Repair the HVAC or replace it?

[Cory Melious]

Hey all!

I’m curious what others would do in my situation.

I have a rental condo that has a broken HVAC. The building provides heat/coolant. My HVAC is simply an air handler that blows hot and cold depending on what season we’re in.

I’ve been quoted $2800 to repair the unit. The compressor is shot so the bulk of the price is a new part, then some smaller valve replacements and new coolant for the coils. It’s a 10 year old unit so there might be other problems that could arise after this.

They also quoted me $5300 to completely replace the machine with a brand new one. This option “should” remove the concern about other parts going bad in the near future. I asked about warranty but haven’t heard back yet.

I’m leaning towards the new one bc in theory I can cap-ex the cost on my taxes vs just a repair if I go that route. I’m wondering if my thinking makes good financial sense tho.

There’s a small chance I’ll sell this place in a few years so perhaps the risk of more parts breaking isn’t that high if I’m out of the investment before then.