Repair or replace your home appliances?

Your home appliances are your most used and hardworking items in your home. Appliances such as your fridge, oven and washing machine are often used daily. The general lifespan of an appliance can vary anywhere between 5-15 years. Like most things, they will go through normal wear and tear. It is also dependent on brand, quality and how well you maintain it. What happens if your appliances aren’t functioning properly? Or completely stop working altogether? Do you repair your appliance or make the decision to replace?

With the ever-changing advances in technology and faster product obsolescence, there has been a trend towards updating our appliances as soon as something goes wrong. This isn’t always the most eco-friendly or sustainable solution. Trends are changing. People are embracing environmentally friendly options and choosing to repair appliances. It just makes good sense! Good for the planet (and for your pocket too).

Why repair your home appliances?

• It can save you money. Repairs can be a more economical than buying new appliances
• Increase the lifespan of your existing appliance for longer
• Environmentally friendly and sustainable option
• Reduces landfill and e-waste
• Easy for homeowners to undertake simple repairs
• It is easy to find parts. You can find replacement spares for your appliances at Statewide Appliance Spares.

Waste – a global problem

E-waste is anything with a plug, battery or cord that is at the end of its useful life. Globally we produce more than 50 million tonnes of e-waste a year. 70,000 tonnes of which is generated in Australia, with each Australian household. This generates around 73kg of e-waste
per year!

Many of us do the right thing when disposing of old appliances. Ewaste Watch estimates that only 80% of e-waste is illegally dumped! E-Waste is often sent back to toxic junkyards in developing countries. Hazardous materials like lead, cadmium and mercury end up in waste streams. This impacts the environment and our health.

Handy tips to increase the lifespan of your appliance

Regular maintenance and repairs will help to increase the lifespan of your appliance.

DIY – Carry out your own basic repairs. This can be simpler and more cost effective than you think. Check out the articles in our Statewide Blog for some handy tips.

Adopt good maintenance practices – Often these simple maintenance tips can prolong the life of your appliance and prevent major damage and potentially costly repairs.

Refrigerator maintenance tips

• Clean the refrigerator condenser coils, wipe down your door gasket(check for cracks and damage) and adjust temperature controls to middle settings. If you have a fridge water filter, make sure it you regularly replace every 6 months

Oven maintenance tips

• Clean your oven regularly with a non-caustic oven cleaner, check the seals for cracks and damage which can be easily fixed with replacement oven seals and replace your oven globes

Cooktop maintenance tips

• Use a non-caustic, powerful cleaner with active ingredients that lift awaygrease and grime. Brush off spills from the igniter with a toothbrush and replace damaged cooktop knobs

Rangehood maintenance tips

• Replace burnt out rangehood globes, remove and clean filters and clean vents with a degreaser.

Dishwasher maintenance tips

• Regularly clean your filter to remove debris and odours (and replace your dishwasher filter if damaged), remove residue and build up on your dishwasher seal/gasket to prevent leaks and use a trusty toothbrush to unclog holes on dishwasher spray arms.

Washing machine maintenance tips

• Don’t overload your washer, wipe down the drum, door and gasket, check the seals and inspect the hoses every month to ensure there are no bulges or cracks and the fittings are tight.

Tackle easy fixes (no tricky DIY skills required!) – replace your broken fridge shelves, change your cooktop knobs, and finally replace that burnt out oven globe.

Check your warranty – Many household appliances have long-term manufacturer’s warranties that cover repairs – worth checking out!

Order your appliance spare parts online – Statewide Appliance Spares have the biggest range of appliance spare parts for all your home appliances. You can find replacement parts for most leading brands

Speak to our team of experts – they are available to answer your questions and offer the right guidance and advice to make buying spares easier

Lastly, if replacing your faulty/damaged home appliance is your only option…

If the repair will cost you more than 50 percent of the price of replacing it you may want to consider upgrading to a new appliance.

Contact your local council for advice and information or visit https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste-resource-recovery/television-and-computer-recycling-scheme/drop-off-points

Repairing your home appliances is easy with Statewide Appliance Spares. We have Australia’s biggest range of appliance parts with fast, Australia wide delivery.