Repair or replace?
Is it worth repairing?
Put in the repair quote, the appliance's age and what a comparable new one costs. You get a straight answer, worked out two ways: the 50% rule, and what each year of use would cost you.
The verdict
Fill in the four boxes
You'll get an answer as soon as there are numbers to work with.
Test 1 · The 50% rule
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Consumer Reports' advice: don't spend more than half the price of a new one on a repair.
Test 2 · Cost per year of use
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Spreads the repair over the years the appliance probably has left, and compares that with a new one spread over its whole life.
What the numbers don't show
Things worth a thought before you decide, whichever way the numbers point.
Warranty first
If it's under warranty, or a protection plan, the repair may cost nothing. In the EU, choosing a repair under the legal guarantee extends that guarantee by 12 months.
Running costs
A much older fridge or freezer can use noticeably more electricity than a new efficient one. That saving counts in favour of replacing.
Parts for years
EU rules make makers keep spare parts available for at least 10 years after the last unit of a model is put on the market for washing machines and tumble dryers, and for at least 7 or 10 years, depending on the part, for dishwashers and fridges.
Less waste
Every repaired appliance is one fewer thrown away. The European Commission, quoted by the European Parliament, says throwing out consumer goods too early produces 261 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent a year in the EU.
Typical lifespans
Average years of use, from the US National Association of Home Builders study that Consumer Reports uses. Heavy use shortens them.
| Washing machine | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Dishwasher | 9 years |
| Tumble dryer | 13 years |
| Fridge or fridge freezer | 13 years |
| Freezer | 11 years |
| Electric oven or range | 13 years |
| Gas oven or range | 15 years |
| Window or room air conditioner | 10 years |
| Central air conditioner | 15 years |
| Heat pump | 16 years |
Newer estimates are close: about 10 years for a washing machine (Consumer Reports, Which?) and 12 for a fridge (ENERGY STAR). Change the typical life above if you know better for your model.
How it works
- The 50% rule: if the repair costs more than half the price of a new one, replace it. Consumer Reports has given this as advice, and the US manufacturers' association AHAM calls it a widely accepted rule of thumb.
- Cost per year: the repair divided by the years the appliance probably has left, against the new price divided by a new one's typical life. A repair that costs more per year than a new appliance isn't good value, even if it's under half the price.
- Years left are the typical life minus its age, with at least one year assumed, because a repaired appliance usually runs for a while.
- When both tests agree, you get a clear answer. When they don't, it's a close call, and the things above should decide it.
Sources
- Consumer Reports: how long will your appliances last (NAHB figures)
- NAHB / Bank of America: Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, 2007 (PDF, third-party copy)
- Consumer Reports: when to repair and when to replace (the 50 percent rule)
- AHAM: repair, replace or buy used
- ENERGY STAR: refrigerators (12-year lifetime)
- Which?: signs your washing machine may need replacing (about 10 years)
- Which?: how much do appliance repairs cost
- Consumer Reports: repair or replace a washing machine
- Consumer Reports: repair or replace a dryer
- Consumer Reports: repair or replace a dishwasher
- Consumer Reports: repair or replace a refrigerator
- EU Right to Repair Directive (EU) 2024/1799
- EU ecodesign rules for washing machines, Regulation (EU) 2019/2023 (spare parts)
- EU ecodesign rules for dishwashers, Regulation (EU) 2019/2022
- EU ecodesign rules for refrigerators, Regulation (EU) 2019/2019
- EU ecodesign rules for tumble dryers, Regulation (EU) 2023/2533
- European Parliament: right to repair, making repair easier and more appealing (2024)
A guide, not financial advice. Last reviewed September 2026.