The first step in saving yourself time, money, and personal homeostasis is making sure your heating and cooling systems receive regular maintenance. EnergyStar.gov recommends professional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance twice-a-year. Right before the most extreme seasons of summer and winter. That allows you the opportunity to discover any issues before you’re in desperate need of cooling repair on a scorching summer day, or furnace repair on the coldest day of January. They also suggest changing the filters on your systems once a month to 3 months. If for whatever reason you are unable to avoid malfunctioning heating and cooling systems here are three factors to look at when deciding whether or not you should go the route of repair or replacement.

1.) Age: Just like anything else there is a shelf life for heating and cooling systems. Furnaces generally last from 15 to 18 years. Air conditioners have a similar lifespan. Chances are if your unit is over ten years old it needs to be monitored carefully and if it breaks down after that it might be time to consider replacing it with a new model.


2.) Efficiency: Many people are choosing to replace their old units even before they break. New models are becoming more and more energy efficient you can almost save money by making the switch to a high-efficiency one. Some furnaces can reach 97% efficiency while switching to better air conditioning can reduce energy use by up to 50%. Most people don’t have the money to replace a perfectly working unit but if your furnace goes on the fritz it might be the perfect time to upgrade rather than monkeying around with heating repair.


3.) Problem: What the actual issue your heating and cooling system might have should play a big role in your decision as well. If it is a simple fix and you’re tight for cash, just repair it. But if the problem is mechanical or leakage it very well could cost you more in the long run to repair it.

Heating and cooling issues can be expensive and uncomfortable. Try to alleviate as much stress as you can by first trying to keep ahead of the problems. If something does go wrong make sure to do some research on what will be the best option for your situation.