Every appliance has an estimated service life, often with calculations for short, average and long term use. These durations are directly influenced by the level of maintenance, proper or improper use, and a myriad of other variables. As does happen with motorized equipment, appliances require repairs that can range in price from a few bucks to replace a simple part (if it's a do it yourself job) to several hundreds of dollars for work on the motor and other complex aspects of the machine.

When an expensive repair occurs toward the end of the service life of the appliance, there are a few assessments that should be made to ensure that fixing the machine will be the most cost-effective solution. These assessments include:

• The determination of whether the appliance is near the short, average or long end of the service life – The difference between the short and long service life estimates can be several years, making this an important factor in your repair decision.

• An honest appraisal of your use of the appliance – Using the appliance as per the manufacturer's recommendations versus stretching its limitations with every use can make the difference between an appliance that exceeds its long term service life estimates and one that struggles to reach the short end of expectations. This appraisal can give you an idea of how many years your appliance has left.

• The cost of the repair – If you have determined that your appliance still has years left of service left based on the previous appraisals, an expensive repair could still be cost-effective. If, on the other hand, your appliance is on its last legs, pouring more money into it will not be the best decision.

An appliance that starts incurring expensive repairs is telling you that there isn't much service life remaining, especially if it has been handled roughly since its purchase date. Instead of paying for repairs, buying a replacement is often the most cost-effective solution. When the added efficiencies of the new appliance are factored in to the equation, opting for a replacement can actually cost less over time than repairing the old machine.

The local chain was founded by owner Rob Nicholson after he left the U.S. Navy in 1988 and started a small appliance retail sales and service operation. The business quickly grew to include retail locations in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Portsmouth. In 2005 Nicholson opened the Laskin Road superstore in Virginia Beach with more than 40,000 square feet of space for sales and inventory. The new store was an immediate success and Nicholson began closing the smaller stores in order to focus on his proven superstore concept. The Chesapeake location opened in 2006 and followed in 2007 with Newport News, his largest store today with over 30,000 sq. ft. of appliances on display.