For their first owner, most major household appliances last about 9 to 15 years, and that's how long I'd budget for. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) put gas ranges at the long end, at 15 years, and dishwashers and microwave ovens at the short end, at 9 years each.
An appliance's lifespan is the number of years it keeps working before someone replaces it, and the NAHB figures are based on first-owner use. At Merit Home Furniture on Vancouver Island, our site has 527 appliance listings carried at the Campbell River and Port Alberni stores. The appliances we carry run from fridges and freezers to ranges, hoods, dishwashers and laundry pairs. I write from Duncan, which no longer has appliances, so for buying one I'll point you to those two stores.
The charts below come from home builders, home inspectors and Natural Resources Canada, and they disagree by a few years. How an appliance is used and looked after explains much of that gap.
How long do appliances last? Two lifespan charts side by side
How long appliances last depends on which chart you read, though the two most often quoted agree within a couple of years for most machines. The NAHB's 2007 study of home components took its appliance figures from Appliance Magazine's September 2005 issue. InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, keeps its own chart and says its numbers assume regular recommended maintenance and normal wear.
| Appliance | NAHB, 2007 | InterNACHI chart |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 13 years, or 9 for a compact | 9 to 13 years |
| Freezer | 11 years | 10 to 20 years |
| Gas range | 15 years | 15 to 17 years |
| Electric range | 13 years | 13 to 15 years |
| Dishwasher | 9 years | 9 years |
| Microwave oven | 9 years | 9 years |
| Range or oven hood | 14 years | 14 years |
| Clothes washer | 10 years | 5 to 15 years |
| Clothes dryer | 13 years, gas or electric | 13 years |
| Trash compactor | 6 years | 6 years |
| Food waste disposer | 12 years | 12 years |
Natural Resources Canada's EnerGuide booklet, published in 2013, gives longer figures from Appliance Magazine's July 2012 issue. It lists 15 years for electric ranges and 13 for refrigerators. Clothes dryers and freezers get 12 years, and washers and dishwashers get 11.
Both the NAHB study and InterNACHI add the same caution. Many appliances are replaced long before they wear out, because styling, technology and tastes move on. Wi-Fi is one of those changes, built into smart appliances that connect to a phone. So a chart figure is closer to how long people keep an appliance than to how long it could run.
How long do kitchen appliances last, one appliance at a time
Kitchen appliances run from about 9 years for a dishwasher or microwave to 15 or more for a gas range. For anyone planning a whole kitchen, I've listed every kitchen appliance with its standard width.
Refrigerators come out at 13 years in both the NAHB table and the NRCan booklet, though a compact fridge gets only 9. Consumer Reports found in its 2011 reliability survey that fridges with icemakers were twice as likely to break down as those without. The refrigerators we list include both kinds.
Ranges are the longest-lived machines in the kitchen. NAHB gives a gas range 15 years and an electric one 13, and InterNACHI puts a gas oven anywhere from 10 to 18 years.
Figures for a kitchen dishwasher differ by source: 9 years from NAHB, 11 from NRCan. A 2019 study in the Journal of Cleaner Production, by researchers at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, worked from about 11,000 repair diagnoses at a European repair centre. It found that dishwashers the centre didn't repair had served an average of 12 years.
Microwave ovens and range hoods match across both charts, at 9 and 14 years, so a 9-year-old over-the-range or countertop microwave is old by either measure. Trash compactors and food waste disposers round out the chart. Merit lists no disposers, and the one compactor on our site, the KitchenAid 15 in. trash compactor, is a special order.
What are the signs of a dying refrigerator?
The surest sign of a dying refrigerator is that it can't hold a safe temperature. Health Canada sets the fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or lower and the freezer at -18 °C (0 °F) or lower. A cheap fridge thermometer left on a middle shelf overnight settles the question. Whirlpool notes that clean condenser coils help a fridge hold steady temperatures, so I'd clean the coils and check again before calling it. A fridge older than 13 years that still runs warm after that has outlived the NAHB figure.
What is the average lifespan of an air fryer?
Neither the NAHB study nor InterNACHI's chart lists countertop air fryers, and I couldn't find a named study that gives one a lifespan. An air fry mode built into a range is part of the oven, so the range figures apply. The LG 30 in. electric range with Air Fry is listed from $1,149.99 before applicable taxes, at Campbell River and Port Alberni.
How long do household appliances last in the laundry room and basement?
Laundry and basement appliances last about 10 to 13 years on the NAHB figures, with washers at the short end. The spread on washers is wide: InterNACHI's range for them, 5 to 15 years, is one of the broadest in its appliance list.
The 2019 Joint Research Centre study put numbers on washer failures too. Washers the repair centre didn't fix had served 12.6 years on average, and the ones it did repair averaged 13.2 years old. Electronics, shock absorbers and bearings, doors, carbon brushes and pumps were the recurring faults. Bearings, drums and tubs were among the faults least often repaired, which is where a long motor and tub warranty earns its keep. The Electrolux 27 in. front load washer lists 1 year parts and labour, 10 years motor, lifetime tub, at $1,099.00 before applicable taxes.
What is the average lifespan of a clothes dryer?
A clothes dryer averages 13 years on the NAHB table, gas or electric, and InterNACHI agrees. NRCan's booklet says 12. The vent behind it has its own clock: InterNACHI gives a plastic dryer vent 5 years and a steel one 20. Montreal's fire service says dryer vents must be metal, as short and straight as possible, with no more than four elbows unless the maker says otherwise.
Freezers get 11 years from NAHB, 12 from NRCan and 10 to 20 from InterNACHI, and none of the three splits lift-lid chest freezers from upright freezers. A freezer in a garage or carport is a different case. Danby rates its garage-ready chest freezers for 0 to 110 °F (-17 to 43 °C). Its manual says they're for indoor and garage use, not outside or anywhere that isn't temperature controlled. Silhouette's wine coolers aren't allowed in a garage at all. Our guide explains why a wine cooler can't live in a garage, using Island frost days.
Water heaters and furnaces appear in the same NAHB table: 11 years for an electric water heater, 10 for a gas one and 18 for a gas furnace. Those are questions for a plumber or heating contractor; Merit doesn't sell them.
What shortens an appliance's lifespan, and did old ones really last longer?
An appliance's lifespan depends most on how hard it's used. The NAHB study says so in plain terms, and the European repair data agree: Joint Research Centre researchers listed stress, abrasion, maintenance and changing technology among the factors.
The older Merit posts this guide replaces dealt in appliance myths. The one the evidence answers most clearly is the idea that new machines break sooner. Consumer Reports said in 2011 that goods had grown more complex, yet the 33 products in its survey weren't failing more often. When something did break, more than half stopped working altogether.
Front-load washers were more repair-prone than top-loaders in that survey, and the door gasket was the usual culprit. Consumer Reports passed on the makers' advice to clean the gasket now and then and leave the door ajar after each wash.
On the Island, salt air is worth a thought if you live near the water. Maytag's Canadian warranty booklet excludes surface rust and discoloration from caustic or corrosive environments, and names high salt concentrations and high moisture or humidity among them.
What is the 50/50 rule for appliance repair?
The 50/50 rule for appliance repair says to replace an appliance when the repair would cost more than half the price of a new one. In 2011, Consumer Reports wrote that its "50-percent rule still stands" for broken products. It added that major appliances usually have long service lives, so it generally recommends keeping them longer than electronics.
Some versions of the rule add a second half about age, replacing anything past half its expected life. That part isn't in Consumer Reports' wording, though the European data point the same way. Owners often found the repair too expensive, and the median age of an appliance left unrepaired by the owner's choice was about 10 years.
Here is the 50 percent line on four appliances from our own listings, at the prices read on November 1, 2026, before applicable taxes.
| Appliance | Listed price | Repair ceiling at 50% |
|---|---|---|
| Danby 5.0 cu. ft. chest freezer | $319.99 | About $160 |
| Midea 24 in. front control dishwasher | From $629.99 | About $315 |
| Electrolux 27 in. front load washer | $1,099.00 | About $550 |
| LG 30 in. electric range with Air Fry | From $1,149.99 | About $575 |
Repair still often pays. In a 2021 Consumer Reports survey, about 68 percent of members whose dishwasher malfunctioned tried to repair it. Of the professional repairs, 73 percent worked on the first attempt, 18 percent worked after more visits and 9 percent never fixed the problem. Many members who skipped the repair named the cost.
With an older dishwasher and a quote for a pump, I'd ask for the quote in writing and set it beside half the price of a comparable new one. The European study found pumps and electronics among the dishwasher faults least often repaired, so that's the quote I'd look at hardest.
Appliance warranty lengths on the makers' Canadian pages
Appliance warranties in Canada mostly start with one year of parts and labour. The longer terms cover named parts, often parts only, with the labour on you.
| Appliance | Base term | Longer parts cover |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 1 year at LG, Frigidaire and Bosch; 12 months at Samsung | LG: 10 years compressor, parts only. Samsung: a 10-year parts warranty on digital inverter compressors. |
| Washer | 1 year at LG and Frigidaire; 12 months at Samsung | LG: 10 years on the direct drive motor, parts only. Samsung: a 10-year parts warranty on the digital inverter motor. |
| Dishwasher | 1 year at Bosch and Frigidaire; 12 months at Samsung | Bosch: circuit board and racks from the 2nd to 5th year. Frigidaire: lifetime on the stainless tub and door liner. |
| Range | 1 year at Bosch and Frigidaire; 12 months at Samsung | Samsung: a 5-year parts warranty on the radiant heater and glass cooktop, on certain models. |
| Over-the-range microwave | 1 year at LG; 12 months at Samsung | Both: 5 years on the magnetron, parts only. |
The Whirlpool family words it differently in its Canadian booklets. Whirlpool's covers certain fridge parts and labour from years two through five, and Maytag's covers certain parts only from years two through ten.
Merit's own listings print some longer terms. The Danby chest freezers our stores carry list 5 years parts and labour, in-home service. Midea's dishwashers, dryers and ranges list a 2-year limited warranty, and the Sharp countertop microwaves add 4 years on the magnetron tube.
For an appliance claim, Merit's warranty page says to start the claim with the maker, or call the Campbell River or Port Alberni store that sold it. SmartOne by Zucora, our extended plan, covers up to five years from purchase. How a maker's warranty and ours fit together is set out in its own guide. One Island detail in Maytag's booklet: it excludes travel costs for service in remote locations where no authorized servicer is available.
An appliance maintenance checklist, with each maker's interval
The appliance maintenance that adds years is small and regular. Each line below is one maker's interval for one kind of appliance, and the manual for your own model wins where it differs.
- Refrigerator. Whirlpool says a typical home rarely needs coil cleaning, but homes with pets, heavy kitchen traffic or construction dust should check the coils every 3 to 6 months.
- Chest freezer. Danby's manual says to defrost twice a year or at roughly a 1/4 inch layer of frost. It warns that a sharp tool can pierce the refrigerant lines and void the warranty.
- Dishwasher. Whirlpool suggests cleaning the filter once a month, or every two weeks for a large family or daily use.
- Washer. LG Canada suggests cleaning the tub with its Tub Clean cycle, preferably once a month, and leaving the door or lid open after every cycle until the tub dries.
- Dryer. Whirlpool says to clear the lint screen after every load and scrub it with a nylon brush every six months.
- Range hood. Broan says to wash aluminum mesh grease filters in the dishwasher approximately every month. Carbon filters on a ductless hood are replaced, never washed.
- Over-the-range microwave. Whirlpool says to clean the grease filters monthly and replace the charcoal filter about every 6 months.
Montreal's fire service adds one more for the dryer: check the outside vent often, so lint, snow or ice can't block it. The counters and cabinets around these machines have their own weekly and monthly kitchen jobs.
The same question comes up with beds, and how long a mattress lasts answers it for Merit's other big purchase.
Recycling an old appliance on Vancouver Island
An old appliance on Vancouver Island can go to a MARR site for free. The Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable is the not-for-profit stewardship agency for large appliances in BC. Its plan won provincial approval on June 29, 2012, and MARR says there is no charge to drop off a large appliance at its collection sites.
MARR's list covers every appliance type in the chart above. For microwaves, though, it names only built-in and over-the-range models, so a countertop one is worth asking your regional district about. MARR points out that many large appliances hold refrigerants, which licensed professionals handle when the appliance is recycled.
These are the MARR collection sites near our stores when I checked:
| Area | MARR collection sites |
|---|---|
| Cowichan Valley | CVRD Bings Creek Recycling Centre in Duncan, Meade Creek in Lake Cowichan, Peerless Road in Ladysmith |
| Campbell River | ABC Recycling, CSWM Campbell River Waste Management Centre and Radius Recycling |
| Port Alberni | Alberni Valley Sort'n'Go Centre |
Whether our Campbell River or Port Alberni store takes the old appliance away when a new one arrives is a question for that store. I can't confirm their terms from where I sit.
Where appliance lifespan charts can mislead you
- The data is old, and mostly American. NAHB's appliance table dates from 2007, built on US first-owner use, and NRCan's figures come from a 2012 magazine.
- A plastic dryer vent. InterNACHI gives it 5 years, so a dryer with plenty of life left can still sit behind a vent that's done.
- A built-in that's boxed in. Maytag's booklet excludes removing or reinstalling an appliance that cabinetry, islands or countertops block.
- An unheated garage or shed. Danby tests its garage-ready freezers from 0 °F up, and its manual rules out outdoor spots.
Where these appliance lifespan figures come from
- National Association of Home Builders, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, February 2007, checked November 2026.
- InterNACHI, Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes, checked November 2026.
- Natural Resources Canada, Choosing and Using Appliances With EnerGuide, 2013, checked November 2026.
- Tecchio, Ardente and Mathieux, Understanding lifetimes and failure modes of defective washing machines and dishwashers, Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019, checked November 2026.
- Consumer Reports, press release on its Product Reliability and Repair or Replace surveys, July 2011, checked November 2026.
- Consumer Reports, Should You Repair or Replace Your Broken Dishwasher?, updated January 29, 2024, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Safe food storage, checked November 2026.
- LG Canada, Warranty terms, checked November 2026.
- Samsung Canada, Warranty information, checked November 2026.
- Frigidaire Canada, Warranty Information, checked November 2026.
- Bosch Home Appliances Canada, Warranties, checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Canada limited warranty booklets for Whirlpool (W11655299A) and Maytag (W11655302A), checked November 2026.
- Whirlpool Product Help: How and When to Safely Clean the Condenser Coils, How to Clean the Dishwasher Filters, Cleaning the Lint Screen on a Dryer and Cleaning the Filters on an Over-the-Range Microwave, checked November 2026.
- LG Canada, washer tub cleaning and maintenance, checked November 2026.
- Broan-NuTone Help Center, How often should I clean my filters?, checked November 2026.
- Danby, owner's manual for the DCF035A5WDB, DCF050A5WDB, DCF070A5WDB and DCF100A5WDB chest freezers, checked November 2026.
- Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Dryers: safety tips, checked November 2026.
- Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable: home page, FAQ and the collection site lists for Cowichan Valley, Strathcona and Alberni-Clayoquot, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live appliance listings and warranty page, read November 1, 2026.
Asking Campbell River or Port Alberni about a replacement appliance
Apart from the special-order compactor, every appliance named here is carried at Merit's Campbell River store, our Port Alberni store, or both. A call before the drive tells you which models are on the floor. If the old one still runs, timing the purchase of new appliances around the sales can save money. Bring the old appliance's model number and the measurements of the opening, and take as long as you like.
- Our Campbell River store is at 1300 A Homewood Rd, phone (250) 286-0868.
- Our Port Alberni store is at 2935 Third Ave, phone (250) 724-6644.
Appliances neither store carries are special orders, and their listings say "Call to order (250) 746-5527". Neither store's appliance delivery terms are confirmed for this guide, so that's worth asking on the call.
Phone our Campbell River store, (250) 286-0868 or our Port Alberni store, (250) 724-6644
Every model is in the full Merit appliance catalogue, and my other guides to buying appliances are gathered on one page.