- According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, a typical lifespan for a dishwasher is about 10 years. In her book "Kitchen Hints from Heloise," the author gives the figure "11 to 13" for a dishwasher's lifespan. However, a variety of factors, ranging from the make and model of the appliance to the owner's willingness to attempt minor repairs can affect the lifespan of a dishwasher.
- Contrary to expectations, newer and more expensive dishwasher models don't necessarily have longer life expectancies. According to the author of the Do-it-yourself site Fix It Now, older economy Kenmore dishwashers tend to be very reliable, and when these models do have issues, the necessary repairs are often quick and easy ones the owner can do himself.
- Built-in models of dishwashers tend to have longer lifespans than portable ones. Also, the more special features a dishwasher has, the more things can potentially go wrong. For instance, dishwashers with electronic readouts may experience shorts in the readout panel in addition to having problems with the components inside the appliance.
- Two other considerations will affect the lifespan of a dishwasher: how well the owner maintains the appliance and how willing she is to do minor repairs herself. Running the dishwasher according to the directions and cleaning debris out of the filter periodically will prevent many problems. When problems do occur, some are relatively minor and can be fixed by inexperienced do-it-yourselfers. Examples of repairs easily done by amateurs include repairing damaged dish racks and cleaning debris out of the spray arm.
- Because dishwasher repairs can involve both the plumbing and the electrical system, those planning to do home repairs should be mindful of safety. At the very least, you should make sure the power to the dishwasher is off before working on it. Most do-it-yourself websites recommend tripping the circuit breaker or removing the fuse that provides power to your dishwasher and shutting off the water supply before you start.
