AARP Smart Guide: Home Appliances

GETTY IMAGES Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Our home appliances are vital, performing critical functions to keep the house in order — washing, cooking and cleaning. Unfortunately, they seem to break at the worst possible time.

Some of it is luck, but some appliances are more fragile than others, according to Sears Home Services, which in 2020 surveyed more than 1,000 homeowners nationwide and found that the home

appliances most likely to malfunction are washing machines, refrigerators and dryers. Half (49.9 percent) of homeowners say they’ve experienced a broken washing machine, and 4 in 10 say

they’ve had a broken refrigerator (41.6 percent) and a broken dryer (37 percent). Breakdowns also are relatively common with microwaves (36.6 percent), dishwashers (34.2 percent), ovens

(28.5 percent) and garbage disposals (26.2 percent).

Damaged appliances can be as expensive as they are inconvenient: If it breaks beyond repair, replacing a washer can cost anywhere from $350 to $1,000, according to home services company Angi

(formerly Angie’s List), which says new refrigerators can cost $900 to $8,000, new ranges from $650 to $2,000 and new dryers $400 to $1,000.

You can protect your wallet by using your appliances the way they were intended to be used, and by performing routine maintenance tasks that improve their performance and extend their life.

The life expectancy for a refrigerator is six to 15 years, according to Angi. To make sure yours lasts closer to 15 than to six, clean its coils every six months, suggests Ron Shimek,

president of appliance repair service Mr. Appliance, a Neighborly company. “Refrigerator coils condense and cool the refrigerant, the chemical that allows the appliance to keep your produce

and other food at a safe, cool temperature. When those coils are clean, they easily release heat and keep everything running smoothly,” he says. “Dirty refrigerator coils cause the

compressor to work harder and burn up more energy, which shortens the refrigerator’s lifespan, leads to repairs and increases your monthly utility bill.”

On most refrigerators, the coils are located behind a grate on the back of the appliance. On some models, however, they might be located on the base of the front of the appliance. In both

cases, Shimek says, cleaning them starts with unplugging the refrigerator and removing the grille cover, which usually snaps on and off but might require a screwdriver. With the grille cover

removed, use a stiff brush to loosen debris, and a handheld vacuum to vacuum it up. Finally, clean the grille cover under hot running water, then reattach it once it’s dry.

Refrigerator Water Filters Regularly

If your refrigerator has an ice maker or water dispenser, it probably has a water filter. You should change this once every six months, advises Renae DuHaime Matta, an appliance repair

technician in Meriden, Connecticut. “Otherwise, the charcoal inside the filter may break down and clog your water lines,” she says.

Upon replacing the filter, “it’s important to flush several gallons through the line to ensure there are no loose particles in the water from the new filter,” adds Shirley Hood, appliance

specialist at Abt Electronics, an appliance retailer based in Glenview, Ill.

For your refrigerator’s sake, take it easy at the grocery store, urges Hood, who says overfilling your refrigerator can block air vents and restrict air circulation, “which will cause your

compressor to work harder to maintain the set temperature.”

Because it allows cool air to escape, causing your appliance to work harder to stay cool, underfilling your refrigerator can be just as taxing, according to Matta. “For optimal cooling

efficiency, try to keep your fridge and freezer around 75 percent to 85 percent full,” she says.

You probably clean the inside of your refrigerator from time to time, but what about the gaskets, the rubber seals around the refrigerator doors? “A grimy gasket creates air leaks in the

door seal, causing the fridge to run longer and wear out sooner,” Shimek says. “Over time, a gasket can potentially become so grimy that it glues the door shut, causing the gasket to tear

when you yank the door open. To clean the refrigerator door gasket, simply wipe it with a damp sponge and avoid using detergents, which can potentially damage the gasket.”