Short answer: repair usually wins under about 12 years with a single failed part. Replacement usually wins past 15 years with frequent breakdowns, or at any age with a cracked heat exchanger. The decision is math, not a slogan: compare the repair price against a new system, factor in efficiency and reliability, and be honest about how many more winters the old unit is likely to give you. A repair that costs a large fraction of a new system on equipment that is 12-plus years old is usually money that would have been better put toward replacement. A cracked heat exchanger is not a repair decision at all, because cracked exchangers are not repaired for safety reasons.
We give you both options with real numbers before any work starts. If repair makes more sense, we say so, even though replacements pay us more. If replacement is the right call, we size the new furnace for your home, not by the old unit’s label.
Related reading: furnace repair in Springfield, furnace cost guide, common furnace problems. Call (615) 436-9171.
