Exploring the Cost of Washing Machine Maintenance and Repair
LAUNDRY TIPS
You depend on your appliances, so when one of them breaks down, it can send your day into a tailspin. A washing machine breakdown can be particularly disruptive.
It’s harder to replace a washing machine than some of the other appliances that you use daily. You could wash dishes by hand if your dishwasher broke down, and you could hang your clothes to dry if your dryer broke down. However, if you have a big load of laundry, handwashing all of it may not be practical – especially if it includes hard-to-wash items like blankets. Take a look at what you need to know about the cost of washing machine maintenance and repair.
Parts
A broken washing machine when you have a lot of laundry to deal with can cause you to panic.
When an appliance breaks down or begins working incorrectly, it often isn’t that the entire appliance is broken; you may just need a small part replaced. Your repair bill will partially depend on the price of the part. Of course, some parts cost more than others. A seal or hose is likely to be much less expensive than a pump or a motor. If you have an idea of what part of the washing machine is malfunctioning, it can be easier to guesstimate how expensive the repair will be.
It’s important to keep in mind that even prices on the same part can vary depending on the brand of the machine. Factors like tariffs on parts made outside of the country, the age of the machine, and the ease or difficulty of locating the part all factor into the final cost.
Labor
Another important factor in washing machine repair costs is the cost of the labor associated with fixing the machine. If you can’t replace the part that’s broken yourself, you’ll need to pay someone to do that work.
Repair services and independent appliance repair professionals can generally set their own prices for labor, so there could be a wide variation in labor costs from service to service. However, for the most part, repair services will try to keep their prices competitive with other similar services in the area, so you may find that pricing is fairly standard. If the job is difficult – for example, if the part that needs to be replaced is hard to reach – labor will cost more than if the part is easily accessible.
Service Fees
It’s worth remembering that before parts or labor, you’ll probably need to pay something for an appliance repair person just to come to your house and take a look at your washing machine. You’ll need to pay this even if you decide that you don’t like the estimated cost of fixing the problem. This is called a service fee. Service fees generally include the price of diagnosing the problem.
Occasionally, you may find repair services that offer free diagnostics and estimates. This means that you may not have to pay a service fee to find out what is wrong with your washing machine and how much it will cost to fix it. Read the fine print, though; a free estimate may only be free if you decide to go with that particular repair service. If you decide to wait or go with a different service, you may still be on the hook for the service fee.
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