What is the Average Life Expectancy of a Refrigerator?

Posted On October 23, 2019

If you’ve ever had to purchase a large appliance, then you’ve wondered. ” When am I going to replace it?” That reaction is beyond normal when you’re spending as much money as you will spend on a large appliance. This can be anywhere from around $400 to almost $2000 sometimes. You don’t want to buy something that you’re just going to replace in a couple of years. so how long will it be before you have to invest in some of that not so sweet appliance repair Pasadena? Well, if you’re buying a refrigerator brand new, you don’t have too much to worry about. Most refrigerators have an average lifespan of around 8 years, with some of them being closer to 12 years. If you just bought it, then it will be a little while and you’ll get to live happily with your appliance.

If you have an older model, though things may not be quite as rosy. How many times has it happened to you where you didn’t even realize the fridge was going out before almost everything had gone bad overnight? I wish I could say that it was a one-time thing but sadly that has not been the case. How might you be more aware than I was that your refrigerator is going out? Well, for starters understand the lifespan of the appliance, so that you know to be on the alert for problems that may end up arising. A repair can also help extend the lifespan of the machine instead of you having to outright replace it at the first sign of trouble. Doing this is cheaper and is often enough to put off a replacement for a few more years.

Running Hot

This may seem oxymoronic but if the motor to your fridge is running hot, then it’s not going to last much longer. Now when you put your hand around the back of the fridge you will feel the heat, that’s not uncommon at all. Feeling excessive amounts of heat though is something that should start ringing several different alarm bells in your head. The coils that are on the back of the fridge are insulated so you shouldn’t feel much heat coming off of them. If you do though there may be a problem and you might want to call an appliance repair technician. Running hot can be a symptom of a few problems that they will have to diagnose. The only caveat to this is that if the fridge is already old or past its prime, it might be best to just start saving/shopping for a replacement.

Ice In The Freezer

You shouldn’t need an ice pick and an expedition team to get something out of the freezer. If there’s an excessive amount of ice forming on the inside walls or on your food item, then it may be a sign that your fridge is going bad and you need to start shopping for a replacement soon. You might also call a repairman to come and look.

This is mostly a problem you see with older models as newer ones often have a defroster built into the unit. This is a part that may lack in the model that you have or the part is going out. You can always start by defrosting the freezer yourself and seeing if the problem persists. If it does, then it would be best to look into either repair or replacement options.

The Electric Bill

You may have noticed a steady or sometimes even a sudden increase in the cost of your electric bill. Barring any major changes in your life or habits then it may be a problem with your refrigerator. It may be that it’s not running in an energy-efficient way. This can be because of a variety of reasons.

It will all go back to the motor having to work harder in order to keep the fridge cool and the reasons for that could be a variety of things. It could be that the motor is going out and it could be that the rubber seal around the edges is deteriorating. Maybe a roommate or child leaves the door open for extended periods of time and you haven’t noticed. Regardless, if there’s a sudden spike or change, it might be because your fridge is running less efficiently than it otherwise should. This not only hurts your electric or energy bill but it will also shorten the life of an expensive appliance by forcing it to work harder than it otherwise should be working.

Food is Going Bad

You might not notice that food is going bad faster right away. You will start to notice little things like the milk not lasting quite as long or the ground beef not lasting as long as it should have. This may not be a figment of your imagination. Maybe your fridge isn’t staying cold as it should be. If it can’t cool like it’s supposed too, then your food will go bad faster and you might not even notice that it’s warmer than usual.

Over 10 years old

As we discussed at the start of this blog, your fridge will probably only last about 10 years and some change. If your fridge is having problems, and it’s already over 10 years old, then you know that the fridge is approaching the end of its lifespan. At this point, you’re probably best to just replace the fridge instead of trying to repair it. If you do attempt to repair it, then it’s quite likely that it just breaks again and you have to invest even more into a machine that’s dying. You might even be able to sell your old fridge to help cover the costs of the new one. You can even sell some parts online if the fridge has already broken down. There’s such an array of options at your disposal. If you need refrigerator repair in Pasadena, then don’t wait and call someone today.