# Sources — Repair-or-Replace Calculator

All figures checked 2026-10-22. The calculator's job is a planning
range and a decision check, not a quote; the page says so.

## Replacement cost model (base, before regional adjustment)
Mid-points of published 2026 installed-cost ranges by system size,
held in the page's BASE table:
- Central AC only, 3-ton ≈ $5,750 — usecalcpro 2026 guide (national
  average $5,750 for a 3-ton replacement, range $3,500–$7,600);
  Angi 2026 AC-replacement average ≈ $5,978 (range $3,887–$8,073).
- AC + furnace full system ≈ $11,600 at 3 tons — usecalcpro full
  HVAC replacement average $11,600–$14,100; nearbyhunt 2026 national
  range $7,500–$12,500 for furnace + AC; Pearl 2026 full-system
  median $16,500 is the high outlier (used only as a sanity ceiling).
- Heat pump ≈ $10,200 at 3 tons — landscapioai 2026 heat-pump
  mid $8,500 (range $5,500–$14,000); nearbyhunt $8,000–$16,000.
- Other tonnages scale from the 3-ton anchor by the same guides'
  per-ton progression. Displayed range = estimate × 0.85 to × 1.20.
- Regional factors by ZIP first digit are planning approximations
  (Northeast/West Coast higher, Midwest/South lower) consistent with
  the spreads in the guides above. No ZIP → national (factor 1.0).

## Decision rules
- **The $5,000 rule** (age × repair cost > $5,000 → replace):
  industry-standard heuristic, documented by Fixr's 2026 HVAC
  service-cost guide and multiple contractor guides.
- **The 50% rule** (repair ≥ 50% of replacement → replace):
  same sources; ENERGY STAR guidance puts replacement on the table
  at 10+ years for AC/heat pumps, 15+ for furnaces.
- **System life 15–20 years** for central AC: ENERGY STAR /
  contractor-guide consensus.
- **R-22**: production/import ended Jan 1, 2020 (EPA phaseout).
  Installed price $90–$150/lb (HomeGuide 2026, multiple market
  guides; some markets report $150–$200). Typical recharge
  $500–$2,000. R-22 equipment was last manufactured in 2009, so
  every R-22 system is 17+ years old in 2026.
- **Efficiency**: pre-2010 systems ≈ 10–13 SEER; new systems
  16–20 SEER2; cooling-cost savings of 20–35% are the commonly
  published range for that jump.

## Business disclosure (also on the page and the form)
Partner shops pay CoolBooked a fee only when a homeowner buys a
system through a routed quote request. The fee never changes the
homeowner's price. Pilot areas at launch: Las Vegas and Southern
California; requests from elsewhere are answered honestly, not sold.