--- title: "Repair or Replace Calculator: Cost per Year | Thrift Morrow" description: "Should you fix it or buy new? Compare a repair’s cost per year of use with a new one’s, using sourced appliance lifespans and your own repair quote." url: https://thriftmorrow.me/ --- Cost per year of use # Repair or replace? Is it worth fixing? Compare what a repair costs for each extra year of use with what a new one costs for each year of its typical life. ## How the verdict is worked out A repair is worth it when it buys enough extra years. So the calculator divides the **repair quote by the years it would give**, and the **price of a new one by its expected life**, and compares the two costs per year of use. A new one’s life is a range, so its cost per year is a range too. If the repair costs less per year even when a new one lasts the longest, it says repair; if a new one costs less even at the shortest life, it says replace. In between it is a close call, and the break-even shows how long a new one would need to last. The lifespans come from two named sources and are shown as the range between them. Both are US figures for typical use, so treat them as a rough guide. Neither covers phones, laptops or bikes, so for those we ask you instead of guessing. | Item | Range used | NAHB 2007 | InterNACHI chart | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Washing machine | 5–15 years | 10 (Washers) | 5 to 15 (Washing Machine) | | Clothes dryer (tumble dryer) | 13 years | 13 (Dryers, Electric; Dryers, Gas) | 13 (Dryer (clothes)) | | Dishwasher | 9 years | 9 (Dishwashers) | 9 (Dishwasher) | | Refrigerator, full-size | 9–13 years | 13 (Refrigerators, Standard) | 9 to 13 (Refrigerator) | | Refrigerator, compact | 9 years | 9 (Refrigerators, Compact) | not listed | | Freezer | 10–20 years | 11 (Freezers) | 10 to 20 (Freezer) | | Electric range or cooker | 13–15 years | 13 (Ranges, Electric) | 13 to 15 (Electric Range) | | Gas range or cooker | 15–17 years | 15 (Ranges, Gas) | 15 to 17 (Gas Range) | | Microwave oven | 9 years | 9 (Microwave Ovens) | 9 (Microwave Oven) | | Range hood (cooker hood) | 14 years | 14 (Range/Oven Hoods) | 14 (Range/Oven Hood) | | Food waste disposer | 12 years | 12 (Disposers, Food Waste) | 12 (Disposal (food waste)) | | Trash compactor | 6 years | 6 (Compactors) | 6 (Compactor (trash)) | | Dehumidifier | 8 years | 8 (Dehumidifiers) | 8 (Dehumidifier) | | Water heater, electric tank | 6–12 years | 11 (Water Heaters, Electric) | 6 to 12 (Water Heater (conventional)) | | Water heater, gas tank | 6–12 years | 10 (Water Heaters, Gas) | 6 to 12 (Water Heater (conventional)) | | Window or room air conditioner | 5–10 years | 10 (Air-Conditioners, Room) | 5 to 7 (Air Conditioner (window)) | | Central air conditioner | 7–15 years | 10–15 (Air Conditioners (HVAC section)) | 7 to 15 (Air Conditioner (central)) | | Gas furnace | 15–25 years | 18 (Furnaces, Warm-Air, Gas) | 15 to 25 (Furnace) | | Heat pump | 10–16 years | 16 (Heat Pumps) | 10 to 15 (Heat Pump) | | Garage door opener | 10–15 years | 10–15 (Garage Door Openers) | 10 to 15 (Garage Door Openers) | ## More ways to make it last Small tools for everyday thrift. - [Subscription audit](https://thriftmorrow.me/subscription-audit/): Monthly and yearly totals, cost per use, and what cancelling would save. - [Hours of work calculator](https://thriftmorrow.me/hours-of-work-calculator/): Turn a price into the hours and days of work it takes to pay for it. - [Laundry care symbols](https://thriftmorrow.me/laundry-care-symbols/): Decode wash, bleach, dry, iron and dry-clean symbols, in °C and US dots. - [Secondhand vs new calculator](https://thriftmorrow.me/secondhand-vs-new-calculator/): Cost per year of use for a used and a new one, and the break-even. - [No-spend challenge tracker](https://thriftmorrow.me/no-spend-challenge/): A printable tracker calendar and a log of the money you didn’t spend. ## Recommended Two free services that help when saving money online. Temporary email · no sign-up ### CleanTempMail Many shops ask for an email address before they show a first-order discount or a price alert, then keep sending offers that tempt you to spend. CleanTempMail gives you a free temporary inbox straight away: no sign-up, a random or custom address on hundreds of domains, and messages deleted automatically after 3 days. Keep your real address for orders, receipts and warranties. [Get a temporary inbox](https://cleantempmail.com/) Disposable cloud browser · link checks ### WebTraceCheck A bargain on a shop you have never heard of, or an email saying a subscription renewed? WebTraceCheck’s free redirect chain checker shows where a link really leads, and its disposable cloud browser opens unfamiliar pages on an isolated desktop that is deleted after each session. Nothing to install, with free time every day. [Try WebTraceCheck](https://webtracecheck.com/) ## Questions **Should I replace an appliance if the repair costs more than half the price of a new one?** That is a common rule of thumb, not a standard, and the calculator shows what it would say. It ignores how long each option lasts, so the verdict uses cost per year of use instead: a big repair on a young machine can still be the cheaper choice. **How many more years will a repair give?** Ask the repairer, and compare the item’s age with its typical life: the hint under the field shows how many years are left if it reaches the top of the range. An item already past the range may not give many more. **Why isn’t my phone or laptop listed?** Neither source gives a lifespan for them, and we would rather not guess. Choose “Something else” and enter how long you expect a new one to last. **Does it count energy use or the hassle of replacing?** No, only the repair quote, the price of a new one and the years each would give. If a new model would use less energy, or the old one is unreliable, weigh that up alongside the numbers. ## Sources - Appliance life expectancies “based on first-owner use”, Table 1: National Association of Home Builders / Bank of America Home Equity, [Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components](https://standards.nsf.org/higherlogic/ws/public/download/348/NAHB%202007%20StudyUseful%20Life%20of%20Home%20Components.pdf) (February 2007; copy hosted by NSF). NAHB credits its appliance figures to Appliance Magazine (September 2005) and Grainger. - Appliance, HVAC and water heater life expectancies: InterNACHI, [Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes](https://www.nachi.org/life-expectancy.htm) (undated web page, checked 1 November 2026). - “Replace when a repair costs more than half the price of new” is a common rule of thumb with no single source; it is shown for comparison only.