Which Home Appliances Are Most Likely To Break Down?

Nothing can be more damaging to our financial well-being than an unexpected bill. So when one of our home appliances breaks down, it can be disappointing to see our hard-earned money spent on  a repair job rather than in the realms of entertainment or enjoyment. But, then again, a big reason we can have the time for that enjoyment is thanks to the jobs that our home appliances do for us. Washing machines and tumble dryers save us from having to painstakingly wash and dry clothing; dishwashers stop us from slaving over dishes; and fridge-freezers prevent us from having to, eh, well, hunt and forage for food on a daily basis. Okay, maybe that last one was a slight exaggeration…

Nevertheless, our point is that home appliances are important – so when an appliance breaks down, we need to repair it as soon as possible. As such, it can be good to know what to expect when it comes to the reliability of your home appliances. Knowing when they are likely to break down allows you to calculate your finances better so that you can put away money for such a day. While we can’t tell you when exactly this will happen, as brand reliability can vary, we can tell you what appliances are the most and least reliable.

Most reliable: Hobs

Hobs can be an expensive purchase – so it’s surely reassuring to know that you’re going to see very few problems in the years that follow. Even the problems encountered during this process are minor – with general maintenance and cheap repair parts often only being required.

Chance of repair being needed after…

• Year 3: 8%
• Year 5: 10%
• Year 10: 12%

Least reliable: Cookers

In quite the contrast to their ‘cousins’ in the cooking world, cookers are far less reliable than hobs. In particular, range cookers tended to be more unreliable than freestanding cookers – but both were bottom and second-bottom of the Which?’s research survey respectively. This will come as a surprise to most consumers who expect their cookers to be more reliable than this – most likely due to cookers having such hefty price tags. Interestingly, built-in ovens were found to be more reliable than both.

Chance of repair being needed after…

• Year 3 (Freestanding): 25%
• Year 5 (Freestanding): 31%
• Year 10 (Freestanding): 35%

• Year 3 (Range): 29%
• Year 5 (Range): 37%
• Year 10 (Range): 42%

• Year 3 (Built-in Ovens): 17%
• Year 5 (Built-in Ovens): 23%
• Year 10 (Built-in Ovens): 26%

2nd Place for reliability: Washing Machines and Tumble Dryers

Washing machines polled very close to hobs for the most reliable home appliance. This isn’t surprising due to the high reliability of certain brands of washing machines and tumble dryers. Which? found in its research that one manufacturer had a 94% reliability rating across their range of washing machines. While the watchdog didn’t specify which brand, we’d guess that it’s one of the top appliance manufacturer brands. Additionally, the washing machine manufacturer with the worst statistics saw 1-in-3 of their machines become faulty within 10 years – which should serve as a good reminder to extensively research a preferred washing machine model before buying it. Interestingly, however, washer-dryers were less reliable than both – which may be something to do with the fact that there are more working parts.

Chance of repair being needed after…

• Year 3 (Washing Machines): 10%
• Year 5 (Washing Machines): 12%
• Year 10 (Washing Machines): 14%

• Year 3 (Tumble Dryers): 9%
• Year 5 (Tumble Dryers): 12%
• Year 10 (Tumble Dryers): 14%

• Year 3 (Washer-Dryers): 16%
• Year 5 (Washer-Dryers): 20%
• Year 10 (Washers-Dryers): 24%

Middle-of-the-road: Dishwashers

Dishwashers can run into all sorts of troubles – but when they’re reliable, they can be problem-free for a long time. The stats seem to reflect this as, according to the survey, most dishwasher problems tend to happen within the first few years. If your dishwasher can get past this point, chances are it’ll met its expected lifetime without problem.

Chance of repair being needed after…

• Year 3: 12%
• Year 5: 16%
• Year 10: 18%

Mileage May Vary: Fridges and Freezers

Lastly, we come to fridges and freezers. Or fridge-freezers. Interestingly, freezers are the most reliable of the three, with fridges in second and fridge-freezers the least reliable home appliance outside of freestanding and range cookers. Much like washer-dryers, fridge-freezers may be more unreliable due to having more working parts than their solo siblings.

Chance of repair being needed after…

• Year 3 (Freezers): 14%
• Year 5: (Freezers): 17%
• Year 10 (Freezers): 19%

• Year 3 (Fridges): 18%
• Year 5 (Fridges): 23%
• Year 10 (Fridges): 26%

• Year 3 (Fridge-freezers): 22%
• Year 5 (Fridge-freezers): 26%
• Year 10 (Fridge-freezers): 29%

Picking the Right Appliance Repairer

When the times comes for your appliance needing repaired, the quality of your repairer can determine how long until it runs into another problem. At Repair Aid, we offer all of our customers a 12-month guarantee on all of our work. So if your appliance runs into a problem within 1 year of being repaired, you can call us out to sort out the problem for free.

Helpful Resources and Information

• How Long Should Your Kitchen Appliances Last?
• Household Appliances Buying Guides
• Appliance Installation Services
• How often should you clean your appliances