People ask us this on almost every visit, usually phrased as “is it worth fixing?” Here are the numbers we work from, and the rule we apply to our own answer.
What to expect
- Refrigerator, freestanding: 12 to 15 years.
- Built-in and column refrigeration: 20 years and often well beyond, which is why these are almost always worth repairing.
- Freezer, chest or upright: 15 to 20 years. Mechanically simple and long-lived.
- Washer: 10 to 13 years, and heavily dependent on load size and how level the machine stands.
- Dryer: 12 to 15 years, and almost entirely dependent on venting.
- Dishwasher: 9 to 12 years, less on hard water.
- Range or cooktop: 13 to 15 years for gas, a little less for electric.
- Wall oven: 15 to 20 years.
- Wine cooler: 10 to 15 years for compressor units, less for thermoelectric.
The rule we use
If the repair costs more than half the price of a comparable new appliance and the unit is past two thirds of the life above, replacement is usually the better spend. If either half of that is false, repair wins.
Note what the rule does not say. Age alone does not condemn an appliance. A fourteen-year-old wall oven needing a $180 fuse is worth fixing. A six-year-old budget washer needing a tub and bearing assembly frequently is not.
What actually shortens these numbers in the Bay Area
Restricted dryer vents, condenser coils nobody has cleaned in five years, refrigeration running in an unheated garage below its rated ambient temperature through a foggy Bay Area winter, and hard water scale on the Peninsula and in the South Bay shortening every heating element it touches. All four are avoidable and all four are cheaper to prevent than to repair.
What we will tell you
We will give you the honest answer even when it costs us the job. Our pricing page exists so you can do that arithmetic before you even call (555) 000-0000.
Need a repair? Call (000) 000-0000
Long-form guides are useful, but premium kitchens rarely fail on a convenient schedule. This article is part of a sitewide standard: service and blog posts should give you enough context to act, then make the next step obvious—contact A Plus Appliance Repair for repair at (000) 000-0000 so dispatch can match your model and symptom to the right technician and parts mindset.
When you call, share your model and serial, what changed first, whether the issue is constant or intermittent, and any recent power events, plumbing work, or cleaning cycles. If you see a fault code, read it carefully (photos help). If you smell gas, see smoke, or have repeated breaker trips, treat those as stop-work signals until a technician evaluates the appliance.
Prefer scheduling online?
Use the site’s appointment request form—it routes to the same team as the phone line. Mention this article title so we understand what you already reviewed. Either path is designed to move you from education to a confirmed visit, not to keep you researching while a fault worsens.
A Plus Appliance Repair is independent and not a factory-authorized service center; brand names on this site identify the equipment we maintain. For appliance repair with clear estimates and documented 30-day warranty language on qualifying work, call (000) 000-0000 today.