{"id":487,"date":"2022-12-19T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/?p=487"},"modified":"2025-04-30T10:13:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:13:44","slug":"when-is-repairing-your-heater-no-longer-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/heating-service\/when-is-repairing-your-heater-no-longer-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"When Is Repairing Your Heater No Longer Worth It?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Furnace-standard.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Furnace-standard-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Newly installed residential furnace unit in a utility room, representing a modern heater replacement.\" class=\"wp-image-489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Furnace-standard-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Furnace-standard.jpg 399w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Your home must have a heating system in it to help you get through our long winters. Just piling on blankets or using a space heater isn\u2019t enough for Ohio winter weather. But because central heating systems are expensive, you\u2019ll want to keep using your current one for as long as possible. When you run into trouble with your heater, you can always call our technicians to come out and have it repaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But at what point do repairs become more expensive than going ahead with a new <a href=\"\/heating\/installation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heating installation in Hillsboro, OH<\/a>? No heating system will last forever, and continuing to patch up a decrepit older one will eventually become a waste of money, a major inconvenience, and even a safety hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s put a magnifying glass on the question of heating system repairs and the point where they\u2019re no longer a good investment\u2014both in terms of money, comfort, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>The \u201cOld Age\u201d of a Heating System<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All heating systems come with a manufacturer\u2019s estimated service life: the number of effective and energy-efficient years you can expect from the heater when it\u2019s properly maintained. (Without maintenance, the life expectancy will drop drastically.) These estimates vary from heater type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Gas furnace: <\/strong>15 years<\/li><li><strong>Electric furnace: <\/strong>20 years<\/li><li><strong>Boiler: <\/strong>20\u201330 years<\/li><li><strong>Heat Pump: <\/strong>10\u201315 years<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These numbers aren\u2019t hard and fast, but they do come from years of data. You don\u2019t necessarily have to replace your heating system when it passes its life estimate, but we strongly recommend you pay close attention to the frequency and cost of repairs at that point, as they can warn you when a heater is entering its final decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These numbers aren\u2019t hard and fast, but they do come from years of data. You don\u2019t necessarily have to replace your heating system when it passes its life estimate, but we strongly recommend you pay close attention to the frequency and cost of repairs at that point, as they can warn you when a heater is entering its final decline.&nbsp;Learn how to determine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/heating-service\/how-old-is-too-old-for-a-furnace\/\">if your furnace is too old to keep performing efficiently<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Repair Frequency<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You probably didn\u2019t need to have your heating system repaired at all during the first 5 to 10 years of its life. (Again, provided you had it routinely maintained.) A heater in the second half of its service life will have a higher chance of repairs, but any effective repair should at least keep the heater running effectively for several more years. Needing repairs <em>every<\/em> year is too often, and it means sinking too much money into pushing the heater along rather than investing in a replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Repair Cost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When technicians come to repair your heating system, they\u2019ll give you a quote for the price. You can use this quote to determine if the cost is too much. A good rule of thumb is the \u201cRule of 5,000.\u201d Multiply the age of the heating system by the quote for the repair. If the result is greater than 5,000, the repair is too expensive. E.g. a $500 repair for a 12-year-old heater (500 x 12 = 6,000) would be too costly.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/heating-service\/troubleshooting-a-furnace-that-wont-turn-on\/\">Follow this guide to troubleshoot your furnace<\/a> and see if smaller fixes can get your heater back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Professional Advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to decide if a heating system needs a replacement rather than further repairs is to consult with an HVAC pro you trust. Our technicians can examine your heater and give you an honest assessment of whether repairs will give it several more years of energy-efficient performance or if it\u2019s time to replace it. For additional insight on timing, here\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/heating-service\/when-is-repairing-your-heater-no-longer-worth-it\/\">how to know when repairing your heater is no longer worth it<\/a>. We back all our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee\u2014we want to ensure you\u2019re happy! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/heating-service\/its-that-time-schedule-maintenance-for-your-heating-system\/\">Schedule maintenance today to extend your heater\u2019s lifespan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"\/contact-us\/schedule-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Shafer Heating &amp; Cooling, LLC: You are just one call away from the comfort and savings you deserve!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s put a magnifying glass on the question of heating system repairs and the point where they\u2019re no longer a good investment\u2014both in terms of money, comfort, and safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[76],"tags":[50,15,89],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":952,"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487\/revisions\/952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shaferhvac.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}