NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We’ve all been there. The washer sounds like a jet engine and then suddenly stops mid-cycle. Not only are you left wondering how to get your clothes clean...but what to do with your washer now.
Jennifer Kraus joins us from her own laundry room with some things to consider.
That's right. It’s the age-old question when your washer breaks down and inevitably it does, so do you repair it or to replace it? The answer...it depends.
The 14-year-old washer in the Prieto home was on the fritz.
“I was afraid if I spent the time and money to repair it, it would be out again soon," said customer Josiah Prieto. "Frankly, I’m surprised it lasted this long.”
Instead of rolling up the sleeves to repair, the family headed to a home improvement store to replace and buy new.
“What you should consider is how severe the repair is," said Consumer Reports Paul Hope. "What it might cost to fix and how old the appliance is. How much you paid for it in the first place.”
With washers, factor in use too.
“With a refrigerator -- you’re getting the same usage in a typical household most days," Hope said. "They’re on all the time. With a washer, if you live in a family with a lot of children at home, you’re doing a ton of laundry multiple loads a day in some cases even if the washer is only a few years old, it might make more sense to replace it because it’s had that much wear-and-tear on it.”
But say you paid one thousand dollars for your washer three years ago and only do a few loads a week, a repair might be the better financial choice.
“Before you go calling a service person for your washing machine it makes sense to look at what is actually going on. Start with a simple search look to see if there are any recalls on the washer or if they’re simple fixes like a clogged filter or a kinked hose," Hope said. "Lastly, you want to check your warranty and see if it’s something that has extended coverage that you can get repaired for free before you make a call to a service person.”
If you decide to get rid of your old washer, If you’re having it hauled off by the retailer that sold you a new one, ask if the old machine will be recycled.
Or see if your nearby recycling center will take it to reduce the environmental impact.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
