# Should I repair or replace my heat pump



## JEG in Raleigh (5 mo ago)

Hello all, first-timer here. I know nobody can give me a definitive answer on this but I'm hoping to get some informed opinions. I have a Rheem 2-stage heat pump that was installed in 2012. Our house is 2400 square feet and built to Passivhaus standards, so it's very energy efficient. It's a single-story house. It's a 2-ton heat pump with a single outdoor unit and the air handler is in the attic. 

Anyway, it hasn't been very reliable and over the last 3-4 years we have replaced the following:
1. The main control board and compressor on the outdoor unit after a lightning strike.
2. The coil in the air handler after it failed and we just squeaked in under the warranty period (parts, not labor).
3. Now the blower motor has failed and we're waiting on a price for that replacement. 

We got a price on a new system (ductwork is fine....just the mechanicals) and it was around $11,000. I'm expecting the blower motor replacement to be around $1000 by the time it's all said and done. 

Once that blower motor is replaced and after reviewing the list of things that have been replaced above, what other parts from the original 2012 system could fail that would incur substantial repair costs? I'm hoping the blower motor replacement will give me a system where the major mechanical items are now 0-4 years old and maybe we're good for a while. But if I have other potentially expensive repairs lurking, I'd like to know what they might be. I'd appreciate anyone knowledgeable about this giving me their 2-cents. Thanks.


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## channellxbob (Sep 27, 2020)

Essentially what you would worry about after replacing all those components is the system developing a leak in one of the coils. This is the age old question that almost all customers ask. "How long will my system last?" No one can say for certain, or they're BSing.
If it were me I'd run it and see how it goes. You have one new coil so you've reduced the worry by 50% all things being equal. Boards and motors are normal replacement items. So I'd run it. I'd do that even if it didn't have a newer compressor. In the big scheme of things if you can afford the $11k cost of replacement then hang onto the money for when it actually does fail. You may be pleasantly surprised. Either way, good luck.


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## JEG in Raleigh (5 mo ago)

channellxbob said:


> Essentially what you would worry about after replacing all those components is the system developing a leak in one of the coils. This is the age-old question that almost all customers ask. "How long will my system last?" No one can say for certain, or they're BSing.
> If it were me I'd run it and see how it goes. You have one new coil so you've reduced the worry by 50% all things being equal. Boards and motors are normal replacement items. So I'd run it. I'd do that even if it didn't have a newer compressor. In the big scheme of things if you can afford the $11k cost of replacement then hang onto the money for when it actually does fail. You may be pleasantly surprised. Either way, good luck.


Thanks for that advice and for answering my question about what else might go wrong. I did decide to have the repair done ($1200) and they're waiting for the motor to come in, so we'll see how things go after that.


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