HomeAnswersRepair or replace your furnace? How to decide
Repair or replace your furnace? How to decide
Start with age and history, not the size of the bill
A single expensive repair on a furnace that is ten years old is usually a repair. The same bill on a unit that is twenty-two years old and has had three repairs in two winters is usually a signal to replace. The decision is about the pattern, not one invoice.
The four questions that settle most cases
How old is the unit, how efficient is it, how many repairs has it needed recently, and how likely is another failure this winter. Two or more bad answers point toward replacement.
Furnace repair usually wins when the heat exchanger is sound, the unit is under fifteen years old, and the failure is a part with a known lifespan like an igniter, inducer motor, or control board.
Furnace replacement usually wins when the heat exchanger is cracked, the unit is over twenty years old, or repairs have stacked up faster than the equipment is worth.
What a cracked heat exchanger actually means
A cracked heat exchanger is the one failure that ends the conversation. It is a safety issue rather than a performance issue, and no reputable company will repair around it. If a company tells you the exchanger is cracked, ask to see it before you agree to anything.
Efficiency is part of the math, not a separate decision
An older furnace running at 80 percent efficiency loses roughly a dollar in every five to the flue. A modern condensing unit recovers most of that, but the savings only matter if you plan to stay in the house long enough to earn back the difference. Ask for the annual fuel use estimate rather than a payback promise.
How the desk helps
Green Bay Furnace Repair is a free referral and scheduling desk, not a repair company. You describe the house and the symptom, and we line up a visit with an independent local heating company. The company that does the work prices the job after seeing the unit. Read what furnace repair costs in Green Bay before you decide.