With the tap of a phone, homeowners can set the temperature, start a load of laundry, turn off the lights, spot who is ringing the doorbell, and a host of other things in a digitally-connected home.

While the technologically advanced appliances in a home may be smart, they can still break down — forcing homeowners to decide if an appliance is worth repairing or if it’s cheaper to buy a new one. Even if the appliance doesn’t break, knowing how to reconnect it to a home’s WiFi system can be beyond the capabilities of the typical home gadget guru.

Insurance, an extended warranty or service contract, or even a simple call to the manufacturer can solve some problems. Or, if the broken smart appliance can’t be fixed easily, a new one — such as the $250 Nest thermostat — can be bought. A $3,000 refrigerator, however, that has USB ports and lets you know how much milk is left in the jug, may require some insurance.

Insurance options

Homeowners’ insurance won’t cover such repair claims if your fridge or other smart appliance goes out. Your insurance may reimburse you for spoiled food during a lengthy electrical outage, but you likely won’t get much more than that.

One option is a home warranty, such as comes with a home and its appliances when the home is sold to a new owner. Older appliances often aren’t covered, however, and pre-existing problems usually aren’t covered when a warranty starts. A deductible may also be required.

A product warranty will cover anywhere from 90 days to a year, and some manufacturers and stores sell extended warranties.

A more long-term solution is appliance insurance through a company such as Protect Your Bubble, which provides insurance and extended warranty protection plans for smartphones, tablets, wearable technology, appliances, electronics and other things.

It’s an area that’s only growing. Around 38 million homes around the world this year are expected to have a “smart home” system, and connected home shipments are expected to grow at an annual rate of 67 percent during the next five years, according to Protect Your Bubble.

“The more technologies that are built into these appliances, the more things that can go wrong,” says Stacey Vogler, a managing director at the company.

Protect Your Bubble offers low-cost insurance for an appliance that is up to three years old. There is no deductible. What’s covered? Any breakdown including from a power surge, to something as simple as figuring out a WiFi connection by trouble-shooting over the phone.

Tech-enabled appliances are doing things that regular appliances don’t do, leading to more potential breakdowns.

LG appliances can send messages to owners, who can then remotely tell the appliance what to do. A washing machine from LG connects to WiFi so it can be controlled remotely and sends an alert when a load of laundry is finished.

Smart home appliances and technology are becoming more mainstream. Tech that was only found in higher-end homes is now being found at various price points, according to a survey released in March by Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

Its survey of sales associates found that buyers are more interested in smart home features than they were two to five years ago, and that more are controlling their home tech with their smartphone or tablet.

Like stainless steel and granite are the norm now in homes, smart home technology will soon be expected in homes. With that should come the expectation that the tech and smart appliances will work for years to come.

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who covers the insurance and personal finance topics for a variety of websites, including at his website CashSmarter.com