By Meghan Wentland | Published Dec 29, 2021 4:41 PM
A: It’s a great plan to assess the age and value of appliances when you’re buying a home, and even after you buy your home you’ll want to keep track of the age and planned replacement time for your appliances so you don’t end up replacing all of them at once. With good maintenance, you can expect a washer to last for about 10 years and a dryer for 13, although with extra care they can last longer. In your situation, you have a few options: You can negotiate with the seller for a lower purchase price, you can ask the seller to purchase a yearlong home warranty to protect you should the appliances fail sooner than you expect, you can purchase a home warranty yourself, or you can hope for the best and start saving for new appliances when the time comes to replace them.
Interested in getting a home warranty? American Home Shield is a leading provider in home warranties and covers up to 23 appliances and systems in your home, meaning that you can stay within your budget when it comes to costly repairs.
Why do washers and dryers fail? The load placed on the motor of a washing machine, as well as the constant exposure to water, can lead to corrosion, breakdown, and buildup of grit and mold. Dryers contend with high heat for long periods of time and venting challenges. Especially in a busy family home, the appliances both run as often as several times a day, so these machines work and work with very little respite. But the biggest damper on the lifespan of a washer and dryer is that most people rarely, if ever, think to clean or maintain them. Simple steps that aren’t time-consuming can allow your appliances to function well for longer.
Washers work hard, but a high-quality machine is designed to handle your toughest laundry challenges for about 10 years. Because they don’t have to contend with as much water as washers do, dryers last a little bit longer—about 13 years, regardless of whether the dryer is powered by gas or electricity. This doesn’t seem like that long when you first invest in a new set, and as you plunk down your credit card you might think, “How long should a washer and dryer last?” When you really think about it, though, washers handle water coming in, splashing around, and draining, which means there’s a huge potential for corrosion. The motor slogs heavy loads of wet clothing and linens around and around at high speeds and whisks away the grit and dirt that comes off of them. Dryers withstand high heat, zippers and buttons slamming into the metal grate, forgotten pocket contents melting against the interior, and clumps of fibers being dragged through their filters. Considering the wear and tear these factors cause, an average lifespan of 10 and 13 years is pretty impressive! That said, there are steps you can take to prolong your appliances’ lives.
Choice Home Warranty can help you protect your home with a truly customized coverage plan that has everything you need and nothing you don’t. With over 4,000,000 service requests under their belt, your home is in good hands. See what Choice Home Warranty has to offer.
Washers and dryers experience wear and tear differently due to their separate functions. How long do washing machines last? While the average is 10 years, you can maximize the lifespan of your washer by doing the following.
Interested in getting a home warranty? American Home Shield is a leading provider in home warranties and covers up to 23 appliances and systems in your home, meaning that you can stay within your budget when it comes to costly repairs.
Dryers require different maintenance to extend their lifespans. Those asking, “How long should dryers last?” can use these techniques to extend the life of a dryer.
According to a study performed by Consumer Reports, you can expect a honeymoon period for about 5 years after your purchase of a washer and dryer. The survey respondents indicated that about 70 percent of washers and 80 percent of dryers make it through the first 5 years without needing major repairs or replacement. With good care and maintenance, the appliances can remain trouble-free well beyond the first 5 years and continue to perform well.
Choice Home Warranty can help you protect your home with a truly customized coverage plan that has everything you need and nothing you don’t. With over 4,000,000 service requests under their belt, your home is in good hands. See what Choice Home Warranty has to offer.
Many of the problems that can arise with a washer and dryer have two solutions: a common-sense solution for the owner to try first, and a more technical solution requiring someone with more know-how and experience. Power-on problems? Check the breaker box and make sure a breaker hasn’t been tripped before calling a repairman. Washer “walking” across the floor? Adjust the feet to level, or build a level platform with some plywood to create a level base. Leaks, significant drainage problems, and washers that don’t agitate or fill likely need a repair person, as something could be broken in the electronics or pump system, or an item such as a pencil or sock could be stuck in a washing machine. Because the system that handles water is so close to the electrical components, it’s best to let a qualified professional get in there to fix an issue if you don’t quite know what you’re doing.
If you keep finding yourself on the internet searching “how long do washing machines last” and “how long does a dryer last,” you may be nearing the end of the useful life of your appliances—or not. Experienced appliance repair professionals can work wonders with parts that aren’t particularly expensive for those who know what to do with them and how to install them. What’s not inexpensive is the labor that is necessary to open up the machine and get to the location of the problem, extract the damaged part, and replace it with a new one. Washers and dryers aren’t really designed for owner interference in the internal components, regardless of the quality of the YouTube video that you found, but many homeowners try it anyway. Why? Because calling repair people for service is expensive, and you’re rarely sure just how expensive until the problem is diagnosed.
Interested in getting a home warranty? American Home Shield is a leading provider in home warranties and covers up to 23 appliances and systems in your home, meaning that you can stay within your budget when it comes to costly repairs.
Avoiding professional maintenance or trying to DIY complicated plumbing and electrical components leads to more significant (and expensive) problems. A home warranty, which is a service contract policy that you’ll pay for annually, covers the cost of maintenance, repair, and replacement of most household appliances and systems. Policies come in several forms (you can choose to cover only whole-home systems, only kitchen and laundry appliances, or a combination, and there are add-ons available in most cases) and are complementary to your homeowners insurance. The warranty is specifically designed to cover appliance failure due to regular wear and tear.
When you sign the policy, you’ll commit to a set service charge fee (usually between $75 and $125). Each time you need repair on a covered appliance (including washers and dryers), you’ll pay that flat fee for the repair person to come to your home, assess, and make the repair. If no repair can be made, the technician will indicate that the appliance needs replacement, and the warranty will cover replacement with a machine of similar cost and function. Especially if your appliances are older, this can be a great option: at no additional cost (or a minimal cost, if you’re looking for a significant upgrade), you can get a new, more efficient machine that will save on water and energy costs.
A home warranty will provide this coverage for all appliances included in the policy, and for whole-house systems such as plumbing, electrical, and HVAC if you’ve included them as well. Given the cost of laundry machines, a home warranty will pay for itself if you need even one of the machines replaced and will make it easier for you to budget for repairs and replacement. If you’re wondering, “How long do washers and dryers last?” and realizing that the endgame for your machines (and other appliances) is sooner than you’d like, consider purchasing a home warranty to protect your investments.
Choice Home Warranty can help you protect your home with a truly customized coverage plan that has everything you need and nothing you don’t. With over 4,000,000 service requests under their belt, your home is in good hands. See what Choice Home Warranty has to offer.
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