Should You Repair or Replace an Appliance?
The rough rule: if the repair costs more than half the price of a new one, and the appliance is more than halfway through its expected life, replace it. Otherwise, repair.
That gets you most of the way. The rest is knowing how long each appliance should last, and which faults are cheap versus expensive.
How long appliances actually last
Refrigerator: 10 to 15 years
Washing machine: 10 to 13 years
Dryer: 10 to 13 years
Dishwasher: 9 to 12 years
Oven or range: 13 to 15 years
Furnace: 15 to 20 years
Air conditioner: 12 to 15 years in this climate
An appliance in the first half of that range is usually worth repairing. In the last quarter, it usually isn't — not because the repair won't work, but because something else will fail soon after.
Faults that are usually worth fixing
These tend to be straightforward parts on an otherwise healthy machine:
A washer that won't drain or spin — drain pumps, lid switches, door latches, drive belts.
A dryer that runs but won't heat — heating elements, igniters, thermal fuses.
A dishwasher leaving dishes dirty — usually spray arms blocked with hard water scale, sometimes the wash pump.
A fridge that's not cooling evenly — fans, dampers, defrost components.
An oven that won't heat — bake elements, igniters, temperature sensors.
A furnace with no heat — igniters, flame sensors, pressure switches.
Most of these are the kind of repair that buys you several more years.
Faults where replacement often makes more sense
A failed compressor in a refrigerator. It's the most expensive single part, and on an older unit it's usually the point to stop.
A sealed-system refrigerant leak in a fridge or freezer. Expensive to find and fix properly.
A cracked heat exchanger in a furnace. This one isn't about money — it's a safety issue, and the unit has to be shut down.
Transmission failure in an older top-load washer.
Anything on an appliance that's already needed two or three repairs in as many years.
The things people forget to factor in
Running costs. An older fridge or furnace can cost noticeably more per month than a modern one. Over several years that changes the math on a borderline repair.
Parts availability. Manufacturers stop making parts for older models. Sometimes the decision gets made for you.
Whether you actually like it. If you've been meaning to replace that oven for two years anyway, a repair bill is a good moment to stop deferring.
How it failed. A sudden failure on an otherwise good machine is different from a slow decline where several things are going at once.
What a good technician should tell you
You should get the repair cost before any work starts, and an honest answer about whether it's worth doing.
Anyone who won't quote before starting, or who pushes a replacement without explaining what failed, is worth being cautious about.
How we handle it
Every visit starts with a $99 diagnostic, so we can tell you exactly what's wrong rather than guessing. That comes off the repair cost if you go ahead.
Then you get the repair price, and a straight answer on whether we'd fix it if it were ours. Sometimes that answer is no, and we'll say so.
We repair appliances across Salt Lake, Davis and Utah Counties, from Bountiful to Lehi.