When we purchased our home a year ago, one of the features that was touted in the advertisements and shown by the realtor was that it has and updated kitchen. What we learned when shopping was that there are several factors that go into an updated kitchen and not all homes with updated kitchens have the same features. Updated might mean that the appliances have been replaced since the home was built. It might mean that cabinets and/or countertops have been replaced. It might mean that features such as skylights have been added. In the case of our kitchen, the original appliances had all been replaced with stainless steel models and the original vinyl flooring had been replaced with a different vinyl flooring. The laminate countertops were the same. The cabinets were almost the same, but someone had decided that they didn’t like the original knotless cabinets and placed knobs on all of the doors and drawers though the original cutout handholds are still in place.

What we know after a year is that replaced appliances might not be as big a bargain as we first expected. As a back story, when we purchased our home in Rapid City, it had only one appliance - the dishwasher. We brought our own washing machine and dryer and purchased a new refrigerator, and stove. Those appliances lasted the 25 years we lived in that home and were in good working condition when we sold them with the home. The dishwasher was replaced after we had moved into the home and that dishwasher was subsequently replaced so the house was on its 3rd dishwasher when we sold it.

This new house supposedly came with new kitchen appliances when it was built 14 years ago. Those appliances were then replaced at some point with the upgraded stainless steel appliances. We had purchased new laundry appliances when we moved into our rental home the year before and since we had done our research and purchased what we wanted, we gave the larger stainless steel appliances to our son and his family and moved ours into the house. In ten days we will have officially owned the house for one year. The new, upgraded microwave failed a few months ago and we purchased another one to replace it. The broiler quit working on the oven. Since the appliance is a gas range, we are in the process of having a new electric service installed so we and replace it with an electric stove and oven. Then, last week, when we returned from our trip to Montana, the water dispenser in the refrigerator wasn’t working. Upon inspection, we realized that the ice maker was no longer getting water, either. After watching a half dozen YouTube videos on diagnosing the problem, pulling the refrigerator, which is huge, away from its place against the wall, taking out my multimeter and conducting a few tests, I have determined that the water inlet valve is not functioning. The part is ordered and the repair should be fairly simple. The part is not inexpensive.

Water inlet valves are a part of all appliances that use water: washing machines, dishwashers, and refrigerators when they are equipped with water and ice dispensers. They have been around for many years. It can happen that the valves fail due to the buildup of corrosion that causes a mechanical failure. It an also happen that the electric circuits fail due to overheating or corrosion. I do not know why the valve failed. What I do know is that we have not experienced the failure of such a valve on any other appliance we have owned, including on the 25 year old refrigerator we had in Rapid City.

Our experiences matches ones reported by friends. New appliances have much higher failure rates than older ones. We have family members who had appliances last for decades without problems. Susan’s parents had a refrigerator in their basement that was over 40 years old and the only repair that had been made in that time was the replacement of a door seal. That reminds me, I have also replaced the door seals on this refrigerator and significant cost. Her parents also had a toaster that served for more than 50 years. Her father was an electrician and I’m sure the toaster had repairs during its life probably including replacement of heating elements.

New isn’t necessarily better. The expectation that appliances be replaced every decade or so might be good for appliance sales, but it is an expense for homeowners that isn’t necessary. We have the knowledge and technology to manufacture quality appliances that can be repaired and will stand the test of time.

I guess I do need to acknowledge that so far the things that have happened with this refrigerator are things that can be repaired and the parts are readily available on the internet. At some point, however, frustration with the failure of parts will get high enough that we will take the step to replace the appliance. In the case of the microwave, we feel that we purchased a higher quality appliance with a lower chance of failure than the one that came with the house. We intend to do the same with the stove. However, about all I can say about the refrigerator is that we intend to keep this one going as long as practical. Were we to replace it, we probably would go for a smaller model. Other than that, I don’t know how to predict how long an appliance will last. This one is from the appliance maker’s “professional” line, which doesn’t mean it was designed for a commercial kitchen, but rather that it cost more than models that don’t have the upgraded badges installed.

This refrigerator is a brand that is well recognized in the United States. My parents had the same brand in the home in which I grew up. Of course that brand now belongs to a different company because the original company has been sold. And unlike my parents’ refrigerator, this one was assembled in Mexico and imported into the US. I certainly have no loyalty to the brand name and have no desire to have the appliances in my home all come from the same manufacturer.

I just wish there was the option of purchasing an appliance that would last longer than I do. I’m not planning to expire anytime soon, but I’m unlikely to last as many more years as Susan’s parents got out of their refrigerator.