The answer to the title of this blog post is a total no-brainer: to appliance heaven, of course. Well, unless they’ve been a bad fridge or dishwasher, in which case they might wind up in appliance purgatory or…dare we say it, appliance hell. Jokes aside, it does make you wonder what happens to old kitchen appliances once they’re broken beyond our expert kitchen appliance repair. Do they simply wind up in the local junkyard? Or perhaps, maybe they’re at the recycling center? No, that doesn’t sound quite right. Well, to uncover the mystery of where kitchen appliances eventually wind up, we’re going to look into it in today’s blog post.
Let Profix Take Care Of Your Broken Appliance
Keep in mind that a broken appliance does not necessarily mean that it’s gone forever! Profix Appliance Service is a team of appliance repair experts in the greater Los Angeles area who are dedicated to providing quality appliance repair service to residents in Orange County. If you’re desperately whipping out your smartphone and searching “appliance repair near me,” fear not. Profix Appliance is your solution!
To learn more about how we do what we do, visit here. Now, let’s uncover this strange mystery of where kitchen appliances eventually wind up.
So, What Happens To Them?
Well, in short, your permanently busted kitchen appliances (and other household appliances, too) can either be repaired, reconditioned for donation or recycled as parts. So hey, maybe our claim about recycling above wasn’t too far off. Indeed, if you look hard enough, you might be able to recycle those old appliances and their corresponding parts, and they will be likely reconditioned and find a good home in a household less privileged than yours, for example, or broken down into their reusable parts and then used to help rejuvenate other salvageable units.
Consider Energy And Utilities
The first place that you should check with is your utility provider(s). Chances are, they would probably like to see you upgrade to a more energy efficient model – an older fridge can actually use upwards of three times the energy of most new models. Yikes! Utilities in 10 different U.S. states and in Ontario, Canada also offer some kind of rebate and free pick-up if you do decide that you’d like to upgrade in partnership with a company called Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA). ARCA oversees the appliance recycling process, and their system can prevent up to about 95 percent of the recyclable materials in old refrigerators and freezers from entering into the waste stream. For penny pinchers and environmentalists alike, that sounds like a pretty good deal right there.
Utility Options Beyond ARCA
Again, check with your local community utility company to see if they participate in ARCA’s program or perhaps offer one of their own. For instance, Puget Sound Energy in the Pacific Northwest works with ARCA to offer customers free pick-up of their old appliances to be recycled as well as a $30 rebate on their next bill. There is a contingency on the free pick-up service, though, as the appliance(s) must be operational to some extent even if they’re not working in full capacity.
If your local utility company doesn’t happen to participate in ARCA’s network or doesn’t have its own appliance recycling program, your municipality might recycle appliances although it’ll most likely cost you $30 or more out of pocket. Some might even a truck to come get it, but you might incur additional fees. Ultimately, it depends on the company’s policies.
Other Alternatives
Consider checking out the non-profit website Earth911.org. They are a free online database of recyclers for just about anything imaginable across the United States. Simply search the keyword “appliance” or “broken appliance” and enter your zip code. You should find a recycler within a reasonable driving distance, but don’t be surprised if you have to pay some sort of fee.
Donation
If your unwanted appliance is still working, consider donating it to a worthy cause who can either find a good home for a needy family or sell it and put the proceeds toward its programs. Either way, you’d be doing the world a service, so everyone wins!
Profix Appliances Will Keep Your Kitchen Running Strong
With high-end kitchen appliance repair like Profix Appliance Service, we usually deal with somewhat newer and nicer kitchen appliances, but hey, maybe you learned a thing or two in this blog post. Remember that if you’re in a pinch and need the experts to get your kitchen up and running again, contact Profix Appliance Service today!