The short answer
Multiply the repair price by the age of the furnace.
Under 5,000, fix it. Over 5,000, put the money toward a new one. A $400 repair on an 8-year-old furnace is 3,200 — fix it. A $700 repair on a 16-year-old furnace is 11,200 — replace it.
Side by side
Both sides, including the parts nobody likes to mention.
Fix it
Pay for the one part that failed and keep the furnace you have.
- Hundreds, not thousands
- Most repairs are finished in one visit
- Almost always the right call on a furnace under about 12 years old
- Nothing gets torn out of your house
- An old furnace may need another repair next winter
- It will not lower your heating bill
Replace it
Put in a new furnace and start the clock over.
- A new furnace lasts 15 to 20 years
- Runs cheaper and quieter than a tired one
- No more waiting for the next thing to break
- Thousands, not hundreds
- Takes a day rather than an hour
- Money wasted if the furnace is young and otherwise healthy
Which one is you?
Fix it if…
The furnace is under about 12 years old, the repair is a few hundred dollars, and it has been reliable up to now. Most of the furnaces we are called out to are in this group, and we say so.
Replace it if…
It is over 15 years old and needs an expensive part, or the sum above lands over 5,000. One thing forces the decision no matter what the numbers say: a cracked heat exchanger, the metal wall that keeps exhaust out of the air you breathe. That is a safety problem, not a repair.
Got a repair price and not sure?
We will give you both numbers — what the repair costs and what a new furnace costs — and tell you which one we would pick. No push toward the bigger number.
Get My Upfront Quote60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
What each one costs
Typical industry ranges for Western Washington — not a quote. Your exact price comes upfront, before any work starts, and you approve it first.
Why homeowners hand it to us
- You approve the price first. Upfront quote before a single screw turns.
- Same-day service. Book in a minute, hear from a tech within 1 business hour.
- 500+ jobs done by 4.9★ rated, professional technicians.
- Fixed right, guaranteed. If it’s not right, we make it right.
Quick answers
What is this 5,000 rule?
Take the repair price and multiply it by how old the furnace is in years. If the answer is under 5,000, fixing it is usually the better spend. Over 5,000, that money does more good in a new furnace. It is a rule of thumb, not a law, but it matches what we see in the field.
My furnace is 18 years old and still works. Should I replace it now?
No. A furnace that runs safely owes you nothing. Keep it, have it checked once a year, and keep your money. What changes the answer is an expensive part failing, not the birthday.
Will you tell me if fixing it is the better deal?
Yes, in writing. You get both prices side by side. On most furnaces under 12 years old the repair wins, and we will tell you that instead of selling you a new one.
How long does a furnace last around here?
Fifteen to twenty years is normal in Western Washington. Ours do not run as many hours as a furnace in Minnesota, so they often last at the longer end — if they get a yearly check.
Get both prices before you decide.
Book the visit. You get the repair price and the new-furnace price, upfront, and the choice stays yours.
Get My Upfront Quote60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
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