Protect Your Investment: Repairs for your washing machine
Perhaps you've experienced this scenario: Your washing machine is broken but you're not sure whether you should repair it or replace it. Replacing your clunker of an appliance will be pricey, but determining repair costs can be elusive until you’ve sprung for the initial service call—and then you fret over whether the quoted price for the fix is legit. Meanwhile, loads of laundry are piling up and the kids are clamoring for their favorite jeans or hoodies.
That's why we've consulted with RepairClinic.com, an appliance-parts retailer whose site offers diagnostic, maintenance, and repair advice for appliances, to help you with the most common washer problems. In the table below (click on the read more option), we've listed the typical costs for a DIY fix and a professional repair for the most common problems with washing machines. Prices for pro repairs include parts.
Front-loading washing machines have become more popular in recent years, with U.S. consumers apparently willing to pay more for the better cleaning performance these appliances typically deliver. Professional repairs for front-loaders tend to cost more than they do for top-loaders, too.
Most washing machines are worth fixing if they are three or four years old or less (available to subscribers). But we suggest that you replace your washer when repairing it would cost 50 percent or more of the cost of a comparable new model. For more details, read our guide to repairing or replacing your appliances.—Ed Perratore
Essential information: The best of today's washers provide superior cleaning while using less energy and water. Visit our washing-machine product page for more details, including a breakdown of types, features, brands, and, for subscribers, ratings and brand repair history.
| Situation | Problem Part | DIY-Repair Cost | Pro-Repair Cost |
| Water enters your front- or top-loader even when you're not running the machine. If you don't fix the problem, water will fill the tub and cause a flood. | Water-inlet valve. The rubber diaphragm in the valve, which connects to the intake hose, has probably worn out. |
$25 to $50 | $100 to $140 |
| Your top-loader pumps out water but won't spin, leaving soaked clothes at the end of a cycle. | Motor coupler. Designed to protect other vital components, the coupler can fail from normal use or break if you overload the machine. |
$15 | $100 to $140 |
| Coins, combs and hair clips, nails and screws, and other wayward items slip between the inner and outer tubs of your front-loader and get caught in the drain hose. This keeps the unit from fully draining and could cause damage to the drain hose or the drain pump. | Drain pump. Before you replace the pump, try clearing the drain hose. |
Free to $120 | $100 to $250 |
| The agitator on your top-loader won't move, resulting in poor cleaning, more noise than usual, and no circulation of clothes. | Agitator. This part comes as a kit and is easy to install using a wrench to remove the bolt holding the parts in place. |
$15 to $25 | $100 |
| Washer won't run or never reaches regular spin speed. | Switch (on the lid of a top-loader or the door of a front-loader). While replacing the switch on a top-loader is usually fairly simple and inexpensive, doing a front-loader's can be much more complicated. |
$25 to $100 | $100 to $220 |
Posted by: Ken Amundsen | Dec 17, 2008 3:18:58 PM
Newly built condo with new GE Profile washer, front loader. Have called serviceman five times and still it is not fixed. Were told not to fill the soap dispenser to full. We don't! Usually it is only half to three-quarters.
Where do we go from here?
Posted by: Suzanna | Dec 17, 2008 3:19:01 PM
My top-load washer trickles water into the drum, and the incoming pipes make a hammering sound when it's filling. Any ideas what this is and how to fix it?
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Posted by: Nathan | Dec 23, 2008 4:33:26 PM
Suzanna, your problem is probably with sediment. The inlet points to your washer probably have a sediment screen and after some time they have done their job and filtered the incoming water, but now there is a sediment back up. Shut off the hot and the cold water as close to the washer as you can so that you don't shut off your whole house from water, if possible. Push out the washer from the wall to a point where you can put a bucket or something to catch the water from inlet hoses. Then obviously disconnect the hoses, from the washer, one at a time emptying the remaining water from the hoses, MAKE SURE THE WATER IS OFF BEFORE YOU DO THIS!!!!! There should be sediment on the washer inlet filters and some in the container for the water. Turn on both the hot and cold water at DIFFERENT TIMES AND ONLY FOR A MOMENT so that you can clear both inlet hoses of sediment, then somehow clear off the inlet filters on the washer. Hook back both the hot and cold inlet hoses to the washer in the correct position and make sure they are tight!!!!! Turn the water back on and look for leaks, if there are leaks turn the water back off, tighten then test again. Once there are no leaks and the water is back on, test out a wash cycle with no clothing so that if sediment somehow got through the filter on the washer inlet they aren't stained. Use warm water so that both the hot and cold taps are tested, hopefully now the water runs freely. If you don't feel like you can do this hire a qualified plumber or have someone you know can do something like this do it for you. In the future you might want to have a sediment filter installed for your house so that this doesn't happen again.
Posted by: Irwin | Dec 28, 2008 7:30:53 PM
I have a 5yr old Kirkland(by Whirlpool)"low-end priced" top loader that won't engage in the spin cycle. It make a clicking sound like two gears not meshing.So...?? Thanks
Posted by: PAULA ALEXANDER | Dec 28, 2008 7:30:58 PM
Our washer is working well, but the dryer seems to be rusting our clothes. Anyone have any thoughts on how to fix this.
Posted by: Joe | Dec 29, 2008 4:20:35 PM
Whenever I run into rust spots either in my laundry or on my utensils after dishwashing, I've discovered that it has to do with the quality of the water - it's hard. My water comes from a well so I end up having to adjust the water softening stuff in the basement. If your water comes from the street source you may have to add some kind of water softening filters/gizmos the soften your water. Get the water checked for hardness before you do anything else. You may be able to buy a kit to check at some place like Home Depot
Posted by: Christine | Dec 29, 2008 4:20:37 PM
I am *SO* glad you have a bit on RepairClinic.com here. When my washing machine broke down, I was able to use their website to diagnose the problem ... the agitator had stopped working and we needed a coupler. The part cost less than $20 including shipping and, with the instructions provided on-line, my non-mechanically inclined husband was able to fix the washer in about an hour. Since then, we've replaced the coupler a second time (it's an old washer) which saved us from having to buy a new washing machine for over two years. And the best part is ... I didn't have to deal with a rude, overpriced, incompetent repair person. (Customer Service at RepairClinic.com is, by the way, extremely helpful!)
Posted by: chris coleman | Jan 8, 2009 3:14:58 PM
I have a 3 yr old kenmore elite washing machine. It fills with water but will not agitate (just makes a faint clicking sound then shuts off). I've run it a few times with the hope that it will magically be better but the same problem occurs, in fact it will sometimes blow the breaker switch and there's a burning smell. IT WILL SPIN AND DRAIN. Please advise. Thanks.
Posted by: helena | Jan 8, 2009 3:14:59 PM
Hi
I was wondering if you can tell me if it is worth getting my washer fixed or should I just get a new one. It is a Magtag Performa about 4yrs old. It fills up with water but during the spinning cycle the drains very very slowly and the will spin just as slowly. It also a small leak from the bottom during the spinning cycle. If I remove the water in the drum manually the it will start to spin again and drain. It seems that the weight of the water/clothers stops the machine from spinning. Not sure why the water is coming out the bottom.
Any comments on this would be great
Thanks in advance.
Posted by: toni white | Jan 8, 2009 3:15:01 PM
My husband and I just spent 5 hours on this New Years Day looking at washers and dryers.
We did this not because we planned on wasting our day at Lowes and Home Depot ,but because our 5 year old Kenmore that only has been in use 4 years broke. My very able mechanic of a husband took it apart to find out that it didn't have a belt and to fix it would cost us half the price of the machine. The dryer has always taken far to long to dry our cloths ,even though I always keep it clean of lint. Here's the problem. Please feel free to give me you opinion. I would like to hear your thoughts if you care enough to give them. After looking at several stores prince comparing and even asking the store manager for help on a pair of front loading Electrolux models I got them down to a whooping $2.700 with pedistals. I looked at Samsung, Bosh, LG, Whirlpool
ans several that I just forget the name of. You see I an 49 and I teach computer Lab classes to K-5th graders and my hips hurt as with the children I'm hand over hand. This I hope will be my last purchase of a washer and dryer ,and I worry about the year to come so I would like not to have to lean over to pull a king size comforter out of a machine. The thing is price WOW I'm screaming at what the pedestals add. $500.00 dollars. The price is shocking also. I try to help some of my homeless children by putting nice little surprises in their backpacks. I pledge this. No way will I let something like this effect what I do for them ,even if I have to go back to a laundry matt until I decide what to do. Now how about that advice.
Posted by: Lucy | Jan 8, 2009 3:15:02 PM
I have a front loaded washer, which has been a pain since I bought it 3 yrs. ago. I have had repair men here to fix it, but something eles goes wrong then. It is showing codes nf (continous fill of 12 minutes. Total fill of 14 minutes), LE (water sensor level fault), bE (Motor tach signal exits without motor running), E3 (Machine control is attempting to drive the motor but is not seeing any tach response. Visual check shows motor is not moving). By the way, it is a Maytag Neptune. The dryer has not been much better. Had to replace ball bearing, belt & the drum. It had a hole in it. My question? Can this thing be repaired or do I give up and buy a new one?
Posted by: Pat Shaw | Jan 8, 2009 3:15:03 PM
My washing machine (Whirlpool) is 20 years old has worked great until yesterday. Water ran on the floor -seemed to be coming out of the front of the machine. All hose connections were intact and dry. I turned it over and looked in the back but did not see where the water was coming from. What do you think the problem could be. Should I try to have it fixed?
Thanks,
Pat
Posted by: terry | Jan 8, 2009 3:34:41 PM
Our 3-4 year old Maytag (low end priced)washing machine seems to have an unbalanced tub. It makes terrible sounds during the spin cycles and jumps about. Repair men have said it can not
be fixed..any ideas? My husband , an engineer, has balanced the machine itself.
Thank you!
Posted by: Butch | Jan 8, 2009 3:34:45 PM
I have a washer the leaks water during the cycle. Inspected all the hoses and seems to be in good shape? Any ideas what causes such leaks? Thanks.
Butch
Posted by: margaret monbureau | Jan 8, 2009 3:35:58 PM
My wash machine vibrates. Is there a way to alleviate this condition?
Posted by: A.H. | Jan 10, 2009 10:09:41 PM
We have a 5 year old Maytag Heavy Duty Wash machine. On the spin cycle the tub is very easily off balance. We even-out the clothe and still have problems. Machine is level. Is it worth fixing? Thanks. AH
Posted by: Barbarbar | Jan 18, 2009 4:20:03 PM
Our machine is almost 9 years old and is a Fisher&Paykel. All of a sudden it will not work at all. None of the elctrical turns on--electrical board or circuit problem, perhaps?
Posted by: Amy | Jan 19, 2009 11:25:52 AM
Just moved into a new home that is 10 years old and the included washer won't drain anymore. Tried cleaning the pipes/tubes and the pump seems to work fine and is clear, but still won't drain... Any advice?
Also, not sure about how old the unit is, would it be written on the washer anywhere? Just not sure if it's worth fixing or should just replace, if in fact it is 10 years old...
Posted by: RICK | Feb 12, 2009 1:34:38 PM
I have a whirlpool cabro he top load washer model WTW6400SW2 the warranty has expired and last night there was a flood of water in the floor. After cleaning it up the mess I found the problem was a nickle had entered the drain pump causing the impailler to throw it out the side of the plastic pump housing. The new replacement pump part no. 1472275 was priced at $78.90. I would like to know how to access the bottom of the water tub to remove trapped money, socks, ect. Thanks---Rick
Posted by: Bobbi | Feb 21, 2009 12:23:42 PM
I have a Kenmore Elite washing machine. It will fill with water and then just sit there until I pick up the lid and slam it then it will start agitating. I have replaced the dial and it fixed the problem, but now it is starting all over again. The machine is only two years old.
Posted by: Carolyn Cheslock | Mar 1, 2009 9:08:46 AM
My Daughter-in-law recently purchased a Bravos Automatic Washer. Her mother & I were quite surprised to see how little water actually goes into the machine for the wash cycle. I don't understand all the little pre-sprays that go on before the actuay wash cycle begins, with VERY LITTLE water, I might add. If all those pre-sprays were eliminated and that water were added to the wash cycle, there just might be half enough to do a good job of washing the clothes. I'm convinced the pre-sprays are just a ruse to get the clothes wet. There's no way the soap can get distributed among all the clothes while they slog around without enough water to at least cover them. My question is - - - is there some way a repairman could increase the amount of water for the wash cycle. If not, in my opinion, the washer was a useless waste of money??? It might save water but the clothes certainly aren't getting clean.
Posted by: Julie | Mar 1, 2009 1:48:03 PM
My five year old front loader LG sounds like a jet engine. We pulled it out from the wall and there is a brown powder all over everything. Looks like hydrolic fluid that has dried. Is this worth having a repair person look at, or should we just purchase a new machine?
Thanks
Posted by: Judy Johnson | Mar 16, 2009 9:22:46 PM
I have a 14 year old Maytag LA washing machine that stopped in the beginning of the wash cycle just after a little water went into the tub. We replaced the fuse that was blown and started the machine again. It filled up with water and then quit again. Any suggestions on what might be wrong? I've priced new machines and am not confident about the dependability of the new front load machines. If I cannot fix this machine, what one would you recommend buying? Please advise.
Posted by: drain cleaning equipment | Mar 26, 2009 3:19:33 AM
I used to wash our laundry twice a week, but lately when it was at the middle of washing i notice a spark in the wire of the machine thats why i pulled back the plug, it is possible that my washing machine would be fixed? i cant afford to buy a new one thats why i am looking for a person who can repair it. thanks for the post.
-mike-