If you find it hard to keep up with the sheer speed of technological advancement, be assured you are not the only one. The rapid invention of novel home appliances greatly improves our quality of life, but when you make new purchases, do you pay attention to how long you can use a certain product?
In fact, each electrical appliance has a limited lifespan. If you keep using the appliance even when it’s long expired, not only are you wasting electricity, you are also risking your own safety.
But how can you tell when an appliance is expired? What are the telltale signs of an expired home appliance? Deco-Man’s here to give you some tips.
Larger electricity expenditure
Home appliances that have long expired will use more electricity than new ones which are more energy efficient.
Old electrical appliances can use up to 40% more electricity than new ones.
For example, a ten-year-old fridge is going to use 2 times more electrical energy than when it’s new. Prolonged use of expired appliances will waste a lot of electricity and eventually your money.
Excessive radiation
Before a home appliance is expired, the radiation it emits does not exceed safe levels. But as time progresses, some appliances which are made with more primitive technology will harm your health since it emits 2 to 3 times more radiation than new appliances.
Lowered or lost working efficacy
Old home appliances lose their functions as they age and experienced prolonged periods of use. For example, old fridges have a weaker sanitising function and cannot keep the food fresh. It might even slowly turn itno a breeding ground of bacteria.
The freon in in aircons might leak, which not only pollutes the environment, but also potentially harms your health.
Old washing machines not only clean poorly, but also break down easily. In more serious scenarios, circuits might be worn down or exposed which causes short circuit to occur.
Fire and explosion risks
When the inner components of home appliances are worn down, short cirsuit might occur, which burns the components or even causes explosion. Old appliances which are not well-maintained are at even greater risk of catching fire or exploding.
How to tell if your appliances have expired
Aircon
- Slow to cool or heat up the interior
- Dust accumulates at the fans
- There is a mouldy smell in the machine
- Dark liquids might leak from the machine
Refrigerator
- Noisy and inefficient
- Poor cooling efficacy
- Vibrates at operation
- Freon leakage
Washing machine
- Noisy
- Poor cleaning performance
- Water leakage
- Exposed wires
Television
- Faded colours and blurriness
- Flickering
- High levels of emitted radiation
- Inefficient use of energy
Water heater
- Strange noise when operating
- Power switch not working properly
- Water contamination due to rusted inner components
