As a homeowner, the price of appliances is very important that is why we make sure that we take care of our electrical devices at home. But there will always come a time that these electronic and electrical device will become broken thus we would opt to have them repaired. An example for this would be the refrigerator repair cost.
A home would not be complete without a refrigerator. Who would not want to have a cold drink or dessert ready whenever they want it? How would you be able to store leftover foods or cold cuts and meats without a freezer? 
Others would even have a personal refrigerator at their own room for their comfort. Before refrigeration, people just salt their meat in order to preserve it, but now we have the refrigerator to make our lives easier and more comfortable.
Cost of Repairing Your Refrigerator
The refrigerator is one kitchen device that is often overlooked. Knowing that you have a malfunction refrigerator is very important as a broken fridge can easily affect your kitchen’s functionality. If it gets broken and does not provide the correct temperature then you may see spoiled food and meat inside it. The spoiled food will cost you money and it will go down the trash. It is like throwing money.
A basic refrigerator repair will include troubleshooting operation as well as test likely component failure scenarios in sequence. The supplies, service materials and parts costing up to $25 and the planning, equipment and material acquisition, area preparation and protection, setup and cleanup will cost you around $166 to $270. The repair time would be around 2.6 hours.
The refrigerator repair cost of related materials and supplies typically required to repair refrigerator which includes connectors and fittings will cost you $125 to $143.
Note that the cost to repair fridge will depend on your location as well as the size of the project and the parts that need to be replaced. Also, if there is a contractor who will be supervising the repair of your refrigerator you would need to add around 15% to 23% on the total refrigerator repair cost.
Cost Of Refrigerator Repair Per Problem
If the problem of a refrigerator is its compressor, then you can always buy one in the market. A reconditioned compressor will cost you about $35 while a new one will be priced at $100 and up. Remember to take down the brand of your unit as well as its model as there are times that even the same brand uses different type of compressors.
Say you noticed a rattling sound on your refrigerator. Chances are the drip pan is rattling when the water drips behind the kick plate. The repair of this type of problem will be around $20 to $50.
If you noticed that the icemaker is making loud sounds, louder than usual, then you should need to have it checked with a cost of $250 to $330. Also, if the evaporator fan of your freezer is making strange noises, you can either push the door switch to turn it off and see if the noise stops. If it does then you would need to have the motor repaired and you would have to pay $200 to $250 for the services.
You may notice that your refrigerator motor runs as normal however it is not getting cold. There may be a leak and it needs to be sealed and replace the heat exchanger and filter drier. You will be charged $300 to $400 for a professional service as this requires special tools and expertise.
There are also times that your refrigerator will have a bad door seal, warped door that’s not straight and will not close or you will have a worn-out door cam. You will spend $40 to $100 for the door seal and $2 to $20 for the door cam.
If you notice a spike in your electricity bill, you can use a usage meter to track your refrigerators energy consumption. A Kill A Watt energy usage meter cost around $30 but there are many cellphone apps that are free to download and use.
Cost-Effective Choice: Fixing Refrigerator VS Buying A New Refrigerator
If the cost to repair fridge is more than half the value of a new refrigerator then it would be best to ditched the broken one and consider buying a new refrigerator for your kitchen.
If your refrigerator is 5 years old and has only minimal problem then you can go ahead and repair them but if it is more than 15 years old already, then it is best to buy a new one instead. Your refrigerator is the biggest energy consumer on all your appliances. The Older type of refrigerator is not energy efficient and you may end up suffering on your electricity bill rather than saving on your cost. When a fridge stops working you won’t be able to use its full functionality. When you replace your old refrigerator, you will immediately notice the changes in your electrical bill.
If the main problem of your refrigerator is the compressor, it is best to just mix the fridge and get a new one. Replacing a refrigerator is very expensive plus the labor cost to repair the fridge. Buying a new one is more convenient than paying for the amount of repair and labor cost.
Your refrigerator is not built to last. It has its own lifespan and when it has passed, its performance is going to deteriorate. It is important that you know when is the right time to replace your refrigerator as this can be great savings for you in the long run. New refrigerators have better performance, is energy efficient and has many new features that would be beneficial to your kitchen and household.