AIBU to ask how long an oven should last?

[bobbythejobby]

Wasn't all that sure where to put this question. Posting here for traffic I guess.

Anyway, could I ask how long you have had your oven/cooker for and how long you would reasonably expect a £200 cooker to last?

When we moved into our house in November 2018, so just a half and a half ago, we purchased a Bush fan oven from Argos for around about £200 so although it wasn't an expensive oven, it also wasn't the cheapest one available either. Now, just a year and a half down the line and it's broken. I think it's the element that's gone in it as it looks like it's on but won't heat up at all but that's besides the point - just a year and a half!? First world problems and all but I am really sickened by that especially as we can't afford to repair or replace it. It's out of warranty and although I've sent Argos a shitty message on Facebook asking for a refund I know I won't get one.

So, how long has everyone else had their oven for and tell me I'm not being unreasonable to be absolutely furious that ours has lasted just a year and a half. FWIW, it doesn't see heavy usage - the oven itself is only used approximately twice a week for maybe 20 minutes each time. Also, has anyone got one of those mini-ovens that sit on the counter and are they as good as a 'normal' oven because that's what I'm planning on getting to replace it.

I have a belling range which is starting to fall apart after 6 years which I'm annoyed about at a cost of £1300 They've decided to discontinue some of the parts too.

My mistake, its a Stoves, not Belling. Still shite though.

I think I'd expect it to last 5 years but I'd expect ANY price item to be fixable.

@Baaaahhhhh

I've got a large double oven gas/electric RangeMaster, cost several hundred pounds, and was reduced at the time, as it came as a package with the new kitchen. It's 17 years old and still going strong. I have replaced a grill element, and the fan oven thermostat, cost about £100 each for part and fitting. It does need a new oven door, as the internal glass seal has gone, but that's only a hundred or so, so well worth the initial outlay. No idea how we will replace it when the time comes, it is massive, wedged in, and will need to roll across wooden floors...... hopefully we will move before we need a new one!

I think we possibly have the same item! Ours is 15 years old and we've had to replace exactly the same parts. I do think you get what you pay for but even a £200 item should last more than 1.5 years. We priced up replacing ours as one of the gas rings is playing up but I just about cried at the price - because it's 900cm we have to get a similar one or will have a big gap. I'm just living without that ring.

wow sheila47 that is a very good oven!

Same here OP.

We have a Indesit double oven and the bottom fan oven has started nuking everything Only had it about 2.5 years. Loved it at first! Now can only cook potato dauphinois with any amount of confidence that it’s not going to come out chargrilled

Sorry, that sounded so ‘first world problems and all that’

We have a Bosch integrated oven, cost around £350.

We only had it 2 years when we replaced the kitchen so cleaned it kept it and installed in the new kitchen. We've now had for over 12 years, the touch buttons are a bit worn, and I've had to replace the bulb once but otherwise works fine (it is doing better than the shite Cooke and Lewis kitchen we bought!)

Previous oven was a standalone cooker from Cannon.

Those are the only ovens I have bought in 26 years.

An element will cost you £30 at most and as mentioned above there are lots of youtube walkthroughs on how to replace one. We replaced ours recently. The hardest part was that the screws to take off the front panel were stripped- word to the wise if you have to replace screws use stainless steel ones, lesson learned - your oven will be as good as new. If you have the model number it will make it dead easy to order or pick up an element. Good luck

Well the oven itself, years. But parts like that are cheap and easily replaceable; I've done it myself before.

@TeenPlusTwenties

Our Neff is 24 years old and still going strong.

Ours is 12, good to know it might last a while longer It goes through bulbs at a rate of knots though so I don't bother with them now.

Baaaahhhhh how did you get your Rangemaster fixed? I posted a question re my dodgy Rangemaster in the wrong section & didn't get any replies. I'll try again in AIBU as I don't want to hijack this thread.

OP I know a couple of people who use a mini oven but they are both single. It suits their needs but I don't know how it would be cooking for more than two.

just a half and a half ago, we purchased a Bush fan oven from Argos for around about £200

Works out at £11/month, seems like decent value for an oven.

Flatpackback We are very, very, lucky to have "a man that can" fix anything in the next village. He is amazing. He fixes all electric and white goods, he's done my cooker, my dishwasher and my washing machine. He's also cheap. Dreading the day he retires!

Sadly he isn't that busy, as he says no-one is interested in fixing things anymore, they just buy new. We could afford to, but I am mean, and if the thing is still repairable, I would rather spend £100 than £500. Having said that, I always buy expensive, so they are worth fixing.

Elements are made from much lower quality materials than they used to be, according to electronics genius DH. We lived in our old house for 8 years and needed one new element. Been here 14 and now on around our 4th. He buys them online and fits them for me. Doesn't cost much but always happens at the most inconvenient time.

We’ve had ours for 3 years and it’s had 2 new elements in that time. I think it was around £500. Luckily we’ve got a 5 year warranty, but it still annoys me that it’s broken twice in what seems like a short period.

We we moved house I reluctantly left behind my stoves under counter oven which would have been 19 years old and going strong. Also my 19 year old Siemens dishwasher also going strong. It cost £300 in 97 and though it seemed expensive at the time was well worth it. Moving to turn key new build. Now have Candy appliances and which I had upgraded them. I didn't take out the extra 5 year warranty but so far so good. I did bring my AEG washing machine now 10 year old still going fine.

I remember reading one time about though there is usually a 1 year warranty on appliances there is also a 6 year limit or warranty under law. It was in an article about consumer law. It might be on the Martin Lewis website.

Tbh I hardly use my main oven as I have a Sharp Combination oven and use it a lot. It has 2 shelves so I can do 3 things at a time. It is really good.

Miele, still going strong after 22 years . Buy quality and you get quality, buy for 200 GBP from Argos and don't expect a long oven life.

Thanks for the responses. If I could have forked out more for a decent oven I would have but that was all we could afford at the time - we moved from a private rental where the appliances belonged to the landlord into a council property where we had to buy fridge, washing machine etc. all in one go. Ordered a new element today (old one looks burnt so guessing it's that that's the problem) so gonna try and fix it ourselves - I watched a video on YouTube so we'll see! If we end up in a position of having to replace the element again within the next year or so I definitely will be buying a better quality oven. We used the oven maybe twice a week so it's a joke that it's gone after just 18 months. Argos haven't got back to me and I know they will do nothing anyway as it's out of warranty (but not by a whole lot). Without sounding ancient I definitely think there's something in that saying about how things are not made how they used to be.

In our old house we put a new kitchen in including an over and it was still (except for light which dh never replaced) after 14 years.

The last cooker we had (Aga) lasted for 20 years and would have kept going if we hadn't changed it. We replaced it with an induction range and would expect a good 10-15 years from it. Check your warranty as you might be pleasantly surprised to find it's still covered, depending where you got it (I know John Lewis often do 2 rather than 1 year warranties).

It’s difficult to estimate how long things last. Some appliances can last 20 years, and others just 2.

Our microwave has just stopped working after 4 years. I feel bad that it’s going to landfill so soon. It was a £60 Russell Hobbs so I think I will get a £100 one so hopefully it lasts 10 years +.

In the house we’re in now, the cooker has been there 20 years +, and we will only change it when we redo the kitchen.

I bought a £200 oven last year. I expect to get 5 years out of it. Although I expect I'll buy a new, bigger and better one by then because I hate it.

Just change the element on it ! It happened with an expensive oven we had for two years . Our current one is 5 years old and it was about 300 and we had to replace element last year

Our stoves range cooker must be about 15 years old. It would still be great if someone hadn't knackered the door hinge so it doesn't quite shut flush.

We had a smeg built in oven in our last house - ie not particularly cheap - and one of the elements in it blew when it was 2 years old.