How do I know if an appliance is worth repairing?

The repair-or-replace question is usually answered before the engineer arrives, by two things: what the fault is, and how old the machine is.

Step by step

1. Check the warranty and your rights first.Before paying anyone. Under the Consumer Rights Act, goods must be durable, and claims are possible for up to six years in England and Wales, five in Scotland. After six months the burden is on you to show the fault was inherent, but it is still worth pursuing.
2. Check whether you have cover you forgot about.Extended warranties, home emergency cover on insurance, and some credit card and bank account packages include appliance cover. People routinely pay for repairs they were already covered for.
3. Establish how old it is.Washing machines typically last around 10 years, fridges 10 to 15, dishwashers 10, ovens 12 to 15. A fault at half that age is worth repairing; the same fault at twice it usually is not.
4. Apply the rough cost rule.Repair if the total cost is below roughly half the replacement price. Above that, and on an older machine, replacement is generally the better decision.
5. Include the diagnostic fee in the sum.Call-out charges are typically £70 to £120 and are often payable whether or not you proceed. Ask whether it is deducted from the repair cost before booking.
6. Know which faults are cheap.Door seals, hoses, pump filters, belts, thermostats, heating elements, carbon brushes, oven door hinges. Most are inexpensive parts and straightforward labour, and many are genuinely DIY.
7. Know which faults are usually terminal.Washing machine bearings on a sealed drum, a failed compressor in a fridge or freezer, a cracked outer drum, and control boards on older machines where parts are no longer made.
8. Ask whether parts are still available.Manufacturers must supply certain spares for a period under current rules, but availability drops away sharply for older models. No parts settles the question immediately.
9. Get the fault code before calling.Most modern appliances display one. Searching it tells you roughly what is wrong and what the part costs, which makes the phone call far better informed.
10. Try the free checks first.Filters, hoses, seals, drainage and levelling. A surprising share of call-outs turn out to be a blocked pump filter or a kinked hose, and you pay for the visit either way.
11. Factor in running cost.An old, inefficient machine costs money every week. Over several years the difference in electricity and water can justify replacing something that could technically be repaired.
12. Weigh the environmental side honestly.Manufacturing a new appliance carries a large carbon cost. Repairing a working machine is usually the better choice unless the old one is genuinely inefficient or unsafe.
13. Stop immediately for anything unsafe.Burning smells, scorched plugs, exposed wiring, gas smells or an appliance giving shocks. Stop using it and get it checked. Safety is not part of the cost calculation.
14. Consider an independent engineer.Manufacturer repair schemes are often substantially more expensive than a good local engineer. Get two quotes for anything significant.
15. Recycle properly if replacing.Retailers must take the old appliance when delivering a new one, usually free. Fridges and freezers require specialist handling for their refrigerant and must not go to landfill.

Tips

• Check your rights before you pay. A fault within six years may still be the retailer's responsibility.
• Roughly half the replacement cost is the usual threshold, adjusted for how old the machine is.
• Get the fault code first. It tells you what the repair is likely to cost before anyone visits.

Common mistakes

• Paying for a call-out before checking filters and hoses — A large share of appliance faults are a blocked pump filter, a kinked hose or an unlevel machine — all free to fix, and you pay the call-out charge regardless.
• Assuming a fault after 12 months means buying a new machine — The manufacturer's warranty is not the limit of your rights. Under the Consumer Rights Act a claim against the retailer is possible for up to six years if the fault was inherent.

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