Consumer Advocacy
What you need to know
Appliance Repair
  • Appliances can refer to any household equipment
  • Routine maintenance helps keep your appliances in shape
  • Make sure the repair company has licenses and insurance
  • Check if you already have a policy that covers repairs
Our Approach

How we analyzed the best Appliance Repair Services

Appliance Repair Services
We looked for companies that repair a large variety of appliances and brands, and that are really good with the ones they do.
Customer Service
Customers need access to information, so we made sure there were efficient methods for this in place, and checked that companies respond with your best interest in mind.
Additional Services
Our favored appliance repair companies offer home improvement and maintenance services to assist in home improvement projects, or provide general upkeep to a property as well as appliances.
Warranty
In addition to the product’s own warranty, we verified that the companies have guarantees to keep them accountable.
Location & Reach
We covered different bases—national, some local, and now virtual—to find the best companies where you are.
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We receive compensation from these partners, which impacts the order they appear on the page. That said, the analyses and opinions on our site are our own and we believe in editorial integrity.

Our Top Picks: Appliance Repair Reviews

THE HOME DEPOT® review

Out of all the repair services we found, Home Depot undoubtedly has the most locations nationwide, even crossing international borders. That probably makes it the most accessible option depending on your location, and it can save you some research time in case of an emergency. 

The large retailer serves as an end-all be-all spot for your needs, from buying parts for DIY repairs, to hiring technicians, to buying a completely new appliance if all else fails. However, Home Depot’s true convenience comes in the shape of their preventive Protection Plan for Major Appliances through the insurance company Asurion

As with any extended warranty, this plan begins as soon as your manufacturer’s warranty ends, adding three or five years of protection to your appliance. The price will vary depending on the cost of the product, ranging from $50 to $195 for the three-year plan, and from $75 to $295 for the five-year plan, depending on the price of the appliance. An appliance that costs from $700-$1000 will have a $160 five-year plan, for example.  It covers all repairs, aesthetic and functional, for that period. Some of the repairs will mimic those covered in the original warranty. For example, if the original manufacturer covered in-home repairs, so will Home Depot; if the original warranty consisted of sending it to the manufacturer, Home Depot will cover shipping costs to do so. The plan also includes:

  • Up to $300 of coverage for food spoilage caused by the damage.

  • Up to $500 total in discounts for maintenance parts bought at the store.

  • 30% refund at the end of the Plan if you never used the service. 

What really catches consumers’ eyes, though, is the replacement and “no-lemon” policies included. The replacement clause says that if Home Depot can’t fix your appliance, they’ll replace it or may give you a store gift card. The “no-lemon” clause, on the other hand, comes into effect when the store tries to fix the same issue a fourth time and the appliance fails again. When that happens, they replace it or give you a gift card for the amount you paid.

HomeAdvisor Powered by Angi review

Best Aggregator for Appliance Repair

Outside of manufacturers themselves or big retail stores, you’ll find that most appliance repair companies are small, local businesses. There are many advantages to this, but finding the best one will depend greatly on where you live and what type of service you’re specifically looking for.

To help, there are services like Home Advisor Powered by Angi, which connect you to licensed contractors or technicians near you. This is what is known as an aggregator, which filters companies according to your location and needs, and gives you a list of recommended and certified services. If this is your first home project or you’re new to an area, this type of tool will come in handy.

Home Advisor Powered by Angi has one of the largest reaches in the home improvement arena, reaching over to Canada and even Puerto Rico (where we’re based), so it gives consumers a higher chance of finding nearby businesses. They also have their own screening and certification process to ensure the companies that show up on your list already comply with a first set of standards. 

Contrary to more limited competitors, Home Advisor provides access to a wide array of appliance repair companies that cover every major appliance, both residential and commercial. You can also look for these companies through lists of categories and locations. With aggregators, you’ll always be subject to giving address information, but with this browsing capability you’ll be able to know if the type of work you need is available in the first place. These categories include “Fixed Priced Services” too, to save you some of the stress of guessing. 

Just like with most aggregators, remember that although Home Advisor certifies companies and screens the owners, there’s a lot left to check out, and it’s up to you. 

Alternative:
Home Advisor has many ways to find local technicians, but if you prefer using the phone, try Repower Appliance Repair, a similar service with a simpler approach.

Lowe's review

The Lakers and the Celtics, the Yankees and the Red Sox, Lowe’s and Home Depot… The rivalry remains vibrant in any area of home improvement, and extended warranties are no exception. Lowe’s has over 2,000 locations all over the United States and Canada, sells and services all major brands and can serve as a hub for all your home project needs.

When it comes to their Protection Plan, it’s not far off from Home Depot’s. Just like the orange titan, Lowe’s offers 3- and 5-year plans. They include reimbursements of up to $300 for food spoilage, 50% discounts on maintenance parts, no-lemon and replacement policies if they fail to successfully fix your appliance, and a 30% reimbursement for never using the service. 

Prices range from $29.97 to $179.97 for the three-year plan and from $49.97 to $294.97 for the five-year plan. The cost window seems similar to Home Depot’s, but Lowe’s plan is cheaper relative to what you pay for the appliance—hence the lower starting points. There are some minor caveats that come with this lower price. In the terms and conditions, it’s established that the parts discount has a maximum of $100 each year, versus Home Depot’s $500 all-around: same quantity, but less convenience. Also, there’s a $50 reimbursement if the appliance is not fixed in the agreed amount of time, which is 14 days in Lowe’s and 7 days in Home Depot. However, when finding older terms and conditions we did see that Lowe’s continuously improves these terms.

And Lowe’s has an advantage on top of the lower price. If your covered refrigerator or freezer takes over 72 hours to get fixed, the company will refund the cost of a rental appliance up to 25% of the cost of your original one. This can be particularly important for people with big families or small businesses that depend on refrigeration. 

At the end of the day, the main deciding factor will probably be preference, accessibility, or a subjective sense of loyalty to one of the stores. Still, make sure you read the terms and conditions yourself and ask an employee every question you need to. 

Alternative:

Best Buy’s Protection Plan is similar to both Home Depot and Lowe’s, and their “No-Lemon Benefit” actually requires only two fixes instead of four. shorter. If you’re more inclined to Best Buy or already have a certain track record there, be sure to check theirs out.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning review

Best for Heating and Air Conditioning

One Hour has been in business for 112 years, so they might know a thing or two about fixing your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). They only do precisely that and don’t work with other appliances, but the company is a top choice for these. And although their name isn’t in every corner, they have a nationwide presence with a franchise business model that lends itself for constant growth. 

This mixture of being a big company with locally owned shops has advantages for customer service too. You can get to know your local technicians and contact them directly, just like you can contact One Hour’s 24/7 phone number and get the necessary information at any given moment. Per our own calls, they answer fast and give payment and schedule information without any trouble.

Another benefit to this franchise model is accountability. For starters, One Hour has an on-time guarantee: you select a time window for the repair people to show up, and if they’re late or they never arrive, you won’t have to pay for the service. In addition, the company has the UWIN guarantee, shared by all the members of parent company Authority Brands. The One Hour website reads:  “In return for displaying the UWIN® seal, contractors agree to 100% satisfaction guarantee.” Now, the word “satisfaction” sounds subjective, but what we can guarantee is that no one will be satisfied with a faulty heater in the middle of winter; the company has to answer to that.

One Hour technicians attend regular training, seminars and courses, also facilitated by the collaborative network of Authority Brands, LLC and the One Hour name. Their expertise also includes duct work, thermostat repair and air quality control, a very comprehensive approach to everything related with your HVAC system.

Alternative:
One Hour’s franchises are spread throughout the country, but they’re not in every  corner. If you want a local business to take care of your HVAC issues, try searching through Modernize, an aggregator tool with a section dedicated to these two important appliances.

Neli Virtual Appliance Repair review

Neli

Best Telemaintenance Option

Despite this very recent rise in remote repairs and guided installations (see our section on Telemaintenance for more info), Neli has actually been in business for over four years and, according to owner Mary Nelson, they’re the first to ever do it. Their information-packed website, their ample range of services, and all their certifications back up this claim to experience. 

Before you’re ready to contact a technician, you can browse through their blog to find DIY tips on different sorts of repairs. You can also read their convenient “Tools and Prep” section to know what you’ll need or what they recommend before you tackle a project. For a service of this kind, these guides are essential in making users comfortable and preparing them for jobs they might otherwise have no clue about.

It works on an appointment basis. You choose between a diagnosis or an installation process for $35 and $40, respectively. Select one of the 17 brands they work with, then select the technician you wish to talk to—a neat feature for recurring customers. If you chose “Part Installation Walkthrough”, the website also provides help finding legit, certified components for your appliance through their partnership with Sears Parts Direct

Finally, the company’s customer service reflects their experience in this sector. They’re certified by Angie’s List and by our top aggregator choice, Home Advisor. They also have Spanish-speaking technicians and a non-obtrusive live chat for easy inquiries. Last, but definitely not least, they have a clearcut warranty in place: if the technician is not able to diagnose your problem, you’ll get a full refund. 

Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that this company is exactly what it says it is. Neli is a virtual service to help diagnose issues and guide you through DIY repairs that you deem both necessary and doable. If you need a home visit, check out our other choices. 

Alternative:

If you prefer a subscription-based service, check out Dwelling. Also worth mentioning is Hippo Home Care’s, which is providing free diagnostic services during the pandemic (as of September 2020). 

Our Research

More insight into our methodology

We began our research process by looking for companies that could provide service to, if not the entire country, a big chunk of it. When we finally had our candidates, we reviewed the range of their services to see if they could handle all or most of your needs, and especially kept our eye open for factory certifications by the big brands. 

After that, our focus shifted toward customer service and the warranties offered. The access to information and open communication with the companies is very important. We set out to get the pertinent information ourselves to be certain that it was available,  and there weren’t any major obstacles for that customer who’s hustling to get their water heater fixed. 


Appliance Repair Services

Many repair companies will claim to work on anything and everything, but not all appliances are built the same and many require technicians with specialized training. Brands have proprietary mechanisms and components that not everybody knows how to handle, no matter how experienced.. We checked that our choices specifically mentioned the type and brand of  appliances they worked on.


Customer Service

What you’re buying from these companies is literally that: service. You’re booking an appointment, you’re trusting their knowledge, and you’re letting them in your home. 

First, we made sure these businesses had various and efficient ways of contacting them. The phone numbers had to be visible and with a clear schedule (extra points for 24/7 service, of course). We also gave preference to those with live chats, which allows you to  speak to customer service representatives in an instant, without having to give too much information. Most businesses, even small ones, have implemented this; however, when we tried the chats we noticed that some had limited schedules or few employees to attend it. 

Then there’s  the most important aspect: trustworthiness. All the companies we chose have some level of certification—that was non-negotiable—, but that doesn’t always guarantee they treat their customers well. We read customer reviews and complaints, and paid attention to how these companies address issues. While almost all businesses receive complaints, none of our choices showed significant problems like violation of privacy or information (which we have seen before) or were said to be disrespectful of their customers.


Additional Services

In addition to a company's appliance repair services, we also consider what other kinds of services the company can offer its customers. We found that two services were common among many appliance repair companies: home improvement and home maintenance. The former, home improvement, goes hand-in-hand with many repair services, as a company can go to a consumer's home and repair any damaged appliances there before (or after) making a customer's desired upgrades to the rest of the house. Some companies offer home improvement services that encompass maintenance, repair, and general servicing tasks. Actual renovation projects can range from smaller tasks like countertops and doors to larger-scale projects such as improving a whole kitchen or bathroom. The latter, home maintenance, is a great alternative to single-visit appliance repair services. Through home maintenance programs, company employees and technicians visit customers several times during the year. This way, customers can make sure their appliances are running smoothly. Home maintenance services aren't limited to a home's appliances, however, also covering care for lawns, gardens, air conditioning systems, inside cleaning, and much more.


Warranty

Warranties are not just associated with the lifespan of a product, they can be applied to any type of service you pay for. In the repair industry, this can come in the form of discounts for tardiness, free follow-up visits, or refunds and even replacements if the problems persist. Our picks provide at least one or more of these types of guarantees. We also checked a variety of consumer review websites for any reports of faulty jobs and, if there were, whether they came through with refunds or follow-up visits.


Location & Reach

Location is an issue when recommending services to the entire country. The first problem we confronted was that a big portion of the industry is comprised of local businesses. Although we support these small repair companies—which can often provide a more personalized experience—it’s impossible for us to recommend one for each county of the United States. We had to look for ways to address this, so we found two main alternatives: large, nationwide companies with thousands of locations, and sites that could connect customers with smaller, local businesses.

We also addressed  a third, newer alternative that has been gaining popularity during the pandemic: telemaintenance. We researched companies in this sector and, considering the relative newness of these services, we made trustworthiness a priority by considering certifications, reviews, and experience.  

Helpful information about Appliance Repair

Appliance Repair 101

When an appliance fails, all hell breaks loose. No hot water for that 5:00 am shower before work, having to cook all your meat before bacteria take over your fridge; you name it. It makes you want to run to the nearest Sears and simply buy something new as fast as possible. However, repairing should always be a first option. As we’ve mentioned, review your warranty and check with the manufacturer first. If they can’t help you anymore, make some calls and get a few quotes. Depending on the prices you’re given, you can make that final decision: repair or replace. To help with this, there’s a rule of thumb that goes around named the 50/50 rule. If your appliance has passed 50% of its life expectancy and your specific repair costs over 50% of the appliance’s full price, maybe it’s time to buy a new one.

Certifications and Licensing

You may be used to hiring a single technician for everything or trusting your cousin’s recommendation. However, if you don’t want to risk losing a limb while fixing your garbage disposal, you have to be more thorough. This rings even truer if you have a modern or very expensive appliance. There has to be a certain guarantee that the people who enter your house know what they're doing. 

This can be a problem because although each company needs a state or municipality business license, there are no federal regulations for repairing home appliances—other than the EPA Type 1 Certification to handle refrigerants. What you’ll find is trade schools and professional organizations that administer tests that lead to competency-based certifications in order to ensure quality service is as widespread as possible.

Despite this lack of uniformity, there are some certifications and credentials you can be on the lookout for:

Section 608 Type 1 Technician Certification, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

This federal certification is mandatory for tradespeople who work with refrigerant-containing appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners. It’s significant, because if someone handles refrigerant-containing appliances without this certification, they’d be breaking federal law and putting you (and your appliance) at risk. 

However, you should know that this certification has nothing to do with competency or actual knowledge of appliance repair. It’s entirely related to safety measures and the hazardous nature of refrigerants. Some companies or individual repair people will claim to be certified, but only have this credential to their name.  

Other types of the Section 608 Technician Certification

Type II and Type III certifications of Section 608 test technicians on safely handling leakages in high- and low-pressure appliances, respectively. This includes HVAC and industrial-grade refrigeration systems that use over 5lbs of refrigerant. A technician can also get a Universal Certification when he possesses all three. 

These certifications are a prerequisite for refrigeration-related credentials given out by other organizations. 

ASF (Appliance Service Fundamentals), by the Institute of Appliance Service Technicians (ioAST)

The Institute of Appliance Service Technicians works in partnership with Fred’s Appliance Academy. Their ASF certification is granted through a test that involves overall knowledge of different appliances, refrigeration, and electrical theory. Fred’s Appliance Academy is well-regarded in the industry, and even Samsung has sponsored students to take their courses. 

Skill Certifications, by the Professional Service Association (PSA)

The PSA gives different certifications for different layers of the industry, from management to customer service to, obviously, technical skills. To achieve the Technician Rating, participants must take a core module (a basic technical skills test), a customer relationship  test and one of the six specialized modules available: cooling, convenience, cleaning, gas cooking, electric cooking or microwave equipment. By taking all modules, composed of over 300 questions, technicians can be certified as Master Technicians. 

National Appliance Service Technician Certifications (NASTeC), by the International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET)

The NASTeC certifications are obtained through multilevel exams. Applicants must mandatorily pass an 80-question Basic Skills Examination, and then pass one of the three specialty tests (laundry and cleaning appliances; cooking appliances; refrigeration-related appliances) in order to be certified in any of those areas. If an applicant approves all of them, they are recognized as an Universal Technician. 

A reassuring aspect of this certification is that it must be renewed every two years, as opposed to other certifications, which usually only require renewal every four or five years. This translates to constantly updated technicians with access to more recent information. 

Factory Certifications

One of the best guarantees you can look for is factory certification. This means that the brand itself has provided continuous training to a technician or an entire repair company. In many cases, smart appliances such as those made by Samsung or LG, or very expensive ones (like Sub-Zero refrigerators) will have proprietary technology in place, from mechanical parts to electronic software. It’s essential that whoever opens up your product is familiar with its particular components and their most recent updates. 

Background Checks

Some repair companies conduct background checks on their technicians, a very important step since repair people enter the home, remain inside for hours at a time, and work with very expensive products. Services like Home Advisor run background checks on company owners in order to certify their business. However, if you feel more comfortable knowing every employee has been cleared, be sure to check if the company itself uses any background check services in the hiring process.

Recent Challenges in the Repair Industry

You may have frequently heard your parents and grandparents talk about how their appliances used to last longer. You may have also heard horrible stories about modern appliances failing early on and being fixed by the neighborhood handyman, only to fail again in a week. Why is this? 

According to Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of The Repair Association, the shorter lifespan of appliances is often attributed to the growing amount of electronic components. “Electronics are not nearly as durable, they have so many more points of failure,” she told us. This also leads to a more difficult repair because appliance technicians are not usually trained to handle this type of electronics, much less software. 

Companies continue to include proprietary parts in their products that are not only harder to repair, but either can’t be replaced by aftermarket parts made by third parties. Or, like GE filters, will continuously warn you about changing the new, non-GE one you just installed. As Nathan Proctor—director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s (USPIRG) Right to Repair campaign—puts it, “the aftermarket is undercut by the way the manufacturers design these products.” He also mentions that original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts don’t last too long either. “Computer chips are not physically durable,” he said, echoing Gordon-Byrne’s statement. This way, companies are able to charge higher prices for spare parts, leaving customers without many options.

Another big issue Proctor brought up is manufacturers’ direct attempts at impeding repairs. A lot of warranties get voided if you or a non-factory technician opens up the appliance, an issue the USPIRG has been constantly battling with. All these practices, which “are causing an obsolescence crisis”, as Proctor said, are constantly threatening not just the repair industry as a whole, but the lifespan of household appliances and environmental health.

What Is Telemaintenance?

Although some people in the industry have recently claimed its invention, the word “telemaintenance” has been used by different armed forces, at least, since the early 90’s, and a similar term, “telediagnosis”, dates back to the 70’s. If it seems similar to “telemedicine”, it’s because it functions like it too—but with less fainting. It means to service something remotely, to provide maintenance from a distance. And in the era of COVID-19, that sounds just about right. 

Now in the hands of civilians, telemaintenance is designed to help with home improvement, electronics, and major appliances. In some cases, it’s big companies implementing these remote options through proprietary software; in others, it’s local technicians using third-party services like Streem

The variety of styles with telemaintenance is similar to that of online therapy, a remote service we’ve reviewed before. Some companies have a subscription service and you can text a technician at any given moment. Others offer live chat, phone calls, or video conferencing through appointments. With telemaintenance, video is probably the best way to go so that the technician can see the appliance and, hopefully, get an eye on the problem. Video conferencing also allows for more features, like drawing on the screen so nobody gets lost. 
Home projects have gone up significantly with  the unprecedented strain of 24/7 home occupation. Along with citywide lockdowns and the general fear of contagion, the need for services like this has gone up too, and now that we’ve had a taste, it might change the way we do things in the post-pandemic future.

What To Watch Out For With Appliance Repair

Warranties

Before you splurge on a new appliance because your old one isn’t working, review the terms and conditions of the manufacturer’s warranty. If it’s still valid, your best bet is to contact them and avoid any potential issues by doing DIY repairs or hiring someone who might or might not know their way around your specific model. Not only could this be worse for the appliance, but it could also void the warranty and leave you in the lurch if and when a much worse problem arises. 

Are extended warranties worth it?

The value of extended warranties will depend greatly on the importance of the appliance in your home and lifestyle, the cost of the appliance itself, and the company you’re getting the warranty from. A $3,000 smart refrigerator, for example, qualifies as a good candidate for an extended warranty. 

First, the refrigerator is one of the most important appliances in the home—if not the most important. Secondly, smart refrigerators tend to fail more because of the excess of electronics involved; and if it’s Samsung or LG, their proprietary compressors might present additional challenges. 

An extended warranty is usually about 10% of the appliance’s cost. The plans offered by Home Depot and Lowe’s, for example, have enough benefits to warrant that price, including a full replacement, a rental fridge during repairs, and 30% of your money back if you never make a claim. 

On the other hand, if you’re buying a small, budget-friendly or nonessential appliance, an extended warranty might not be worth it. Simpler, less expensive appliances can actually be more reliable or easier to repair. Also, if your main concern is to save money, then by all means, save it, especially if it regards a product you don’t consider too important. What’s a couple of days without microwaving pizza when you have YouTube and a frying pan?

At the end of the day, it will depend on how much your lifestyle revolves around that appliance, how tough or costly it would be to fix it properly, and if that make and model tends to have reliability concerns.

Transparency and Education

Transparency is a crucial part of any business, but even more so in the service industry. You should always go to a company’s website or call them and make sure they’re clear about their prices, service fees, warranties, and the type of work they do or don’t do. It’s a bright red flag if they struggle to give you any of this information, or worse, avoid talking about their qualifications, certifications and licensing. Now, although you should always go through these steps and hire a certified repair person, still keep your eyes and ears open when they arrive. Technicians should always be, if not eager, completely willing to educate you and talk to you openly about the issues and repair. These open channels of communication make for a trustworthy process and can lower the chance of fraud.  

Know Your Lease

If you live in a rental property, responsibility for a faulty appliance often falls in a gray area. While federal law mandates that landlords provide working HVAC systems to meet habitability standards, they may or may not be required by law to provide other appliances depending on the state. The first thing to know is that if the appliance is yours, the repair bill will be yours too. However, if the owner rented the property with an appliance, you have to review your lease. It’s usually the landlord’s responsibility, but they may have made it clear on the lease that it would be up to you to repair it. In a state where the appliance is mandatory, it might be a lot more complicated, so be sure to check the lease or review it with a lawyer before signing.


FAQs about Appliance Repair


Did appliances really last more before?

Although a generalization, it is true that, on average, appliances have a lower life expectancy than they used to. Now, the average years of use ranges from eight to 15; in the past, many appliances had a life expectancy of well over 20 years. This can be due to the usage of electronics or new, less-tested technology in motors, compressors, and other vital parts of the appliance. However, the main culprit seems to be electronic components


Will appliance repair companies charge me for a home visit?

Normally, yes. Companies charge a visit fee upfront to go look at and diagnose your appliance. The cost will vary, but we’ve found that the figure hovers around $79 . Some companies don’t charge, and others will waive this fee if you hire them for the actual repair. However, now with telemaintenance you have the option to call for help for a lot cheaper and, sometimes, free. Virtual repair companies can’t guarantee a proper diagnosis, and you might have to call a repair person anyway, but in some cases it might be worth a try. 

 


How long should I expect my appliance to last?

Yes, it’s true that things don’t last as long as they used to but, when it comes to appliances, they can last quite a long time if you take really good care of them. The most reputable and most often cited study on the subject was conducted by the National Association of Homebuilders in 2007, and it lists the average life expectancy of the most common household appliances as follows:

• Gas range oven: 15 years • Refrigerator: 13 years • Trash compactor: six years • Dishwasher: nine years • Microwave oven: nine years • Washing machine: 10 years • Electric or gas dryer: 13 years. • Food waste disposer: 12 years

The study is over 10 years old and there are signs that the life expectancy of appliances keeps going down instead of up, especially with the advent of “smart” appliances. Although smart appliances (those that can connect to the internet, smartphone, tablet or computer) can provide convenient features, they also contain parts that can become obsolete or malfunction and need specialized repair. Because of this, it’s good to remember that a higher price does not necessarily mean a longer-lasting machine.