The washing machine is one of those rare types of machines which have become very much part of our routine life. Since they are used frequently, it is not uncommon that you often have to fix their one or the other part. Irrespective of how cautious you may be about its usage, you literally can’t avoid this problem.
However, estimating fair repair costs could be a little complex. Because some problems are specific in washing machines while others are influenced by multiple aspects. Let’s list all of them below:
Diagnosis visit
First thing first. You can’t get rid of a problem unless you get an idea about it, hence diagnosis. Some of the repair companies do waive off the diagnosis fees if you allow them to fix whatever is wrong in your washing machine. Though not all of them tend to do so.
They include diagnosis charges in the end. An on-site diagnosis charges can be typically anything between 40 to 100 dollars.
Brand
This is one of those “outside factors” that we have mentioned above. The brand of your machine has the potential to either increase or decrease the repair expenses. If you don’t want to invite any risk, make sure that your technician has complete command on your washing machine’s brand; otherwise, the costs can shoot up significantly.
Kind of washer
The type of washer also influences the repair costs. Mainly, there are two types of washer – top loader and front loader. Generally, top-loaders are the cheapest to fix costing under 100 dollars.
On the other hand, front-loaders are more pricey in terms of repairing. The reason being, it is challenging to find out parts of a front-loader, which is why experts charge around 150 dollars, including the diagnosis.
Accessibility of parts
The expected life-span of a washer is up to 14 years at maximum. Needless to say, as a washer passes it prime, it becomes tough to land upon its parts. It is not an uncommon phenomenon.
In case you have no option other than repairing your old washer then you might have to ship some of its parts. You can search for ‘appliance parts near me’ in the search engine to land on stores that offer them. This will impact the repair costs to some extent.
Access to your place
Accessibility could also heavily affect the repair costs. If you happen to live at a spot which is tough to reach out, then it is supposed to take more effort of the technician to arrive at your place. Hence, they are likely to charge more. Similarly, you can save a few bucks if your technician has easy access to your house.
A fair proportion of professionals is accustomed to charge according to the miles they have traveled. Once they have access to your appliance, they begin their hourly rate from then onwards.
Switching from electric to gas
A gas-powered washer is known to cost less with regard to the monthly utility bills. Many people realize this fact after buying an electric washer and, as a result, opt to convert it into a gas appliance. Though it is possible to do so but, at the same time, the complete process of shifting from electric to the gas appliance can cost around 1050 dollars at a minimum.
Labor
There is no dearth of people who consider themselves a jack of all trades. Someone might be working in a bank, but as soon as his washing machine gets faulty, you can see him taking leave from his work repairing it all by himself. This approach could prove to be very costly in the long run.
Consider calling an expert instead. You can even contact a plumber for a plumbing related issue. In addition to the plumbing parts, like a rubber seal which costs mere 1 dollar, a plumber typically charges around 45 to 65 dollars per hour. Complicated plumbing issues, for example, broken water mains, are amongst the most expensive fixes.
The flexibility of the customer
A lot depends upon the time when you need a technician. For example, if you want a professional to come at an uncomfortable hour, like late-night or a busy day, then he will charge more than normal.
Many people have the means to bring their faulty appliance at the location of the professional, and it saves them a considerable amount.
Final thoughts
There is barely any household which is deprived of a washing machine. As it stands with most of the machines, a washer can also get defective at any point, leaving you in the middle of nowhere. So it is important to have some know-how about its repair costs in order to confront such a scenario. We hope that the above reading proves to be worthwhile for you.
Author Bio:
About Michelle Joe: Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook