Major home appliances are a big and pricey purchase for most homeowners. If you’re thinking of purchasing a new home appliance, you need to put some thought into just how long it will last. The average lifespan of a home appliance can vary, depending on family size, usage and upkeep (daily wear and tear in layman’s terms). A large family who uses their major home appliance weekly will have a shorter lifespan than a single person who uses their appliances once per month. And of course, maintenance and cleaning each have their own role in a home appliance lifespan. Your home appliance comes with a Use and Care Guide that is specific to your particular model for recommended upkeep and cleaning tips. Dry reading, we know, but well worth it!
Back in the day, Grandma and Grandpa expected products and appliances to last a lifetime (both theirs and yours!) and they were also willing to spend money to repair their appliances. To be honest, in previous generations, appliances were constructed with only basic simple functions. But now? They have all the bells and whistles. For example, a refrigerator used to only have a basic thermostat and an oversized energy consuming compressor. Now our refrigerators have ice makers, ice and water in doors, energy saving components and computers just to name a few. We also now live in a world that doesn’t have the time or patience to “fix” anything, we’d rather throw it away and replace it if it’s not working up to standard anymore. Listen, appliances are worth repairing because they still have a long lifespan!
So what happens when you’re in the middle of washing a load of laundry and your appliance goes on the fritz? Obviously you didn’t plan for this to happen,nor did you want it to happen or even budget for it. So how do you know if your appliance is worth repairing or replacing? The handy infographic we’ve provided below will show you the typical lifespan of a household appliance.
A typical appliance repair from a professionally trained and certified company will start around one hundred dollars and often go up from there based on the repair(s) needed. In our experience, we’ve noticed that usually if a home appliance repair is needed but is close to half or over half of the original cost of the appliance, it may not hurt to shop around a bit. So if you don’t feel like your appliance is worth at least $150+, we suggest heading down to your local appliance dealer to check out your options. When you make a repair on your home appliance, you’re basically recommitting to the appliance you currently own. It is now at this point (armed with knowledge and options) your decision whether or not to repair or replace the appliance. Replacements are really only necessary when you’re nearing the end of your appliance’s lifespan, it’s been rode hard or it’s unrepairable. Either way, a certified technician would have to come assess the problem with your appliance before being able to tell you for sure.
