Repair it or replace it? Answer six questions before you spend a dollar.

Every machine has a working life. Commercial refrigeration is often good for 10 to 15 years with care. Other equipment varies. A unit near the end of its range will need more help each year.

Find the data plate. It lists the model and serial number, and the serial number often tells you the year it was built. If the unit is near the end of its life, start planning a replacement now, before it picks the worst night for you.

Many new units carry a parts warranty for the first year, and some cover the compressor longer. If the machine is still covered, repair it. Call the dealer or the manufacturer first, because the warranty may decide who does the work.

Keep the paperwork in one place. Many warranties also ask for proof of regular maintenance.

One repair in five years is normal wear. Three repairs this year is a pattern. Each time it goes down, you pay for the visit, the part, and the lost sales or product.

Keep a record for every machine: the date, the problem, what was done and what it cost. When the same problem comes back after a repair, ask why. Sometimes the machine is worn out. Sometimes it was never fixed right in the first place.

A repair that holds changes the math. 98% of our calls are completed in one trip.

Here's a common rule of thumb. If the repair costs more than half the price of a new unit, replace it.

Weigh the age too. Spending a third of the price on a unit with a year left is a poor deal. Spending the same on a five-year-old unit can be smart.

Count the hidden costs on both sides. A new unit means delivery, setup, maybe new wiring or gas lines, and a day without it. An old one means a bigger power bill and the risk of the next breakdown. Ask your utility about rebates on ENERGY STAR equipment. Ask your accountant whether new equipment brings a tax break.

Parts for older models get scarce, and some take weeks to come in. Ask how long a part will take before you approve a repair. A cheap part that takes three weeks can cost more in lost sales than a new unit.

Refrigeration has its own catch. Older units that run on R-22 refrigerant are harder to keep going, because R-22 is no longer made in the US. A big leak in one of those can be the end of it.

A gas smell, scorched wiring, a door that won't seal or a fryer that won't hold its set temperature is a safety problem. If a repair can't make it safe, replace it.

Then ask whether it still fits the job. A reach-in that was fine for your old menu may be too small now. If your crew is running it hard to keep up, a bigger unit may fix two problems at once.