Saving Money on Appliance Repair and Service

The fact is that at some point, at least one appliance is eventually going to experience some type of issue that requires repair – it’s practically evitable. So what is the best way to minimize costs over time and reduce the chances that major repairs will be needed? 

First consider what could cause an appliance to stop working. There could be a manufacturer issue, like a faulty part, or problems can arise over time from normal wear and tear, or a breakdown from improper use and/or installation. Regardless of the specific cause, the best way to prevent future problems is regular maintenance on your major household appliances. This helps ensure these appliances last as long as possible with a minimum of downtime or costly repairs. It’s better to know that everything is running smoothly than to have an important part of your home life suddenly fail. 

Even with proper maintenance, however, sometimes appliances around the house suddenly become faulty. If you Google any brand of any type of major appliance, you can find dozens of dissatisfied customers sharing stories about their appliance breaking down and needing replacement or repair within a relatively short span of time. The fact of the matter is, 25% of appliances usually need some type of repair within the first year of use – regardless of their brand. 

What this boils down to is that you need to be prepared for the eventuality of an appliance needing major servicing, but you do have options when this happens that can greatly reduce the overall cost to you. The least expensive option, of course, is to fix the problem yourself. You might feel that this would be completely out of your element, but luckily there are quite a few basic tips and tricks that can set some common problems right, depending on the appliance in question. 

Small appliances are of course much less complex than large appliances, but to locate the specific issue with either requires checking individual parts to eliminate working elements from faulty elements. Every appliance works in a logical way, so start with the simplest part and work your way to the most complicated part. By doing this, you can at least isolate the source of the problem so even if you do still need to get a professional repair, you cut down on the overall service time. Before attempting any repairs yourself, always make sure that power (via gas or electricity) is not being provided to the appliance.

One of the best sources of any type of DIY repair is the internet. Google your problem and you’ll have suggestions and instructions at your fingertips – including step by step videos on Youtube that will show you exactly what to do for your particular problem. Just keep in mind, when in doubt, don’t take on a repair that you aren’t comfortable with performing. Without the proper tools and experience, it is possible to cause a small problem to become a much bigger one. 

A good rule of thumb to remember when attempting repairs is that parts that are held together by easy to remove hardware such as screws and fasteners are safe to remove and replace yourself, but if they are held together with rivets or welds instead, you will need to hire a professional. If you are able to locate the specific part that needs to be replaced, use a new functional part that is made specifically for the model you own and refer to instructions from the manufacturer during the process. 

If repairing the problem yourself ends up not being an option and your appliance is no longer covered under the manufacturer warranty, it’s time to turn to a professional. When searching for an individual or company, check reviews for local companies and ask people you know who they would personally recommend. Reputation is important when choosing someone to perform these types of services. When it comes to professional repairs, you want to avoid being overcharged and avoid insufficient service. Make sure that you aren’t getting the bare minimum – anyone can tell you how frustrating it is to pay for costly repairs only to have the same appliance break down again a week later.