A research has issued new guidelines stating the “reasonable” life expectancy for household electrical appliances like washing machines and smartphones
A mid-range refrigerator should last at least nine years, a research published by Australian consumer group Choice has claimed. The same research has also said that with basic maintenance, a high-end fridge, TV and washing machine should last more than a decade.
The results of the study, as per Choice, are based on a survey that included more than 1000 consumers, manufacturer feedback and in-house product testing. The study has highlighted the “reasonable” life expectancy for household electrical appliances including their entry level, mid-range and high-end variants.
Here are the key findings.
Washing Machines “reasonable” life expectancy
The “reasonable life expectancy of electrical appliances” study by Choice has said that a entry level washing machine should last at least five years, whereas a mid-range one should be operational for a minimum of eight years. The life expectancy for washing machines falling in the high-end price band is claimed as 11 years by the research.
It is cheaper to replace front-loading washing machines after 12 years in comparison to getting them fixed. Replacing top loading washing machines after seven years, would also be more economical than getting them repaired.
Fully-automatic washing machines had accounted for more than 3.50 million units in India in 2016 making it one of the biggest washing machines markets of the world.
Smartphones “reasonable” life expectancy
Explaining that batteries can make up for 60 per cent of a smartphone price, Choice has set “reasonable” life expectancy for a budget level smartphone to be three years. Additionally the research has set five years’ life expectancy as reasonable for mid-range smartphones while six years’ life expectancy as reasonable for high-end ones.
Ernst and Young in a study has claimed that India will have around 650 million users by the end of 2022.
Refrigerators “reasonable” life expectancy
Marked as cheaper to replace after six to 20 years time frame, Choice published that a high-end refrigerator is expected to give a “reasonable” life expectancy of 13 years. An entry level fridge should last at least six years while a mid-range refrigerator should offer a “reasonable” life expectancy of nine years.
Laptops “reasonable” life expectancy
Choice explains that a laptop falling in the mid-range should offer a reasonable life expectancy of six years, and a high-end one should last atleast eight years.
The research claims that it is generally cheaper to get replace laptops, after three to seven years of usage, instead of getting them repaired.
