Owning a home comes with plenty of annual expenses. From utilities to upkeep like lawn care and maintenance, there is no shortage of costs that face homeowners each month. The average household in the U.S. today spends more than $17,000 on household expenses. Around $10,000 of this goes directly towards rent or mortgage payments. The remaining $7,000 goes towards utilities and maintenance or repair costs.
Some years, your maintenance costs may include little more than new light bulbs and standard lawn care. But if a major household appliance requires a big repair or replacement, your annual maintenance costs may soar. Home appliances like heaters, HVAC units, hot water heaters, and more can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands.
Understanding how long you can expect your standard home appliances to last can help you to be better prepared when the time comes to replace them. Keep reading to learn the average lifespan of some major home appliances, and how the best HVAC services Las Vegas has to offer may be able to help you save big.
How Long Do Major Home Appliances Really Last?
The average lifespan of major home appliances will vary from one appliance to the next. For instance, if you invest more money upfront on a better quality HVAC unit when you install a new one, you can expect to get more use out of it than you might a lesser-quality, cheaper unit — that is, if you invest in the best HVAC services Las Vegas has to offer to keep your unit functioning properly.
However, most major appliances do have an average lifespan that can help you to better predict when your appliance might go out. This is especially true for homeowners who inherit existing appliances installed by a previous homeowner. Let’s take a look at the average lifespan of a few common home appliances.
Heaters
There are some household appliances that you can live without for a few days or even a few weeks while you’re waiting on a replacement. But when it comes to your home’s heater, this is one appliance that often puts homeowners in a panic as they race to replace it.
Home heaters always seem to go out at the least convenient time. Understanding the average lifespan of a home heater can help you to be prepared when yours finally does go out. On average, you can expect your home’s heater to last between 15 and 20 years. This average does refer to a heater that’s been properly maintained, with regular visits from the best HVAC services Las Vegas has to offer to fix any small issues before they can become a major repair. When your heater reaches the end of its first decade of use, you can expect it to need more frequent repairs.
HVAC
If your home is heated and cooled with an HVAC unit, having it go out means no heat or air — and more often than not, this seems to happen in the middle of the summer heat or winter deep freeze.
The challenge with an HVAC unit is that different components may go out at different times. As you know, the heating element may last between 15 and 20 years. But the average AC unit lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 years. You can expect your heat pump to last about 16 years.
Depending on your budget, you could call up your HVAC experts to replace each part as they go out. Or, if your unit is more than 10 years old, you can upgrade to a new system. The best HVAC services Las Vegas has to offer can help you to find the right unit for your home. While upgrading your unit may cost more than repairs upfront, they can save you money in the long term. Upgrading to an energy-efficient HVAC unit can help you save up to 40 percent on your cooling costs, helping you to save money over time.
Hot Water Heaters
Hot water heaters are another home appliance that varies widely from one unit to the next. If you’re moving into a home that already has a hot water heater, how long it may last will largely depend on the quality of the unit that the previous homeowner chose, as well as whether or not they invested in regular maintenance.
In most cases, you can expect your hot water heater to provide between 8 and 12 years of hot water to your showers and faucets. This average applies to traditional tank-style hot water heaters. Tankless hot water heaters tend to last much longer, averaging up to 20 years. So while you might spend more on installing this type of hot water heater, you’ll enjoy more years of use, as well as savings on your energy costs of up to 24 to 34 percent. So if your old hot water heater is on the fritz, consider upgrading to a tankless version now!
Garbage Disposal
Your home’s garbage disposal is one appliance that most of us don’t think about very often — until, of course, it’s no longer functioning. You can expect your home’s garbage disposal to last up to 12 years. But this lifespan only applies to garbage disposals that are properly cared for.
Cleaning your garbage disposal regularly and always following the manufacturer’s instructions on what can’t go through the disposal will help to prolong its lifespan. If your garbage disposal isn’t functioning properly, call in the pros to see whether a repair can be made or if a replacement is necessary.
Sump Pump
If your home relies on a sump pump to keep your basement or other low-lying space from flooding, this is one appliance you’ll definitely want to replace before it goes out. So how long can you expect to go in between new pumps? About 10 years.
Of course, regularly checking your sump pump to make sure that it’s operating properly is a must. Not all units will last a full decade, so failing to perform regular checks could prove very costly when your pump fails during a flood. Call in a professional sump pump expert to check and maintain your home’s pump regularly to avoid getting caught without a pump as the waters rise.
Increasing the Lifespan of Your Home Appliances
Your home’s major appliances can be costly to replace, especially if you are forced to replace several within just a few months’ time. But properly maintaining and serving your appliances is a great way to extend their lifespan and save you big bucks.
The pros at Rakeman are experts at repairing, maintaining, and replacing your home’s major appliances, from your HVAC unit to your garbage disposal and everything in between. Whether you have an appliance that isn’t functioning properly or you want to avoid future repairs with some routine maintenance, give us a call today to see how our experts can help!
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