Should It Be Repaired Or Buy New A 16 Year Old Refrigerator

Fridge

Practise-Information technology-YOURSELF FIXES:

Complaint: The fridge isn't as cold equally it used to be.

First, check for the obvious: Did the temperature aligning controls get accidentally knocked and set likewise high?

Next, make clean the gasket — if it'southward not sealing properly, cool air may be escaping. Use warm soapy water and rinse and dry well. You should besides check the seal in several spots by placing a dollar bill in and shutting the door on information technology, says Mary Kay Liston, Vice President of Operations at Mr. Appliance, a nationwide repair service. "Exercise this bank check in three or four spots," she says. "If the bill slips out easily, use a pilus dryer to warm and reform the gasket." If y'all notice the whole door is off kilter, the fridge may need leveling. Turn the feet under the forepart of the machine to get it to sit more evenly.

Finally, clean the coils. They're generally located below or behind the machine, and, when the coils are glutted with dust or pet hair, the fridge can't absurd too. Unplug the fridge, pop off the grate (if coils are below) and use your vacuum cleaner hose with fissure attachment or a long-handle coil brush (bachelor at hardware stores). "This easy-to-do task should be done several times a year and even more often if you take dogs or cats that shed," says Sharon Franke, Good Housekeeping Research Plant'southward Kitchen Appliances and Engineering science Managing director. "You may fifty-fifty meet a drop in your electric nib as your unit will operate more efficiently."

RELATED: All-time French-Door Refrigerators

Complaint: The icemaker is inconsistent.

Get-go off, it may non be the maker but your expectations, says Liston. "If you're having a political party, and go through all the ice, call up it takes about xc minutes to freeze a new batch." If that's not the trouble, you may have to change the water filter, which is usually located inside the refrigerator compartment. Cheque your manual for the how-to.

CALL-A-PRO REPAIRS:

If your DIY fixes for the too-warm problem didn't work, and specially if the fridge is running over xl degrees F, it'southward time to go a technician to check it out.

If it's not the filter in a faulty icemaker, you may have improper water catamenia, which also needs the expertise of a professional person.

And finally, if the fridge is running constantly, or the problem seems to be mechanical or electrical, you lot'll need an skillful to appraise why.

Fourth dimension TO REPLACE:

The dominion of thumb for all appliances, says Liston: If the repair will cost one-half or more than of the toll tag of a new car, it's probably time to phone call it quits.

Franke as well recommends replacing refrigerators if they pre-date the 1997 appearance of Energy Star — machines sold before and so are a huge free energy bleed. "You may be paying $150 a year to run an old unit; a new one could cut that bill to $50." The typical life expectancy of a refrigerator is 10 to eighteen years.

Side by side:

whirlpool gas range with convection wfg720h0as

Courtesy of Whirlpool

Electric or Gas Range

Exercise-Information technology-YOURSELF FIXES:

Complaint: The oven is running too hot or too "cold."

If the temp seems off, Franke says you may be able to recalibrate the thermostat yourself. Cheque the manual for info on how to do information technology.

Phone call-A-PRO REPAIRS:
With most range complaints, you'll need a repairperson to take care of them. At that place are as well many sensitive components that require the knowledgeable touch of a trained professional.

Time TO Supercede:
Over again, if the cost of the repair is going to exceed more than half the cost of a new one, the set up is probably non worth the investment. The typical life expectancy of a gas range is xv to 23 years and of an electric range is xiii to twenty years.

RELATED: Top-Tested Cooking Ranges

Dishwasher

DO-It-YOURSELF FIXES:

Complaint: Water spots or food residue left on the dishes.

If you're noticing water spots all of a sudden, you may exist out of rinse aid. This production, which goes in the other dispenser, alters the surface tension of the water, then it sheets off and plates dry better, says Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping Inquiry Found Cleaning Products Manager. She besides recommends adding a bit more detergent (especially if you know you have hard water), and and using a drying cycle rather than letting the dishes air-dry, both of which help reduce spotting. Yet, you lot should also check if the detergent you're using too include a rinse aid, says Liston. Too much of this product could lead to etching of drinking glass.

Even so-grimy plates could indicate a couple of issues. One, the filter (common in European models) that catches food debris may demand replaced. The manual can tell y'all if your machine has one, and how to have care of it. It could besides exist that if you're using a gel detergent, and it's gumming up the filter — all-time to switch to another formulation, suggests Liston. Another outcome could be that you're loading dishes that are too clean, Liston says. Some of the newer machines have sensors that determine the soil of each load — if you lot pre-rinse dishes, the machine might not run a full cycle!

Other uncomplicated fixes, courtesy of Forte: Add more detergent to the prewash and select a longer, more than aggressive or heavy-duty cycle depending on what's in the load. Make certain the h2o is hot enough — at least 120 degrees going into the dishwasher — to get the all-time cleaning results. Information technology helps to run the hot h2o at the sink faucet near the dishwasher before starting it to purge the line of whatsoever cold water.

RELATED: Top Stainless-Steel Dishwashers

Call-A-PRO REPAIRS:
Mutual problems that require a service call: The dishwasher isn't heating, the spray arms aren't spinning, the machine'southward not draining properly, or the electronics aren't working.

TIME TO Supervene upon:
"A dishwasher unremarkably just dies or stops working on certain cycles," says Forte. "It can also finish cleaning well even after everything's been checked." The typical life expectancy of a dishwasher is nine to 16 years.

Adjacent:

Courtesy of Whirlpool

Washer

Practise-It-YOURSELF FIXES:

Complaint: A musty smell in a front end-loading washer.

One surprising reason for that stink is too much detergent, explains Liston. Be sure to use the loftier-efficiency kind and never more than two tablespoons of it, she says, and limit or eliminate your utilise of fabric softener, which tends to "stick" in the washing machine and contribute to the problem. (She suggests yous use dryer sheets instead.)

Some other culprit is residual wet that gets trapped in the machine. Dry the gasket and door and sop upwardly any excess h2o in the lesser of the tub after your washing session is done, and exit the door ajar if you can, so air tin can circulate.

To eliminate the odor, buy a special cleaner such as Affresh, which is designed to affluent out remainder, or run a bike with just water and bleach — many new washers have a self-cleaning cycle just for this task.

RELATED: Best Washing Machines

CALL-A-PRO REPAIRS:
The well-nigh common appliance repair calls are for washers, says Liston. Between computerized control panels and mechanized parts, these circuitous machines need the know-how of a pro. If you practise go an mistake code on the control console, it may help to Google information technology first then you accept an thought of what's wrong.

TIME TO Supercede:
Major breakdowns similar faulty transmissions or a leak may indicate that a machine is beyond help, merely it all depends on the extent and cost of the repair and the machine's warranty, says Forte (and many major parts have extended warranties from the manufacturer). While the same rule of thumb applies (if the repair will toll one-half or more the price of a new appliance), Forte says, "Even for a less-expensive repair, it may exist worth upgrading to a more-efficient model instead of sinking money into an older machine." The typical life expectancy of a washing motorcar is eight to 16 years.

Dryer

Practice-Information technology-YOURSELF FIXES:

Complaint: Your clothes take longer to dry than you remember they should.

It could be a lint trouble. Unplug the machine, and make clean out the vent and the back of the dryer. You can buy a special castor snake or use your vacuum cleaner hose to pull or suck out the lint debris. And, of grade, clear the filter after every use.

Call-A-PRO REPAIRS:
Liston recommends getting a professional to come out to do a full cleaning every twelvemonth. Not only volition it brand drying more efficient, but this annual maintenance volition reduce your risk of a dangerous dryer fire.

If something else is acting up — you're hearing thumping or clanging that might point a mechanical mistake, or the heat isn't working, or the control panel goes out — you should also call in an good.

RELATED: Tiptop-Performing Clothes Dryers

TIME TO REPLACE:
Once more, use that repair-cost-to-replacement-toll ratio. People as well often upgrade the dryer when they replace a broken washer, and then they'll have a matched set. The typical life expectancy of a clothes dryer is 11 to eighteen years.

Next:

Courtesy of Fuller Castor

Vacuum Cleaner

Practise-Information technology-YOURSELF FIXES:

Complaint: The suction isn't every bit strong as it used to be.

The easiest solution here is to replace the bag or empty the clay receptacle more frequently — information technology should but be filled 2-thirds or no more than than three-quarters full, max, says Forte. You may also need to clean or supercede the filters, if your motorcar has whatever (check the manual). There could also be a clog in the hose that needs to exist cleared out; a broom handle, pushed advisedly through, can make quick work of this.

Complaint: The castor isn't spinning.
Yous'll have to effigy out what's causing it. Accept a look and see if hair or threads are tangled around the rotating brush in your vacuum'south head (a.thousand.a. the "beater bar"); you lot can easily remove them with a seam ripper. If your model has a belt, it may accept broken, which is a simple repair as well. Overall, Liston says you should brand sure you lot're using it properly to forestall problems. Most vacs heighten or lower depending on the pile of the rug, and many have a switch that turns off the beater bar if yous're cleaning woods or ceramic floors.

RELATED: Best Lightweight Vacuums

CALL-A-PRO REPAIRS:
If it's a canister with a stalled beater bar, it could also be a problem with the motorized ability head, which will probable demand the help of a expert. A burned-out motor or switches by and large besides require a pro'due south expertise. Y'all'll have to bring your machine to the service center, though; vacuum-repair professionals seldom brand house calls.

Time TO Supercede:
Common signs that your vac has gone head, according to Forte: When it's no longer cleaning well, when repairs aren't worth the cost, when information technology'due south spewing dust back into the air (rather than retaining it), and when the plastic body is cracked or pieces of it are breaking. The typical life expectancy of a vacuum cleaner is five to 10 years.