After months of issues and problems with your refrigerator or air conditioner, it can be hard to know whether you need to hire someone to repair your appliance, or if it would be easier and more cost effective to buy a new one.
You likely want to avoid paying for expensive repairs if the appliance will break down completely again, but you also want to avoid spending all that money on a new one if all it needed to be right as rain was a little maintenance and repair.
In post below we aim to help you decide whether you need to arrange for a repair contractor such as a air conditioning contractor or fridge technician, or if it would be in your best interest to buy a new appliance.
Be Sure It Is Broken
Before doing anything at all, it is essential that you check that it really isn’t working properly. Although this sounds ridiculously simple, you would be amazed how many problems can be solved following this advice.
For instance, check out the following things before you start thinking of buying a new HVAC system
- Take a close look at the thermostat – if someone has accidentally changed the settings by brushing against it, this may be what’s causing the issues.
- Inspect the circuit breakers in case you tripped them by accident.
- Ensure that the appliance is actually plugged in, particularly if your home has older and looser sockets.
- Check and check again the instruction manual, to ensure it has been set up properly, particularly if it was recently installed. Use the troubleshooting section.
Calculate And Consider The Age
It is a fact that after specific number of years, many appliances just stop working properly and start falling apart. It is at this point that it may be to spend money on either a gently used or completely new appliance. Below is a guide to how long some common appliances will stay functioning properly:
- Air conditioning unit – 10 to 15 years
- Fridges – 10 to 15 years
If your appliance is already past the halfway point of its expected lifespan, the repair costs will typically equal half the cost of a new one. In this situation you should seriously consider buying new. It is a good idea at this stage to get an estimated quote from an expert, such as a Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning engineer from adk.co.uk who will also give you pointers about affordable replacements.
Consider Energy Efficiency Of Your Appliances
Nowadays, appliances are far more energy efficient than they used to be. This essentially means they use less energy to do the same things at the same level of quality, which means you eventually save money on your energy bills. Eventually is the right term to use as you won’t see the difference immediately. It can often take as much as several years to make anything back on the original cost.
If you know you will be staying in your current house for around 10 years more, it is worth upgrading your appliances to energy efficient models.
Consider The Hidden Costs
When you decide to purchase a new appliance, such as an air conditioning unit, be sure to take all of the costs involved into account. This does not simply mean the price tag, but if you need to move furniture around in your kitchen or if you switch from a gas to an electric, you may need additional work carried out to make it possible.
Consider The Needs Of Your Family Or Household
If you have a small, growing family, as it expands the burden your appliances will have to handle will also grow. Although your fridge or air conditioner worked fine when it had just you and your partner or room-mate to work for, now that you have a whole house of children it is worked a lot harder.
Although you definitely don’t want an appliance to break, if one has started to malfunction this could be the perfect opportunity to invest in that brand new one you’ve always had your eyes on. If you can afford a more energy efficient model that will benefit your family and home, it could be better in the long run to invest in it.