broken washing machine requires emergency repair

5 Most Common Household Appliance Repairs To Plan For

There will come a time, possibly multiple times a year, when you have to repair or replace broken-down appliances around your house. Washing machines, microwaves, ovens, and other appliances are not built to last forever; the more you use them, the more likely it is that an issue will appear that you have to fix.

In this guide from Carolina Title Loans, Inc., we will explain the most common appliance repairs you should plan for. We will also explain how title loans for home repairs in South Carolina can help those who don’t have enough saved up to afford these household appliance repairs.

Top 5 Most Common Emergency Appliance Repairs You Should Save For

According to HomeGuide, people pay an average of $100 to $400 per year for emergency appliance repair in SC. However, that seemingly low average doesn’t account for those who face major issues with their appliances or who don’t have enough money to cover a surprise $400 cost. You need to plan, and can do so by knowing the most common appliance repairs.

Here are the five most common household appliance repairs:

professional doing appliance repair on washing machine

1. Refrigerators

Refrigerators have expanded their use over the years. What was once used just to keep food and drinks cold can now be used to make ice, water, and store frozen food. With the expansion of the use of a refrigerator comes more issues, as there are more things that can go wrong.

The following are the most common issues you need to fix with a refrigerator:

  • Not keeping the food cold
  • Icemaker isn’t working
  • Water leaks
  • Broken or faulty compressor
  • Water or ice not coming out of the dispenser

The cost of repairing a refrigerator can vary depending on the issue you face. Fixing a leak or repairing an issue with the icemaker may not cost much, but replacing a compressor or circuit board can cost up to $500. Prepare an emergency fund to ensure you can keep your food cold without any issues.

2. Ovens

An oven is integral to your everyday life; unless you want to eat out every night, you’ll need an oven at least some nights to prepare dinner. However, this complicated appliance can have a range of issues, from it not heating properly, the ignition breaking down, or broken knobs.

Some of these issues you can fix on your own. If you hear a clicking noise when turning knobs or using your oven, you may just need to clean out the built-up debris. That said, malfunctioning parts like the ignition or burners will require a professional, who may charge $150-$300 depending on the severity of the issue.

3. Dishwashers

Unless you are interested in hand washing all of your dishes, you’ll need a dishwasher. This appliance is also vital for saving water; hand washing can use up to 20 gallons of water for a full sink load, while using the dishwasher will use only 3-6 gallons.

That said, there are many different parts that need to work properly for your dishwasher to run. If any one of these parts malfunctions, your dishwasher could fail to wash, dry, or drain properly.

Here are the parts that can break down and cause issues with your dishwasher:

  • Inlet valve – This controls the water flow into the dishwasher. Issues with this part can lead to low water levels, much longer washing cycles, and water pooling at the bottom of the dishwasher.
  • Wash arm – This part will spray high-pressure hot water over the dish rack to clean off debris and grime from your dishes. Any issues with the wash arm can affect the water’s ability to get hot and clean off dishes, leaving you with a dishwasher full of dirty dishes.’
  • Circulation pump – This part will force the hot water through the spray arms and clean off the debris on your fish. If it isn’t working properly, the dishwasher will inconsistently clean your dishes. You may open up your dishwasher and still find food on your plates.
  • Drain pump – This pump will take and flush all of the dirty water used to clean your dishes and drain it. When it malfunctions, all of the dirty water with the debris from your dishes will pool at the bottom of the dishwasher.

Some of these issues may not be immediately apparent, but leaving them unfixed can cause you to waste time and water. Put money aside every paycheck to ensure you have a few hundred dollars saved should you need to fix issues with your dishwasher.

4. Microwaves

Microwaves are used to heat food, making them essential if you want to make TV dinners or heat up leftovers. Depending on how much you spend on your microwave, it can often malfunction. You’ll have to repair common issues, including a button panel that doesn't work, excessive noise, failure to heat properly, or a turntable that doesn't turn.

Thankfully, repairing your microwave will cost less than repairing bigger appliances. It can run you $100-$250 to fix door latches, the turntable tray, the exhaust fan, the grease filter, and other parts that have stopped working.

You can probably save enough to afford an emergency microwave repair by using the Round-Up method, which rounds up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfers the money to your savings account.

5. Washers & Dryers

Many homes now come with washing machines and dryers installed, allowing you to save a trip to the laundromat. However, you will have to incur the potentially high cost of repairing these large machines when they malfunction.

Washing machines can fail to drain, leak, or have a drum that doesn’t spin properly, and dryers may fail to dry properly, overheat, or have a malfunctioning drum or motor. Fixing drain pumps, tub bearings, or thermal fuses can cost up to $500. To afford this, we suggest using the 50/30/20 saving method, which involves spending 50% of income on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

While we suggest saving money in a rainy day fund for emergency appliance repair in SC, these issues may come up before you have the money saved. In that case, title loans for home repairs in South Carolina can help get you the cash you need the same day you apply.

How To Get Title Loans For Home Repairs In South Carolina

A title loan is a secured loan that lets you use your vehicle title as collateral to borrow up to $15,000. You must own your car, truck, or ban outright, and the title loan amount you receive will depend on your vehicle’s value. The more your vehicle is worth, the more you can borrow.

What makes this loan type so appealing for emergency appliance repair is how fast and simple the approval is. You can get approved using these three required items: a driver’s license, a lien-free vehicle title in your name, and your vehicle for an inspection. Once you have them, you can proceed with the approval process, which takes less than 30 minutes.

The following is the approval process for getting a title loan in South Carolina:

  • Fill out our online inquiry form to provide your basic information
  • Answer our phone call to discuss title loan terms
  • Bring your required items to our nearest South Carolina store for verification
  • Get your vehicle inspected for its value
  • Sign the loan agreement to finish the approval process
  • Receive your funds later that day or by the next business day

man holds cash from title loan for home repairs in South Carolina

Get Title Loans For Appliance Repairs In South Carolina – Borrow up to $15,000 Today!

Do you need fast emergency cash for appliance repairs in South Carolina? Carolina Title Loans, Inc. can help with our title loans, which let you borrow up to $15,000 by using your lien-free vehicle title as collateral. You can get same-day approval as long as you follow our steps above. Just fill out our online title loan form and bring your required items to us in person to get approved in 30 minutes!

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.

June Mckaig

June Mckaig writes articles on finance and budgeting, hoping to provide insight amidst the overwhelming crowds of information on the internet. She feels that with all this accessibility comes a lot of false data, and she would like to contribute astute, helpful input that she knows can help others. If you would like to learn more about June's research, read more here.