Appliance Repair or Replace? How We Actually Decide

People ask us this on almost every appliance call, usually right after we've found the problem: "Is it even worth fixing?" It's a fair question, and the honest answer is that it depends on three things, not one. Age alone isn't usually the deciding factor people expect it to be.

The 50% rule, with a real caveat

The common rule of thumb is: if the repair costs more than half of what a new unit costs, replace it. That's a reasonable starting point, but it misses something important: a $300 repair on a $1,200 refrigerator that's four years old is a very different decision than the same $300 repair on one that's fourteen years old and already had two other issues.

Where the real cost differences show up

Some repairs are cheap and clearly worth doing almost regardless of the appliance's age: a thermal fuse in a dryer, a water filter in a fridge, a wash arm nut in a dishwasher. These are all under fifty dollars in parts. On the other end, a compressor replacement on a refrigerator or a control board on a newer, electronics-heavy washer can run several hundred dollars, and at that point, the appliance's age and history genuinely matter.

What we tell people, honestly

If the repair is simple and the appliance hasn't given you other trouble, fix it. That's most of our calls. If you're looking at a repair that's a third or more of what a new unit costs, and this isn't the first thing that's gone wrong, that's usually the point where replacing makes more sense than sinking more money into something on its way out anyway. We'll tell you which situation you're in before you pay for anything, not after.