Repair or Replace? The Math for Every Major Appliance
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An appliance breaks and the default reaction is to start shopping. It is worth pausing, because the default is usually wrong: a large share of appliance failures are one inexpensive part, and the repair-versus-replace decision comes down to two numbers you can work out in about ten minutes.
Costs vary hugely by region, brand and who does the work, so this guide gives you the method rather than made-up figures. Get an actual quote and compare it to an actual replacement price — the framework below tells you what to do with those two numbers.
The 50% rule
The widely used rule of thumb: repair if the quoted repair costs less than about half the price of an equivalent new appliance, and the machine is not already past its expected lifespan. Above half, or well past its life expectancy, replacement usually wins.
Two adjustments make it sharper.
- Weight it by age. A machine at a third of its expected life justifies a more expensive repair than one at ninety percent of it.
- Count the whole replacement cost. Delivery, installation, disposal of the old unit, and any plumbing or electrical work. Comparing a repair quote to a bare shelf price makes replacement look better than it is.
Expected lifespans, roughly
Use these as midpoints, not deadlines. Consumer and industry guidance broadly agrees on the ordering below; heavy use, hard water and neglected maintenance all shorten it, and a well-maintained machine often outlives it comfortably.
| Appliance | Typical service life | Repair usually worth it while… |
|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | About 10 years | Under roughly 8 years, unless it is the control board |
| Washing machine | Around 10–13 years | Under about 10, unless the drum bearings have gone |
| Clothes dryer | Around 10–13 years | Almost always — most dryer faults are cheap parts |
| Refrigerator | Around 10–15 years | Under about 10, unless it is the sealed system or compressor |
| Oven / range | Around 13–15 years | Usually — elements and igniters are inexpensive |
| Microwave | Around 9 years | Rarely worth a paid repair; parts and labour approach replacement fast |
The failures that are almost always worth fixing
These are inexpensive parts, and several are within reach of a confident DIYer with a screwdriver and a model number. Always unplug the appliance first, and turn off the water or gas supply where relevant.
- Door and lid seals — fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washer. A perished seal causes leaks, frost build-up and a fridge that runs constantly. Cheap part, big effect on running cost.
- Dryer belts, thermal fuses and heating elements — the cause of most "the dryer turns but doesn't heat" and "the drum won't spin" complaints, and among the cheapest repairs in the house.
- Drain pumps and blocked drain hoses — the usual reason a dishwasher or washer stops draining. Sometimes it is a coin and costs nothing at all.
- Filters — dishwasher filters, dryer vent runs, fridge condenser coils. Not repairs so much as neglected maintenance, and cleaning them fixes a surprising number of "failures".
- Igniters and oven elements — a common and inexpensive cause of an oven that will not heat.
Before you call anyone: find the model number, search it with the symptom, and check the manufacturer's fault-code list. A large share of appliance callouts turn out to be a blocked filter, a tripped switch, or a door that is not latching — all free to fix.
When replacement is genuinely the better call
Repair-first is not repair-always. Replace when:
- The repair quote is at or above half the fully-loaded replacement cost.
- It is a sealed-system or compressor fault on a refrigerator well into its second decade.
- It is the second significant failure inside a year — usually a signal about the machine as a whole.
- Parts are genuinely no longer available, which is common with older electronics-heavy models.
- There is a real safety issue: gas leaks, scorching, or damaged wiring.
When you do replace, replace deliberately. Check whether the model is serviceable — are common parts available and is the machine designed to be opened? A slightly more expensive appliance that can be repaired for a decade beats a cheap one that is disposable by design, which is the same logic as buying refurbished electronics rather than new.
Where this fits in a no-buy
Appliances are the classic no-buy edge case: a real need, a large amount of money, and a decision made under pressure while the kitchen floor is wet. Two things help. Keep replacing broken essentials on your written allowed list, so a legitimate purchase never feels like a failed challenge. And default to repair-first, because the repair is nearly always the cheaper, lower-waste option and it is the one the panic-shopping instinct skips.
If you are tracking a challenge, log the repair as the win it is — the money you did not spend on a new machine belongs in the kept total. nobuyclub counts it, free, no account. Our budget discipline guide covers building the buffer that makes a repair bill an inconvenience rather than a crisis.
Log the repair as a win ✦
Set your rules, keep your streak, and watch the money you didn't spend stack up — no account, no ads.
Start free →Get the quote, price the real replacement, apply the 50% rule with age as the tiebreaker. Most of the time the machine on your floor has years left in it and needs a part that costs less than dinner.
Frequently asked questions
Should I repair or replace an appliance?
The common rule of thumb is to repair when the quoted repair costs less than about half the price of an equivalent replacement and the appliance is not near the end of its expected life. If the appliance is well past its typical lifespan, or the repair approaches half the replacement cost, replacement usually makes more sense. Age and repair cost together decide it — neither one alone.
How long should a dishwasher last?
Industry and consumer guidance generally puts dishwashers at roughly ten years, with washers, dryers and fridges often somewhat longer. Actual lifespan varies a great deal with usage, water hardness and maintenance, so treat published figures as a rough midpoint rather than an expiry date.
What appliance repairs are usually cheap?
Door and lid seals, dryer belts, heating elements, thermal fuses, filters, drain hoses and drain pumps are typically inexpensive parts, and several are straightforward for a confident DIYer. Sealed-system refrigeration faults, compressor failures and control boards on older machines are the expensive ones that often tip the decision toward replacement.
Is it cheaper to fix a dishwasher or buy a new one?
For common failures — a leaking door seal, a blocked or failed drain pump, a dead heating element — repair is usually far cheaper than replacement, especially on a machine under about eight years old. For a failed control board on an older machine, or where the repair quote approaches half the price of a new one, replacement generally wins.
Ground your plan in real numbers: the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shows where average U.S. household spending actually goes, the Federal Reserve’s household well-being report tracks how many Americans can cover a surprise expense, and the CFPB’s free consumer tools cover budgeting and money management basics.