingly -- air pollution can be up to 10 times greater than outdoor levels. This poor indoor air quality results from reduce natural ventilation.

Replacing your old system with a new high efficiency model is a good idea. The decision to repair or replace can be difficult