How Long Do Kitchen Appliances Last?

The life expectancy of the most common kitchen appliances depends on several variables. It’s clear that a bachelor using the oven once a month won’t need to replace it as often as a family that uses the appliance daily! But then again, the lifespan of kitchen appliances is also subject to their initial quality. Does that mean that more expensive appliances will last longer? Yes and no. This is not a contradictory answer. The span of your home appliances also depends on their maintenance. So before we examine the lifecycle of each major appliance in the kitchen, let’s see the factors that affect their span.

Factors affecting the lifespan of kitchen appliances

Another approach to the subject is to ask: how long should kitchen appliances last? In this context, expect to keep refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens approx. 10 years. Now, let’s go back to our original question: how long do kitchen appliances last? They could last 10 years or so but may break down much sooner.

How are these two questions different? The first one refers to the way appliances are made today – robust but not as robust as their predecessors. The sensitive electronics of modern appliances make them more prone to damage than the older models. Not that appliance repair won’t solve a problem but this defines their vulnerability. As for the second question, this is subject to a number of factors. Let’s see.

• Maintenance

A simple illustration will underline the difference: a household schedules dishwasher maintenance every year; the neighbor never does. The dishwasher of the first household lasts for 14 years while the neighbor’s needs replacement in 8 years.

It’s simple. Regular appliance service takes care of problems before they get the chance to cause failures. Take the dishwasher of our example. When its filters are regularly cleaned and the door seals and all parts are checked, the dishwasher will neither overflow nor stop working after a few years.

• Technology

Not all modern appliances are high-tech gadgets. The truth is that new technology is good but sensitive. And so when digital elements/displays are kept to the minimum, failures will be kept to the minimum too.

• Appliance repairs

It’s vital to understand that appliances do break down. But failures don’t necessarily imply it’s time for replacement. As a matter of fact, an appliance repair service can be a solution to a simple problem that if it will remain unaddressed, it will deteriorate the condition of the appliance and as a result it will break down sooner than expected.

• Usage

An appliance used daily is expected to break down faster than an appliance hardly used. That goes back to our example of the bachelor and the large family. Though, it’s important to mention here the uniqueness of fridges & freezers since they are the only home appliances that work continuously. Yes, they have the thermostat to let them take a break but they still operate and that’s why they are designed to last for a little over 10 years.

The expected lifecycle of the common kitchen appliances?

Refrigerators and freezers usually run for about 10-13 years

Ovens & stoves usually last a little over 10 years. It’s vital to mention here that gas ovens are more durable and thus might last for about 15 years.

Microwaves will serve you at least 10 years.

Dishwashers have an average lifespan of 9 years.

Garbage disposals run approx. 12 years.

These are the industry average lifespans of kitchen appliances. But remember their lifecycle will be cut short or be prolonged depending on several factors and mainly on whether or not they are maintained. So, now you know what to do.