Repair guide
Appliance Not Working? What to Check, and When to Repair or Replace
Updated 10/11/2026
Most appliance trouble starts the same way: it worked yesterday and today it does not. Before you call anyone, a few safe checks can save you a visit. And when a repair is needed, it helps to know whether the appliance is worth fixing at all.
This is the overview from Mend My Appliance: the safety rules, the checks that apply to any appliance, and a short section on each problem we are asked about most, with a link to its full guide. It ends with a plain way to decide between repair and replacement.
Before you check anything
- Unplug the appliance, or switch off its breaker, before you move it or reach behind it.
- If you smell gas, do not touch switches or the appliance. Leave the home and call your gas utility's emergency line or 911 from outside.
- If water is leaking, close the appliance's water supply valve and dry the floor so nobody slips.
- Do not remove panels or covers. Parts inside can hold an electric charge or have sharp edges, and that is where a home check ends.
Checks that apply to any appliance
- The power. Is it plugged in, and does the outlet work? Try a lamp in it.
- The breaker. Switch it fully off, then on. Ranges and electric dryers use a double breaker, and half of it can trip.
- The water. A washer, a dishwasher or an ice maker needs its supply valve open and its hose free of kinks.
- The gas. On a gas appliance the handle of the shut-off valve should be in line with the pipe.
- The door or the lid. Most appliances will not start until they sense that it is closed and latched.
- The controls. A control lock, a delayed start or a showroom mode stops an appliance that is otherwise fine; the manual says how to leave each one.
- A restart. Unplug the appliance, or switch off its breaker, for five minutes. Electronic controls sometimes clear a fault this way.
- The error code, if the display shows one. Write it down before you switch anything off: it tells the technician where to start.
Refrigerator not cooling
A refrigerator that is warm while the freezer still works usually has an airflow or defrost problem, not a dead compressor. Check the temperature setting, the vents inside, the door seals and the condenser coils, and give it a full day after a power cut or a large grocery load.
Call for a repair when both sections are warm, when you hear a click every few minutes, or when frost builds up on the back wall of the freezer. Perishable food that has been above 40°F for more than two hours should be thrown away.
Refrigerator not cooling: every check, step by step
Refrigerator leaking water, or the ice maker not making ice
Water inside the refrigerator, usually under the crisper drawers, most often comes from a clogged defrost drain. Water on the floor usually comes from the water line to the ice maker or the dispenser.
What you can check
- Where the water is: inside under the drawers, on the floor at the back, or at the front under the door. It tells the technician where to start.
- The thin water line at the back and its valve. Look for drips and kinks; do not force any fitting.
- The ice maker switch. The wire arm should be down, or the on/off switch on. The freezer has to be at 0°F for the ice maker to cycle.
- The water filter. A filter that is long overdue slows the water to a trickle. After a new filter or a newly connected line, allow a few hours and a few batches of ice.
- The level. The refrigerator should sit level or tilt slightly back, so the doors close by themselves and defrost water runs to the drain.
Call for a repair when a sheet of ice forms on the freezer floor, when the water comes back after you dried it, when the ice maker fills but never drops the ice, or when the dispenser has stopped altogether.
Washer won't drain or spin
A washer that stops full of water, hums, or leaves the clothes soaking has usually failed to drain, and most washers will not spin until the water is out. Check the drain hose for a kink, clean the pump filter if your washer has one, and rearrange a load that is out of balance.
Call for a repair when the washer hums without draining after the filter is clear, when you smell burning, or when it bangs in the spin.
Dryer not heating, or taking too long to dry
A dryer that tumbles but stays cold, or needs two or three cycles for one load, is most often short of airflow or of half its power. Clean the lint filter, feel the air at the vent outside, and on an electric dryer switch both of its breakers off and on. A blocked vent is a fire hazard, so do not keep running the dryer that way.
Call for a repair when there is still no heat after these checks, when the dryer stops and starts again once it has cooled, or when you smell scorching.
Dishwasher not draining, or not cleaning well
A little water under the filter is normal: it keeps the seals wet. Water standing above the filter after a cycle is not. Clean the filter, run the garbage disposal, and check the drain hose and the air gap under and beside the sink.
Dishwasher not draining: every check, step by step
If it is not cleaning well
- The spray arms. They should spin freely by hand, and the small holes should not be blocked by seeds or bits of label.
- The hot water. Run the kitchen tap until it is hot before you start the dishwasher.
- The detergent and the loading. Use fresh detergent, keep tall pans away from the dispenser door, and face the dirty side of the dishes toward the center. A tablet that does not dissolve means the dispenser is blocked or the water is not reaching it.
Call for a repair when the standing water comes back, when the dishwasher hums at the end of the cycle and nothing drains, when it leaks at the door, or when the dishes are still dirty after these checks.
Oven not heating up
When the stove top works and the oven does not, the oven's own igniter, heating element or temperature sensor is the usual cause. First rule out the breaker, a clock that was not set after a power cut, and a delayed start or a control lock.
Call for a repair when the igniter of a gas oven glows and no flame appears, when preheating takes far longer than it used to, or when the door will not unlock after a self-clean cycle.
Repair or replace?
Three things decide it: the age of the appliance, the price of the repair, and what a replacement really costs once delivery, installation and any cabinet or plumbing work are added.
A common rule of thumb: if the repair costs more than about half the price of a comparable new appliance, and the appliance is already past the middle of its expected life, replacing it usually makes more sense. Below that line, a repair is usually the better value.
How long do appliances last? A study by the National Association of Home Builders (2007) put the average at about 13 years for refrigerators, 13 for dryers, 11 to 12 for washers and 13 to 15 for ranges. These are averages: care, use and build quality move them a long way in both directions.
A repair usually makes sense when
- The appliance is in the first half of its expected life.
- One part has failed, such as a pump, an igniter, a heating element, a door seal or a control board, and the rest is sound.
- It is a built-in or a premium appliance, where a new one also means new panels, cabinet work or a long wait.
- It fits the space and you like how it works.
Replacing is worth a look when
- The same appliance has needed several repairs in a short time.
- An old appliance needs a major repair that is priced close to a new one.
- Rust, a cracked tub or a damaged cabinet cannot be put right at a sensible price.
- Parts for it are no longer made.
You do not have to guess. A diagnosis tells you what failed and what the repair costs, and then you decide.
What an appliance repair visit costs
With Mend My Appliance, a visit starts with a $90 diagnostic. The technician finds the cause and gives you a clear price before any repair work. If you go ahead, the $90 is applied toward the repair bill. If you decide not to repair, you pay the $90 for the diagnosis.
The price of the repair itself depends on the part that failed and the time it takes to fit it, so nobody can quote it honestly before looking at the appliance. That is what the diagnosis is for.
Our work and the parts we install carry a 90-day warranty. The terms are printed on your invoice.
Booking takes a few minutes online: choose your appliance, describe the problem and pick up to three times that suit you. We confirm one of them by phone or text. You can also call us at (971) 247-1950.
Appliance repair in Portland, Oregon and nearby cities
Mend My Appliance repairs major home appliances at your home in the Portland metro area in Oregon.
What we repair
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- Ice Maker
- Wine Cooler
- Washer
- Dryer
- Dishwasher
- Oven
- Range / Stove
- Cooktop
- Microwave
- Range Hood / Vent Hood
- Garbage Disposal
Our service area includes Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Milwaukie, Happy Valley, Gresham, Clackamas, Troutdale, Fairview, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Oregon City, Gladstone, Damascus. Enter your ZIP code when you book and we'll check it right away.
Brands we repair include Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, GE, Frigidaire, Maytag, KitchenAid, Bosch, Electrolux, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Viking, Miele, Monogram, Thermador, JennAir, Kenmore, Amana, GE Profile, Café, Fisher & Paykel, Dacor, Haier, Hotpoint, Speed Queen, Asko, Bertazzoni, Smeg, Sharp, Cove, Gaggenau, Liebherr, BlueStar, U-Line, and more.