Appliance decision guides
Work through four questions in order: how old is the appliance, what does the specific repair cost, what does a comparable replacement cost installed, and is the fault a known end-of-life failure. If the repair exceeds about half the replacement price, or the appliance is past roughly 10 years with a major fault, replace. Otherwise repair is usually the better deal.
Step one: find the age. The serial number on the data plate encodes the manufacture date for most brands. Compare it to typical lifespans - refrigerators around 13 years, top-load washers about 14 and front-loaders about 11, dryers 8-12, dishwashers 8-10, ovens 10-15.
Step two: get the specific repair quote, with the part named. "Refrigerator repair" spans $60 for a condenser coil to $1,200 for a sealed system. There is no decision to make until you know which one you're facing.
Step three: price the real replacement, including installation and haul-away. A dishwasher is $400-$700 for the machine plus $100-$300 to install, so about $700-$1,970 all in. An oven is $600-$1,600 for the same type but $750-$2,700 if you're switching between gas and electric - that switch is a much bigger project than it sounds.
Step four: check the failure type. Compressors, sealed systems and control boards on older machines are end-of-life failures, priced at $500-$1,200 each on refrigerators. Belts, seals, switches and elements are maintenance-grade failures priced in the low hundreds. The first group argues for replacement; the second almost never does.
One legitimate fifth option: wait. If the appliance still works badly but works, and you're not facing a safety or water risk, you can plan a replacement for a sale period instead of buying in a panic. That is not an option with a leaking machine or anything gas-related.
Choosing appliance repair between the options
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Look up the manufacture date before you decide anything It's on the data plate. Age changes the answer more than the repair price does.
- Price replacement installed, not just the machine Dishwasher installation alone is $100-$300, and switching an oven between gas and electric pushes the total to $750-$2,700.
- Sort the fault into maintenance or end-of-life Belts and seals: repair. Compressors, sealed systems and boards on an old machine: usually replace.
- Don't decide under pressure in your kitchen Take the written diagnosis, thank the technician, and price a replacement before you approve anything over a few hundred dollars.
- Waiting is a real option - except for leaks and gas A noisy dryer can wait for a sale. A leaking dishwasher or a gas smell cannot.
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Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- Fixr - Refrigerator Repair Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Fixr - Dishwasher Repair Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Fixr - Oven Repair Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Fixr - Washing Machine Repair Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Fixr - Dryer Repair Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
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