Broken appliance? Consider repair, rather than replace

If one of your appliances has been acting up this winter, you may have wondered whether it’s best to repair it or replace it.

“If the sound of noisy appliances is cutting into your enjoyment of listening to music or watching a movie nearby,” says Sheila Schmitz, an editor for home-remodeling company Houzz, “it may be time to upgrade.”

But, with a growing list of self-help websites and online videos to aid the frugal consumer, repairing many household appliance issues sans a technician may be a viable option.

How can one determine if the price of a repair is worth the effort? The natural price threshold is "right around half of a new product,” says Chris Zeisler, technical service supervisor at RepairClinic.com. Age is an important factor. “You probably wouldn’t want to get into spending $200 on a dryer that’s 15 years old,” Zeisler points out. “If you've been opening your dryer door with a corkscrew for three years, and now the timing knob has fallen off,” an upgrade is in order, Schmitz says. Overall, though, many repairs can be performed by the average person and most appliances have certain repairs that are affordable and can be taught.

“Washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator – all have basic repairs,” Zeisler notes. And it’s important not to be scared into buying an expensive new appliance just because you hear a loud noise coming from the old appliance. Just because a noise is loud, doesn’t mean it will be expensive to fix. For instance, one of the most common problems with washing machines, according to Zeisler, can be solved by replacing “a simple, $10 roller for the drum.”

Further, many appliance repairs won’t approach the halfway-price threshold. “There are integral parts of all appliances that are not that expensive,” says Zeisler, such as “a fan motor on a fridge, for example, or a water-inlet valve on a dishwasher.”

Even HVAC systems are now getting repaired inexpensively at home, Zeisler says. “We’re finding more and more that people are successful at changing pressure switches or igniters or some of the more accessible components without a large service call.” Making these basic repairs at home, with the aid of online videos and guides, if necessary, can be an important way to save money and extend the life of appliances.

Still, there are reasons to consider upgrading appliances rather than repairing them, according to Houzz editor Schmitz. “If efficient new models offer water and energy savings, for example.” She notes that it make environmental sense to conserve resources and energy and financial sense.

Upgrading appliances can produce substantial long-term savings. “In drought-stricken areas of the country (for instance),” Schmitz says, “this could be significant.” Researching and comparing repair/replacement options for home appliances can save money and improve home values in the long run without huge costs.

4 inexpensive repairs for common appliances

Chris Zeisler, technical service supervisor at RepairClinic.com, suggests some repairs you can do yourself and rates the difficulty on a scale of 1-10:

Washing Machine: If the washer fills slowly or does not fill at all, the water valve may be restricted and require replacement. Cost: $20-$60. Time: 30-45 min. Difficulty: 4.

Dishwasher: If the dishwasher won't fill properly, the water valve is likely restricted and may need replacing. An underfilled dishwasher won't clean dishes effectively. Cost: $20-$60. Time: 30-45 min. Difficulty: 4.

Dryer: If the dryer overheats, the thermal fuse can blow, cutting off power. Unclog the dryer's vent system (likely source of overheating) and replace the fuse. Fuse cost:$8-$25. Time: 45-60 min. Difficulty: 5.

Refrigerator: If the door gasket is defective, cold air will leak out, causing the refrigerator to run longer and/or frost to accumulate in the freezer. Door gasket cost: $30-$80. Time: 20-40 min. Difficulty: 3.