Functional appliances are the lifeblood of many modern-day households. For example, without high-end kitchen appliances, food storage, meal prep and cleaning up would be incredibly daunting – if not downright impossible.
However, no matter how reliable a major appliance is, it will eventually need to be replaced. Depending on the level of care you show your appliances, you may get years of dependable use out of big-ticket devices, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an appliance that lasts forever.
The next time you find yourself in the market for new appliances, there are a number of factors you’d be wise to consider. As you’ll find, doing a little research and asking the right questions can pay off in a big way.
Projected Lifespan
Major appliances are best viewed as long-term investments. Since high-end appliances can easily run you hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars, it stands to reason that you’d want to get the maximum return on your investment.
With this in mind, limit your choices to appliances that have lengthy projected lifespans. If you play your cards right, you might even wind up with something that lasts decades.
To brush up on the projected lifespans of certain appliances, consult popular consumer feedback websites, as well as the sites of prominent appliance manufacturers.
However, it’s also important to remember that “projected” is the operative term here. An appliance’s lifespan is largely determined by the manner and frequency with which it’s operated.
So, if you habitually misuse a major appliance, don’t be surprised if the device frequently finds itself in need of costly repairs or breaks prematurely.
Energy Efficiency
With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent by the day, every household should be taking active measures to reduce its carbon footprint.
In addition to recycling on a regular basis, families should be mindful of energy usage. Since home appliances account for about 20% of the power bills in any given household, upgrading from traditional devices to models designed with energy efficiency in mind stands to save you money while helping you do right by the environment.
That being the case, make sure to keep an eye out for appliances that bear the Energy Star logo. In addition to consuming less power, these devices are every bit as efficient as their old-school counterparts – in some cases, even more so.
It should be noted that energy-efficient appliances tend to cost a little more than appliances that consume more power.
While it’s true that making less eco-friendly purchasing decisions stands to save you a little money in the short term, you’ll ultimately wind up paying more in energy costs in the long run.
Protection Plans
Most major appliances – and most electronic devices in general – come with manufacturer warranties.
The exact terms and coverage periods vary by appliance and manufacturer, but many of these warranties last between six months and one year and are limited to problems that are explicitly the fault of the manufacturer.
This means that if an appliance incurs damage or breaks down as a result of misuse on your end, a manufacturer warranty is unlikely to do you much good.
Additionally, many retailers offer extended warranties, which tend to cover a much wider variety of issues.
However, if comprehensive protection is what you’re after, there’s no substitute for a solid home warranty. If you’re unfamiliar, you may be asking, “What is a home warranty?”.
As the name suggests, a good home warranty provides coverage for every essential appliance under your roof. Since home warranties are affordable on virtually any budget, there’s no reason households that are serious about protecting their appliances should sleep on them.
Having a dependable home warranty in your corner ensures that you won’t be overcome with financial anxiety the next time a major appliance starts exhibiting problems.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a household that’s able to operate smoothly in the absence of major appliances. Although most of us seldom stop to consider their importance, home appliances play a significant role in our daily lives.
Given how important appliances are to daily functionality, it’s only natural to be as discerning as possible when shopping around for new ones. To help ensure that you make the right selections, take the previously discussed factors into account the next time you’re looking to upgrade a major appliance.
