When to repair or replace an appliance?

While CD players with new convenience features are constantly introduced, the basic function of playing a CD has not changed significantly in 15 years. None of the much hyped 'advancements' such as digital filters, oversampling, one bit D/As, and such are likely to make any difference whatsoever in the listening pleasure of most mortals. The people who care, do so only because they are more concerned with the technology than the musical experience. Most of these so called advances were done at least in part to reduce costs - not necessarily to improve performance. Therefore, unless you really do need a 250 disc CD changer with a remote control that has more buttons than a B777 cockpit and 2000 track programmability, a 10 year old CD player will sound just as good and repair may not be a bad idea. Many older CD players are built more solidly than those of today. Even some new high-end CD players may be built around a mostly plastic optical deck and flimsy chassis. If you need to send ...  more

With small to medium size microwave ovens going for $60-100 it hardly makes sense to spend $60 to have one repaired. Even full size microwave ovens with full featured touchpanel can be had for under $200. Thus, replacement should be considered seriously before sinking a large investment into an older oven. However, if you can do the repair yourself, the equation changes dramatically as your parts costs will be 1/2 to 1/4 of what a professional will charge and of course your time is free. The educational aspects may also be appealing. You will learn a lot in the process. Many problems can be solved quickly and inexpensively. Fixing an old microwave for the dorm room may just make sense after all. • Back to Microwave Oven Repair FAQ Table of Contents. Installation and Preventive Maintenance Microwave oven installation and use To assure safety and convenient, follow these recommendations: • Read your users manual from cover to cover especially if this is your first microwave. What a ...  more

If you currently have an older air conditioning or heat pump system and experience a major system malfunction or failure, you will most likely have to make a decision of weather or not you want to repair the existing system or have it replaced with a newer high efficiency system. At times it's more advantageous to replace the entire system both (indoor and outdoor sections) rather than have it repaired. If your system is over 10 years of age, chances are that it not operating as efficiently as it was when it was new, also the seer rating is much lower than that of today's minimum seer rating of 13. If a system replacement is recommended, you should consider these important facts: The age of the system? What is the repair history of the system? Has the system been maintained properly? And over all, how does the equipment look to you? When looking at an outdoor section of an air conditioning or heat pump system, it should be looked at in the same manner as an automobile. If the ...