We’ve all been there. The washer sounds like a jet engine and then suddenly stops mid-cycle.
It’s the age-old question every homeowner will face: To repair or replace?
Josiah Prieto’s 14-year-old washer was on the fritz, making loud, cranking noises.
“I was afraid if I spent the time and money to repair it, it would be out again soon,” said Prieto. “Frankly, I’m surprised it lasted this long.”
Instead of rolling up the sleeves to repair, the family headed to a home improvement store to buy new.
“What you should consider is how severe the repair is, what it might cost to fix, how old the appliance is and how much you paid for it in the first place,” said Paul Hope, of Consumer Reports.
With washers, factor in use, too.
“With a refrigerator, you’re getting the same usage in a typical household most days. They’re on all the time. With a washer, if you live in a family with a lot of children at home, you’re doing a ton of laundry. Multiple loads a day in some cases. Even if the washer is only a few years old, it might make more sense to replace it because it’s had that much wear-and-tear on it,” said Hope.
With a toddler, Prieto said he does at least one load of laundry a day.
But say you paid $1,000 for your washer three years ago and only do a few loads a week. A repair might be the better financial choice.
“Before you go calling a service person for your washing machine, it makes sense to look at what is actually going on. Start with a simple search. Look to see if there are any recalls on the washer or if they’re simple fixes like a clogged filter or a kinked hose. Lastly, you want to check your warranty and see if it’s something that has extended coverage that you can get repaired for free before you make a call to a service person,” said Hope.
Consumer Reports has an interactive tool that leverages product costs, depreciation rates, and survey data to help you make the right choice to repair or replace.
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