Service life of products
The term ‘service life’ is usually applied to products to indicate the period of time over which they can function as they were intended, giving users the service they expect. So, for instance, the service life of a boiler is the length of time it can function as a boiler ie, providing heating and hot water.
Service life may be thought to begin at the point of sale ie, when the customer buys the product, whether in a shop, online or wherever purchased, to the point it is discarded. Some products however, are discarded before the end of their service life for various reasons, including the arrival of better products on the market, boredom or simply a desire for change.
A product said to have a long service life may suffer the occasional breakdown during that time. However, if it can be maintained and repaired to allow it to function as before, it should not normally interfere with the service life. Poor repairs can however, adversely affect service life.
[edit] What can determine service life?
Factors that can determine the service life of a product include:
- Quality of manufacture
- Materials used
- Flexibility in use
- Intensity of use
- Operating/environment conditions
- Care in distribution and use
- Built-in obsolescence
- Maintenance and repairs
Manufacturers can use tools and calculations (reliability analysis and maintainability, for instance) to determine a product’s expected service life. Specifying a product’s service life represents a commitment on the part of a manufacturer which, if seriously overstated, could have financial implications for them.
For most commercial and consumer products, manufacturers commit cautiously to service life, usually staying within a 2-5-year period. But this can depend on the product in question: motor vehicles may have a service life of 150,000 miles or 15 years of service before they are regarded as at the end of their service life.
[edit] The service life of a building
The Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales, published by BRE in 2018, defines the service life of a building as ‘the period of time after installation during which a building, or its part, meets or exceeds the performance requirements.’ See 'service life' for more information.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Ireland's National Residential Retrofit Plan
Staged initiatives introduced step by step.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.
Reflecting on the work of the CIOB Academy
Looking back on 2025 and where it's going next.
Procurement in construction: Knowledge hub
Brief, overview, key articles and over 1000 more covering procurement.
Sir John Betjeman’s love of Victorian church architecture.
Exchange for Change for UK deposit return scheme
The UK Deposit Management Organisation established to deliver Deposit Return Scheme unveils trading name.
A guide to integrating heat pumps
As the Future Homes Standard approaches Future Homes Hub publishes hints and tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists.
BSR as a standalone body; statements, key roles, context
Statements from key figures in key and changing roles.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.