The fridge died three days before the holiday and the tech quoted $600. New ones start around $900. Here's the rule the pros use, the real numbers by appliance, and a calculator that gives you a straight answer for your exact machine.
Replace the appliance when it's past half its expected life AND the repair would cost more than half the price of a new one. If either number is well under 50%, repairing is almost always the better value. Past about 75% of the appliance's lifespan, lean toward replacing even for a cheaper fix — because more failures are usually right behind it. That's the whole rule. The rest is knowing the real numbers, which is where most people guess.
Typical, national figures — brand, region, and condition move them. Lifespans are from the National Association of Home Builders; repair and replacement ranges are compiled from published appliance repair pricing guides — researched estimates, not a quote.
| Appliance | Typical life | Common repair | Replace (installed) | Repair if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ~13 yr | $200–$600 | $700–$2,500 | under ~7 yr & not the compressor |
| Washer | ~10 yr | $150–$400 | $600–$1,300 | under ~7 yr & not the tub bearing |
| Dryer | ~13 yr | $150–$450 | $600–$1,300 | most fixes — dryers are usually worth repairing |
| Dishwasher | ~9 yr | $150–$600 | $600–$1,700 | under ~6 yr & not the control board |
| Oven / range | ~13–15 yr | $150–$600 | $700–$1,600 | element/igniter/sensor — usually yes |
| Microwave | ~9 yr | $75–$300 | $150–$600 | rarely — a magnetron ≈ a new microwave |
| Garbage disposal | ~12 yr | $70–$400 | $150–$400 | a jam/reset yes; a leak often means replace |
| Freezer | ~12 yr | $100–$400 | $400–$1,200 | under ~8 yr & not the sealed system |
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Check the purchase date or the manufacture date on the model/serial plate. Compare it to the typical lifespan above. Over ~75% of the way there tilts toward replace.
What did the tech say the fix costs, parts and labor? A sealed system, compressor, or tub bearing is the expensive category — a fan, valve, element, or thermostat is the cheap one.
If the repair is over half the price of a comparable new unit AND the appliance is past half its life, replace it. If not, fix it — a fair repair on a machine with life left is money well spent.
A few failures are expensive enough — or tell you enough about the machine — that replacing is usually the smarter money.
$700–$1,250 and often EPA-regulated work. On a fridge past ~8 years, that's replacement territory. Note: sealed-system parts sometimes carry 5–10 year manufacturer coverage — check the brand's warranty first.
Labor-heavy and usually a sign the machine is near the end of its ~10-year life. Fixing it can cost a large share of a new washer.
The part plus labor lands right at the price of a new countertop microwave. Built-in units are the exception and can be worth fixing.
Under about 7 years old, yes for common failures — a fan motor, thermostat, or ice maker runs $200–$400, well under a new fridge. Over 10 years or facing a compressor/sealed-system repair ($700+), it's usually replacement territory. Refrigerators average ~13 years.
For a drain pump, door lock, or inlet valve on a machine under ~7 years old, yes — those run $100–$300 against a $600–$1,300 new washer. A tub-bearing failure on an older front-loader usually isn't worth it. Washers average ~10 years.
Usually yes. Most dryer repairs — heating element, belt, rollers, thermostat — run $80–$350, and dryers last ~13 years with simple, durable mechanics. A dryer is one of the most repair-worthy appliances in the house.
Under ~6 years old, yes for a drain pump, heating element, or door latch ($75–$250). A control-board failure ($200–$600) on a dishwasher near its ~9-year average often tips toward replacing.
Replace the appliance when it has used at least half its expected lifespan AND the repair would cost at least half the price of a new one. If either is well under 50%, repairing is usually the better value. Past ~75% of the lifespan, lean toward replacing even for a cheaper repair.
Usually not, if the repair is more than about half the cost of a new one — a fridge averages ~13 years, so at 10 it's used most of its life. A cheap fix (fan, thermostat) can still be worth it; a compressor or sealed-system repair usually is not.
Per the National Association of Home Builders: refrigerator ~13 years, electric range ~13, gas range ~15, dryer ~13, garbage disposal ~12, washer ~10, dishwasher ~9, microwave ~9. Averages — brand, usage, and maintenance move them.
Yes, on the margin. A much newer, efficient model can pay back part of its cost over time, especially for refrigerators and washers that run constantly. It rarely flips a clearly-worth-repairing fix into a replace, but it can tip a borderline call.
The specific numbers, common failures, and verdict for each:
Refrigerator · Washing machine · Dryer · Dishwasher · Oven / range · Microwave · Freezer · Garbage disposal
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