Should You Have Your Fridge Repaired Or Replaced?
When your fridge or freezer starts to have problems such as leaking, turning off and on repeatedly, sweating or hissing; you are left with trying to decide whether it should be repaired or replaced. Obviously, a fridge/freezer is a big investment and while replacing it may be a more hassle-free option, it may not be the most cost-effective. This is where an experienced refrigeration company will come in handy and can guide you on what is best for you.
As a first step: Read The Manual
Before you make any decision it is always worth reading through the troubleshooting section or something similar in the appliance instruction manual. It could be that the problem you are having with your fridge or freezer is very common and can be solved simply without calling out an engineer or replacing it.
A good example of this is the internal light has stopped working. If the fridge is still running as normal, then it is probably the case that the bulb has simply blown and needs to be replaced. Obviously, if the problem is more serious and involves the electrical side of your appliance, then you should contact a company that specialises in refrigeration maintenance services.
If You Can’t Fix It Yourself – How Do You Decide What To Do?
Age And Cost
So how do you decide? Whether you choose the refrigeration repair route or completely replacing your current, faulty fridge or freezer with a new appliance depends on two main factors. The factors involved are how old your current, faulty freezer is and how much it will cost to pay for the services of a fridge engineer. London based and serving company ADK who specialise in refrigeration and air conditioning services, fortunately, offer guaranteed completion of jobs such as door reversals, water dispenser, ice maker, fan motor, thermostat and interior light faults and door replacements at fixed prices with no hidden or extra charges.
A general rule of thumb when deciding whether to have an appliance repaired or replaced as advised by Consumer Reports is you should replace it if the repairs cost over half the price of a new one.
Age And Configuration
Other factors that you should figure along with the above are the age of the fridge and it’s configuration. For instance, built-in refrigerators are generally always worth repairing, while side-by-side fridges should be repaired within 5 years and considered for repairs even after that if it is possible.
It is however, recommended that even if you have a bottom freezer for as long as 7 years should should repair it and still consider having it repaired after that. The same can’t be said for top freezers. These should definitely be repaired within a window of 3 years and only considered for repair after 3 years and no more than 6 years and replaced after 7 years or more.
The Ecological Factor
There are even more factors you may want to consider, particularly if you are looking to have a more energy-efficient household. Would it be not only financially but environmentally beneficial to repair rather than replace and vice versa? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward way to determine which the best course of action is.
However, if your fridge is quite old, a new, more energy-efficient model is bound to cut your annual running costs considerably. Generally speaking, modern fridges and freezers are more efficient than older models.
Though it is not the easiest decision to make – whether to just replace a faulty fridge or freezer or arrange for a refrigeration service engineer to repair it – you have lots of food for thought in the above article. If you do decide to contact a refrigeration repair service and live at any London postcode or any of the counties surrounding the M25, ADK will be happy to hear from you and will be able to give you a reasonable quote and any further advice you require.