Hi,

We're in the process of some significant
remodeling/updating, here. Among the items we're
looking to purchase are all/most of the major home
appliances: frig, dishwasher, oven/stove/range,
washer, dryer (hmmm... why isn't that "drier"? : ),
water softener, hot water heater, etc.

I have been disappointed in the choices available
for most of these items. "Too much electronic
content" :-/

E.g., we are in a good market (DSW) for solar water
heating. Ignoring the exhorbitant prices these
folks want to charge for these things (hint: you can
buy 10 conventional water heaters -- INSTALLED -- for
the price of one solar unit!), I am leary of the
electronic content in some of the units we've examined
(we have also looked at "on demand" heaters -- same
issue applies).

I can just see the inevitable service call: "Yup,
you're gonna need a new computer board. That'll be
$400...". Of course, expecting anyone to actually
*repair* (instead of swap out) these things -- least
of all a PLUMBER -- is ridiculous. Despite the fact
that, I imagine, most repairs would be trivial.

The same holds true of all the other appliances I
mentioned.

And, even with the right skillset, I suspect *I* would
be screwed as the manufacturers wouldn't make available
any detailed documentation to let me do a component
level repair ("Does refrigerator cool? If yes, proceed
to step 3; if no, REPLACE assembly 107X-3")

This is further complicated by some of the numbers
salesgrunts tout regarding life expectancy of many
of these appliances (7 years for a $3000 refrigerator??
Jeez! The one we have now is 20 years old; the one
in my folks' basement is over 50...)

Anyone have any firsthand insights into this stuff?
I've just started poking around to see what sorts of
parts *are* available (to get a clue for what can be
repaired/replaced) but my research is in its infancy...

Maybe a cave in the hills is a better option??

Thx,
--don