Coffee Maker, Espresso Machine, Tea Sets, Coffee Pods

Replacement Coffee Pots

How to Find Replacement Parts.

Household things break. Some weren't meant to last more than a year. Others are dropped or misused. Oops!

What can you do to fix these broken things? You'd like to help the economy -- your economy -- and the environment by not tossing broken stuff. But how you can find replacement parts?

It's a good thing that many parts are standardized and interchangeable. You may be able to pick up many of them at a nearby hardware store. Standardized parts include screws, bolts, nuts, fuses, wire, cords, connectors, etc. Manufacturers use standardized parts not to make repairs easier for you, but to keep their manufacturing costs down. They can then buy millions of a specific screw at a fraction of a penny each.

Some parts are unique to the product. It may be because the manufacturer couldn't find a low-cost standardized part--or because the manufacturer wants to corner the market on replacement parts. You must buy replacement ink cartridges from the manufacturer if you want to be sure you're getting one that fits. Coffee machines, for example, often have replacement pots that are nearly as expensive as the new machine. Even car manufacturers know that the replacement parts market is profitable--if they use unique parts.

Some parts are relatively expensive, such as motors and controllers, costing half or more of the price of a new appliance. In some cases, the cost is because the parts are unique and fit only a limited number of models. In most cases, however, t ...read more