The Real Savings of DIY Appliance Repair
How much money can you save making home repairs yourself? Repair Clinic has done the math for you...
See our charts below to find out how much you can save on common home repairs.
Refrigerator
One of the more common refrigerator repairs is replacing the ice maker. Here’s the cost difference between hiring a repair tech to fix it versus you fixing it:
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | $100 - $250, depending on your model. | | Total Cost | $240-$430
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Ice makers on RepairClinic.com range from $75-$200, plus $7-$10 shipping. | | Total Cost | $75-$200 (Shipping Included) | | Savings | You’ll save $160 to $170 fixing it yourself! |
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Oven/Stove/Range
For electric ovens, replacing the bake element is usually the most needed repair. If your oven is gas, the igniter is the most common part to fail.
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | Either part costs about $50-$200. | | Total Cost | Plan on spending $180-$380 to replace either part. |
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Bake elements and ignitors range from around $30-$150 on our website. | | Total Cost | $37-$160 (Shipping Included) | | Savings | You’ll save $140 to $220 if you fix it yourself! |
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Dishwasher
If your dishwasher is on the fritz, more often than not the problem could be the water inlet valve.
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | $30-$65 (depending on the model) | | Total Cost | Plan on spending $180-$250 to replace a water inlet valve. |
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Water inlet valves range from $20-$50 on our website | | Total Cost | $27-$60 (Shipping Included) | | Savings | We're talking $153 to $190 in savings! |
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Washing Machine
A damaged or broken drive belt is one of the more common parts that need to be replaced on a washing machine.
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | $15-$65 (depending on the model) | | Total Cost | It costs $160-$250 to replace a drive belt. |
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Drive belts range from $10-$50 on our website | | Total Cost | $17-$60 (Shipping Included) | | Savings | You save $143 to $190! |
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Dryer
There's no doubt about it, the thermal fuse is the most replaced item on a dryer. (Hint: clean the lint out of your filter before or after every load and from your venting every six months to help prevent this problem!)
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | $10-$60 (depending on the model) | | Total Cost | It costs $150-$240 to replace a drive belt. |
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Drive belts range from $10-$45 on our website | | Total Cost | $17-$55 (Shipping Included) | | Savings | We're talking $130 to $185 in savings! |
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Lawn Mower
In most cases, a lawn mower not being able to start is a result of a defunct carburetor. Here's how much you can save by replacing a carburetor by yourself.
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | $15-$100 (depending on your mower) | | Total Cost | It costs $190-$260 to replace a carburetor. |
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Carburetors range from $13-$90 on our website | | Total Cost | $20-$97 (Shipping Included) | | Savings | We're talking $170 to $240 in savings! |
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Snowblower
We recommend replacing your snowblower's spark plug once a season. A spark plug that's on the fritz increases emissions reduces engine performance and increases fuel consumption. We offer spark plugs to nearly every snowblower model on the market. We also sell spark plug wrenches to help you perform the maintenance yourself.
| Repair Technician | | Avg. Service Fee | $75 | | Hourly Rate | $150/hr | | Cost of parts | $3-$20 (depending on your snowblower) | | Total Cost | It costs $150-$225 to replace a spark plug. |
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| DIY Repair | | Avg. Service Fee | $0 | | Hourly Rate | $0 | | Cost of parts | Spark plugs range from $2-$15 on our website | |
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