Nowadays, the purchase of a household appliance has become a crucial issue when it comes to furnishing a home. Not only do we want it to be durable, not to break down and to fulfil its functions, but we also want it to have a good energy certificate, to have a good technical service or to facilitate the purchase of spare parts.
To facilitate the study work that precedes the purchase, the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) has prepared a satisfaction survey on the main brands. This includes more than 68,000 ratings on both the durability and reliability of large household appliances (lavadoras, secadoras, lavavajillas y frigoríficos).
“Our survey reveals that the most common lifespan of major household appliances is around 11-12 years, but some brands fall below this average, while others far exceed it,” the organisation says as its main conclusion.
By brand, Miele stands out as the most durable, with averages of 16 years for tumble dryers and washing machines, 15 years for dishwashers and 14 years for refrigerators. “Miele appliances can last, on average, up to 9 years longer than the least durable brands in each category”, says OCU.
Washing machines
The longest-lasting lavadoras, according to the users consulted, are those from Miele, with an average of 16 years. Siemens, Zanussi, Balay, Fagor, Edesa and Ignis have a shorter life expectancy (12 years). Daewoo and Hotpoint are among those with the shortest life expectancy (9 years).
However, the most reliable (calculated from the frequency and importance of breakdowns) are those of Ignis, Daewoo and SMEG, followed by Indesit, LG and Edesa.
Dishwashers
Again, Miele stands out as the longest-lasting brand (15 years), followed by Zanussi, Siemens, AEG, Baucknecht, Balay, Bosh and Electrolux, with 12 years. Indesit and Hotpoint models are, on average and according to the OCU survey, the ones that last the least (10 years).
In terms of reliability, NEFF stands out among all the brands, ahead of others such as AEG, IKEA, Franke and Bauknecht.
Refrigerators
In terms of refrigerators, Miele refrigerators (14 years) are not the longest-lasting, nor are Zanussi and Baucknecht refrigerators, which match Miele’s figures. On this occasion, the longest-lasting refrigerators are those from General Electric, which manage to last up to 17 years on average. The least durable are LG and Daewoo (10 years).
In terms of reliability, Balai tops the list, followed by Edesa and Siemens. At the other end of the scale, Hisense, Fagor and Ikea are the least reliable for their users.
Dryers
Miele once again tops the latest list with an average of 17 years, well above its main followers (Siemens, Baucknecht and Hotpoint), which last an average of 12 years. On the other hand, Electrolux (9 years) and Candy (8 years) last the shortest.
Although the latter two last the longest, they are the two most reliable brands, followed by Becken (Worten), AEF, Hotpoint and Samsung.
