Family Appliances: Is It Better To Repair Or To Replace?

There are only a handful of things that, if they were to break down in your house, would send your everyday lifestyle hurtling to the ground. The fridge is right at the top of mine (and this has happened before!) Not having a place to store your food, will make the entire family grumpy and feel a bit desperate. When your washing machine and dryer break down, you will be super frustrated. Especially when you have kids, dirty and uncomfortable clothes are a no go because they are so messy! When the TV breaks down, we can survive. We have tablets, smartphones and laptops where we can watch our shows. But what if the central heating system broke down? If you’re nervously looking around your home right now, ask yourself if it’s better to repair or replace these things?

A more efficient freezer

If your fridge is not as powerful as it once was, don’t be in a hurry to throw it away. Unlike other appliances, fridges do not age as quickly. Fridges can last well over 10 years, especially the modern designs. If it’s not as efficient as it once was, this could be due to a number of things. Ice blockages occur when extremely tough ice forms around the metal coils. This can be due to the fact that a lot of humidity is in the room and the water condenses onto the coils from the rear of the fridge. The only way to fix this is to turn the fridge off for about 3 days to allow the ice to fully melt. On the other hand, you can buy a new coil which can be fitted as a replacement part. You may also want to turn down the temperature even further to force cold into the fridge but this would use more power. 

Dryer malfunction

Dryers are inherently much simpler machines compared to washing machines. A dryer’s main role is to spin the wet clothes so fast that the water leaves the fabric through sheer force (how cool is that?) The added suction and hot temperature of the cylinder speeds up this process. So when it does malfunction, don’t give up so easily and try to fix your dryer yourself. You can buy Whirlpool dryer belts if you aren’t getting the same amount of speed you once were. It could be due to the loosening of the belt due to wear and tear. You can also buy the heating element which is one of the common features that needs replacing. The constant expanding and contracting will make this part age quicker. There are lots of separate parts you can buy and use the manual of your machine, fit them by yourself. Or, you could order the parts and call over a handyman who can install them for you.

It’s better to find replacement parts than to replace entire appliances. It will mean you need to do the repairs yourself (or hire someone), but nowadays with so much information online, all you need is a bit of patience and you can save a lot of money when deciding to repair or replace!