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The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

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141–150 of 194 posts

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#141
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if you meant this, but I wonder too.. from the perspective of: - energy loss in resource extraction and refinement (steel, aluminum, plastic, etc, etc) - manufacturing energy use - shipping energy use - disposal energy costs of old device (including recycling costs) - all the pollution in the above, versus pollution from local energy sources It's entirely possible that an energy efficient fridge that las…

But those energy costs are externalized from the manufacturer to other players, so no company cares.

Precisely. So state mandated longer warranties will level the playing field for all manufacturers, whist improving environmental comcerns.

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#143

It’s not just appliances, it’s even common household items too. Someone disassembled a portable toothbrush that died within some months vs the many years of the one that died before. The original one had what looked like a custom/in house engineered motor with a solid structure and beefy battery. The new one had those cheap toy motors that cost a few pennies each along with a flimsy frame and tiny battery to match.

A good example of this is the Kitchenaid standing mixer that used to have metal gears and now has plastic gears and easily fails. They used to last generations, now they last a few years. They turned one of the most iconic small appliances into a generic plastic piece of junk.

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No thanks. In that case I prefer to build my own, so I know how to fix it myself. Some people and laws might take issue with that though.

There is no law that will prevent you from making a washing machine.

5 gallon bucket and a plunger. Drill hole in the lid for plunger.

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#146
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While many individual components may be better, or the chassis may be stronger and more rigid due to manufacturing improvements, materials, adhesives, etc, a lot of newer cars seem to have far more subsystems, arguably more complexity, and accordingly more failure modes.

Having more potential failure modes is not the same as being more likely to fail. In fact in a car it's not even clear that it makes the unusable.

It is technically correct that having more potential failure modes is not the same as being more likely to fail, but... now there are many more ways that car subsystems can fail, and they can render the car unusable, force the car into "limp mode," or reduce overall long-term reliability. The added complexity can also increase the cost of repair, rendering the repair a non-economical choice for the owner.

For a car, examples can include drive/brake by wire controls, traction controls, a variety of fuel efficiency (e.g. variable cylinder management), additional emissions controls, etc.

Some examples of non-powertrain related features can include windshield rain sensors, headlight leveling sensors, etc.

The manufacturer trend toward smaller-displacement turbocharged engines in ICE designs in pursuit of emissions and fuel economy performance is one of the most obvious areas of added complexity and failure modes where the long-term trade-offs are questionable. In general, serviceability has gone down, with greater need for maintenance. Fuel economy in actual driving applications often aren't as good as promised on paper and end up being comparable to the naturally aspirated engines they replaced.

The ownership experience of stuff when new versus after five or ten years is now a very different experience. Many things seem to be more obviously designed for lease or designed to be "reliable" within its factory warranty window.

If I paid for a heated seat subscription in a new vehicle, would the manufacturer would also ensure that the heated seats were still physically working if it broke?

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#147
I’ve thought about this a lot while restoring an old sewing machine. I conclude it comes down to the Labor-Capital share in a market [1].

Labor used to be relatively more abundant compared to capital. In these conditions, servicing an older machine makes economic sense.

With capital becoming relatively cheap compared to labor, servicing becomes more expensive. It then becomes cheaper to simply replace an appliance, utilizing efficiencies of scale unlocked on the factory floor though greater automation. Repairmen don’t enjoy the same efficiency gains because diagnosing and repairing an issue is still fundamentally a manual process.

1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_share

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#148
Shrinking? Appliances' lifespan shrinking!?

They have been given cancer!

Thank God for American Hpme Warranty, it actually does pay at least two-fold over 5-year worth of its premium costs.

This is not a shill but a testimony of the ridiculous lifespan of dishwasher, refrigerators, stove, garbage disposals, washing machines, dryer, and air conditioner condensor unit.

EDIT: and a water heater. House was built in 1990.

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#149
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quebec, Canada one-ups on this! Our warranty law essentially says a "product must work for as long as is reasonable". There is also a very easy way for citizens to apply to a commission, including past judgements, with a simple form and no cost. One can also look at past judgements. So far, the logic is that an expensive fridge should last 10 to 20 years. Same for other appliances. And if companies give the run-aroun…

So do these major manufacturers sell different models in Norway and Quebec?

If so, there may be a business opportunity here...

Re: The lifespan of large appliances is shrinking

#150
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People move into new homes. Don't people bring their appliances with them when moving?

Generally not in the US. When you make an offer to buy a home, there will be a section that lists the furnishings/appliances/things-not-nailed-down that are included in your offer. Your real estate agent is going to check the boxes for appliances without even asking you. You could tell the agent not to do that, and the seller could say no. But that would be unusual.

I can tell you as a real estate agent I almost always recommend to my clients that they leave the appliances... appliances are a pain to move! No guarantee that your old appliances will fit in the respective places in the house you are buying, likelihood of beating up the walls and floors as you move them in and out of houses, and often it will cost you as much to move it as it would to just buy a new one. Further - the buyer of your home generally doesn't want to have to go spend thousands on new appliances right after they dropped a big chunk of coin buying your house. It definitely makes an impression on buyers, especially how petty it looks if you are marketing a luxury home where the sellers have stripped all the appliances - does not give the impression of luxury to a prospective buyer.
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