People ask us this on almost every visit, usually phrased as “is it worth fixing?” Here are the numbers we work from, and the rule we apply to our own answer.
What to expect
- Refrigerator, freestanding: 12 to 15 years.
- Built-in and column refrigeration: 20 years and often well beyond, which is why these are almost always worth repairing.
- Freezer, chest or upright: 15 to 20 years. Mechanically simple and long-lived.
- Washer: 10 to 13 years, and heavily dependent on load size and how level the machine stands.
- Dryer: 12 to 15 years, and almost entirely dependent on venting.
- Dishwasher: 9 to 12 years, less on hard water.
- Range or cooktop: 13 to 15 years for gas, a little less for electric.
- Wall oven: 15 to 20 years.
- Wine cooler: 10 to 15 years for compressor units, less for thermoelectric.
The rule we use
If the repair costs more than half the price of a comparable new appliance and the unit is past two thirds of the life above, replacement is usually the better spend. If either half of that is false, repair wins.
Note what the rule does not say. Age alone does not condemn an appliance. A fourteen-year-old wall oven needing a $180 fuse is worth fixing. A six-year-old budget washer needing a tub and bearing assembly frequently is not.
What actually shortens these numbers in Chicagoland
Restricted dryer vents, condenser coils nobody has cleaned in five years, refrigeration running in an unheated garage below its rated ambient temperature through an Illinois winter, and hard water scale in the western suburbs shortening every heating element it touches. All four are avoidable and all four are cheaper to prevent than to repair.
What we will tell you
We will give you the honest answer even when it costs us the job. Our pricing page exists so you can do that arithmetic before you even call 847-941-0334.
