Appliances break in patterns
After enough repair jobs, technicians see the same faults over and over. Knowing what typically goes wrong with your appliance — and roughly what it costs to fix — helps you make better decisions: whether to repair, get quotes, or replace.
1. Washing machine — not draining or spinning
What usually causes it: A blocked pump filter, a failed drain pump, or a worn carbon brush on the motor. The filter is the most common and easiest to fix yourself.
What the repair involves:
- Blocked filter: access the filter (usually behind a small panel at the front bottom), clear it, and refit. Takes 15 minutes.
- Drain pump replacement: remove the machine's front or back panel, disconnect and swap the pump. One to two hours.
- Motor brush replacement: access the motor, slide out the old brushes, and clip in new ones.
Typical cost:
- DIY filter clean: free
- Drain pump (part): €15–40
- Labour if hired: €40–80 total
2. Dishwasher — not cleaning properly or leaving residue
What usually causes it: A blocked spray arm, a failing wash pump, or a worn door seal. Scale buildup is also common in hard-water areas.
What the repair involves:
- Spray arm: unclip, rinse the holes clear, refit.
- Wash pump: replace the pump assembly inside the base. Two to three hours.
- Descaling: run a commercial descaler through a hot cycle.
Typical cost:
- Spray arm and descale: under €10 in products
- Wash pump replacement (part): €30–70
- Labour if hired: €50–90 total
3. Fridge or freezer — not cooling
What usually causes it: A failed evaporator fan, iced-over coils (blocking airflow), a faulty thermostat, or — more seriously — a leak in the refrigerant circuit.
What the repair involves:
- Iced coils: defrost the freezer completely (24–48 hours unplugged). Often fixes it temporarily but may indicate a defrost heater fault.
- Evaporator fan: replace the fan motor inside the freezer compartment.
- Refrigerant leak: requires a certified engineer with specialist equipment — not DIY.
Typical cost:
- Defrost fan motor (part): €20–50
- Labour for fan replacement: €40–70
- Refrigerant repair: €80–200+ depending on fault
4. Oven — not reaching temperature or heating unevenly
What usually causes it: A failed heating element (the most common fault in electric ovens), a faulty thermostat, or a broken fan motor in fan-assisted models.
What the repair involves:
- Heating element: unscrew the back panel inside the oven, disconnect the element terminals, and swap in the new one. One hour, low risk.
- Fan motor: similar process, slightly more fiddly.
- Gas oven thermostat or igniter: should be handled by a qualified engineer.
Typical cost:
- Heating element (part): €15–40
- DIY repair: part cost only
- Labour if hired: €50–80 total
5. Tumble dryer — not heating or taking too long
What usually causes it: A blocked lint filter or exhaust duct (clean these first — it is always the first check), a failed heating element, or a faulty thermal fuse.
What the repair involves:
- Lint and duct cleaning: essential maintenance every six to twelve months.
- Heating element replacement: disassemble the back of the dryer, swap the element.
- Thermal fuse: a small, cheap part that blows when the dryer overheats — often caused by the blocked duct in the first place.
Typical cost:
- Heating element (part): €20–50
- Thermal fuse (part): €5–15
- Labour if hired: €40–70 total
When is it worth repairing vs. replacing?
A rough rule: if the repair costs less than 40% of a comparable new appliance, it is usually worth fixing — especially for brands with a good reliability record. If the appliance is over ten years old and facing a major fault (compressor, motor), replacement often makes more economic sense.
Get a quote before you decide
Post your appliance fault on FixThat.xyz/requests. Describe the model, the symptom, and your location. Local repair technicians will respond with prices, and you can make a fully informed decision from there.