Your oven is not heating up; ice is melting in your freezer; your washing machine dryer has stopped spinning. Suppose you encounter any of these machine breakdowns that have occurred more than once. Then, you are possibly evaluating the choices of what to do if your appliance needs a repair or simply a replacement.
We know deciding if you need to fix a faulty appliance or go for a new one is a tricky thing. Buying a new one might feel like an expensive guess, mainly when you cannot evaluate the accurate difference between both. Therefore, we have done the work for you. We have assembled five tips to guide you on if you should replace or repair your home appliance from any reliable appliance repair in Fairfax.
Tip 1:- Follow The 50% Rule
Suppose an appliance has gone through more than 50% of its lifespan (mentioned below) also if the price of its repair is greater than 50% of the cost of purchasing new. Then, you should replace your appliance instead of repairing it.
To do the calculation, you’ll need to know the general lifespan and find a repair estimation. Many service firms ask for a “trip charge” to analyses the issue, and these charges differ significantly. Thus, you need to be sure to ask about it when you make an appointment.
Here, we have listed down the average lifespan (in years) of the following appliances.
- Compactor: 6
- Dishwasher: 9
- Disposal: 12
- Dryer: 13
- Electric range: 13
- Exhaust fan: 10
- Freezer: 11
- Gas range: 15
- Microwave: 9
- Range hood: 14
- Refrigerator: 13
- Washer: 10
- AC: 8
Tip 2:- Cost Of Downtime
When your appliance breaks down and is not usable, you should think about its influence on your daily life. If your laundry machine gets damaged, factor in the money and time you spent in taking your clothing to a laundromat. It will take at least a day to repair. On the other hand, if it is more problematic, the repair person will take the appliance for a week or more.
Now, you need to decide what is more convenient and cost-effective for you. Whether to go for a new appliance so that your life will get normal sooner? Or should you wait for the fixing of your old machine? Assess the inconvenience and costs when you make your decision.
Tip 3:- Current Value
The price or value of the majority of the things in your home decreases as time passes. For example, heater, window, AC, etc. Also, the importance of kitchen appliances, furniture, and electronics decline as they age.
Besides, there are also those appliances in your home that age nicely and increase in value as time passes. These items are called antiques or will be antique after some years. When you spend on the maintenance of an antique, it is an investment. Therefore, if you spend money today fixing it, you can get the fruits in the coming years.
Tip 4:- Safety
It would be best if you did not ever ignore the safety of your home appliance while deciding whether to repair or replace it. You can protect your home appliances as much as you can. Even then, they will get damaged as they age.
Make sure to check your appliance thoroughly for any safety problems as you come to your last decision. After all, who wants to put their household in danger in attempting to save some cash. If your appliance still fulfils all the safety criteria and the repairing cost is cheaper than replacing it, go for repairing it.
Tip 5:- Do You Love It?
Many times, deciding between repair or replacement is an easy matter of cents and dollars. But occasionally, it’s more complicated. If the thing that’s damaged is something you love, then no new appliance can replace it.
For instance, if you bought an old bicycle as a teen with your first salary. For you, that old bicycle’s worth is way more than the new one. Therefore, even if repairing that bicycle would cost much more than purchasing a new one, you would go for fixing it. Lastly, sometimes worth is not calculated by money only. When you love any appliance for some reason, no matter what, you will always go for repairing it.
Conclusion
When essential home appliances break down or need maintenance, it can often make you spend a lot. The expense of repairing a more significant appliance can rely on a variety of factors. For example, brand, age, model, etc. Do thorough research while selecting a contractor or repairman for your appliance repair. It would help if you did a thorough research about everything.
Hiring an expert maintenance specialist is a crucial task. You need to make sure that they are affordable, reliable, and trustworthy. Because it is quite an imperative and challenging procedure, hopefully, this guideline will help you throughout the whole process.
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