Is it worth repairing your washing machine?
For most faults on a machine under about eight years old, the answer is usually yes. The repair costs less than half the price of a new machine, and the fault is usually one of the less expensive ones. The exceptions are failed bearings on a sealed drum, and an expensive part on a cheap or old machine. This page explains how we would look at it.
If you are not sure, ring us and describe the fault. We will tell you whether it is likely to be worth a visit before anyone comes out.
- £75 fixed labour fee, plus parts
- Usually repaired the same or next working day
- Parts and labour guaranteed
How to decide
As a general rule, if a repair would cost more than half the price of a comparable new machine, we would usually recommend replacing the machine if you can. The cheapest new machines cost about £200, and most good ones cost £250 to £400, plus delivery and fitting.
Most repairs with us cost £80 to £130 in total, so a pump, a door seal, a door lock, carbon brushes, a belt or an inlet valve is normally worth replacing whatever the age of the machine. A motor or a control board depends on how old the machine is and what it cost new. Bearings on a sealed drum machine are rarely worth doing. Give us a call and we can advise whether this is the case on your machine.
A newer machine will not save you much in running costs. The average machine costs around £64 a year in electricity and water, and a new one might save £20 or £30 a year, so that is not a reason on its own to replace a machine that can be repaired.
Our advice
If a repair is not worth doing, we will say so, and where we can we will say so on the phone before anyone visits. Ring us with the make, the age and the fault.
Which repairs are usually worth doing
Our labour charge is a fixed £75, or £85 for a built-in machine, including VAT. The totals below are our labour plus the part, based on Hotpoint parts when we last checked. Other makes can cost more or less. These are our general views for a machine under about eight years old.
Usually worth it
An inexpensive part and a short job.
- Blocked filter or pump: £75 to £132 in total
- Door seal: £84 to £119
- Door lock: £85 to £124
- Carbon brushes: £79 to £119
- Belt: £81 to £104
- Inlet valve: £81 to £131
- Heater or temperature sensor: £85 to £165
- Pressure switch: £88 to £107
- Shock absorbers: £81 to £131
Depends
A more expensive part. Often worth it on a good machine that is not too old.
- Motor: £156 to £248 in total
- Control board: £160 to £400, diagnosed last
- Bearings on a splittable tub: £92 to £152, two to three hours of work
- Two faults at once on an older machine
Usually not
In these cases it is usually better value to put the money towards a new machine, if that is an option.
- Bearings on a sealed drum: £150 to £400 or more for the drum and tub alone
- A motor or control board on a machine over about ten years old
- A cheap machine (under £250 new) needing anything more expensive than a seal or a pump
- A machine that has had three or four repairs in a year
The make and the history of the machine can move a fault from one list to another. The fault pages cover each fault in more detail, and the prices page has the full table of repair costs.
Sealed drums
On older and more expensive machines the outer tub splits in two, so worn bearings can be replaced with a bearing kit (£17 to £77) and a couple of hours of work. On many newer machines the tub is welded shut around the drum. The bearings cannot be changed on their own, so the whole drum and tub unit has to be replaced, and that part alone is usually £150 to £400 before labour.
The signs of failing bearings are a rumble or roar on the spin cycle that gets worse over a few weeks, often with rust-coloured streaks under the machine, and a drum that moves up and down when you lift it. If that sounds like your machine, ring us with the make and model and we will look up whether the tub is sealed.
Hard water in Bournemouth
Bournemouth's water is hard, at around 240 parts per million of calcium carbonate, and Poole and Christchurch are much the same. Limescale builds up on the heating element, which makes it fail sooner, and it leaves a film that holds detergent residue, which is where smells start. A hot wash at 90°C with the drum empty once a month, and not using more detergent than the dose on the packet, prevent most of it. If the heater has already failed, it is usually an inexpensive part and a routine repair.
Before you pay for a repair
- If the machine is under two years old, it is probably still covered by the manufacturer's guarantee, and some manufacturers cover the motor for ten years or more. An independent repair can invalidate that cover, so it is worth contacting the manufacturer before you contact us.
- If the machine is under six months old, your rights are against the retailer, not the manufacturer. Under the Consumer Rights Act, a fault in the first six months is presumed to have been there when you bought it, and you are entitled to a repair or replacement, or a refund if that fails. Within the first 30 days you can reject it outright.
- Hotpoint and Indesit machines sold between October 2014 and February 2018 may be affected by the door-lock recall, and the repair is free. Electrical Safety First's recall checker covers every make.
- Parts are still available. Manufacturers now have to keep spare parts available for at least ten years after a model stops being sold, so "they don't make the parts any more" is rarely true of a machine under ten years old.
Questions people ask
Is it worth getting a 5 year old washing machine fixed?
Usually, yes, unless the bearings have failed on a sealed drum. At five years old most faults are the less expensive ones, and the repair will normally cost well under half the price of a new machine.
What usually fails on a washing machine?
Drum bearings are the most common fault, followed by leaks. A blocked filter or pump is the most common reason for a call-out, and usually the cheapest to put right.
How long should a washing machine last?
About ten years, and up to fifteen for a well-made machine that is looked after. Cleaning the filter regularly and running a hot wash now and then make a difference.
Tell us the make, the age and the fault, and we will tell you whether it is worth a visit.
- 1
Ring or book online. A photo of any error code helps.
- 2
We tell you the likely fault and the price before anyone comes out.
- 3
We come the same or next working day, fix it and run a wash with you.
Open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5.30pm