Broken Appliances: To Repair or Replace, That is the Question

It used to be that the majority of household appliances were built to last. From washing machines to sewing machines, there are still households today that make use of operational appliances built sometimes way before the 1990s. The same cannot be said for current times, where an appliance with a lifespan of more than 10 years is basically a unicorn.

This shift occurred because companies need to keep making money. There are two options to do so – either build ‘unbreakable’ products that will last for generations and sell these at a higher price to make up for the years a consumer won’t be spending money on the item, or build cheaper, less sturdy versions that consumers can replace more regularly. Since most consumers can’t afford to fork out large lumpsums for most appliances, companies have generally taken the second route.

And while this worked for a time, with many consumers not thinking twice about throwing out old appliances for new ones whenever one broke, the current climate crisis is changing the narrative. On the one hand, replacing older appliances with newer ones could mean investing in greater energy- and water-efficient items that are more environmentally friendly thanks to improvements in technology. On the other, repairing an appliance can increase its longevity, lower landfill waste, and reduce the item’s carbon footprint.

For those looking for appliance repairs in Auckland, but who are unsure whether replacing the item might be better, the rule of thumb is that if an appliance is less than 10 years old, and the cost of the repair is less than half of what you’d pay for a new item, then rather repair. For appliances 10 years or older, and especially for those that are heavy on energy and water, it’s generally more worthwhile to replace them with newer models.