A boiler usually lasts 10 to 15 years and a heat pump 20 or more, but most other appliances have no official lifespan at all. Here are honest rules of thumb, the signs something is on its way out, how to weigh a repair against a replacement and the records that make a repair or a claim easier.
A gas boiler usually lasts 10 to 15 years and a heat pump 20 years or more, according to the Energy Saving Trust. For washing machines, dishwashers, fridges and most other appliances there is no official UK figure at all. The numbers you see quoted are rules of thumb from retailers and repairers and most of them circle around ten years.
How long yours lasts depends far more on how hard it works and how it is looked after than on any table. A washing machine doing two loads a day for a family of five lives a very different life from one doing two loads a week.
So treat the figures below as a prompt to start paying attention, not a countdown. What saves money is spotting the signs early, knowing when a repair is worth paying for and keeping the few records that make a repair, a claim or a sale easier.
The short version
- The Energy Saving Trust puts the average gas boiler's life at 10 to 15 years and says a heat pump is likely to last 20 years or more.
- There is no official UK lifespan for washing machines, dishwashers, fridges or other appliances; around ten years is a common rule of thumb, not a promise.
- In Great Britain, makers must keep certain spare parts for washing machines, dishwashers and fridges available for 7 to 10 years after the last of a model is placed on the market.
- Your legal rights against the retailer outlast most warranties: up to six years to bring a claim in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and five in Scotland.
- A repair costing more than about half the price of a replacement is a common point to price up a new one, though age, parts and running costs matter too.
- Gas appliances should only be worked on by a Gas Safe registered engineer and wired-in ovens and hobs by a qualified electrician.
- Keep the receipt, the model and serial number, the manual and the warranty registration for every appliance.
How long things typically last
Only two figures in this table come from a named, independent source: the Energy Saving Trust's 10 to 15 years for a boiler and 20 years or more for a heat pump. No government body or regulator publishes an authoritative UK lifespan for washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, ovens or the rest. Even Which?'s large reliability surveys rate brands rather than giving an expected lifespan. So where a row says rule of thumb, read it as roughly the age at which owners and repairers start to expect trouble, not a guarantee in either direction.
| Appliance | Typical life | Signs it is failing | Repair or replace? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas boiler | 10 to 15 years (Energy Saving Trust) | Pressure that keeps dropping, frequent lockouts, lukewarm hot water, leaks | Get a Gas Safe engineer's diagnosis; weigh a big repair on an older boiler against replacing it |
| Heat pump | 20 years or more (Energy Saving Trust) | Rooms slow to warm, new noises, error codes, higher bills | Usually a repair; start with the installer or the manufacturer |
| Washing machine | No official figure; rule of thumb about 7 to 10 years | A very loud spin, a drum that rocks or grinds, leaks, water left after a cycle | Pumps, seals and door locks are repairs; worn bearings often tip it towards replacing |
| Dishwasher | No official figure; rule of thumb about 7 to 12 years | Dishes still dirty, water in the base, leaks, not drying | Pumps, seals and spray arms are usually worth fixing on a newer machine |
| Fridge | No official figure; rule of thumb about 10 years | Not holding its temperature, running constantly, ice where it should not be | Thermostats, seals and hinges are repairs; a failed compressor on an old fridge rarely is |
| Freezer | No official figure; rule of thumb about 10 years | Frost building quickly, soft food, a motor that never stops | As for a fridge |
| Tumble dryer | No official figure; rule of thumb about 10 years | Clothes still damp, a hot or burning smell, a drum that will not turn | Stop using it if it smells of burning; belts and elements are routine repairs |
| Oven | No official figure; rule of thumb about 10 to 15 years | Slow or uneven heating, a noisy fan, a door that will not seal | Elements, fans, thermostats and door seals are routine repairs |
| Hob | No official figure; often 10 years or more | Zones failing, cracked glass, gas burners that will not light evenly | Stop using cracked glass; gas faults are for a Gas Safe engineer |
| Cooker hood | No official figure; often 10 years or more | Weak extraction, a noisy motor, failing lights | Clean or replace the filters first; a new motor on an old hood may not be worth it |
| Microwave | No official figure; rule of thumb about 8 to 10 years | Not heating, sparking, a door that does not shut properly | Stop using it; never open the case, which can hold a dangerous charge even unplugged |
| Air conditioning | No reliable figure; ask the installer and the manufacturer | Weak cooling, ice on the pipes, leaks, new noises | Work on the refrigerant needs an F-gas certified business |
| Smoke alarm | Replace sealed ten-year alarms every ten years (GOV.UK) | Repeated chirping, failing the monthly test | Replace, never repair |
| Carbon monoxide alarm | Typically 5 to 10 years (Gas Safe Register) | An end-of-life warning, failing the test | Replace |
Light use, soft water and clean filters push a machine towards the long end. Heavy use, hard water and neglect pull it towards the short end. It is also worth noticing which things arrived together: a kitchen fitted out in one go tends to need replacing in one go.
Repair or replace: how to decide
A common rule of thumb: if the repair would cost more than about half the price of a comparable new appliance, get a replacement price before you agree to it. It is a starting point rather than the answer, so work through these in order.
- If it is unsafe, stop. A burning smell, sparking, scorch marks, cracked hob glass or a smell of gas means switch it off and get it looked at before anything else. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.
- If it is under six months old or still under warranty, go back first. In the first six months a fault is presumed to have been there when you got it, unless the retailer can prove otherwise. Ask the retailer or the manufacturer before paying anyone.
- If the fault is a wear part, repair it. Seals, filters, belts, hinges, door locks, pumps and elements are the parts machines are designed to have replaced.
- If a major part has failed on an older machine, lean towards replacing. A compressor, a drum and its bearings or a boiler's heat exchanger near the end of the typical range is usually buying a short extension at a poor rate.
- If the part cannot be had, the decision is made for you. For newer washing machines, dishwashers and fridges, the spare parts rules below make that less likely.
- If it is old and expensive to run, count the electricity. An inefficient fridge, freezer or tumble dryer costs more every year it stays, which a repair quote does not show.
Get the diagnosis before you decide. A call-out fee to find out exactly what failed is usually money well spent, because "it needs a pump" and "it needs a pump and the drum is going" are different decisions. How to check a tradesperson covers choosing who to let in.
For a boiler, use a Gas Safe registered engineer and get more than one quote for any replacement. If it is near the end of its life, look at the options before it fails rather than in a cold snap. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, applied for by an MCS-certified installer.
Spare parts: what the right to repair rules say
Since summer 2021, ecodesign rules in Great Britain have required manufacturers to keep certain spare parts available for some appliances. The periods run from when the last unit of a model is placed on the market. Parts must be delivered within 15 working days of the order. Some go only to professional repairers, so you may still need an engineer even when the part exists. Northern Ireland follows the EU's rules instead.
| Appliance | Parts you can buy yourself | Parts for professional repairers |
|---|---|---|
| Washing machines and washer-dryers | 10 years: door, door hinge and seals, other seals, door lock, plastic parts such as detergent dispensers | 10 years: motor, pumps, drum, bearings, heaters, shock absorbers, circuit boards, displays, sensors and more |
| Dishwashers | 10 years: door hinges and seals, other seals, spray arms, drain filters, racks, plastic parts such as baskets and lids | 7 years: pumps, heaters, motors, pressure switches, circuit boards, displays and more |
| Fridges and freezers | 10 years: door handles, door hinges, trays and baskets | 7 years: thermostats, temperature sensors, circuit boards, lights |
| TVs and monitors | 7 years: external power supply, remote control | 7 years: internal power supply, connectors, capacitors and more |
Two cautions. The rules began in 2021, so an older model may not be covered. They also list only these appliances: for an oven, a hob, a tumble dryer or a microwave, ask the manufacturer how long it supplies parts before you book a repair. The washing machine schedule, the dishwasher schedule and the fridge schedule list every part.
Recalls and safety notices
Appliances are sometimes recalled years after they were sold. A maker can only contact you if it knows you own one.
- Check the official list. The Office for Product Safety and Standards publishes product safety alerts, reports and recalls on GOV.UK. Our free appliance recall checker searches the same register.
- Register what you own. Register My Appliance, run by AMDEA, the trade association for appliance makers, links to the registration pages of over 60 brands for appliances bought in the last twelve years. Its stated aim is to reach owners if a safety repair is needed.
- Search by model number, not description. Recalls name exact models. The number is on the rating plate, often inside the door of a washing machine or dishwasher, inside a fridge or on the back of the appliance.
A search that finds nothing is not a safety certificate; it means no notice matched what you typed. If a notice does match, follow its instructions exactly.
Your rights when something breaks
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be of satisfactory quality, which includes lasting a reasonable time for what they are and what they cost. Which?'s guide to faulty products sets out how that works:
- The first 30 days. You can usually reject a faulty item for a refund.
- The first six months. A fault is presumed to have been there when you got it, unless the retailer can prove otherwise.
- After six months. It is up to you to show the fault was there from the start rather than caused by wear or misuse.
- The time limit. Up to six years to take a claim to the small claims court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five years in Scotland. That is a limit on claiming, not a promise that an appliance lasts six years.
Your claim is against the retailer that sold it, not the manufacturer. An expensive appliance failing at three or four years with a known fault is often worth pursuing; a budget one failing at five usually is not. Evidence decides it: proof of purchase, the model and serial number and ideally an engineer's report saying what failed.
If you paid at least partly by credit card and the item cost more than £100 and no more than £30,000, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can make the card provider jointly liable with the retailer. If a retailer will not engage, the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133 in England) can help.
What actually makes things last longer
Most appliances do not die of old age. They die of something small that was left. A few habits cover most of it:
- Boiler. An annual safety check and service by a Gas Safe registered engineer, which Gas Safe recommends unless the manufacturer says otherwise and which many boiler guarantees require. What a boiler service includes explains the visit.
- Heat pump. Keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, plants and snow. Follow the manufacturer's servicing schedule, which may be a condition of the guarantee.
- Washing machine. Clean the drain filter and the detergent drawer, leave the door ajar after a wash and do not overload the drum.
- Dishwasher. Rinse the filter, clear any blocked spray arm holes and keep salt and rinse aid topped up if you have hard water.
- Fridge and freezer. Leave the gap behind that the manual asks for, keep the door seals clean, let hot food cool first and defrost a freezer before the ice gets thick.
- Tumble dryer. Empty the lint filter every load and the water container or condenser as the manual says. A clogged filter makes the dryer work harder and is a fire risk.
- Oven, hob and cooker hood. Wipe spills before they bake on, keep gas burners clean and dry and wash or replace the hood's grease filters as the manual says. Charcoal filters are replaced, not washed.
- Air conditioning. Clean the filters as the manual says and have it serviced as the manufacturer recommends.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Test smoke alarms at least monthly, as GOV.UK advises. Test the carbon monoxide alarm as its instructions say.
For the rest of the house, the home maintenance checklist puts jobs like these into a year.
What to keep for every appliance
We've all got a drawer of manuals for things we no longer own and no receipt for the thing that just broke. For each appliance, try to keep:
- Proof of purchase. The receipt, invoice or order confirmation showing where and when you bought it. A consumer rights claim rests on it.
- Make, model and serial number. Photograph the rating plate. It is what the right spare part, a recall search and a warranty claim all ask for.
- The manual and installation instructions. Most can be downloaded from the maker's website using the model number, which helps once the paper copy has gone.
- The warranty registration. The confirmation, the end date and any conditions. Some boiler makers want the boiler registered within 30 days of installation and serviced every year, or the guarantee can be cut back.
- Service and repair records. Engineers' reports, invoices and, for a boiler, the service record in its Benchmark logbook.
- Installation certificates for heating. The Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for a gas boiler or the MCS certificate for a heat pump. A buyer's conveyancer will ask for them when you sell; documents needed to sell a house has the full list.
If the paperwork has already gone, much of it can be found again: build your home's service history shows where to look.
homehogs keeps an appliance list with the model, serial number, manual and receipt attached to each one and reminds you before a warranty ends. A photo of the rating plate is enough to start.
Sources
- Energy Saving Trust: Tips to improve the EPC rating of your home (boiler lifespan)
- Energy Saving Trust: Heat pump questions answered
- legislation.gov.uk: The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021
- GOV.UK: Electrical appliances to be cheaper to run and last longer with new standards
- GOV.UK: Product safety alerts, reports and recalls
- AMDEA: Register My Appliance
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015
- Which?: Faulty product? How to get a refund, repair or replacement
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75
- Gas Safe Register: Check your gas appliances
- Gas Safe Register: Carbon monoxide alarms
- GOV.UK: Fire safety in the home
- GOV.UK: Certification for companies working on equipment containing F gas
- GOV.UK: Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Last fact-checked 5 October 2026.
Know what you own and how old it is
homehogs keeps every appliance with its model, serial number, manual, receipt and warranty date. It reminds you before the cover runs out rather than after.
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