Home maintenance tools for the expensive appliances in your house

Enter your appliance’s serial number and we’ll tell you exactly how old it is. Then you can compare that against typical lifespan and replacement cost to decide whether to repair it or replace it.

We also have calculators for maintenance budgeting and filter sizing, and plain guides to the parts of your house most likely to fail.

Tools

Enter your own numbers — a serial number, a repair quote, a filter size — and get an instant answer.

Appliance Age CalculatorSerial number in, manufacture year out — plus where it sits against a normal lifespan.Water Heater Age CalculatorRheem, A.O. Smith and Bradford White all encode the date differently. This reads all three.Home Maintenance Budget CalculatorEstimate what a home of your size and age should cost you each year, so a failure is a line item, not a crisis.Furnace Filter Size FinderWork out the size you need, what MERV rating suits your system, and how often to change it.

By appliance

The same calculator, one appliance at a time — each page also shows exactly where to find the serial number on it.

RefrigeratorCovers major refrigerator brands: GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Bosch and more.Washing MachineCovers major washing machine brands: GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Bosch and more.DishwasherCovers major dishwasher brands: GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Bosch and more.DryerCovers major dryer brands: GE, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, Frigidaire, Bosch and more.Garbage DisposalCovers InSinkErator, the dominant garbage disposal brand, plus others.

What they last, and what they cost to replace

Lifespans are ranges because usage, maintenance and install quality all affect them. Replacement figures are estimated cost for a mid-range unit, including installation.

Appliance	Typical life	Average	Replacement	First expensive failure
Refrigerator	10–18 yrs	13 yrs	$800–$2,500	Years 16+
Washing Machine	8–14 yrs	10 yrs	$600–$1,400	Years 13+
Dishwasher	7–12 yrs	9 yrs	$500–$1,200	Years 11+
Dryer	10–15 yrs	13 yrs	$550–$1,300	Years 16+
Garbage Disposal	8–15 yrs	12 yrs	$150–$450	Years 13+

Start here if…

Five ways people arrive at this site. Pick the one that sounds like you.

Nothing is wrong. I just want to know where I stand.

Decode each big appliance once and write the years down. That is the whole job.

Start decoding →

Something just broke and I need to decide.

Get the age first, then enter the repair quote — the calculator compares repair vs. replace by cost per remaining year of life.

Appliance age calculator →

I am budgeting for the year.

Estimate annual upkeep from the age and size of the house, then set the number aside.

Budget calculator →

My hot water is unreliable.

Water heaters are the one appliance that fails destructively, by leaking rather than just stopping. Check its age now, before it fails on its own.

Water heater age →

I do not know what size filter to buy.

Measure the slot, get the nominal size, and see what MERV suits the system.

Filter size finder →

Comparisons

Real running costs for each option, including one most comparisons skip.

Central AC vs window unitsRunning costs, sizing, and the mini-split option most comparisons skip.Gas vs electric water heatersAnnual running cost at your own utility rates, including heat-pump water heaters.Tank vs tanklessWhere tankless pays back and where it does not.DIY vs hiring a plumberWhich jobs are reasonable, and which end badly.DIY vs hiring an electricianWhich jobs are safe to DIY, and which legally need a permit.

Parts and jobs

Short, plain guides to the parts of your house that break most often.

Water heater anode rodThe cheap part that decides how long the tank lasts.Furnace filtersTypes, MERV ratings and how often they actually need changing.Dryer ventsThe duct behind the machine matters more than the lint screen.Sump pumpsHow to test one on a dry day rather than a wet one.Circuit breakersWhy it trips, and when that means something is actually wrong.GFCI outletsThe outlet with the buttons, and why it should trip.Smoke detectorsThey expire. Almost nobody checks the date on the back.Water pressure regulatorsOne valve protecting every fixture in the house.P-trapsThe bend under the sink, and the smell it keeps out.Ice damsWhy ice builds at the roof edge, and what actually stops it.CaulkingWhere it fails first and how often to redo it.Crawl spacesMoisture, vents, and what belongs in one.R-valueWhat insulation numbers mean once installed.New homeowner toolsThe short list genuinely worth buying first.Grants and rebatesWorth checking before you pay for a replacement.

By situation

What you're responsible for maintaining depends on your situation.

First-time homeownersWhat to check in the first month.LandlordsTracking appliance age across units.Condo ownersWhat is yours to maintain and what is not.Second homesFailures that happen while nobody is there.