Repair V Replace

If a major appliance breaks down, there could be a way to extend its life

- Richard Scott

Not until they start coughing and spluttering do we realise just how much we take our white goods for granted. While the price of replacements is ever cheaper, are we throwing away money by throwing away perfectly salvageable household appliances?

“In a way, retailers have tricked people by giving the impression that if a machine breaks down that we must rush out and buy a new one immediately,” says John Moody, owner and operator of John Moody’s Appliance Service. “But a smoking washing machine doesn’t necessarily mean anything serious. It might look bad, sure, but it may simply indicate that the pump’s failed, which is a fairly common complaint and a pretty minor and inexpensive repair.”

Moving into our first home last year, we noticed our 11-year-old washing machine (Samsung 7kg front loader) was on the blink. It made strangulated noises before displaying an error message and refusing to continue. Online, we discovered it was a drainage issue; a replacement machine would cost upwards of $499.

Pulling it out, we found the hose had cracked during the move, and after my father-in-law’s abortive attempts to fix it (with electrical tape, no less) we called in the pros. A new hose ($41) plus flat-rate service call ($110) saved us $348. Our washer has been running happily ever since.

However, repairing older white goods is always a gamble. An American study (by the National Association of Home Builders) found that the average life of a washing machine is 10 years, 13 years for a fridge or clothes dryer and nine years for a dishwasher (see table).