‘Right to Repair’ Laws gain momentum as lifespans of major household appliances decline
(InvestigateTV) — “They don’t make them like they used to.”
It is a commonly heard cliche that our parents and grandparents would often say. Data gathered by Statista shows that when it comes to household appliances, the saying is true.
These guys are excellent. Have ordered parts and repaired our dryer and washer, they have detailed parts descriptions with video instructions for DIY repairs, outstanding return policy. They even accepted a return on the main computer on our washer after I mistakenly ordered the wrong one. Hard to beat that. Another source is Ifixit, enabled me to totally repair-upgrade our computers and smartphones, and they too offer detailed instructions for every part they sell.
All of us old people know that appliances don't last anywhere near as long as they used to. I actually took an appliance repair class when I was probably 22 or 23, from an appliance repair friend, who taught it a night at our local vocational school. The usefulness of that class has long passed. I don't think that I would even try and replace an igniter on a gas dryer. They are just too much of a pain. I think that a huge reason that the appliances don't last as long as they used to is due to the federal government rules on efficiency. In order to make your refrigerator more efficient is to use a lighter weight motor and compressor. And of course if you make them lighter, you make them more susceptible to overheating, which reduces the life of the component. I would much rather pay an extra hundred bucks a year to run a less efficient appliance than have to replace my refrigerator every 7 -9 years. But that is our federal government looking out for us.
+1. Federal "efficiency" rules have destroyed washing machines especially. I'm not convinced that any washing machine built in the last two decades is actually capable of getting ANY clothing clean.
There is a short video on youtube, the guy opens his 40 year old fridge door on a summer day and leaves it wide open for 3 days. (so just like mom said "cooling the outside) freezer door too. it used up $3.45 worth of electricity. (at 14c/kwh). Who cares?
One of the biggest problems is firmware updates. All this "smart" crap sounds great, if it wasn't for handing the keys to everything over to some unaccountable company running buggy software.
But even then, there's a bigger problem: The firmware in that internet connected front door lock (or whatever) will get progressively out of date, and the company behind it WILL stop pushing security updates out to it. Which means ten years down the line, 90% of thirteen year olds will have full access to it, it will be part of a botnet abusing your internet service to attack random people, etc.
And cars are worse. Who the hell though building an android tablet into your dashboard was a good idea? It's at least POSSIBLE to get rid of your outdated doorbell camera. Try replacing the tablet that's built into your car!
And YOU can't fix the problem, because you don't have the encryption/signing/security keys required to update the firmware on them. Even if other people have made updated firmware, (Which for popular products is fairly likely) it's impossible and illegal (thanks, DMCA!) for you to install it.
So yeah, some major right-to-repair and right-to-the-keys-needed-to-repair laws are absolutely overdue.
The newest cars now have built in obsolescence because of the over the top technology but, up to about ten years ago, their lifespans had been constantly improving. I'm old enough to remember cars that rusted away before your eyes. You were lucky to have one that reached 100,000 miles but, if you did, it would be pretty much shagged out by then. Mine is 13 years old, has done 110,000 miles and is totally reliable and still running fine. Stonyground.
200,000 is easily doable with a lot of vehicles, well maybe except for the new crap, just basic maintenance is all that's needed. I live in the rust belt so structural integrity is what usually does them in. My 02 Ford ranger has 230,000 on it and it was still going strong. It was rust and deer suicides that finally brought her down.
The right to repair is all well and good but the old days of repairing things are largely gone, just like repair shops. As said, everything is high tech computer driven overkill and even those with the electronics and computer skills struggle a lot to diagnose problems, and often lament about when times were much simpler, and the exit rate from reoaie industries is high. Very soon, no-one will be able to repair anything unless you designed it yourself, everything's just too hard. Or spend more in diagnostic time than the product is worth? How about AI diagnosing it for us? Maybe not a good idea to even suggest that.
This right here. I have kitchen appliances that are limping along, they are usable but only barely. I've diagnosed them, know what parts to buy, I can do the work myself, but the parts I need are easily approaching the cost of just replacing the whole appliance. Which of course is going to be less dependable than the one I want to repair. If I had to pay someone to do the work, it would easily exceed the cost to replace.
My mom (in her 80's) is still using a washer and dryer set from the 1960's.
We put a KitchenAid set of appliances in our house 7 years ago, except we kept our old (2005) GE fridge. Though we got a smaller kitchenaide fridge for extra storage. All the kitchenaide had 1 year warranties.
The induction stove fried a board at 6 months which they fixed. The dishwasher pump died at 11 months and i found out a replacement pump installed was 1k, more than a new dishwasher.
At 2 years the dishwasher pump died again and they said it was a day past the warranty on the pump. Pulled the dishwasher and replaced it with a cheap $400 unit, and did that again 4 years later.
So currently after 7 years... On 3rd dishwasher. Original stove but one burner wont work because the board is screwed again and the upper oven is nfg. Washer and dryer both been replaced , dryer twice. The 2005 GE fridge still running strong. The kitchenaide fridge i hauled out when it died the day before Christmas
At the risk of endorsing other websites I've been very happy with the repair clinic site for getting parts and watching repair videos on how to do it. my 25+ year old dishwasher works like new because of it (https://www.repairclinic.com/).
My fiance and I bought a shiny new Maytag stackable washer/dryer in 1996. We use the living shit out of it every day in 2025. Its sorta like our mechanical baby.
We have just replaced our washing machine. It was wrecked by a really badly unbalanced load and the resultant shaking on the spin cycle. It is designed so that it couldn't be switched off and opened to deal with the problem. I did take it apart and price up the parts to repair it but it would have cost around £80 when a new one can be had for £230. It was maybe about ten years old. We bought our microwave in 1993 and it's still working perfectly well. Stonyground.
I have a 30 year old Whirlpool washer and dryer. No matter what breaks on them, it can be easily diagnosed and fixed for about $10 to $20 in parts. No computer circuitry at all. All relays and switches. When the wife and I remodeled the laundry room, we thought about updating to newer ones. While looking at them, the sales guy talked us out of it. He told us if we did buy new, he would show us how to "trick" the washer into filling up with more water so we could maybe get our clothes clean. He said if we bought new, expect to make repairs at the 3-5 year mark, and at about 7-9 expect it to need to be replaced.
All of them built now are undiagnosable to the average person and even the above average person with some mechanical ability. I mean, who thought it a good idea to have sensitive computer components in appliances that are almost always wet and hot when in use?
And all of it on purpose...designed obsolescence. The manufacturers have learned to build them just good enough to get past the flimsy warranty. After that, they know the big money is in repair parts and eventually, selling you another unit. They don't make any money selling a unit that never breaks and lasts 30 plus years.
There used to be a business run by an older gentleman that sold repair parts for most appliances in the city I live in. Things like igniters for gas clothes dryers, belts for rotating drum clothes dryers, idler pulleys for clothes dryers. On Saturday mornings there'd be a line of men stretching 50-60 feet along the side walk outside with bad parts or the appliance manual in their hand waiting for their turn at the counter. It was rare for someone to come out without carrying a replacement part. Sadly the business folded about twenty years ago when the owner died. There used to be an appliance repairman that also primarily serviced customers in this city. He was an immigrant. Spoke barely passable English. He was good at appliance repair. Put a new igniter in my gas dryer that had just passed its warranty 25 years ago. He told me it was a heavy duty igniter and it would outlast the rest of the machine. That dryer still runs like almost new. Sadly, again, he's no longer in business. Don't know why.
General Electric used to (or still does) have repair videos on their website for their appliances. I have General electric washer and dryer and a gas range. Every time they go belly up (not often, knock on wood) I've gone to the website they told me exactly what was wrong and how to repair it,
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In 1975 bought a used, small dorm fridge. Used it continually. Sadly, it finally died in 2017.
ReplyDeleteThese guys are excellent. Have ordered parts and repaired our dryer and washer, they have detailed parts descriptions with video instructions for DIY repairs, outstanding return policy. They even accepted a return on the main computer on our washer after I mistakenly ordered the wrong one. Hard to beat that. Another source is Ifixit, enabled me to totally repair-upgrade our computers and smartphones, and they too offer detailed instructions for every part they sell.
DeleteAll of us old people know that appliances don't last anywhere near as long as they used to. I actually took an appliance repair class when I was probably 22 or 23, from an appliance repair friend, who taught it a night at our local vocational school.
ReplyDeleteThe usefulness of that class has long passed. I don't think that I would even try and replace an igniter on a gas dryer. They are just too much of a pain.
I think that a huge reason that the appliances don't last as long as they used to is due to the federal government rules on efficiency. In order to make your refrigerator more efficient is to use a lighter weight motor and compressor. And of course if you make them lighter, you make them more susceptible to overheating, which reduces the life of the component.
I would much rather pay an extra hundred bucks a year to run a less efficient appliance than have to replace my refrigerator every 7 -9 years. But that is our federal government looking out for us.
+1. Federal "efficiency" rules have destroyed washing machines especially. I'm not convinced that any washing machine built in the last two decades is actually capable of getting ANY clothing clean.
DeleteJohn G.
There is a short video on youtube, the guy opens his 40 year old fridge door on a summer day and leaves it wide open for 3 days. (so just like mom said "cooling the outside) freezer door too. it used up $3.45 worth of electricity. (at 14c/kwh). Who cares?
DeleteOne of the biggest problems is firmware updates. All this "smart" crap sounds great, if it wasn't for handing the keys to everything over to some unaccountable company running buggy software.
ReplyDeleteBut even then, there's a bigger problem: The firmware in that internet connected front door lock (or whatever) will get progressively out of date, and the company behind it WILL stop pushing security updates out to it. Which means ten years down the line, 90% of thirteen year olds will have full access to it, it will be part of a botnet abusing your internet service to attack random people, etc.
And cars are worse. Who the hell though building an android tablet into your dashboard was a good idea? It's at least POSSIBLE to get rid of your outdated doorbell camera. Try replacing the tablet that's built into your car!
And YOU can't fix the problem, because you don't have the encryption/signing/security keys required to update the firmware on them. Even if other people have made updated firmware, (Which for popular products is fairly likely) it's impossible and illegal (thanks, DMCA!) for you to install it.
So yeah, some major right-to-repair and right-to-the-keys-needed-to-repair laws are absolutely overdue.
John G.
The newest cars now have built in obsolescence because of the over the top technology but, up to about ten years ago, their lifespans had been constantly improving. I'm old enough to remember cars that rusted away before your eyes. You were lucky to have one that reached 100,000 miles but, if you did, it would be pretty much shagged out by then. Mine is 13 years old, has done 110,000 miles and is totally reliable and still running fine.
DeleteStonyground.
200,000 is easily doable with a lot of vehicles, well maybe except for the new crap, just basic maintenance is all that's needed. I live in the rust belt so structural integrity is what usually does them in. My 02 Ford ranger has 230,000 on it and it was still going strong. It was rust and deer suicides that finally brought her down.
DeleteI have a 1956 G E standup freezer in my outdoor pantry room at the house in SC. I keep expecting for it to quit, but it keeps on trucking.
ReplyDeleteThe right to repair is all well and good but the old days of repairing things are largely gone, just like repair shops. As said, everything is high tech computer driven overkill and even those with the electronics and computer skills struggle a lot to diagnose problems, and often lament about when times were much simpler, and the exit rate from reoaie industries is high. Very soon, no-one will be able to repair anything unless you designed it yourself, everything's just too hard. Or spend more in diagnostic time than the product is worth?
ReplyDeleteHow about AI diagnosing it for us?
Maybe not a good idea to even suggest that.
Even if you can repair it the price of the part is one third the price of the appliance. Now you have to decide if it is worth it.
ReplyDeleteThis right here. I have kitchen appliances that are limping along, they are usable but only barely. I've diagnosed them, know what parts to buy, I can do the work myself, but the parts I need are easily approaching the cost of just replacing the whole appliance. Which of course is going to be less dependable than the one I want to repair. If I had to pay someone to do the work, it would easily exceed the cost to replace.
DeleteMy mom (in her 80's) is still using a washer and dryer set from the 1960's.
We put a KitchenAid set of appliances in our house 7 years ago, except we kept our old (2005) GE fridge. Though we got a smaller kitchenaide fridge for extra storage. All the kitchenaide had 1 year warranties.
DeleteThe induction stove fried a board at 6 months which they fixed. The dishwasher pump died at 11 months and i found out a replacement pump installed was 1k, more than a new dishwasher.
At 2 years the dishwasher pump died again and they said it was a day past the warranty on the pump. Pulled the dishwasher and replaced it with a cheap $400 unit, and did that again 4 years later.
So currently after 7 years... On 3rd dishwasher. Original stove but one burner wont work because the board is screwed again and the upper oven is nfg. Washer and dryer both been replaced , dryer twice.
The 2005 GE fridge still running strong. The kitchenaide fridge i hauled out when it died the day before Christmas
Exile1981
At the risk of endorsing other websites I've been very happy with the repair clinic site for getting parts and watching repair videos on how to do it. my 25+ year old dishwasher works like new because of it (https://www.repairclinic.com/).
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I bought a shiny new Maytag stackable washer/dryer in 1996. We use the living shit out of it every day in 2025. Its sorta like our mechanical baby.
ReplyDeleteWe have just replaced our washing machine. It was wrecked by a really badly unbalanced load and the resultant shaking on the spin cycle. It is designed so that it couldn't be switched off and opened to deal with the problem. I did take it apart and price up the parts to repair it but it would have cost around £80 when a new one can be had for £230. It was maybe about ten years old. We bought our microwave in 1993 and it's still working perfectly well.
ReplyDeleteStonyground.
I have a 30 year old Whirlpool washer and dryer. No matter what breaks on them, it can be easily diagnosed and fixed for about $10 to $20 in parts. No computer circuitry at all. All relays and switches. When the wife and I remodeled the laundry room, we thought about updating to newer ones. While looking at them, the sales guy talked us out of it. He told us if we did buy new, he would show us how to "trick" the washer into filling up with more water so we could maybe get our clothes clean. He said if we bought new, expect to make repairs at the 3-5 year mark, and at about 7-9 expect it to need to be replaced.
ReplyDeleteAll of them built now are undiagnosable to the average person and even the above average person with some mechanical ability. I mean, who thought it a good idea to have sensitive computer components in appliances that are almost always wet and hot when in use?
And all of it on purpose...designed obsolescence. The manufacturers have learned to build them just good enough to get past the flimsy warranty. After that, they know the big money is in repair parts and eventually, selling you another unit. They don't make any money selling a unit that never breaks and lasts 30 plus years.
There used to be a business run by an older gentleman that sold repair parts for most appliances in the city I live in. Things like igniters for gas clothes dryers, belts for rotating drum clothes dryers, idler pulleys for clothes dryers. On Saturday mornings there'd be a line of men stretching 50-60 feet along the side walk outside with bad parts or the appliance manual in their hand waiting for their turn at the counter. It was rare for someone to come out without carrying a replacement part. Sadly the business folded about twenty years ago when the owner died. There used to be an appliance repairman that also primarily serviced customers in this city. He was an immigrant. Spoke barely passable English. He was good at appliance repair. Put a new igniter in my gas dryer that had just passed its warranty 25 years ago. He told me it was a heavy duty igniter and it would outlast the rest of the machine. That dryer still runs like almost new.
ReplyDeleteSadly, again, he's no longer in business. Don't know why.
Nemo
I have a Panasonic microwave that’s 37 years old. Still pops a bag of popcorn in 3 minutes!
ReplyDeleteGot the same unit. Can't buy the roller ring that goes under the platter anymore, but it still works.
DeleteGeneral Electric used to (or still does) have repair videos on their website for their appliances. I have General electric washer and dryer and a gas range. Every time they go belly up (not often, knock on wood) I've gone to the website they told me exactly what was wrong and how to repair it,
ReplyDelete