What we verified in “Heating and air conditioning: when to repair and when to replace”

Statements and where we checked them

The statements with rules, figures or dates, with the exact place in the source and the date we checked them.

1. According to the Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Saver Guide, consider replacing your system if your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old, if your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old, if the equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up, or if some rooms are too hot or too cold; and your contractor should give you information on the safety and cost effectiveness of repair versus replacement, and on heating and cooling system options.

   Sources 1 · Energy Saver Guide (2022), 'Home Heating': 'Consider replacing your existing heating system if any of the following are true'; 'Your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old'; 'Your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old'; 'Your equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up'; 'Some rooms in your home are too hot or too cold'; 'Your contractor should provide you with information on the following'; 'Safety and cost effectiveness of repair versus replacement'; 'Heating and cooling system options' · Checked November 6, 2026

2. According to ENERGY STAR, have a contractor do annual pre-season check-ups; it's best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall, because contractors get busy in summer and winter; a typical check-up includes checking thermostat settings, tightening electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, checking the condensate drain, cleaning the air conditioning coils, checking the refrigerant level and, on gas or oil equipment, checking the connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger, because improperly operating connections are a fire hazard.

   Sources 2 · ENERGY STAR, Maintenance Checklist: 'having a contractor do annual pre-season check-ups'; 'Contractors get busy once summer and winter come, so it's best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall'; 'Check thermostat settings'; 'Tighten all electrical connections'; 'Lubricate all moving parts'; 'Check and inspect the condensate drain'; 'Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils'; 'Check your central air conditioner's refrigerant level'; 'Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger. Improperly operating gas (or oil) connections are a fire hazard' · Checked November 6, 2026

3. According to ENERGY STAR, check your filter every month, especially in heavy-use months (winter and summer); if it looks dirty after a month, change it, and at a minimum change it every 3 months; a dirty filter makes the system work harder and can lead to expensive maintenance or early system failure.

   Sources 3 · ENERGY STAR, Heat & Cool Efficiently: 'Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months'; 'make the system work harder'; 'leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure' · Checked November 6, 2026

4. According to ENERGY STAR, nearly half of the energy used in a home goes to heating and cooling; sealing and insulating ducts can improve efficiency by as much as 20 percent and sometimes much more; if your equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping the house comfortable, have a professional contractor evaluate it; before investing in a new system, fix the big air leaks in the house and the ducts, because sometimes they are the real problem; and improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent.

   Sources 3 · ENERGY STAR, Heat & Cool Efficiently: 'Nearly half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling'; 'Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent — and sometimes much more'; 'If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor'; 'before you invest in a new HVAC system, make sure that you have addressed the big air leaks in your house and the duct system. Sometimes, these are the real sources of problems'; 'improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent' · Checked November 6, 2026

5. According to ENERGY STAR, when hiring a heating and cooling contractor find out your state's license and insurance requirements; know your system's model and maintenance history; ask for references and call them; expect the contractor to inspect your home carefully, because a bigger system isn't always better and size depends on the house, insulation and windows; get written, itemized estimates and compare cost, efficiency and warranties; and sign a written proposal before work starts, with the project costs, model numbers, job schedule and warranty.

   Sources 4 · ENERGY STAR, 10 Tips for Hiring a Heating and Cooling Contractor: 'Find out about license and insurance requirements for contractors in your state'; 'know the model of your current system and its maintenance history'; 'Ask contractors for customer references and call them'; 'A bigger system isn't always better'; 'size the heating and cooling system based on the size of your house, level of insulation, and windows'; 'Get written, itemized estimates'; 'compare cost, energy efficiency and warranties'; 'Sign a written proposal with a contractor before work gets started'; 'specifying project costs, model numbers, job schedule and warranty information' · Checked November 6, 2026

6. According to ENERGY STAR, the contractor should spend significant time inspecting your current system and home; a good contractor inspects the duct system, if there is one, for air leaks and insulation, and measures airflow to make sure it meets the manufacturer's specifications; contractors should be able to show you savings calculations for ENERGY STAR equipment; and it recommends checking for rebates on certified efficient equipment.

   Sources 4 · ENERGY STAR, 10 Tips for Hiring a Heating and Cooling Contractor: 'The contractor should spend significant time inspecting your current system and home to assess your needs'; 'A good contractor will inspect your duct system (if applicable) for air leaks and insulation and measure airflow to make sure it meets manufacturers specifications'; 'Contractors should be able to show you calculations of savings for ENERGY STAR heating and cooling equipment'; 'checking around for available rebates on energy-efficient ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment' · Checked November 6, 2026

7. According to ENERGY STAR, an air source heat pump heats in winter and cools in summer; in most zones it can be installed as a drop-in replacement when a central air conditioner or a furnace needs replacing; and its cold-climate certification requires performance testing down to 5 °F.

   Sources 5 · ENERGY STAR, Air Source Heat Pumps: 'heat pumps serve double duty by also providing cooling in the summer months'; 'In most zones, an ASHP can be installed as a drop-in replacement when either a central air conditioner or a furnace needs replacement'; 'testing ASHPs down to 5°F' · Checked November 6, 2026

8. According to the CPSC, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas; put battery-operated or battery-backup CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas; if you suspect poisoning, get outside to fresh air right away and call 911.

   Sources 6 · CPSC, Carbon Monoxide Information Center: 'a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas'; 'Install battery-operated CO alarms or CO alarms with battery backup on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas'; 'get outside to fresh air immediately, and then call 911' · Checked November 6, 2026

9. In New York City, HEAP's Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) benefit helps eligible homeowners repair or replace their furnace, boiler and other direct heating equipment needed to keep the home's main heating source working; it is given only once every ten years and pays the actual cost up to $4,000 for a repair and $8,000 for a replacement; the 2026-2027 benefit opened October 1, 2026.

   Sources 7 · NYC HRA, Energy Assistance: 'The Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) benefit helps eligible homeowners repair or replace their furnace, boiler, and other direct heating equipment'; 'HERR is only given to eligible applicants once every ten years'; 'up to $4,000 for a repair and $8,000 for a replacement'; 'The 2026-2027 Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit opened October 1, 2026' · Checked November 6, 2026

10. In New Jersey, the Home Energy Assistance Program helps very low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills and makes provisions for emergency heating system services.

    Sources 8 · NJ DCA, Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP): 'The Home Energy Assistance Program helps very low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills, and makes provisions for emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance' · Checked November 6, 2026

11. According to the DOE, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is run in each state; households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or that receive SSI, are eligible under its rules, and states may use LIHEAP's limit of 60% of state median income; homeowners and renters can apply, and if you qualify you are placed on a waitlist.

    Sources 9 · DOE, How to Apply for Weatherization Assistance: 'administered at the state and local level'; 'Households at or below 200% of the poverty income guidelines or that receive Supplemental Security Income are considered under DOE guidelines as eligible'; '60% of state-median income'; 'Both homeowners and renters are eligible to apply'; 'your name will be placed on a waitlist' · Checked November 6, 2026

12. For example, Missouri's weatherization program says its typical measures include heating and cooling system repair or replacement.

    Sources 10 · Missouri DNR, Weatherization: 'Typical weatherization measures include … heating and cooling system repair or replacement' · Checked November 6, 2026

13. According to the IRS, the federal energy efficient home improvement credit, which covered heat pumps, could be claimed for improvements made through December 31, 2025.

    Sources 11 · IRS, Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit: 'You can claim the credit for improvements made through December 31, 2025'; '$2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps, water heaters' · Checked November 6, 2026