When a washing machine packs up, most people’s first instinct is to start pricing up a replacement. But a Plymouth customer who called us last week was pleasantly surprised to learn her nine-year-old machine could still be fixed properly, thanks to rules that have quietly made appliance repairs far more realistic than they used to be.
Under the UK’s right to repair regulations, manufacturers of washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, freezers and tumble dryers are now required to make spare parts available for years after a model goes on sale, in many cases for seven to ten years after it’s discontinued. Before these rules, tracking down the right part for an older machine could be next to impossible.
The change is expected to add years to the average appliance’s working life and has been estimated to save UK households a meaningful amount each year in avoided replacements, while also cutting down on the mountain of electrical waste appliances create when they’re scrapped too soon. For households in Plymouth, it means a faulty washing machine or dishwasher is increasingly worth a proper look before being written off.
It’s still worth getting a qualified engineer to check the machine first, since not every fault is a straightforward parts swap, and the age and condition of the appliance still matters. But with parts more readily available than before, repair costs are often a fraction of the price of a new machine, particularly for common washing machine and dishwasher faults.
If your washing machine or dishwasher has stopped working, it’s worth finding out whether a repair makes sense before you replace it. Ace Domestics has been fixing washing machines and dishwashers across Plymouth for years, get in touch via acedomestics-plymouth.co.uk before you commit to buying new.