Use the arithmetic the trade uses: multiply the repair quote by the system's age in years. Past roughly 5,000, replacement usually wins; well under, repair usually wins. A $400 repair on a 15 year old system (6,000) sits on the line; a $1,800 compressor on the same system (27,000) is well past it. Add the condition evidence: refrigerant type on older cooling systems, duct condition, and whether this is the first major repair or the third. Any company should show you both prices in writing; a replacement pitch without a repair price is a sales call, not a diagnosis.
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