When a motor fails, the user must decide whether to repair it or to replace it with a newer one. The choice is not a simple one. It should be based on more than a comparison of repair cost with the price of a new motor.

Because a replacement often offers higher efficiency, the actual load should be known. A single average kilowatt-hour cost won't indicate the true energy cost for a motor operating at different times of day, or a varying load.

Users often encounter claims that the latest motor designs are more reliable because of larger or "motor quality" bearings, better insulation, or other benefits of rapid technological innovation. In fact, inverter-duty wire, epoxy insulation, and many other features common in today's motors have been in common use for decades. Most are readily available and widely used in repairs as well.