What we fix
We repair washing machines and washer-dryers of every common make. Most washing machine problems come down to a small number of faults, and many of them you can check yourself before ringing anyone. Each of the pages below explains the safe checks, the likely causes, what the repair usually costs and whether it is worth doing.
- £75 fixed labour fee, plus parts
- Usually repaired the same or next working day
- Parts and labour guaranteed
Common washing machine problems
When to stop using it straight away
Switch the machine off at the wall and ring us if you notice any of these.
- A burning smell, scorch marks, or a plug or socket that is hot to the touch.
- Buzzing or crackling from the machine or the plug.
- A fuse or trip switch that keeps going. Resetting it repeatedly is dangerous.
- Water anywhere near the plug, the socket or the isolator switch.
- A Hotpoint or Indesit machine bought between October 2014 and February 2018 that has not been checked against the door-lock recall.
Other common problems
For each of these, what it usually is and anything simple that is worth checking. You do not have to work any of it out yourself. Ring us, tell us what the machine is doing, and we will take it from there.
Not filling, or filling slowly
Usually a kinked hose, a tap that has failed, or the small mesh filter inside the inlet valve blocked up, and sometimes the valve itself. If the drum is turning with no water going in, switch the machine off to prevent the heater running dry.
Not heating, or cold washes
Usually the heating element, its thermal cut-out or the temperature sensor. The parts are not expensive and it is a straightforward repair for us.
Stops mid-cycle
Can be the door lock, the heater, the pump, a blocked hose or waste pipe, or simply a power cut. If you can tell us roughly where in the cycle it stops, that helps us, but it does not matter if you cannot.
Takes far too long
Often not a fault. Modern machines run long, cool washes to meet the energy rules, and Eco programmes are the longest of all. A machine that is slow to fill, heat or drain also takes longer, and those are faults we can find.
Smells, or black mould on the seal
Comes from low-temperature washes, too much detergent or softener, and limescale. A hot wash with the drum empty once a month and leaving the door open between washes usually keeps it away. A rotten-egg smell is usually drain gas from the household plumbing rather than the machine. If sludge has built up behind the drum, the machine can be stripped and cleaned.
Vibrating or walking across the floor
An unbalanced load, a machine that is not level, worn shock absorbers or bearings, or a broken counterweight. On a new machine it is often the transit bolts still fitted at the back.
Detergent or softener left in the drawer
Usually the jets in the roof of the drawer housing are blocked with mould, or the inlet valve for that compartment has failed. Cleaning the jets with an old toothbrush sometimes clears it.
Trips the electrics
Something inside is leaking current to earth: the motor, the heater, a chafed wire or water on the electrics. Stop using the machine and do not keep resetting the trip. Finding the part needs proper test equipment, and that is our job.
Washer-dryer not drying
Most often the dryer's thermal cut-out has tripped because fluff has blocked the airflow. It can also be the fan, an overloaded drum, or no cold water reaching the condenser. The cut-out is reset or replaced from inside the machine.
What fails most often
The most common faults of all are worn drum bearings, machines that stop working for no obvious reason, and leaks. A large share of breakdowns come from a lack of maintenance, so each of our fault pages starts with the checks and the cleaning.
Not sure what is wrong? Ring us and describe what the machine is doing.
- 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