Woman check out an old appliance
The life expectancy of any kitchen or laundry appliance is usually about 12 years. If you are fortunate, it can take you for about 15 years before it gives up on you. Most new appliances today aren’t living up to that expectation and as a result customers are starting to pull away from new appliances and settling with the old basic versions. Even manufactures seem to have noticed that as well because warranty terms on new units have generally been reduced to only 12 months. Experts in the industry are blaming consumer behavior toward new home appliances on multiple things:
Why new appliances aren’t lasting as long as old ones?
One of the possible causes for this trend is the increasing hi- tech computerizing of these appliances. All parts of the computer system must work and depend on each other. Should one part go defective, the whole computer system will need to be replaced which is usually very costly. Besides racing each other for the best high tech appliance, most manufacturers are focusing on making appliances use less energy and still achieve more. This race has made new appliances a bit too fragile and therefore vulnerable to breaking down early. The old ones are not designed to handle complicated jobs other than cool, wash, dry, freeze, warm etc. No touch screens, auto-defrosting, internet hook ups and the like.
Besides the increased technology, high efficiency appliances are also prone to electrical power surges which is one of the major causes of early break downs. Appliance dealers who educate their customers about using power surges are doing the right thing. Education in this area is important because many customers have a tendency to ignore buying surge protectors. The less tech savvy appliances are able to recover from surges better than the new sensitive ones.
Recommendation on the type of appliance to get
If you are looking to buy a new high efficiency appliance, go for it but be ready to provide extra care to help your new appliance last longer. You will need to read and follow instructions that come with them. Assumptions are not the same as instructions. Also make sure the brand you get are excellent when it comes to honoring their warranty. If the store allows you to buy extra warranty time, buy it. That will not hurt. Stay with your old brands if you like them. They get the job done.