Home appliances are often taken for granted until one stops working.
“Unfortunately, new appliances are just not designed to last for decades like they used to be,” said Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Washington Consumers’ Checkbook.
If your appliance is still covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, Brasler said to use a shop authorized to do in-warranty repairs so you don’t have to pay for the work.
But what happens after the warranty runs out?
“What do you do if your seven-year-old clothes dryer stops working and you get an estimate for $200 to repair it,” Brasler hypothesized. “Do you fix it? Do you buy a new one?”
Initially, Brasler said do-it-yourselfers can repair many common problems.
“The nice thing about appliances is that most repairs can be done by you,” said Brasler. “It’s quite easy to swap out belts, even replacing things like control boards.”
Most replacement parts aren’t terribly expensive, if you’re willing to do the free labor.
“These days there are thousands and thousands of YouTube videos that can explain how to do these things,” he said.
Brasler said having a plastic tackle box, and labels handy can help you keep organized.
“It’s often easy to disassemble these things, but it’s hard to figure out what goes where when you need to put it back in place,” he said.
If your home repair doesn’t fix the problem, Brasler said you should consider whether you like the features on the device.
“Often, if the appliances has been working well for you for several years, it’s worth doing a repair, so long as it’s $250 or $300 or less,” said Brasler. “Usually that repair gets it back up and running, and because it’s served you well, it should last for many more years.”
However, “if your refrigerator or freezer needs a new compressor, or a clothes washer needs a new transmission,” it’s often time to buy something new.
See Washington Consumers’ Checkbook’s ratings of local appliance repair services.
