Replacing major appliances can be an expensive proposition. Your clothes washer and dryer, stove, refrigerator, hot water heater, and dishwasher can run into several hundreds and even northwards of a thousand dollars individually. Even if one breaks, having it repaired may make more economic sense than buying a new one. There are no hard and fast rules regarding the perfect time to replace a major appliance but here are some things to think about.
Repairs
When appliances break down, should they be replaced? Maybe and maybe not. We don't throw our car away if the battery runs down and, likewise, appliances shouldn't automatically be discarded when an issue shows up. If your appliance is less than 10 years old and had been in good working order up to the moment it quit, consider whether or not it makes sense to have it repaired. Oftentimes the broken part may be an electric motor or belt that is not difficult or expensive to fix.
Age
The brutal truth is that if your appliance is more than a few years old, chances are it's an energy hog. Recent years have seen amazing developments in size and energy efficiency of some appliances. Especially pay attention to Energy Star models. These have been built to work well on a sliver of the energy previous generations used. You'll pay more but the savings in energy usage can be substantial.
Granted, not everyone has the economic clout to run out and replace all their major appliances with Energy Star models in one fell swoop. However, if you have a clunker of an appliance that isn't performing well (or at all), it might be a good time to open the wallet and buy a new one. If all your major appliances are shot, try to replace one every six months to spread out the financial burden. You might even be eligible for anywhere from $100 to $500 per appliance as rebates by the government, which is trying to encourage citizens to make the switch. To learn about possible rebates in your area, visit the EnergyStar.gov website. You'll need to enter your zip code and check the box next to the type of appliance you need.
Appearance
Face it, some appliances are plain ugly and have lived way past their decade of favor. If that doesn't bother you, and they still run like a charm, no need to replace them solely on that basis. One instance where appearance means a lot is if you are trying to sell your house. Realtors will tell you that bathrooms and kitchens sell a house. Your kitchen is ground zero for major appliances. That grungy, out-of-date, lime green dishwasher can be a liability. The money you spend to update your major appliances will pay you back much more in added value to your house.
Tags: major appliances, Energy Star, Energy Star models, some appliances, Star models