Advice from the crew
Repair it,or replace it?
The most common question we get every Indiana winter. Here's the same framework we use in your basement — no sales pitch, just how we think about it.
Repair makes sense when…
- Your furnace is under about 12 years old and has been reliable
- The repair is minor — an ignitor, flame sensor, capacitor, or blower part
- The fix costs well under half of what a replacement would
- Your energy bills have been steady and the home heats evenly
- It's the first real breakdown in years
Replace makes sense when…
- The system is 15–20+ years old — most furnaces wear out in that range
- Repairs are becoming a yearly (or twice-yearly) habit
- A single repair quote approaches half the cost of a new system
- Your heat exchanger is cracked — that's a safety issue, not a repair debate
- Some rooms never get warm, or the system runs constantly on mild days
- The system uses phased-out R-22 refrigerant (for ACs) — parts and refrigerant only get scarcer
The honest checklist
Five questions
settle it.
01
How old is it, really?
The manufacture date is on the rating plate inside the cabinet. Age alone settles most repair-or-replace debates.
02
What does the repair cost vs. replacement?
If a repair is more than about half the price of a new system, replacement usually wins — you're buying an aging system back.
03
How often has it broken down?
One repair in ten years is a fix. Three in two years is a pattern.
04
Is it safe?
A cracked heat exchanger can leak carbon monoxide. If that's the diagnosis, the conversation is over — replace.
05
What are you paying to run it?
Older furnaces can waste a significant share of every fuel dollar. A high-efficiency system starts paying you back immediately.
Got a quote elsewhere?
Second opinions are free.
Go Dutch Rewards members get free second opinions on any written diagnosis from another company. If a $40 part fixes it, we'll tell you — even when we could sell you a furnace instead.
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