The 11 Most Expensive Appliance Parts to Replace - BobVila.com

When replacement parts are this costly, you're often better off replacing a failing appliance altogether.

Appliance Replacement Over Expensive Repairs

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The 11 Most Expensive Appliance Parts to Replace

Appliances are inventive time-saving additions to homes for cooling food, heating food, washing dishes, washing clothes, drying clothes, heating the home, cooling the home, and so much more. Relied upon for everyday tasks, when one of the major appliances in the home fails, the first instinct may be to call a maintenance company to make repairs. However, depending on the broken or faulty part, it may be more beneficial to invest in a replacement appliance instead of sinking more money into expensive appliance parts for an older appliance.

Before deciding to repair or replace an appliance or part, verify what part is broken and check the cost of the part on the manufacturer’s website or an aftermarket parts dealer to get an idea of the exact capital you would need to fix the appliance. Keep in mind that expensive brands will also have more expensive parts, so an ice maker on a Bosch refrigerator will typically cost more than an ice maker on a Frigidaire model. Additionally, parts for foreign appliance brands that do not have domestic factories will also come at an increased price due to the import and sourcing costs.

If you are unfortunate enough to have one of the 11 most expensive appliance parts fail, then it’s likely time to consider an upgrade. Keep reading to learn about these expensive appliance parts and learn when it might be better to just replace the entire appliance.

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Smart Refrigerator Control Board -—$500

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A smart refrigerator is a great addition to the kitchen because it performs the basic functions of a standard fridge, but can also include a digital touch screen to access built-in apps, as well as communicate with smart home systems.

The control board collects information from multiple sensors throughout the fridge in order to set the appropriate temperature and runtimes for the appliance. Given that the control board is essentially the brain of the refrigerator, it shouldn’t be surprising that a replacement control board comes at a high price. On average a control board, such as this Whirlpool refrigerator main control board, will cost about $250 to $500. If you have a smart fridge by a higher-end brand, this part may cost you a lot more.

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Grill Pellet Hopper — $250

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Grill parts are surprisingly affordable to replace, so it’s advised to replace burners, grates, and even catch basins when necessary. However, the price shoots up dramatically when the broken or worn out part is the automatic pellet hopper.

Expect to pay about $200 to $250 for a replacement automatic pellet hopper, which is the part of the grill where the pellets are loaded. An electric auger moves the pellets horizontally to the firepot where they are burned to produce heat for grilling. The complex mechanism and electric motor drives up the cost of the automatic pellet hopper.

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Air Conditioner Compressor — $2,000

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The compressor on an air conditioner is an integral part that is responsible for moving the refrigerant between the evaporator and condenser coils. Acting like the heart of the air conditioner, the compressor works to pump refrigerant through the system.

Replacing this key part can cost an average of $1,500 to $2,000, while the average cost to completely replace an air conditioner is about $5,500. Depending on the age of the air conditioner, the best choice may be to upgrade the system instead of dealing with possible ongoing problems and expensive parts, like this Copeland air conditioner compressor.

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Smart Microwave Door — $500

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Compared to parts like a control board, motor, or even the electronic display, the microwave door doesn’t seem like it would be a costly repair. Yet, the door on a microwave is typically the most expensive part to replace, ranging from $200 to $500. It also can come with an especially high price for small, foreign appliance manufacturers due to the import and sourcing costs. However, this repair is relatively easy for experienced DIYers to take on, so they can save on labor costs by doing it themselves.

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Clothes Dryer Motor — $450

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There are few things more frustrating than starting the dryer full of wet clothes and coming back to find them just as wet and starting to smell. When the motor on the dryer wears out or fails, this is the exact situation that can occur.

The expected cost to replace a dryer motor is about $350 to $400 for an electric dryer or $400 to $450 for a gas dryer. The motor on a dryer is responsible for generating the force to rotate the dryer drum and run the blower. Without this integral part, the dryer is essentially useless.

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Furnace Heat Exchanger — $1,000

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The heat exchanger is made up of thin metal sheets or tubes that separate the combustion process within the furnace from the blower and vents. It transfers the heat from the combustion system through the thin metal and into the ventilation system, warming the air before it is blown through the ducts to the rest of the home.

If the heat exchanger on the furnace fails, you are left with just a couple of choices: Replace the entire furnace or replace the heat exchanger for about $1,000 to $2,000. Since prices can exceed $2,000, like this Trane four-tube heat exchanger, this needed repair may be all the prompting you need to upgrade the entire system.

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Washing Machine Agitator — $375

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The spindle that sticks up in the center of a top-load washing machine is known as the agitator. It’s designed with fins or vanes that twist, turn, and agitate during a washing cycle in order to keep the laundry moving instead of allowing it to settle and clump together.

If the agitator breaks on your washing machine, the price to repair it ranges from about $300 to $375 depending on the model. Consider the age of the machine and whether it has needed any other repairs before deciding to fix the agitator or replace the entire washer.

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Oven Door — $600

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Standalone or built-in ovens are necessary appliances in the kitchen to prepare a variety of different meals for the family and they are typically accessed with a single, insulated door that folds down or opens to the side, depending on the product design.

This heavy door is made to keep heat trapped inside the oven, while also providing users with a viewing window to quickly check on their food without opening the door. However, if the window cracks or the door becomes bent or broken, it won’t function properly and could cause a fire if you attempt to use it before having the door replaced. Replacing it can cost about $400 to $600.

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Dishwasher Motor — $600

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Most people don’t think about the motor on a dishwasher, but this integral part is responsible for powering the pump, which forces water up into the spray arms and out in powerful streams to clean the dishes. Without the motor, the dishwasher is really only useful for storing extra dishes.

The motor-pump assembly is located on the bottom of the dishwasher, mounted beneath the basin in the center of the appliance. While the average cost of a new dishwasher is about $700, replacing the motor on a dishwasher can cost $400 to $600. With these numbers so close, it’s usually better to replace the entire dishwasher instead of replacing the motor.

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Freezer Compressor — $650

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Similar to the compressor on an air conditioner, the compressor on a standalone freezer or a full refrigerator is responsible for pumping refrigerant through the system, ensuring that the freezer can adequately cool its contents according to the current temperature setting. Due to the complexity and importance of the compressor, replacing this part will typically cost between $500 to $650. But if you do the work yourself and have a less expensive model of freezer, you may be able to save some of the cost, as you could with this Frigidaire compressor.

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Stove Control Panel — $600

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The control panel on a detached cooktop or combined stove and oven is made for choosing the temperature on each burner, controlling the oven, setting the clock, starting the timer, or performing a diagnostic check for any problems with the stove. This part is necessary for the user to have any type of control over the appliance settings, but repairs come at a hefty price ranging from $450 to $600.

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