Growing up, I often remember my grandmother marveling at all the “newfangled appliances” that were available to make household chores easier. She would tell tales of using a ringer washing machine where she fed clothes through rollers one piece at a time. Appliance designs were simpler and many times a homeowner would handle their own appliance repair.
Of course, she would shake her head in amazement every time I managed to wash and dry two loads of laundry, clean all the dishes from a dinner party, and cook homemade cupcakes for the school bake sale in the few hours I had between work and bed thanks to those amazing automatic appliances.
Then one day when I was getting ready for a trip, my dryer stopped working. The last load of wet clothes was just as wet as when I put them in the dryer. I didn't have time to run to the laundromat or call a repair service, so I hoped it was something I could take care of myself—and fast.
The internet is an amazing resource and a quick search of “how to fix a gas dryer that isn't heating” popped up a list of things to check. The first item on the list was a blown thermal fuse. That sounded easy enough to replace, so I got out my ohmmeter (you've gotta have the right tools if you're a DIYer) and tested it. Sure enough, it was bad. A run to the hardware store and $10 later, I had the new fuse. I popped it in, cleaned out the lint drawer and was back in business.
While we want to believe we can repair appliances on our own with the help of a YouTube video and a screwdriver, that's not always the reality. This dryer repair went well and it's great saving time and money but most appliance repairs should be done by a professional technician.
Appliance Repair Professionals Have Skills
The mere title “professional” indicates that a service technician is qualified with the knowledge, skills and experience to repair your appliance. A reputable repair company will be able to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair a problem quickly and safely. Replacing parts often requires precision work. By trying to do the work yourself, you could severely damage your appliance or create a potentially dangerous situation. On the other hand, if you select an experienced technician, he or she will often have years or decades of knowledge that comes in handy when facing unexpected challenges during a repair.
Read: 5 Ways to Check Contractor Qualifications
Appliance Repairs Require the Proper Tools & Parts
Unless you are accustomed to doing most household repairs yourself, you probably have a small toolbox with commonly used tools. Appliance repair professionals come prepared to handle most any situation with specialized equipment. More importantly, they have access to the replacement parts that will go into your appliance. Whereas you would have to order the parts online and pay retail prices, they typically get a wholesale discount and might have the part in stock already, so they're able to save you time and money.
Appliance Repairs Get Done Quickly
When your washing machine is filled with a full load of wet, dirty clothes and it stops working, do you really have the time and patience to learn how to fix it? It could take several hours or days to figure out what's wrong, not to mention ordering a part and waiting for it to arrive. Trying to follow a step-by-step instructional video could take hours and might only complicate the issue or result in further damage.
Sometimes you can solve the problem with time, tools and patience. A few years ago, my gas oven decided to stop working. It was 10 years old, so I started hunting for a new stove. Then I decided to check online to see if I could fix it myself—what did I have to lose? Everything I read told me the culprit was probably a bad igniter. A friend suggested I test my theory by tapping the igniter with a board. Sure enough, a quick rap allowed the gas valve to open and the gas kicked on. The part was easy to find online and I followed the step-by-step instructions I found online to replace the part in less than 45 minutes. The best part? I got another five years out of that old machine
Do your due diligence—if you feel as if the project is beyond your capabilities, don't be afraid to call a professional repair service. Hiring an appliance repair professional will save precious time. Some repair companies can send a technician to your home the same day to diagnose the problem. That's the first step to getting your appliance up and running.
Professionals Can Save You Money
When your appliance breaks down, your first reaction is probably to worry about how much the repair will cost. While you're calculating how much you can save by tackling the job yourself, you're likely overlooking the true cost of doing the wrong repair. Your lack of experience may mean that your machine could break down again and require a professional service call after all. Typical appliance repairs cost $200 or less, so bringing in a specialist often makes the most sense.
Professionals Offer Warranty Protection
The cost of a new appliance can be pretty expensive, so you'll want to ensure that your current one lasts as long as possible. While you may already have a warranty issued by the appliance manufacturer, it does not usually last forever and it doesn’t cover all potential repairs. The life-expectancy of most large home appliances is about 10 to 15 years, which gives you plenty of reasons to take good care of them. Professional appliance repair services often provide a warranty or guarantee of their own on parts and labor, which is another reason why they are often worth the money.
There's nothing wrong with tackling some DIY projects around the house. You can definitely save money by repainting a room or even replacing a faucet on your own. But when it comes to repairing appliances like refrigerators or washing machines, it's usually best to leave it to the appliance repair professionals. Despite the cost, it’ll be well worth it to know that your appliances will last for many years. And in the meantime, you'll be able to get those clothes or dishes washed without too much fuss, so you can get back to the things that are most important. My grandmother would be proud!
I liked how you said that if you feel the project is beyond you, don’t wait to call in a professional. My cousin called me this morning saying that her washing machine won’t drain and nothing she’s doing is helping. I’ll pass your advice to her so that she can contact an appliance repair service to help her soon.
Thank you for explaining that professional appliance repair services often supply a warranty or guarantee of their own on parts and labor, that’s why they are often worth the money. Our refrigerator is acting up, so I’m thinking of having it repaired. I should follow your tip and look for an appliance repair service in our area.
It’s funny how many people try to repair appliances themselves. I was considering trying but after reading this I’m glad I called a professional to handle my appliance repair service in Coquitlam, B.C. Thank you.
Yes Dennis, some people are actually pretty good at finding the right repair information online (my techie son) but most people waste lots of time & money on the wrong parts … only to call a pro. 2 failed jobs with my handyman business and I added the names with contact info for local appliance repair companies to my website (plumbers and electricians too).
My best friend’s washing machine is broken and she is hoping to get it fixed. It is good to know that professional repairs are quick. I’ll suggest that my friend hire a professional repair service for her washer.
Thanks for writing this post. Although DIY repairs can seem to save you money, often times it can be a rabbit hole that we can chase down and you lose a lot of time if your initial diagnosis is improper or worse, you wait weeks for a part only to find out that did not solve the issue. I think hiring a professional company with a good reputation will ultimately save me a lot of time and headache.
Michelle, After watching my handyman technicians fumble (several hrs) a dryer repair at my house … and the appliance repair guy was in & out in under 30 minutes, I knew this was one type of repair better left to the pros.
I agree. Hiring professionals for any repair jobs would serve as a long-term investment for you since many of them offer warranty and service your appliances for free if ever it breaks down again within the term specified. DIY repair or maintenance should only be done if you have extensive knowledge and experience in working with appliances to minimize the risk of unnecessary expenses incurred by you breaking your appliances. I had this mistake a long time ago and I have been hiring professionals ever since.
I like how you said that a professional appliance repair service will be able to troubleshoot the problem and figure it out quickly. My in-laws are coming into town this weekend and my fridge just broke down. I’ll call an appliance repair service and get them to come out and help today or tomorrow.
It’s interesting that you point out that an appliance repair contractor has the skills necessary to fix your washing machine if it breaks. My washing machine stopped working yesterday, so I’m thinking about hiring an appliance repair service to fix it. I’m going to look for a good business that offers appliance repair services in my area to hire.
Fred, You can do a lot of research online & homeowners that are good at search have a 50/50 chance of identifying the correct problem & fixing it themselves. Too often though, you can spend hours, buy the wrong parts and finally give up after 1, 2 or more frustrating weeks. Appliance pros know the most common problems with each brand, they have the test tools to quickly figure out problems & sometimes they even have the parts to make repairs in one visit.
It’s good that you point out that an appliance repair professional can fix appliances in your house when they break. My washing machine stopped working recently, so I’m considering hiring an appliance repair company to fix it. I’m going to look for a good provider of appliance repair services in my area to use.
I liked that you mentioned the internet is the best place to look for appliance repairs. My husband and I are moving to our new apartment, and we are looking for advice about how to keep our appliances in good shape. I will let him know about your recommendations to help him choose the right appliance repair company to help us.
I love how you mentioned that professionals have specialized equipment because that’s really important when you’re fixing things. Tools are meant to make things easier and more efficient. If they have the right stuff, they’ll be a lot faster than you might be.
Absolutely Tori and an important lesson I learned in my first year running a handyman business. Only takes getting burned 1 or 2 times, and then I put electricians, plumbers & appliance repair people I trusted on my website.
Very pleased with your blog post that you mentioned the cost of an appliance repair. Always should hire professionals
It’s helpful to consider that professionals would be more likely to have the necessary tools and replacement parts on hand, which could help the job be done faster. My wife and I just moved into our first home together a couple of months ago, and I don’t have a very wide selection of tools for fixing things yet. Maybe instead of spending time and money to get the equipment we need, we should hire a professional to get our washer working again quickly.
Oscar, Too many appliance brands & they each have their own quirks, need different test & repair tools … so call a pro.
I am totally agreed because they are well qualified and experienced. Thanks for sharing the information!
Very pleased with your blog post that you mentioned the cost of an appliance repair. Always should hire professionals.
It was great to read that a professional appliance repair service will help you save money. It makes sense because they are qualified to perform such repairs. My brother’s fridge has been making strange noises, so I’ll recommend him finding a technician to fix it.
I think that it’s really important how you mentioned that the cost of doing a repair yourself could be way higher than hiring someone to do it for you. Another benefit would be that the professionals could have access to parts that you might not be able to access. In that case, you could both benefit from saving money in the repair job and also on the parts that you would need to get.
I liked that you mentioned a professional technician is qualify with the knowledge and experience to repair your appliance. My father bought a restaurant and we are looking for advice to help him give maintenance to his appliances. I will let him know about the benefits of hiring a professional technician to give maintenance to my father’s restaurant appliances.
I like how you mentioned that one should look for an appliance repairman that is experienced. Another great tip I’ve heard is to ask to see their certifications. Thanks for all the great tips!
Thanks for explaining that a lack of experience makes it difficult to estimate the true cost of DIY appliance repair. My husband and I think our fridge might need to be repaired because it’s been running a lot more loudly than it used to. I’m glad I read your article because you helped me understand why hiring an experienced appliance repair service would be the best way forward for us.
Daphne, Unless you’re willing to watch lots of YouTube videos & try several solutions until one finally works … I always recommend hiring a pro.
It’s good to know that professionals will be able to save you money since it costs less to get the repair done right the first time. My brother has been telling me about how his dishwasher has been leaking. He doesn’t know how to fix the problem on his own, so I’ll pass this information along to him so that he can look further into his options for hiring a professional to come and repair his appliances.