I’m not sure if all of this is correct (because I haven’t had my house for as long as some of the items on this list), but here’s an article from Kiplingers. If you have any insight on any of this, share please!
- Washing machine. 12 years.”You can extend the life by cleaning it once a month, emptying your dryer’s lint screen after each use, and avoiding covering the dryer’s outside exhaust.” We clean our lint screen after each use, but I don’t think we’ve ever actually cleaned the washer or dryer.
- Standard incandescent light bulb. 1,000 hours.
- Furnace. 20 years. Our furnace is at 16 years and I’m starting to get really nervous. Our friend had to replace her furnace and her air conditioning system this summer and it cost her $6,000!
- Mattress. Around 5 to 7 years. I have definitely kept a mattress longer than this though. “Rotating and flipping your mattress every six months is another great way to get the most out of it.”
- Dishwasher. 13 years.
- Water heater. 10 years. Ours is at 12 years, so I’m hoping it doesn’t fail either. However, my mom bought a brand new house around 3 years ago, and the water heater already had to be replaced last year.
Do your items last this long? How long do you think they should last?
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Mrs. Pancakes says
October 17, 2011 at 9:16 amI don't have a home yet but i can understand some of these things would need to be replaced. i may need to start saving for a new mattress…i love your blog!
Louise says
October 17, 2011 at 10:42 amour first washing machine lasted over 20 years, this one is over 10 years old.our furnace needed some repairs about 4 years after buying it but it is still going strong ( 23 yrs)lightbulbs- not sure!waterbed mattress – two in 29 yearsDishwasher, ours have only lasted 3-4 yearsWater heater, ours lasted 21 years,I think having a fund just for repairs is a really good idea, with houses there always seems to be something that needs fixing.
Stephanie says
October 17, 2011 at 1:05 pmThis is the down-side of living in an older home. No idea how old half of that stuff is!! I do know that our dishwasher is less than 5 years old, and it's a really nice Kenmore Elite model, hoping it will last a good long time!! Our washer and dryer are on their last legs though, I suspect I'll have to replace them within the year. I'd guess around 12 years old is probably right for them.Our furnace? I don't know exactly how old it is, but it's pretty ancient. We make sure to have it serviced every fall, and apart from being old it's still in great shape. Our home inspector said we'd have to replace our water heater within a year or two of moving in since it was 9 years old at the time, but it's been 2 1/2 years and it's still going strong. Our mattress is almost 6 years old, I suspect we'll have to replace it soon. A pillowtop seemed like a great idea at the time, but we can only rotate it, we can't flip it. Now we know for next time. 😉
Sarah @ 90 Percent B says
October 17, 2011 at 2:13 pmFor the dryer, it's also recommended to clean the whole dryer vent out once a year. Around here, chimney sweeps and HVAC companies do that (if it's too long to do yourself with a brush purchased at Lowes/HD)It will be MUCH more efficient, will last longer, and it helps prevent dryer fires
Sharon says
October 17, 2011 at 2:55 pmOh boy, I WISH our appliances lasted that long! We had to replace our furnace and air conditioner units after 11 years, our dishwasher after 5 years and our hot water heater after 12 years. Our washing machine and dryer are 10 years old…YIKES! I guess those are next!
Aex M. says
October 17, 2011 at 3:07 pmDon't forget to vacuum out the coils and vents around the fridge!
Renee says
October 17, 2011 at 4:01 pmas for mattresses no maker now does it so they can Flip over only rotate. And actually they are supposed to be replaced every 10 from what I undrstand. IF you buy a good quality furnace it is supposed to last 15 or so. The one in our house we recently bought was 20 years old..but used a lot of energy so we replaced it.
Tanner says
October 17, 2011 at 4:43 pmWashing machines and dryers, it also depends on the use… the one at my parents' gets used almost every 2-3 days, and my dad has already had to replace several parts of it. He can fix them, but if he didn't know the how-to, it would've been replacement time.
DNN says
January 16, 2019 at 3:25 pmIt’s a good idea for person who purchases a new matches to keep plastic and here’s why. People drool when their sleep. People sometimes go to bed naked. And over time, some people accumulate bedbugs. Sony has to use things like baking soda, diatomaceous earth, apple cider vinegar, and sometimes amodex to clean their mattress if they don’t have plastic over it. So when they do have plastic on the bed, the mattress can possibly last 10 years.