When the washing machine starts making strange noises or the fridge stops cooling, the question is always the same: is it worth repairing it, or is it time to replace it? The answer depends on three very specific variables, and almost never on what the first technician who turns up at your home tells you.
The 50% rule, properly explained
It is the most widely used benchmark in the sector: if the repair costs more than 50% of the price of an equivalent new appliance, it is worth replacing it. It sounds simple, but there are nuances. A three-year-old high-end fridge cannot be compared with the basic model it would cost you to replace it: you have to look at the category, not just the function.
Always ask for a fixed quote before the technician starts working. A good professional diagnoses the fault, tells you which part is failing, how much the spare part costs and how many hours of labour it needs. With that figure in your hand you can now apply the rule.
Age matters more than it seems
Household appliances have a fairly stable average lifespan: washing machines and dishwashers last around 10-12 years, fridges 12-15, ovens 15-20. If your appliance has already passed 70% of its expected life, repairing it is a poor investment: something else is likely to fail in the coming months.
Before deciding, check:
The purchase date (or the label inside with the year of manufacture)
Whether it is still under the manufacturer’s or an extended warranty
How many repairs it has already had in the last three years
Energy efficiency: a current A+++ can save you the price of the new one in two or three years
Spare parts are not always available
There is one variable that many people do not consider: the availability of parts. Brands that have disappeared from the market, models discontinued more than ten years ago or very specific electronics can turn a simple repair into a four-week international order. If the technician tells you the spare part will take a while, weigh that up.
The same happens the other way round: some breakdowns that look dramatic are really a twenty-euro thermostat or a heating element that is replaced in fifteen minutes. Do not assume that a nasty noise means scrap.
The decision, in three steps
When you request the service, ask the technician for a diagnosis and a fixed quote in writing. With that information: first, compare it with the price of an equivalent model today; second, look at the real age of the appliance; third, ask about the guarantee on the repair (a good professional covers the part and the labour for between six and twelve months).
If all three lights are green, repairing is the sensible and more sustainable option. If any of them is weak, replacing it usually pays off in the medium term. What matters is deciding with data, not in a hurry.
