Appliance Repair: Get Your Home Running Again
That moment when you go to start the washer and nothing happens. It’s usually shocking, upsetting, and then the panic sets in. In a flutter of weakness you might even cry out, “Why is this happening to me?!”, or something worse.
Sound familiar? Most of us take our appliances for granted until they break. When that happens, it can quickly become overwhelming to know where to start. Never fear, we’re going to help answer some of your top questions below.
1. Who will service my broken appliance?
Assuming you remember where you purchased it, most people begin there. However, that might not always be the best option as many retailers outsource their service to the lowest bidder. Your best bet is to do some quick research on appliance repair companies in your area (Google it!). Read a few reviews and make sure you choose an authorized servicer as they will be most up-to-date and knowledgeable on your product. An authorized servicer will also be able to assist you in filing any warranty claims if applicable. Sherman’s is authorized to service almost every major manufacturer within our large delivery area.
2. Where can I buy appliance parts?
If you’re the DIY type, we usually recommend Marcone Appliance Parts for their same-day shipping. Be careful though as today’s appliances are much more finicky and full of electronics than they used to be. Never work on a warrantied appliance yourself.
3. Why are appliance parts so expensive?
It’s not uncommon to experience some sticker shock upon researching the cost of appliance repair. There are a couple of good reasons the prices are “high”:
- Technicians aren’t cheap. Technicians today have to stay current on dozens of brands and hundreds of models, requiring constant retraining and certifications.
- Electronics. Appliances these days are full of electronic components and they tend to be more expensive than their old mechanical counterparts.
- Limited supplies. Depending on the age of your machine, the parts for it might be in short supply now. Thanks to simple supply and demand economics, the price for difficult-to-find parts can skyrocket.
Most likely you’ll need to fork over a diagnostic fee to find out if your appliance is worth repairing. Be skeptical if the diagnostic fee seems too low, as there is usually a catch so be sure to read the fine print. Sherman’s charges a flat fee of $129.99, and offers a voucher back of half the service fee towards a new appliance from us should you decide the cost to repair is too high.
4. How old is my appliance?
Sometimes even simple questions can be difficult to answer. Maybe you purchased it years ago and can’t quite remember, or you inherited it with your home purchase and aren’t the original owner. Often the easiest way to find out is to look for the manufacturing date listed on the serial tag. Serial tags can be tricky to find (washer’s tags are often on the back, refrigerator’s tags are usually inside the fresh food area on a side wall, etc) so you may need to Google its location- be sure to include the brand and item type in your search. If your serial tag doesn’t list a manufacturing date, it may be coded into the serial number itself. You can search the model number online to try and get an estimate, or give us a call at 309-691-4100.
5. Should I get it fixed or buy a new one?
This is a good question and one that’s nearly impossible to answer without a diagnosis. The average life on an appliance is 7-10 years, so if yours is more than 7 years old then you should probably look towards replacement. You need to weigh the pros/cons of buying a new machine that comes with a new warranty versus sinking a couple hundred dollars into an appliance that may end up with another unrelated failure down the road. An honest servicer should also give you some good advice after completing the diagnosis. Again, Sherman’s will always refund half of your diagnostic fee towards a new machine if that ends up being the more economical route for you to take.
Appliance failures are no fun, but with a little research, you can save yourself a lot of time and hassle by carefully selecting the right servicer. We hope we helped answer a few of your questions here, but don’t ever hesitate to give us a call at 309-691-4100 for other questions or to request an appliance repair appointment.
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