Appliances generally last for years, especially when maintained properly. Proper maintenance actually reduces the incidents of faulty functioning considerably. When a household appliance stops working, you have two choices. You can either repair the appliance or replace it. To take the right decision several factors need to be considered. First and foremost, check up on the age of the appliance and its warranty period. If the warranty period is still on, the repair may cost nothing or less than what it would have cost otherwise. Assuming that the warranty period is over and that repair is going to be costly, then you need to analyze a few points. You should begin by getting an estimate of the cost involved. If the cost is about 50% of the cost of a new appliance then it is worth getting the repair done. Otherwise it would make more sense to just upgrade to a newer model. A very old appliance may present the problem of hard-to-find spare parts. Substitutes for original spare parts are not a very good idea. Chances are they would create more problems than solutions. If this proves to be a stumbling block then dump the appliance and treat yourself to a new one. Newer models are generally energy efficient. This will translate into considerable savings and over the years the cost will be justified.
Appliance repairs are usually billed on an hourly basis. Average rates for the first half an hour could vary between $50- $70. For every subsequent time block the rates go down to $10 – $20. Rates are cheaper if the appliance is taken to the service shop. At times, the rates can’t be determined until the appliance is examined. This is beneficial to the customer, because the quote will be given before the repair is performed.
Overtime calls, i.e., calls taken after business hours, on weekends and on holidays are generally charged extra. The charges could well be up to 25% more. So unless it is an emergency, an overtime repair call is not a very good idea.
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