BOSTON — Alyse Winston bought a washer machine five years ago and it’s already giving her problems.
“The first time a plumber came over and said we needed to change a hose,” Winston said. “Now it’s giving me trouble again.”
It sure feels like home appliances don’t last as long as they used to and it can be tricky to know when it’s time to repair or replace a broken device.
“Appliances are way more complicated than they used to be,” said Lee Wallender, a home improvement expert and writer for the consumer website The Spruce. “It’s far more cost-effective to call in technicians and repair for a number of years than to replace prematurely.”
Consumer advocates at Stanford Magazine came up with the 5-10-15 Rule: If an appliance is five years old, don’t replace it. If it’s 10, run the numbers. If it’s 15 years old, it’s probably time to get a new one, the magazine said.
Wallender compiled separate lists for average appliance lifespans and how much it will cost to repair each item:
- Gas stoves- 10 to 18 years ($130 to $415 to repair)
- Electric stoves- 13 to 15 years
- Stove and oven hoods- 14 years
- Dryers (electric and gas)- 13 years
- Refrigerators- 14 years ($205 to $430)
- Garbage disposals- 12 years ($70 to $240)
- Freezers- 10-20 years ($95 to $365)
- Washing machines- 11 years ($120 to $415)
- Microwaves- 9 years ($100 to $275)
- Dishwashers- 9 years ($100 to $325)
The Spruce also found top top-load washers last a few years longer than front-load washers and cost less to repair.
“If you’re reaching the end of that lifespan and you’re doing a lot of repairs, then you probably should replace,” Wallender said.
Winston said if one of her appliances breaks down multiple times, she’s probably going to just replace it and hope for the best.
“Depending on the cost of the first fix, I’ll fix it. Then after that, if it’s a machine I don’t trust, forget it,” Winston said.
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