Consumer NZ sought the views of 11,000 members on some of the 40,000 appliances they had bought in the past five years. Photo / Thinkstock
Consumer NZ sought the views of 11,000 members on some of the 40,000 appliances they had bought in the past five years. Photo / Thinkstock
The gadgets that make life easier are getting steadily more reliable.
High-tech household appliances are increasingly making life easier for Kiwis.
Now you can have a heat pump warming your house as you're on your way home from work, triggered by a smartphone. Fridge/freezer units with ice-makers and televisions that let you surf the internet are among the technologies we spend hard-earned dollars on.
And such appliances aren't just providing creature comforts for their owners. Recent Consumer New Zealand research shows they are lasting much longer than their predecessors.
The watchdog's 2015 appliance reliability survey sought the views of 11,000 members on some of the 40,000 appliances they had bought in the past five years. The 11 categories included dryers, stoves, dishwashers, espresso machines, heat pumps and mobile phones.
Televisions and freezers were the most reliable. Only 5 per cent of both items up to five years old had ever needed repairs.
The reliability of dishwashers improved from 81 per cent in 2010 to 88 per cent this year, drawer dishwashers from 77 per cent to 86 per cent, vacuum cleaners from 86 per cent to 90 per cent and mobile phones from 88 per cent in 2008 to 92 per cent this year.
Paul Smith, Consumer New Zealand's head of testing, said the latest study was the most positive for appliance reliability since the initial research nine years ago.
"Everything is changing in the right direction," Smith said.
More expensive brands, such as Bosch and Miele, were consistently among the most reliable.
Freestanding stoves up to five years old were the least reliable appliances, with just under one in five needing to be repaired.
Frazer Noble, a lecturer at Massey University's school of engineering and advanced technology, said it was becoming more common for New Zealanders to buy better quality, more expensive products with less of an environmental footprint.
They could also buy in confidence, as manufacturers were unlikely to risk their reputations making more expensive items that last only for the bare minimum guaranteed life expectancy.
Fisher & Paykel spokesman Matt Orr said consumers looking to get the most out of their new purchases could take practical steps to ensure they lasted.
The best piece of advice was to fully understand the operating manual before pressing the "on" switch.
How long an appliance might last would also depend on how it was used. "An appliance in a busy household that is used multiple times a day will potentially have a shorter life than an appliance that is only used once a day or once every month," he said.
Fisher & Paykel claims the benefit of the latest technology is not just the creature comforts they provide consumers. Modern appliances are more efficient to run and may save you money on your power bill.
A new fridge uses half the power of a 20-year-old appliance and a third less power than a 10-year-old fridge.
A modern washing machine uses about 10 per cent less energy for each kilogram of washing than a 1985 model, and 50 per cent less water.
A dryer of the same age uses 15 per cent less power.
Households running a modern dishwasher would find they are using only half as much energy and water as those with a 1985 model.
You can't beat Ange's faithful old favourite
Ange Robinson is staying put with her vintage appliances.
Ange Robinson says no amount of high-tech jargon will tempt her to trade in some of her cherished, more vintage household appliances. They include an electric hand-held beater as old as she is and still going strong.
"I was born in 1978 and it's either from just before or just after I was born," she said.
The Kenwood appliance has acquired a yellow tinge but it still runs like a dream, she says.
"I took it when I went flatting and Mum bought a new one - but mine has just kept going and going."
She also has a clothes dryer that is more than 30 years old and still works well. "Compare that to the washing machine I bought in 2005 that has already given me a few troubles."
Given the staying power of her retro appliances, she was surprised by Consumer New Zealand's findings that modern-day gadgets were becoming more reliable.
"My first cellphone was a brick and the battery lasted over a week [before going flat] and the phone lasted years. I don't get that kind of reliability from my current one.
"[And new] kettles and toasters don't last that long."
