How Long Should Your Appliance Last

Average life expectancy in years of a thermostat and a compactor, respectively the longest-lived and shortest-lived appliances in the American home, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components. (See the table below for an alphabetized list of appliances.)
Keep in mind that the life expectancy listed here is just a general guideline—depending on the model and brand of appliances you buy and how well you treat them, your gear might last longer or might need replacing even sooner.
So after you figure out where to buy appliances, be sure to check the brand-repair histories (available to subscribers) of the gear on our Appliances hub.

Appliance	Life Expectancy (years)
Air Conditioners (room)	10
Air Conditioners (central)	15
Boilers (electric)	13
Boilers (gas)	21
Compactors	6
Dehumidifiers	8
Dishwashers	9
Dryers (electric and gas)	13
Freezers	11
Furnaces (electric warm air)	15
Furnaces (gas warm air)	18
Furnaces (oil warm air)	20
Garbage Disposers	12
Humidifiers	8
Microwave Ovens	9
Range/Oven Hoods	14
Ranges (electric)	13
Ranges (gas)	15
Refrigerators	13
Refrigerators (compact)	9
Thermostats	35
Washing Machines	10
Water Heaters (electric)	11
Water Heaters (gas)	10
Water Heaters (tankless)	20+

Appliance	Life Expectancy (years)
Air Conditioners (room)	10
Air Conditioners (central)	15
Boilers (electric)	13
Boilers (gas)	21
Compactors	6
Dehumidifiers	8
Dishwashers	9
Dryers (electric and gas)	13
Freezers	11
Furnaces (electric warm air)	15
Furnaces (gas warm air)	18
Furnaces (oil warm air)	20
Garbage Disposers	12
Humidifiers	8
Microwave Ovens	9
Range/Oven Hoods	14
Ranges (electric)	13
Ranges (gas)	15
Refrigerators	13
Refrigerators (compact)	9
Thermostats	35
Washing Machines	10
Water Heaters (electric)	11
Water Heaters (gas)	10
Water Heaters (tankless)	20+

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Posted on 3/3/2010 12:24:46 PM