AARP Smart Guide: Home Appliances
41 simple things you can do to make your appliances work better and last longer
Our home appliances are vital, performing critical functions to keep the house in order — washing, cooking and cleaning. Unfortunately, they seem to break at the worst possible time.
Some of it is luck, but some appliances are more fragile than others, according to Sears Home Services, which in 2020 surveyed more than 1,000 homeowners nationwide and found that the home appliances most likely to malfunction are washing machines, refrigerators and dryers. Half (49.9 percent) of homeowners say they’ve experienced a broken washing machine, and 4 in 10 say they’ve had a broken refrigerator (41.6 percent) and a broken dryer (37 percent). Breakdowns also are relatively common with microwaves (36.6 percent), dishwashers (34.2 percent), ovens (28.5 percent) and garbage disposals (26.2 percent).
Damaged appliances can be as expensive as they are inconvenient: If it breaks beyond repair, replacing a washer can cost anywhere from $350 to $1,000, according to home services company Angi (formerly Angie’s List), which says new refrigerators can cost $900 to $8,000, new ranges from $650 to $2,000 and new dryers $400 to $1,000.
You can protect your wallet by using your appliances the way they were intended to be used, and by performing routine maintenance tasks that improve their performance and extend their life.
IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM
IN THE MECHANICAL CLOSET
IN THE LIVING ROOM
IN THE GARAGE AND ON THE PATIO
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