Up to 80% of Canadians use at least one home appliance daily. And why not? Whether it’s a microwave or a refrigerator, a trusty household appliance makes life 10 times easier. That is until they start to develop faults.
At this point, the important question is whether to repair or replace your faulty appliance. The answer to this question isn’t a straightforward one, especially when you consider the cost of household appliances.
A high-end refrigerator or cooktop for a moderately sized family can cost up to $2,000. And like the average consumer, you probably have one eye on the cost of a new household appliance. You’re probably looking to extend the lifespan of your device to avoid a huge bill.
However, the answer to whether to replace or repair your device can be complex. You have to consider extenuating factors like the cost of repairs, warranty and appliance age. Keep reading to see what we mean.
How to Decide Whether to Repair or Replace Your Appliance
Certain considerations influence the decision to buy a replacement household device. The key ones include:
Implications of a Downtime
How much of a spanner will the faulty device throw in your works? This question is for house owners with deep pockets. You can’t use your appliance while it’s faulty. Therefore, you need to envision how much of an impact the downtime will have on your life.
Say your washer is out of commission. At the very least, it’ll take a day for an appliance repair technician to get it in great working condition. Add the time spent searching for an appliance repair service near you, and your washer may be out of commission for a week.
You should consider how much of an inconvenience this will be. Daily trips to the laundromats will take your time and financial expenses. It may be best for you to replace your appliance in this situation instead of waiting around for repairs.
Is this a First-Time Issue?
Deciding whether to repair or replace your appliance often boils down to whether or not it’s a first-time future. We recommend calling an appliance repair technician to fix first-time faults.
An expert technician will get your device in great condition without any issues. Conversely, if this is the latest in an extensive line of faults, it’s wiser to replace the device. Even if you manage to repair the device, it’s more likely to break down soon.
Cost of Appliance Repair
The decision to fix or replace your appliance depends on repair costs. It’s always better to repair your device when the costs are minimal. Conversely, if repair costs are on the high side, it’s better to buy a new appliance.
It’s also important to consider the type of appliance while evaluating repair costs. Household appliances like a washer, refrigerator, or dryer are super expensive. Therefore, even when repair costs are high, the figure may not reach half of a new appliance’s cost. In this situation, repairing your device may be the better option.
Appliance Age
Regardless of your maintenance culture, appliances will break down over time. The inner working components start to wear out as machines get older. As such, your device will become less reliable and less energy-efficient.
On the flip side, it’s always better to choose repairs over replacing a newer appliance. As long as it’s still new, affordable appliance repair technicians can still help you get multiple years of use from your device.
Older appliances tend to come with extensive repairs. These repairs will happen more frequently and will cost more each time. And you’re likely to spend more on repairs because you’ll likely have to buy replacement parts.
It’s also important to remember that older appliances have fewer tech features when deciding whether to repair or replace your appliance. A newer model will come with the latest additions which are absent in the older one. Therefore, it’s better to replace your device if it’s older than 10 years.
While ten years is often the standard, some appliances may need a replacement in less time. Below is the average lifespan for common household appliances:
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Dishwasher – 9
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Dryer – 13
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Fridge – 11
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Microwave – 9
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Washing machine – 10
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Gas range – 15
Exactly how long your household appliance stays in fantastic working conditions depends on the frequency of usage. Your maintenance culture also plays a part in how long it remains in great shape.
The Safety Factor
The decision to repair or replace an appliance should never override the safety factor. A fault in your appliance can lead to safety issues that can affect the whole house. And even when you fix them, these risks may not entirely disappear.
Repairing or replacing your appliance depends on whether or not it’s a safety risk. You want to ensure your decision doesn’t put your or your household at risk. Start by scrutinizing the device before making the final decision. If it meets safety recommendations and requires minimal repair costs, then you should repair it.
Warranty
Before deciding to replace your appliance instead of making repairs, consider whether or not the device still has warranty coverage. A newer appliance will likely still have a warranty covering labour and parts. Therefore, appliance repairs will likely cost less than nothing.
Even without a warranty, it’s not advisable to dump an appliance the first or second time it stops working. The only exception is a device that has broken down periodically over the last few years. Without a warranty, such a device will cost thousands of dollars to fix.
Energy Efficiency
Most people focus squarely on the cost of repairs when deciding whether or not to fix a faulty appliance. But, you should also consider the energy bills you’re incurring on the device. An old device with low energy-efficiency ratings will rack up huge energy bills. In the long run, you’ll save more money by buying a replacement device.
Appliances often have a black and yellow EnergyGuide label. This label can help you estimate how much it’ll cost to run the device consistently. An Energy Star label on your device confirms that it meets the international energy efficiency standards of the US Department of Energy. These devices tend to use 20% less energy than other appliances.
Is Maintenance Still a Factor?
You can decide whether to repair or replace a device based on whether maintenance will increase its effective lifespan. You can extend your device’s lifespan by following regular maintenance practices. In this case, it’s better to repair the appliance and follow up with regular maintenance.
You want to check the air vents in your dryer at least once every 12 months for a dryer. By doing so, you can ensure air is flowing through the exhaust properly. Unhindered air flow aids the effective operation of the device and lessens its workload, thereby prolonging its lifespan.
Related Article: 10 Best Options for Appliance Repair in Toronto
When to Repair or Replace Common Household Devices
Above, we’ve provided a list of questions to guide your decision to repair or replace your household appliance. This section will be more specific about the type of appliance and whether or not to fix it.
Ranges and Ovens
Brand new ovens can cost up to $3,000 with a 14-year lifespan. Ovens on the lower end of the luxury scale cost less than $600.
With such high upfront costs, going the extra mile to replace an oven should only happen if the insides are rusting. A cracked glass door is another situation that demands replacement. Oven door replacements are typically
expensive and stressful.
Conversely, you should repair the oven if the burners aren’t turning on. Repairs are also effective if the problem is with the heating or self-cleaning elements. Appliance repair technicians can fix these faults in less than a day and at affordable prices.
Refrigerators
Your fridge can last for 13 years with regular maintenance. A brand new fridge costs about $1,100 on average. Therefore, it’s usually cost-effective to repair a faulty fridge — except it’s really old.
A faulty compressor is no reason to buy a new fridge. While it stops your fridge from getting cold, faulty compressors are pretty straightforward to fix. Similarly, fan, sealing and coil issues are simple to fix.
Washers
Washers have an average lifespan of ten years and cost $800 to fix. The only situation where you should replace this appliance is when it stops spinning. That can be pretty difficult to fix and often requires expensive replacement parts.
You can fix leaks, noises from the washers and poor draining. They’re affordable to fix and are one-day jobs.
Dryers
Dryers have their average lifespan sitting at 12 years. They can cost up to $1,200 but are less expensive to fix. Repair the dryer if it isn’t getting hot or spinning properly. You can also fix odd noises and smells coming from your dryer.
The decision to repair or replace this appliance is simpler when dealing with a clogged dryer. It’s better to cut your losses and buy a new one.
Repairing Your Household Appliance: How to Choose the Right Technician
Your choice of technician will impact results if you decide to choose repairs over replacing your household appliance. And here’s how you can ensure you’re picking the right technician.
Cost
Cost is a major factor when deciding whether to repair or replace a household appliance. And it’s equally significant to your choice of an appliance technician. You want to ensure you find the best cheap appliance repair service near me.
But it’s also important to juxtapose the cost of appliance repair with experience and quality of service. You don’t want sub-par service that’ll lead to more expensive appliance damage.
Warranty
It’s advisable to pick repairs over replacing an appliance when a readily accessible technician has a warranty. The warranty means you can always call the technician if the appliance stops working immediately after the repairs. More importantly, you won’t have to pay for the second visit.
Therefore, ensure your appliance repair technician has a warranty before making your final decision. Even if they get their repairs wrong, you can always call them again at no extra cost. Surely, that’s better than buying a new appliance, isn’t it?
Customer Reviews
Every homeowner wants their appliance repair job to go smoothly. You want the appliance repair technician to be professional, courteous and effective at their job. The only way you can tell beforehand is by checking previous customer reviews.
Customer reviews will help you get an accurate idea of how well past clients rate the technician. Typically, multiple negative reviews signify you need a new repair technician.
Licensing
The last bit of due diligence is ensuring your appliance repair technician is an expert. Household appliances can cost up to $2,000. Therefore, it’s only logical to keep it out of the hands of amateur technicians.
Licensing is an indication that an appliance repair technician has gone through the necessary training and has passed multiple certification tests. It means you’re dealing with a highly experienced technician. As such, they’re more likely to repair your faulty device seamlessly and as quickly as possible.
Related Article: 10 Most Common Appliance Problems
Final Thoughts
The best way to decide whether to repair or replace your appliance is considering its age and cost of repairs. It’s always better to replace old appliances with outdated tech. Conversely, fixing new appliances with one or two random faults is always the better option.
Here at Prime Appliance Repairs, our technicians will get your device working again the same day you call us. Call us now to get started!
