Repair or replace
Compare a washer repair quote with replacement cost, age, and overall condition. The result is a planning aid, not a diagnosis.
Repair vs. replace calculator
Enter a few numbers to get a transparent first-pass recommendation.
Typical life used: about 11 years.
Estimated life remaining: about 4 years.
50% rule reference: a repair around $450 is half the replacement cost.
The current model weights age at 38%, repair cost versus replacement cost at 37%, overall condition at 15%, and recent repair history at 10%. The score is a weighted planning index, not a probability that the unit will fail and not a forecast of how many years it will actually last. The “life remaining” line only compares age with the typical-life benchmark. Safety issues, active leaks, combustion concerns, electrical damage, refrigerant problems, or a professional diagnosis can override the score.
When repair can make sense
When replacement gains ground
Two illustrative cases
A five-year-old washer in good condition with no recent repair history develops a single drain-pump or door-lock problem. If the quote is modest compared with a comparable replacement, the model should lean toward repair.
Why: younger age, isolated failure, good overall condition, and limited repair history all reduce replacement pressure.
An eleven-year-old washer has already needed service twice, now has loud bearing noise or leakage, and the new repair quote is a large share of replacement cost. Those factors stack strongly toward replacement.
Why: age, major-component risk, repeated failures, or poor condition can all make another repair less attractive.
These are teaching examples, not price benchmarks. Use your own quote and replacement price in the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
There is no single cutoff. This calculator uses about 11 years as a planning benchmark, then combines age with repair cost, replacement cost, condition, and recent repair history.
No. Treat it as a quick reference, not a rule. A high-value newer unit can justify a substantial repair, while a smaller repair can still be a poor choice on an unreliable unit near the end of its useful life.
Yes. Active leaks, electrical damage, combustion concerns, refrigerant issues, structural damage, and other hazards require appropriate professional evaluation regardless of the financial score.
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