Repair Or Replace

A question that is often asked, as repairers, is if you should repair or replace an appliance due to it's age, the fault or even just because it hasn't been very good. Many people are simply scared that a repair will cost more than a replacement machine or that it will cost almost as much as a replacement.

We know that a repair is very often the cheapest option and, possibly the best option but WTA members will strive to give you the best possible advice on whether to repair or not. Often this advice is given free of charge over the phone as, if for example, the appliance is old and spares are liable to either be obsolete or take a long period of time to obtain the repairer will advise of this offering you the ability to make the best possible decision.

With many WTA members offering reduced call fees if they do not or cannot repair your appliance it makes a lot of financial sense to at least have it checked before you decide that the time has come to throw it away. And, even if you do not decide to have the machine checked out our members will offer the best possible free advice that they can by telephone or you can also use the UK Whitegoods website to get free help and advice.

Aside from the fact that just throwing the appliance away can be costly, it is also extremely harmful to our environment. The environmentally sound thing to do is to have the appliance work for as long as possible and certainly not to needlessly throw them away. But, that is what is happening.

Fault Codes

Fault codes are not dissimilar to warning lights on your car's dashboard. They tell you that there is a problem, give you a rough idea of where the problem is but they do not actually tell you what the fault is.

It could be as simple a fault to repair as a blocked drain pump. Failed motor brushes. A soap blockage.

In fact, it could be any number of things and very often it will be a simple repair to get the machine up and running again, quite often without the need for spare parts. Yet we find appliances with faults like these being thrown away by people daily.

Our advice is that if you have a fault code displayed or strange flashing lights on the front of your appliance, ask for advice from a WTA repairer before you decide to throw the machine away.

*Based on industry statistics from insurers and independent research from 2008