How long does a microwave oven last?

You can expect a microwave oven to last about 7 to 9 years, with an average of 8 years. Heavy use, such as by college students or a large family to heat up meals and snacks, will shorten the life expectancy. Here’s a graph comparing microwave life expectancy to other home appliances.
    Go to our blog post What is the average lifespan of the parts of a house? for rating of other house components.  

    To learn about the problems we often find with microwaves at home inspections, see our blog post What are the most common defects with over-the-range microwaves?

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Field Guide for Home Inspectors, a quick reference for finding the age of 154 brands of HVAC systems, water heaters, and electrical panels, plus 210 code standards for site-built and manufactured homes, and the life expectancy rating of 195 home components. Available at amazon.com for $19.95.
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Here’s links to a collection of some of our other blog posts about APPLIANCES: 

• What is the maximum recommended height above the floor for an above-the-range microwave?

• What are the building code requirements for installing an appliance (furnace, air handler, water heater) in the attic?

• Which house appliances need a dedicated electrical circuit? 

• Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe?

• When was GFCI-protection for kitchen dishwasher receptacle outlet first required? 

• Why does venting a clothes dryer into a garage, attic, or crawl space cause problems?

• Does a refrigerator water supply line require a shutoff valve behind it? 

• My spa tub stopped working. What's wrong?

• What is the maximum recommended height above the floor for an above-the-range microwave?

• Why would a home have natural gas appliaces but no gas meter? 

• Is a hot water faucet required at a washing machine?

• Can I remove a 240-volt range receptacle and hard-wire the range? 

• Can a dishwasher be wired to a kitchen counter small appliance receptacle circuit?

• Why is it bad to have a clothes dryer vent near an air conditioning condenser (outdoor unit)? 

• Do home inspectors test the appliances?

• Are a range and refrigerator required kitchen appliances for a house to pass FHA inspection? 

• What are the code requirements for an outdoor dryer vent cover?

• What is the maximum length for a clothes dryer vent? 

• Why are my ceiling fan blades drooping?

• How do you inspect a dryer vent? 

• Why is there a water hose connected to the back of the clothes dryer?

    Visit our APPLIANCES page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. 

NOTE: These life expectancies are based on data provided by InterNACHI, NAHB, FannieMade, and our own professional experience. Because of the numerous variables that can affect a lifespan, they should be used as rough guidelines only, and not relied upon as a warranty or guarantee of future performance.