Kelly's Korner - When to replace an appliance

Hey, All,

I get a lot of calls from consumers about replacing appliances.  Whether remodeling and replacing all your appliances or you have one that has quit working, there are several factors to consider when you are thinking about replacing an appliance.

First of all, how much is repairing the appliance going to cost you compared to buying a new one?  There is a good article in Consumer Reports about the factors to consider.  But the basic rule of thumb is;  if the repair costs are over 50% of the cost of a new one, then replace.

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So you are looking for a new appliance?  What do you buy?  Are you brand driven?  Just looking at cost?  Or do you want all the bells and whistles?  What about repairs?  What is the warranty on what you are looking at?  Do the servicers in your area even work on the brand you are looking at?

With the influx of brands that are made outside the USA, there are a lot of servicers that won't work on them.  And getting someone out to your place to do any work and the availability of those parts might be more than you are willing to wait for.  Does the store you are buying the appliance from do service work?  Many of the "big box" stores do not - once it's out the door it's your problem.

So do your homework before you trot down to your local store to pick a new appliance.  Web crawl and get all the info on the brand(s) you are looking at.  Consumer Reports is a good source.  Also, if you have a favorite servicer, call and ask their opinion.  Better to be armed with information about the appliance you are buying than get surprised if you have issues with it.

Have a great week!