Is It Better to Repair or Replace Your Oven?

When your oven breaks down,, you have to decide whether it makes more sense to fix it or buy a new one. The average lifespan of an oven ranges from 15 to 20 years, depending on the model and how well you take care of it. If you discover that your oven has broken down and requires an expensive repair, such as replacing the electronic control board or the control panel, it may be time to buy a new one because that oven won’t last much longer.

Follow this advice for determining whether to repair or replace your oven.

How Much Does Will It Cost to Fix My Oven?

Wall oven repairs typically range from $150 to $1,000. At the low end, replacing a temperature sensor would likely cost around $180 to $200. The most expensive repairs involve control board or control panel replacement. Sometimes, both the control panel and the electronic control board need replacing at the same time. That type of repair would likely cost around $1000.

It’s difficult to estimate repair cost when your oven breaks down because fixing a problem like the oven not heating could require an inexpensive part such as a temperature sensor or an expensive part such as a control board.

The best way to determine repair cost for your oven is to have a service technician diagnose the oven failure and provide an estimate of the repair. You typically need to pay a diagnostic fee of around $150, but that repair estimate is essential for helping you work through your repair/replace decision.

How Much Does a New Oven Cost?

Replacement cost is much easier to determine than repair cost. Search for a replacement oven that fits your current wall oven cabinet opening, has with the features you want and is the color that matches your other kitchen appliances. Add the cost of delivery and installation to the cost of the oven you selected to determine your total replacement cost.

Evaluate Your Situation and Decide

Consider Your Oven’s Age

Age of your oven is a key factor in making your repair/replace decision. When your oven is over 20 years old, you’ll likely want to replace it when it needs a repair costing more than $500. After 20 years, replacement parts often start becoming scarce and the oven may continue to have failures as additional parts begin to wear out.

On the other hand, if your oven needs a minor repair and you maintained it well over the years, then you will likely be better off paying a few hundred dollars to replace a part with the expectation that you’ll enjoy several more years of use from your current oven.

Decide Whether the Repair Cost Is Justified

The next consideration is whether paying the repair cost is reasonable. If the repair cost is low, you will likely be better off paying for the repair even if your oven is older than 20 years. If your oven needs a $1,000 repair and it’s over 15 years old, you’re likely better off replacing the oven if replacement cost is less than $2,000.

With most appliances, you can make a repair/replace decision by applying a general rule that you should replace the appliance if it’s over halfway through its useful life and the repair will cost more than half the appliance’s replacement cost. With oven’s, that rule is more difficult to apply. Wall ovens are often expensive to replace so a repair seldom exceeds half the oven’s replacement cost. Ovens typically last longer than other appliances so you can often enjoy many more years of service from your oven when it’s over 15 years old.

Factor Replacement Cost into Your Repair/Replace Decision

Wall oven replacement cost often skews your replace/replace decision toward repair. The typically high cost of oven replacement is often hard to swallow when your oven breaks down. In some circumstances, you will need to consider replacing all of your kitchen appliances so they can match your replacement wall oven.

You’ll likely be better off replacing your oven when it needs an expensive repair at the end of its useful life. Otherwise, you’ll need to bite the bullet and make that repair.