Repair or discard?
By succeednow
@succeednow (1633)
Singapore
August 5, 2016 5:21am CST
Are you the type of person who throws away a home appliance that has become faulty or are you the sort who will try to repair it?
I know of people who would not bat an eyelid and discards a home appliance such as a radio, kettle, oven, washing machine, refrigerator etc the moment it becomes faulty. They are even glad that it breaks as it is getting old although still functional. They would buy a new one instead of repairing it as they could not be bothered to have it repaired.
I'm the sort who will try to repair it if it's cost effective to do so. In other words if it's cheaper to repair than buy a new one, I'll definitely repair it. I hate to waste money.
What about you? Do you repair or discard?
26 people like this
25 responses
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
5 Aug 16
@inertia4 When I say faulty I don't mean broken. I actually meant broken down i.e. fail to work. The casing etc are in good condition. It's only the internals that are a bit "sick". I think it's such a waste of good money to just throw away without confirming whether it can be repaired cost effectively.
2 people like this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
5 Aug 16
@succeednow I don't either. But sometimes they cost more to repair than to buy new. Right now I have no problems like that. My refrigerator is 25 years old and still going. And so is my stove. I guess I was lucky with good units.
1 person likes this
@eliza_godinez12 (5726)
• Philippines
5 Aug 16
I usually do repair for it first. If the same problem occured then replace new one
2 people like this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
5 Aug 16
@eliza_godinez12 Sounds reasonable and sensible.
2 people like this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
5 Aug 16
@skysnap So you are the sort who discard as you find too much hassle in repairing.
@skysnap (20153)
•
5 Aug 16
@succeednow yes depends on the context though. most of the items are worth discarding because I live on rent.
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@LadyDuck I didn't know that in your country it costs so much just to get a quote for repair. In that case you are better off buying a new one. The quotation I get for repair is without cost. If I'm not happy with the quote I can choose not to repair without any obligation.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@LadyDuck My first course of action would be to repair it myself because I like to take things apart and have the satisfaction of getting it repaired by yours truly. If I can't manage it then I get a quote for repair. If it's too much then I'll discard it. I also do not like to waste money by throwing it away when it can be repaired safely and inexpensively.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
6 Aug 16
@succeednow When it is an electric appliance we cannot repair it ourselves, or better, we can, but if there is an accident the insurance will not cover. To have an item checked here costs 185 CHF (about 190$) even only to learn that it is not possible to repair. You have to think twice before going for the repair solution.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@cacay1 Of course, safety comes first. If it's unsafe no matter how cheap it is to repair one should not do so.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@JustBhem That seems to be the view of most respondents here. Check whether it's cost effective to repair first rather than throwing it away the moment it becomes faulty.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
14 Aug 16
Depends on what it is. For example I have a Camera that is really broken but I can take really good pictures but they have to be right close up and if not I use the card and try to keep it till I can get it to the right place to recycle.
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
14 Aug 16
@succeednow
The card that is in the Camera itself. As its a Video Camera but very broken I can hardly use it at all now.
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
14 Aug 16
@lovinangelsinstead21 What do you mean by "use the card and try to keep it....."?
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
5 Aug 16
I usually repair but sometimes it is more cost effective to just replace it.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
5 Aug 16
@koopharper Right, it does depend on the sort of item and the type of fault.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
5 Aug 16
@marlina Let's say it's not cheap but cheaper than buying a new one which costs two or three times the price of repair. What would you do?
1 person likes this
@Butchcass4 (5895)
• United States
5 Aug 16
@succeednow I think my husband and I would have it repaired if it's cost effective for sure. We had our microwave oven go on the blink, which was owned by the land lord and they replaced it, there was no fixing it. The new one is a general electric supposed to be one of the better ones out. Time will tell. We've been here nearly 8 yrs and it was the first appliance to go. I pray the other ones hold out for many years to come! But cha just never know! We've had trouble with the hotwater heater and the land lord fixed it. Thank God for hot water heaters!
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@Butchcass4 Some items like microwave oven and radio, for example, are hard to repair, hence may not be worth it. For others, like water heaters it's easier to repair and should not cost too much to do so.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
7 Aug 16
@Butchcass4 It's called a thermostat which functions as a temperature controller so that the temperature of the water can be maintained at a set temperature.
1 person likes this
@Butchcass4 (5895)
• United States
6 Aug 16
@succeednow Yeah your right on that as our landlord repaired the hot water heater. At first he put one element in and it did not work so he had to come back and put another element in and something like a tempature gauge, not sure what cha call that but it controls the temperature. 
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@shshiju Usually it's cheaper to repair. Some countries do not have an exchange program.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@RubyHawk That's the way to go and also do your part in saving mother earth.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
5 Aug 16
When there's still chance for it to be repaired, then I'll have it repaired. However, if the cost of the repair is high, I'd rather buy a new one.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
5 Aug 16
@sunrisefan Most respondents have your same view. Thanks for commenting.
1 person likes this
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
10 Aug 16
@mammots Yes, I think that's should be the way. Also we'll be doing our part in saving mother earth.
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
16 Aug 16
Like others said, it depends on what it is. Smaller things I try to see if I can fix them but bigger things are too hard for me. Thanks for suggesting this @sugartoes
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
16 Aug 16
@gr8nana6 So for you it's a matter of confidence and skill in whether or not you'll repair a faulty item. But can't you get a quote to see if it's cost effective before you discard?
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
6 Aug 16
@ida123 It's a smart thing to do - to check whether it's cost effective to repair before ditching it!
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
5 Aug 16
Repair definitely the way you do. If the repair is cheaper than buying a new one then why not?
@gofsey (1911)
• Madurai, India
14 Aug 16
Anything that breaks down must be stowed away. It can lead to many accidents and we spend too much time repairing it. Besides, they may not function well.
@stifler0207 (514)
• New Delhi, India
7 Aug 16
I will try to repair. If not than I have no choice I have to discard them.
@succeednow (1633)
• Singapore
7 Aug 16
@stifler0207 That seems to be the view of most who responded to this discussion. Thanks for your comment.
1 person likes this
