The short answer
Check the warranty first. Then do the sum.
The big parts inside a heat pump often carry a ten-year warranty from the maker. If yours is still covered you may only be paying for labour, which can turn a replace straight back into a repair. After that it is the same sum: repair price times age.
Side by side
Both sides, including the parts nobody likes to mention.
Fix it
Replace the failed part and keep the system you have.
- Far cheaper than a new system
- Often free on parts if the maker warranty still covers it
- Sensors and small electrical parts are quick, common repairs
- Sensible on anything under about 10 years old
- A heat pump runs all year, so an old one keeps finding new faults
- Big sealed repairs on an old unit get close to replacement money
Replace it
New heat pump: heating and cooling both sorted.
- Newer ones hold their heat far better on a cold morning
- Cheaper to run, so the saving shows up on the bill
- Fresh warranty across the whole system
- The biggest spend of the three systems
- A full day or more of work
- Wasteful if the failed part is still under warranty
Which one is you?
Fix it if…
It is under about 10 years old, or the failed part is still under the maker warranty. Check that before agreeing to anything — it is free to look up, and we do it for you.
Replace it if…
It is past 12 to 15 years, needs one of the big sealed repairs, and the warranty has run out. At that point the repair gets close enough to a new system that you should see both numbers before you spend anything.
Big heat pump quote in hand?
Let us check the warranty and put the replacement number next to the repair. Checking costs nothing and it often saves real money.
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
How long should a heat pump last here?
Twelve to fifteen years is realistic, because it works in both summer and winter. Looked after, they go longer. Never serviced, they go shorter.
The big motor failed and the unit is 9 years old. Fix or replace?
Check the warranty first. At nine years that part is often still covered, which leaves you paying labour only, and then fixing it usually wins easily. If it is not covered, the repair gets close enough to a new system that you should compare the two properly.
Why does a heat pump wear out sooner than a furnace?
Because it does two jobs. A furnace rests all summer. A heat pump keeps working. More running hours means it reaches the end of its life sooner.
Are there rebates on a new heat pump?
Sometimes. PSE and Washington income-qualified programs may apply, and they change. We check what is actually active on the day we quote you, rather than promising something that has expired.
Get both prices before you decide.
Book the visit. We check the warranty, price the repair, and show you the replacement number right next to it.
Get My Upfront Quote60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
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