Appliances: When to Repair – When to Replace

The hot water is no more, or the furnace makes you pull out the blankets. Perhaps your washing machine just spun it's final load.

The question becomes, Fix it, or junk it?

If an electronic device cost less than $200, junk it without further thought. Repairing a relatively inexpensive item like a cordless phone or countertop microwave is not cost-effective.

The repair-or-replace question is directly tied to how much longer you can expect the product to last. You can get data on the life expectancy of all sorts of home components, from faucets to refrigerators, at the National Association of Home Builders website (nahb.org). Your results may vary, depending on the quality of your model and how religious you've been about routine maintenance.

In a few cases, there may be new bells and whistles that render your old appliance obsolete — or simply unwanted. For example, most professional advice will tell you it's never worth making major repairs to a top-loading clothes washer. In addition, clothes dryers haven't improved much in basic function over the years.

If you have any questions about whether to repair or replace an appliance or component in your home, do some research. Try posting your dilemma at Applianceguru.com, or post your question or comment here… someone may just answer you with the advice you need.