Forbes Living is watching the longevity of the average
home appliance get shorter and shorter.
Could it be the result of planned obsolescence in order to make us buy
another one? Representatives of the
manufacturers say that's not the case.
In fact, the National Association of Home Builders along with Bank of
America Home Equity recently released a guide:
"The Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components". Members of the American appliance industry
claim that their products are built to last ... at least the components made in
the USA. They admit, though, that the components made
overseas can be a different matter.
Forbes Living tracks the expected longevity of the appliances you depend on.
The Forbes Living TV show has the list of life expectancy
of various home devices, according to the above report. A gas range should have a usable life of
about 15 years. A clothes dryer or
refrigerator should last about 13 years.
A food disposal unit can manage about 12 years while a washing machine
lasts for 10. Dishwashers and microwave
ovens clock in at about 9 years. A trash
compactor is only expected to serve for 6 years. Measure these against your parents'
appliances which probably operated without incident for 40-50 years. If it's the "smart" electronics
components that fail first, maybe our appliances are just too smart for their
own good.
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View the Forbes Living TV Shoot Day Segment