Many homeowners dwell over repairing or replacing their home appliances. For example, washing machines cost between $250 to $2,050, and dryers cost $200 to $1,750. Cost plays an important factor in the decision for choosing a new one or to use home appliance repair servicing.
In order to help you get all of the facts, Affordable Appliance & A/C Repair (AA&A Fix) has put together this large appliance repair guide with everything you need to know.
Is Your Home Appliance Really Broken?
When you notice one of your home appliances doesn’t work like it typically does, it often causes panic. Before you start shopping for a new appliance or start calling a home appliance repair company, you have to ask yourself if your home appliance is really broken.
This might sound silly but the first thing you need to do is make sure your appliance is plugged in. You would be surprised how common this is.
Make sure there haven’t been any tripped circuit breakers. The problem might be your electric box and not your appliances. You don’t want to get a new blender and discover you needed a new fuse.
Pay attention to your flooring. Sometimes home appliances won’t turn on if some of the boards are uneven.
Clean the vents and filters of your large home appliances. Sometimes they don’t turn on because there’s excess dust accumulated.
Has the Lifespan Come to an End?
Although many homeowners wish their appliances would last forever, it’s not the case. While you can extend the life of your appliances by performing regular maintenance, appliances tend to have a limited lifespan.
On average, this is how long each appliance lasts:
- Refrigerator: 13 years
- Washer: 10 years
- Dryer: 13 years
- Air conditioner: 15 years
- Furnace: 15 to 20 years
- Garbage disposal: 12 years
- Water heater: 10 to 20 years
- Stove: 13 to 15 years
Keep in mind these are only estimates. The lifespan will depend on the brand of the manufacturer and how well you take care of the home appliances.
How to Tell How Old an Appliance Is
If you bought the appliance brand new, you might be able to remember how old the appliance is. Those who moved into a house with used appliances might find it a bit more difficult to find out the appliances are.
There are a few things you can do to figure out how old your appliances are. For example, look and see if the owner left any paperwork behind.
The other thing you can do is look at the appliance and see if you can find a date printed by the serial number.
Is It Worth Repairing?
To answer this question you need to apply the 50% rule.
For purposes of this example, let’s say the cost of repairing a refrigerator is $300.
If your refrigerator is 8 years old and you know the average lifespan of a refrigerator is 13 years old, should you repair it?
So if the refrigerator is more than 50% through its lifespan, and the cost of the repair would be more than 50% of the cost of a new one, then it’s a better idea to replace it.
In this scenario, the cost of fixing the refrigerator is $300 but buying a new one is $1,000. The cost is fixing the refrigerator is less than 50% of the cost of buying a new one, therefore, you should repair the refrigerator.
You can apply this rule to all of your other appliances. Keep in mind repair costs will vary by area.
Can Better Maintenance Extend the Life?
Those homeowners who want to delay buying new appliances for as long as possible might ask if regular maintenance is the key. The answer is yes.
With a dryer, for example, the exhaust vent should be checked about once a year. If you notice it’s not working properly, you can call a repair expert.
Another thing you can do is vacuum the back of the refrigerator to make sure the condenser coils are free of dust.
Experts might also recommend you never overload your dishwasher in order to prolong its life of it.
Making sure you clean the top of the stove and get rid of the grease will also extend the life of your range.
Home Appliance Repair Services for help
Now that you have all of the information about large appliance repair, you can make an educated decision regarding your appliances.
Is one of your appliances in need of repairs? If you’re in Hawaii, Affordable Appliance & A/C Repair services can help. Schedule an appointment today.