How to Choose Whether to Repair or Replace Appliances

It's not always an easy call to know whether you should repair or replace your appliances. It seems to be getting harder to find qualified appliance repair people and, when you do, they aren't cheap. It helps to know how much life your appliances have left before you make a decision.

Instructions

1. Get an estimate. Call around to everyone you can find who does repairs, including dealers, and see if anyone does free estimates. Some places still do. Get as much information about the repairs as you can. Make sure to ask if this is just the beginning of repairs with the item. Remember that the dealer wants to sell you something new, while the repairman who isn't a dealer will do better if you keep the old appliance, so keep this in mind when you're making a decision.

2. Know that your air conditioner will probably have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. When they start to give you trouble, it's usually because they have a compressor problem or they're leaking Freon. Although you can slow a Freon leak, the air conditioner usually will end up leaking again, so you don't want to put too much money into it. If you have a failed compressor, this can be replaced but again, look at the life left in the unit first.

3. Understand that your stove and vacuum cleaner are probably the longest-lasting of all your appliances. They can last, especially if they were of good quality when you bought them, for 15 to 20 years and beyond with good care. These are worth repairing, depending on their age and quality. A name-brand, well-kept stove or vacuum is probably a good candidate for repair unless it is getting very old. Again, always try to get a free estimate to make your decision. if you can't get someone to come out and look at it for free, see what the charge will be. It can be worth the money to know what the repairs will cost.

4. Try to talk to someone in the brand name's company to get as much information as you can. For a refrigerator, discuss exactly what the unit is doing. If it isn't cooling in the freezer, or if the refrigerator area is too cold, for example, it can be something simple or quite complicated. Also, have the model numbers; certain units sometimes have problems that are peculiar to that year and model. A repairman for that company would be aware of that.

5. Realize that television sets are only generally worth repairing when the set is under 5 years old and if it was an expensive set to begin with. The cost of electronics comes down so quickly when something new comes out that you can usually replace a TV with something comparable for much less than you paid for it--and also often more cheaply than you could fix it. The same is usually true of microwaves. After a few years, it's cheaper to get a new one.

6. Repair washers for up to about six years, or about half their life expectancy. If the washer is like brand new and it was a good brand, you can probably go a few more years. Never replace this or any appliance without checking on the cost of new ones. Sometimes the features you need are available for much less than you originally paid for yours because there are so many new ones out now. Look around. It will always save you money to be well informed.

7. Know that some items are not ever worth fixing. These include small electronic items like DVD players, boom boxes, small air conditioners, toasters and other rather inexpensive items. It's seldom worth the cash outlay for even an hour of a repair person's time to fix it. Make sure you think hard before spending any money on these things.

Tips & Warnings

• The key to making an informed decision is knowing the age and cost of the item and getting the most informed advice you can.