Things You Need To Know About Buying A Second Hand Appliance

Rescuing a second-hand appliance is a great way to save yourself money and to help protect the environment by buying used rather than new. Many people have a fear of buying appliances second-hand, especially if they look as though they may need a little TLC, but so long as they are electronically sound, there’s a lot that you can do to have them looking brand new.

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Sourcing second-hand appliances.

When you buy a new appliance, you know that it has been tested before leaving the factory and therefore all of the internal electronics are working as they should be, and the device is safe to use. Buying second hand, however, can be slightly riskier and so it is essential to source second-hand appliances from a trusted seller.

Although Facebook Marketplace and eBay can throw up some great deals, it’s often best to try and buy a second-hand appliance from a reseller who has given the item a Formal Visual Check and had the item PAT tested to verify that the internal electronics are in good working order. If you are buying an item directly through eBay, Facebook Marketplace or some other direct source, then be sure to keep these three checks in mind.

• Does the appliance work?

Where possible, ask the seller to demonstrate that the appliance is in good working order by having them plug it in and switch it on. If they can’t prove that the machine works, then you risk being left with a dud.

• Does it have a correctly insulated plug?

During a Formal Visual Check, the plug of an appliance is checked to make sure that its live and neutral pins are correctly insulated. This is a check that you can easily do yourself, and if you find that the plug is not correctly insulated, then it is generally considered unsafe to use.

• Are the wires in good order?

Through wear and tear, wires can easily become broken or frayed over the years, so be sure to inspect them to make sure that they are in good order and there are no exposed pieces of wiring.

Don’t be put off by grime

Depending on where you are getting your appliance from, you may find that it is not looking its best. Dust, dirt, grease and grime, maybe offputting, but they’re also superficial and can easily be cleaned off with a little elbow grease.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you bring a grimy appliance back to its former shine.

• How to clean a grimy microwave 

If you’ve picked up an old microwave that still has grease or food baked onto the inside, then make the microwave do the work for you by placing a bowl filled with water and vinegar inside and then turning the microwave on, so that the steam softens the grime making it easy to simply wipe away without any scrubbing.

• How to clean a smelly washing machine

Washing machines, especially those that haven’t been used for a while, can start to grow mould and may need a clean before you use them for the first time. The good news is that most washing machines have a service cycle, which is designed to clean their internal workings.

Some people swear by adding a small amount of bleach to their washing machine before the service cycle, whereas others find the service cycle alone enough to remove any unwanted smell. You will also want to clean manually around the rubber seal and the detergent draw.

• How to clean a dirty kettle

Even with a generous scrub, it can be hard to get rid of the limescale buildup within an electric kettle. You’ll be able to find descaling kits from local hardware stores, but if you don’t want to use chemicals, then vinegar, lemon and baking soda can do the same job.

It’s also good hygiene to give a kettle a clean before you use it, as you don’t know how long it has been stored for.

Image Credit: Pexels, Free to Use Licence.

Remember that you can replace parts

Although it’s vital that the appliance turns on and is in excellent internal working order, features such as knobs, handles, racks, trays and filters can all be easily replaced. Thanks to the internet, it is relatively easy to buy online appliance spare parts, simply find the brand of the appliance and its serial number, type them into the website or a Google search and see what comes up.

Replacing tired knobs or external features is an easy way to make an old appliance look brand new, and updating seals, gaskets and filters are a great way to prolong the life of your device.

Cons that you will need to consider

Although there are many plus points to buying second-hand appliances, such as cost and environmental impact, it’s essential to realise that there are some cons that you need to consider too.

• You may need to arrange your own delivery 

Some second-hand retailers do offer delivery, but it often doesn’t come as standard. Depending on the size of the appliance you are looking for, this may or may not be a problem.

• Your appliance will likely no longer be under warranty 

Most second-hand appliances are out of their warranty period, which means that if something goes wrong, you’ve got less to fall back on. The lack of warranty with second-hand appliances is often reflected in their price but is something to consider if you don’t feel like you’re getting that much of a good deal.

• It can be hard to find parts for older models 

Although the internet is a treasure trove for second-hand and new parts, it can get a little more difficult to source parts for older appliances simply due to supply and demand. If you’ve purchased a retro appliance, then this is something to be aware of.

So there you have it – the things you need to know before buying a second-hand appliance.

Have you purchased a second-hand appliance before? How much did you save, and would you do it again? Let us know in the comments.

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