Blog / Is It Time To Repair Or Replace?

Repair or Replace?

No one wants to hear they have an appliance that is broken beyond repair. What you thought might cost a little is going to cost you a lot! Sometimes the cost to repair is almost as much as replacement. How do you know when to fix it or replace it? Here are some things to consider when deciding whether repair or replacement is the better option.

Furnace/Heat Pumps: Being the most costly systems to replace, you of course want to get as many years of use out of this equipment as possible. The best way to accomplish this is through regular maintenance on your system.

Some problems cannot be fixed and replacement is your only solution. When a heat exchanger cracks, there’s little that can be done except replace the entire unit. Likewise, central air conditioners and heat pumps have two major components, the indoor evaporator coil and the outdoor condensing unit (compressor), when either of these fail, typically they cannot be readily fixed.

The United Homeowners Association (a Washington-based consumer organization) states, “If your furnace is over 15 years of age, it’s probably time to boot it out the door … If your furnace’s efficiency comes in somewhere between 50-75%, you out to begin investigating rebate offers for buying a high-efficiency new furnace.” While HVAC systems out to last for decades, it’s not necessarily a bargain to keep them running that long due to tremendous strides made in energy efficiency in recent years, leading to quick cost paybacks from lower energy bills.

Water Heaters: Industry statistics show that the average water heater lasts 12 years. With regular maintenance and routine repairs some keep operating two or three times as long. As with HVAC systems, however, it’s not always to your advantage to hang on to the older units. Modern high-efficiency water heaters often pay for themselves in energy savings within 3-5 years.

Almost all components on a water heater can be fixed or replaced except the tank. Once the tank rusts through, there is no way to rescue the water heater and replacement is the only solution.

Water heaters come with a sacrificial anode rod to protect it against rusting. An anode’s sole purpose is to corrode away so the steel of the tank can’t. By replacing these anodes every 3-4 years (more if your water is softened) will add considerably to the life of a water heater.

Another cause of failure is overheating from sediment build-up inside the tank. Your water heater should be flushed and filled at least once a year to prevent this build-up.

Toilets: Unless you crack the porcelain, a toilet can easily last a lifetime. What will wear out are the flushing mechanisms. Leakage may occur from the wax ring seal by the floor, but that can be fixed without replacement.

Toilets tend to get replaced for reasons other than failure. Water conservation, style or quieter flushing are reasons for replacement.

Faucets: Leaking faucets can be repaired by replacing a cartridge, washer or other internal component. Tarnishes and nicks are harder to fix. Good faucets will give 5 to 10 or more years of trouble-free operation. A lot of times people would rather pay a few more bucks for a replacement that offer’s better styling and convenience than pay a plumber.