With today’s rates for appliance repair, just about anyone should be tempted to try to repair their washing machine themselves. If the machine has failed and you need it immediately, that might not be the best time for your first attempt at washing machine repair! But if you have time to work and think things through, it’s actually kind of fun and rewarding to fix your own stuff. Below are a few quick tips for checking your machine before you call the engineer.

A note of warning: electrocution is both deadly and common. If you’re pulling the machine out or even looking at the electronics, unplug it. Check it again. When you’ve checked for the second time, go get a cup of coffee. Some machines can hold a charge up to five minutes, so wait ten minutes. In general, once you’ve determined you have an electrical problem, you should call out.

Before you yank your machine out and start tipping it this way and that, here are a few thoughts about all repairs that might speed your repair process considerably. Keep in mind the basics of how the machine works. It needs power. Is it plugged in? Is there power to the plug? It needs water. Is the water to the machine turned on? Is the machine connected to the water source? Is there blockage in the water access? Check all this stuff. Chances are good you’ll find the problem.

If the machine simply won’t start, you have some sort of electrical problem. You might be able to find it and you might be able to fix it. If there’s power to the machine – that is, lights or other electrical features are working but the machine won’t start – you have a significant electrical problem and should call out for repair.

On the other hand, if there’s no power to the machine at all, you’re potentially in better shape. First, make sure the machine is plugged in tight. Wiggle it, push it in, and make sure. If that fails, unplug the machine and plug another electrical item into the outlet to make sure the outlet works. If that fails, check the fuse in the plug. Check that in another appliance as well, or replace it with a fuse with the exact same rating. Failing all those checks, call an engineer.

If the machine won’t fill or drain, check the basics. Make sure the water is turned on and the hoses aren’t blocked or kinked. If the machine won’t drain, check for blockage.

Sometimes, the machine keeps filling and filling and the water keeps running out. This occasionally occurs because the water hose that drains the machine has its end placed lower than the bottom of the tank in the machine. The water "siphons" out because of gravity. Since normally your plumbing is fixed, siphoning occurs most commonly after the machine has been moved and the plumbing has been thus disturbed. Correct the problem by securing the draining hose in the standpipe above the level of the tank in the machine.

Those are some of the most common problems. All of them are easy and safe to check, and most take only a few minutes. You never know, it could save you a repair bill!