Repair or Replace Your Refrigerator or Washer?

What is the 50% rule?

Consumer Reports' 2014 guidance sets the ceiling: don't spend more than 50 percent of the cost of a new product on repairing an old one. You need two numbers to use it, the written repair price and the price of the replacement you'd actually buy. If the repair comes in under half, fixing it usually wins. Over half, especially on an appliance past its typical life, a new one starts to make sense.

Price the model that would really go in your kitchen. If only a counter-depth or panel-ready fridge fits the opening, that's the replacement to compare against, and the bar for a worthwhile repair moves up with it.

How long do appliances usually last?

These are averages from the National Association of Home Builders' 2007 study of home component life. They're averages, not expiry dates: a well-kept fridge can run far longer, and a budget one can fail early.

What's the built-in exception?

Built-in refrigerators and pro ranges bend that rule in the owner's favor. A built-in Sub-Zero, Thermador or Viking costs many times what a freestanding fridge does, and replacing it can mean cabinet work and panels too. Their makers also cover the sealed system for longer: Sub-Zero and Thermador both publish sealed-system coverage out to twelve years on listed parts. So a compressor job that would retire a freestanding fridge can still be the right call on a built-in. The Sub-Zero and Thermador pages have the warranty detail.

When is replacing the obvious answer?

• The same appliance has needed a major repair before, and this is another one.
• A sealed-system leak on an older, budget freestanding fridge.
• A cracked washer tub or failed bearings on a machine near ten years old.
• Rust through the cabinet or tub, or a burned wiring harness.

Everything else is worth a visit and a price. Most faults on the refrigerator, washer and dryer pages are repairs, not replacements.