{
  "slug": "home-appliance-replacement",
  "title": "Repair or Replace Calculator",
  "heading": "Appliance Repair vs Replace Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/home-appliance-replacement",
  "summary": "Whether fixing it beats buying new, including energy costs.",
  "description": "The 50% rule says replace if the repair costs more than half of a new unit. Adding energy savings and remaining life usually pushes the decision toward replacement sooner than people expect.",
  "formula": "Compare repair cost over remaining life with new unit cost plus energy over full life.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=home-appliance-replacement",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "repair",
      "label": "Repair quote",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 380,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "newCost",
      "label": "New appliance cost installed",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1100,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "age",
      "label": "Current age",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 11,
      "unit": "years",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 40
    },
    {
      "id": "lifespan",
      "label": "Typical lifespan",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 14,
      "unit": "years",
      "min": 3,
      "max": 40
    },
    {
      "id": "oldEnergy",
      "label": "Current annual energy cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 165,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "newEnergy",
      "label": "New unit annual energy cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 85,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "verdict",
      "label": "Recommendation",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "repairAnnual",
      "label": "Annual cost if you repair",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "newAnnual",
      "label": "Annual cost if you replace",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "ruleOfThumb",
      "label": "Repair as % of replacement (50% rule)",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "remaining",
      "label": "Remaining life if repaired (years)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "energySavings",
      "label": "Lifetime energy savings from a new unit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Repair quote: 380 $",
      "New appliance cost installed: 1100 $",
      "Current age: 11 years",
      "Typical lifespan: 14 years",
      "Current annual energy cost: 165 $",
      "New unit annual energy cost: 85 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Recommendation: Replace it",
      "Annual cost if you repair: $291.67",
      "Annual cost if you replace: $163.57",
      "Repair as % of replacement (50% rule): 34.5%",
      "Remaining life if repaired (years): 3",
      "Lifetime energy savings from a new unit: $1,120.00"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter repair quote ($).",
      "Enter new appliance cost installed ($).",
      "Enter current age (years).",
      "Enter typical lifespan (years).",
      "Enter current annual energy cost ($).",
      "Enter new unit annual energy cost ($).",
      "Read your recommendation on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "repair": 230,
        "newCost": 650,
        "age": 11,
        "lifespan": 8,
        "oldEnergy": 100,
        "newEnergy": 50
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "repair": 380,
        "newCost": 1100,
        "age": 11,
        "lifespan": 14,
        "oldEnergy": 165,
        "newEnergy": 85
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "repair": 610,
        "newCost": 1750,
        "age": 11,
        "lifespan": 22,
        "oldEnergy": 265,
        "newEnergy": 135
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the appliance repair vs replace calculator work?",
      "a": "The 50% rule says replace if the repair costs more than half of a new unit. Adding energy savings and remaining life usually pushes the decision toward replacement sooner than people expect. The underlying maths is: Compare repair cost over remaining life with new unit cost plus energy over full life."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "6 values: repair quote, new appliance cost installed, current age, typical lifespan, current annual energy cost, and new unit annual energy cost. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the recommendation result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a plain value and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/electricity-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/water-heater-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Repair or Replace Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/home-appliance-replacement)"
}