Repairing or Replacing Appliances
How to Know Whether You Should Fix an Appliance or Get a New One
Do you have a dishwasher, stove or washer/dryer on the fritz? How to determine whether you should call a repair person or buy a whole new machine.
Washing machine making a funny sound? Can’t figure out why the dishwasher leaves streaks on your best silverware? Maybe it's time to buy a whole new appliance. Or is your machine really on its last legs?
How to Determine Whether You Should Buy New or Repair Your Appliance:
- Determine how much it will cost to repair. If you spend more than half of what a new appliance would cost, you’re better off trading it in. You probably won’t get a lot for your old machine, if anything. But make sure when you buy your new equipment that the installer takes the old one away as part of the deal.
- If you decide to repair your appliance, make sure you receive a warranty. Say a repair person comes to your house to fix a defective clothes dryer. He makes a few adjustments and the dryer is working just fine…for a few hours anyway. Be sure to contract with a company who will give you at least a one month warranty on the repair. So if the problem resurfaces within 30 days you have recourse. Just remember to pay by credit card and hold on to your receipt.
- Get references. Even if your dishwasher isn’t working and you have 40 people coming over for dinner, still shop around. You’ll be in a worse jam if the repair person doesn’t know what he’s doing and charges you an arm and a leg. So before you tear through the Yellow Pages, get on the phone and ask your friends and neighbors who they recommend. If you are happy with the service, hold on to that phone number!
- Consider donating your appliance. If it’s still in decent working order, consider contributing to a charity. Usually they will pick up your item if you leave it by the front door. If the machine is not operating at all, recycling is the way to go. Contact your local waste management company about ways to recycle old steel appliances.
- Get handy! Tired of paying someone every time a machine in your house goes awry? Take a class in basic home repair. You’ll not only save money, but you’ll probably do a better job than a repair person because you have more at stake. And who knows; if you get really skilled, you can make a little extra money by helping your friends and relatives with their broken machines. Qualified repair people are always in demand.
The copyright of the article Repairing or Replacing Appliances in Consumer Education is owned by L. Marie Dubuque. Permission to republish Repairing or Replacing Appliances in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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