Although there may be others, the most common kitchen appliances are the freestanding range with oven, stovetop, built-in microwave or range hood and dishwasher. Most manufacturers give an estimated life expectancy of 10 years. It is our policy to replace any appliance that has reached or surpassed the 10-year mark. We find this to be the most cost-efficient approach. But what if the appliance is 6, 7, or 8 years old? At what point is it best to repair the appliance instead of replacing it? In this blog, I will focus on when it makes sense to repair versus replace a kitchen appliance.
WARRANTY
First, let's talk about warranties and what may be covered. Kitchen appliances usually come with a manufacturer warranty for one year after the date of purchase. If the appliance were to break down within the first year of purchasing, we will call the manufacturer. Typically, they will dispatch a partnered third-party vendor to diagnose the problem. If they can fix the issue without having to order parts, they will do so. Otherwise, they will have to schedule a time to return with either the parts or a new unit. Occasionally, the manufacturer will send a factory technician, but the process stays the same.
After the first year, an extended warranty may be added when purchasing the appliance. This is usually through the store of which the unit was purchased. Common extended warranties are 3 and 5 years and begin after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. Meaning, if the unit with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty was purchased on January 1, 2025, a 5-year extended warranty would start taking effect in January 2026 and would expire in January 2031. The process of sending a vendor is similar, if not identical, to the process previously mentioned.
REPAIRS
Once all warranties have expired, it is the owner's responsibility to either repair or replace the appliance. When dispatching an appliance vendor, they will charge anywhere between $80 and $150 to diagnose the issue. This cost can be added to or absorbed into the cost of repair, depending on the repair needed. Repairs consist of two categories... labor and parts. Within our inventory of properties, the average cost to an appliance repair is $350, when it can be repaired and parts are available. There have been times where parts are not available. This is more common among high-end appliances and many appliances, of all price points, older than 5 years.
A common question asked by owners is if the repair will increase the lifespan of the appliance?It is impossible to tell how long an appliance will last after a repair. Assuming that the repair was made with the manufacturer's warrantied part, the repair can last up to or past the appliance's 10-year lifespan. When it comes to appliances, some vendors will warranty their labor for up to 6 months. I have seen both spectrums. I have seen an appliance last several years after a repair and I have seen appliances break down within a year after a repair, either with the same problem or a different problem. In my experience, finding and utilizing appliance parts found on sites like eBay and amazon have been consistently a poor choice in trying to save money and time. In the times where owners have purchased a part online it ended up being a short-term solution which ended with the same problem costing the owner more in the end.
REPLACE
Replacing an appliance is most fitting if the appliance is 10 years old or older. Anything between the 6 and 10-year mark may be considered for replacement on a case-by-case basis, depending on what the issue is. For most mechanical or electronic problems, it would be most cost effective to replace the appliance. The question is, what is "Cost Effective"? A good guideline is, if a repair costs 50% or more of a replacement, then replacing an appliance would be cost effective. The cost of replacing an appliance includes not only the cost of the appliance, but also the cost of the installation, associated parts like power cables and hoses, and the cost of removing and disposing of the old appliance. The average cost of a new appliance with installation and associated parts is between $450 and $750, depending on the appliance. Assuming the appliance is between 6 and 10 years old and taking the average cost of repair is $350 into consideration, it would be cost effective and efficient to have a new dishwasher installed at $680, if budget allows.
| APPLIANCE | PRODUCT | DELIVERY | ADDITIONAL PARTS | INSTALLATION | HAUL AWAY | TOTAL |
| Rangehood (30 Inch) | $ 110 | - | Not Required | Home Depot Doesn't Install | - | $ 110 |
| Microwave | $ 210 | $ 30 | Not Required | $ 140 | $ 50 | $ 430 |
| Freestanding Range (30 Inch) | $ 600 | $ 30 | $ 40 | $ 30 | $ 50 | $ 750 |
| Stovetop (30 Inch) | $ 600 | $ 30 | Not Required | Home Depot Doesn't Install | $ 50 | $ 680 |
| Dishwasher | $ 400 | $ 30 | $ 40 | $ 160 | $ 50 | $ 680 |
CONCLUSION
Here are the takeaways. A new appliance usually comes with a minimum 1-year manufacturer’s warranty. You can buy extended warranties that will guarantee a working appliance for the life of the warranty, if you so choose. Between 6 and 10 years, we recommend replacing the item, depending on the possible problems, as appliance repairs of that age of unit can sometimes be a gamble, but will defer to the owner's decision. Finally, replacing items after they reach the 10-year mark. It can be a hard decision between repairing and replacing and we are here to help you make those hard calls. It is always our goal at GSPM to give you the best service possible. You have hired us to protect you and your investment. That is what we do.
