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We took advantage of our states tax free weekend and bought a new range. We are moving ours to a rental house where their ranges oven stopped working. I think those renters were tough on the appliances since in 8 years they managed to break the dish washer, the fridge and now the stove.
I talked to the salesman about the longevity of these appliances and I was shocked when he told me that everything on the floor has a life span of 5-6 years !
So I'm expected to buy a $2500 fridge a $1000 stove and a $600 dishwasher and I should plan on returning in 5-6 years? SO anything beyond that is a bonus?
My Mom had a Kenmore stove that lasted her 30 years and the only reason she dumped it was she remodeled her kitchen and the olive colour on the stove didn't match anything.
This suggested 5-6 year life span was on everything including the higher end Kitchen aide appliances.
When I worked in property management I remember the Bosch and Miele appliances had just as many problems as the Kenmores and Maytags.
The phrase "They don't make them like they used to" certainly applies here.
The sales person was likely exaggerating more than a bit. So long as one does not let pet hair and other debris collect around the heat exchange fins on a fridge it ought to last more than a decade. Similarly, as long as the range is not subjected to lack of cleaning and constant boilovers there is not much to "kill it". Dishwashers made with cheaper components do not hold up well, but those with quality tubs and proper water seals will last at least a decade.
If you buy "bottom of the line" it will need quicker replacement but with renters even "high end" stuff is abused so you need to balance the on-going wear & tear with the need to "refresh" appliances...
Exaggerating?! That was pretty much just a flat out lie- or maybe its someone who just likes to hear himself talk? Or...
From the NAHB Life Expectancy Report:
Appliances
The life expectancy of a typical appliance depends to a great extent on the use it receives. Moreover, appliances are often replaced long before they are worn out because changes in styling, technology and consumer preferences make newer products more desirable. Of the major appliances in a home, gas ranges have the longest life expectancy: 15 years. Dryers and refrigerators last about 13 years. Some of the appliances with the shortest lifespan are: compactors (6 years), dishwashers (9 years) and microwave ovens (9 years).
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I think those longer appliance life terms are very dated.
I have a family of 5 and we use our appliances alot more than, for comparison's sake, my mother did. I cook most meals at home and use my range at least twice a day. Mom used hers once a day--and it was gas. I don't remember her having any of the issues I have had with my refrigerator. Maybe they were made better back then?
As kids, we changed out of school clothes and, more often than not, they didn't need to be washed. We wore one "play" outfit a week that we changed into after school. Oh. my. gosh. Between school. sports, and work, the kids go through 3 smelly/dirty outfits a day and a lot more laundry.
Anyway, here's my completely unofficial list:
electric range (maytag), lasted about 15 years. Current range (GE) works, but I can tell it is not as good as my old one.
Washer & Dryer (previous Whirlpool, lasted maybe 8 years), currently have LG and LOVE them. But they are fancier so who knows.
Refrigerator: (previous Fridigidaire (Oh, how I hate that brand) and lasted around 7 years), replaced with a Whirlpool and so far, so good. I've never had the water line/ice maker work as long as the fridge. This could be due to the fact that my big dogs have always figured out how to use their tongues to get their own cold water on the outside dispenser. Sadly, I did not initially know that they were doing this. Yuck.
My microwaves last, on average, 5 years.
I do not buy the cheapest things out there, either. I generally read reviews/consumer reports and buy mid-range.
Literally anything can be fixed; however, if you can't do it yourself you will have to pay someone to do it and purchase the part and a lot of people feel it is isn't worth it.
Literally anything can be fixed; however, if you can't do it yourself you will have to pay someone to do it and purchase the part and a lot of people feel it is isn't worth it.
It becomes a cost issue.. There is a term called "BER".. Beyond Economical Repair.
A compressor goes out in a fridge, by the time you factor in the replacement costs an the labor to do it.. Most times it is more cost effective to just buy a new one.
Magnetron on a microwave can easily be 75% of the cost of a new microwave.
It is a YMMV issue. Our gas stove had the peizo igniters go out at about four years. Don't need them, I know how to light a match, so the life of the stove is much longer. Microwave - shelf microwaves last 10+ years, can't get an over-the-stove one to last more than a couple years so I just leave a dead one in place to fill the space. BASIC refrigerators (freezer over refrigerator) seem to last for ages. Fancy ones - had our French door freezer under go out within the 3 year warranty. Bottom line, tried and tested designs with basic components tend to last longer.
We took advantage of our states tax free weekend and bought a new range. We are moving ours to a rental house where their ranges oven stopped working. I think those renters were tough on the appliances since in 8 years they managed to break the dish washer, the fridge and now the stove.
I talked to the salesman about the longevity of these appliances and I was shocked when he told me that everything on the floor has a life span of 5-6 years ! So I'm expected to buy a $2500 fridge a $1000 stove and a $600 dishwasher and I should plan on returning in 5-6 years? SO anything beyond that is a bonus?
My Mom had a Kenmore stove that lasted her 30 years and the only reason she dumped it was she remodeled her kitchen and the olive colour on the stove didn't match anything.
This suggested 5-6 year life span was on everything including the higher end Kitchen aide appliances.
When I worked in property management I remember the Bosch and Miele appliances had just as many problems as the Kenmores and Maytags.
The phrase "They don't make them like they used to" certainly applies here.
If you want to put those kind of appliances in a rental I'll rent from you. I can't justify that kind of money for a fridge. Can you drive it to work? I just bought a GE for ~$600 and it is fine. I don't have an ice maker as I don't use ice. It is only me so I don't need cubic yards of storage space.
Kitchen Aide is overrated. I usually go with Kenmore or Whirlpool=same thing.
I'd say he is right. When I bought my first house in 1995 I bought all new appliances for it (ref, stove, micro, washer, dryer). Lived there 7 years without one service call. Fairly basic well rated appliances, probably considered lower mid range.
Bought all new again when moved in 2002 (except kept the old dryer). Well rated upper mid range. Every single one within the 1st 5 years needed major service. The washer and fridge both got done once under warranty and now we just do the fixes ourselves. Dishwasher was junked and replaced with another. Been through at least 3 microwaves (we've got the old one from the old house in the basement and haul it up whenever a newer one dies, use it until we buy new and put it back down - the white plastic is too discolored to keep it in the kitchen). After watching the repairmen do it we now replace the control boards ourselves. Youtube videos also help alot for fixes. However if we had to pay to repair them it wouldn't have been worth it because the repair cost is so high and we would have replaced them.
Front load washer - replaced control board under warranty (was actually 1 month out but I complained to corporate and they took care of it), recently replaced water inlet valve that was leaking.
Refrigerator (Maytag junk) - Replaced the control board at least 3 times (maybe 4)
Dishwasher (Maytag junk) - junked after a year
Dishwasher (Kenmore) - actually has been not too bad. Recently had to replace the door tub liner as it had a small crack in the plastic near the base (first thought it was the door seal) About $50 when identified the part and ordered it on-line. Kenmore on-line chat helped me identify the part number. So maybe lasted 10 years? Probably if had called service person would have been $200-$300 if they identified it correctly so if paying that much would have made more sense to replace.
Dryer - Until recently was using the one from the old house. Held up great for 20 yrs no problem. Probably should have tried to fix it when it went under but was enamored with new shiny technology so got a new one.
I think 5-6 years is way too short. The life of the appliances in my house already exceeds that on every one, except perhaps for my dryer.
I do think it's accurate, though, that they tend not to last as long as they used to. It's not that they made them better in the old days, but they definitely made them simpler. As with cars, it's the electronics. I've done some pretty big repairs on older washers and dryers that kept them going for years, but I expect I'd have trouble with the newer ones.
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