Repair or Replace? An Honest Framework From a Brentwood Tech

Short answer: repair when the fix costs less than half of a comparable replacement and the appliance is otherwise sound; replace when you are stacking a second major repair on an old, inefficient unit. Age alone is a weak reason; condition and repair history are the real signals.

The questions we ask on every call

What failed, and is it a wear part or a core system? Has it been repaired before? Are parts still made? What does the replacement really cost installed, not just the sticker? A $200 pump on a solid washer beats a new machine. A second sealed-system job on a 16-year-old fridge does not.

The myth to drop

The "50% rule" is a starting point, not a law. A well-built older unit (hello, Speed Queen and Sub-Zero) often deserves repairs a cheap new unit never will.