When your stove, a key kitchen appliance that heats food using gas or electricity. Also known as a range, it's built to last—but not forever. hits 10 years, you start asking: Should I fix it or replace it? The answer isn’t simple. Many people assume old appliances are scrap, but a well-maintained stove can easily run 15+ years. The real question isn’t age—it’s condition. What’s broken? How much will it cost? And is the part even available?
A oven control board, the digital brain that tells your stove when to heat, how long to cook, and which burner to light is the most common failure point in stoves over 8 years old. If your display is glitchy, buttons don’t respond, or the oven won’t turn on but the burners still work, that board might be the culprit. Replacing it costs between £150 and £300, but it’s often cheaper than buying a new stove. Then there’s the gas oven igniter, the small component that sparks or glows to light the gas in gas stoves. If your oven smells like gas but won’t light, or you hear clicking without flame, that igniter’s probably worn out. It’s a £40 part and takes an hour to swap. These aren’t guesswork fixes—they’re repeatable repairs we see weekly in Northampton homes.
Not every problem needs a new stove. A broken door seal? £25 and 20 minutes. A faulty temperature sensor? £60 and a quick calibration. Even a cracked ceramic cooktop can be replaced without swapping the whole unit. But if your stove has multiple failing parts—say, the control board, the igniter, and the oven light all gone at once—that’s a red flag. It means the unit is wearing out faster than normal, likely from poor ventilation, moisture, or power surges. At that point, repair costs start adding up fast. A 10-year-old stove that’s been repaired twice in the last year? It’s probably nearing the end.
Energy efficiency matters too. New stoves use 15–20% less power than models from 10 years ago. If your gas bill has crept up over the last three years, or your electric oven takes forever to preheat, that’s not just inconvenience—it’s money leaking out the back door. But if your stove heats evenly, the burners stay hot, and the controls respond, then spending £200 to fix it makes more sense than spending £1,000 to replace it.
What you’ll find below are real repair stories from Northampton homes. We’ve pulled together guides on diagnosing control board failures, testing igniters, cleaning burner ports, and deciding when to walk away. No fluff. No sales pitches. Just clear, step-by-step fixes based on what actually breaks—and what’s worth fixing.
Deciding whether to repair or replace a 10-year-old stove? Learn the real costs, when it makes sense to fix it, and why a new model might save you money long-term.
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