The warranty has just expired - and as if someone had set the clock that way, the device suddenly breaks. An everyday and indeed typical situation. Inevitably, you start to think about it: Is it worth repairing the household appliance or is a new product in order? The consumer organization Stiftung Warentest has addressed these questions.

To repair or not to repair household appliances - is there a one-size-fits-all answer?
No, this question depends on the consumer's expectations. So: What do I want? Do I want it to be as inexpensive as possible? Or do I want to have peace of mind for a long time afterwards? Plus: Not all household appliances can be repaired. Cheap products in particular are often built in such a way that they cannot be repaired.

Are the spare parts even available from the manufacturers?
The following applies to washing machines, fully automatic coffee machines and vacuum cleaners: Many suppliers have spare parts in stock for the most common wearing parts of their products. They are usually available for five to ten years. By the way: If customer service is too expensive for you, you should visit a repair café. These are run by volunteers who can offer their expertise and helping hands (information: www.reparatur-initiativen.de).

Vacuum cleaners
Cracked hoses, lack of suction power - consumers can often help themselves with the usual minor defects. Because: In these cases, calling a professional is not worthwhile. In other cases, spare parts are often disproportionately expensive. Rule of thumb: On average, vacuum cleaners break down after eight years. It therefore no longer makes sense to repair older appliances. For newer appliances that consume no more than 1,000 watts, a repair is only worthwhile in the first four years if it costs no more than half the purchase price.

Washing machine
Experts know that machines from the 1990s were much easier to repair than they are today. This means that it can be worth investing in washing machines from this period. The product testers also advise this: In the first five years, a repair is worthwhile up to a value that does not exceed half the purchase price. For appliances that are ten years old, only a fifth of the purchase price is still economical. Despite these considerations, consumers should be aware that the manufacture of a new appliance has a much greater impact on the environment and therefore a repair often makes ecological sense.

Fully automatic coffee machines
These machines are becoming increasingly popular. As the purchase price is quite high and the manufacturing process also costs a lot of resources, a repair is almost always worthwhile. However, this does not necessarily have to be carried out by a professional. The product testers recommend searching for the source of the fault yourself on DIY websites (e.g. www.juradiy.de) and thus avoiding high repair costs for minor issues.