Washer or dryer repair in Ottawa
Water left in the drum, a dryer that tumbles cold, a drum that won't spin. Write the symptom, the brand and the model, and one local repair company calls you about a visit.
In short
- 01Visit and diagnosis at Ottawa repair firms: usually $80–90 + tax, waived by most if the repair goes ahead.
- 02The repair price is quoted after diagnosis, before work starts.
- 03A washer that won't drain most often has a kinked hose or a clogged pump filter (Samsung, LG).
- 04Gas dryer work in Ontario needs a gas technician holding a TSSA certificate.
Typical ranges
Source Visit fee as listed by Ottawa repair firms, seen 29.10.2026: Doctor Appliance, dispatch call $80 plus tax (doctorappliance.ca); Fair Appliance Repair, $90 service call waived if you proceed (fair-appliance-repair.pages.dev/washer-repair). Drain checks: Samsung support TSG10007110 (samsung.com/us/support). Dryer heat: Whirlpool product help, Not Heating – Electric Dryer (producthelp.whirlpool.com). Gas work: Ontario O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6; gas smell: Enbridge Gas safety page (enbridgegas.com/safety/smell-gas). Repair or replace: Consumer Reports, 9 Jan 2014 (half the price of a new unit). Typical life: NAHB Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, 2007 (US data).
What to ask before you book
- Q1How much is the visit with tax, and do you drop it if I go ahead?
- Q2Do you service front-load and top-load washers of my brand?
- Q3Gas dryer: what TSSA registration number can I check?
- Q4Does your quote cover parts and labour together?
- Q5How long is your warranty, and does it cover the part, the labour or both?
Before the visit
- A photo of the model plate: front-loader on the door rim, top-loader under the lid, dryer on the rim of the door opening
- The error code on the display, if any
- Towels on the floor if the washer is holding water
- Washer shut-off valves reachable behind the machine
- Room to pull the dryer out from the wall
Say what the machine does, in one line
A technician plans the visit from your words. Three examples that work:
- “Samsung front-loader, stops mid-cycle, water in the drum, code on display.”
- “Whirlpool electric dryer, tumbles, no heat, both breakers on.”
- “Stacked LG pair, washer shakes hard on spin.”
Add the age if you know it, your area or postal code, and when the visit suits you.
Two common faults
Washer holding water. Samsung and LG name the drain hose and the pump filter behind the lower panel as the usual causes. Write “water stays in the drum” and the model, and the technician comes ready for both.
Electric dryer with no heat. It runs on a 240-volt circuit with two breakers. The technician checks the supply and the cycle setting first, then the heating parts.
Gas dryers
Ontario law (O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6) reserves repair and service of gas appliances for certificate holders; for a dryer, that means a gas technician with a TSSA certificate. Get the TSSA registration number on the call. Smell gas? Leave the house first, then call Enbridge Gas or 911 from outside.
Stacked pairs and laundry closets
Say if the pair sits in a closet and which unit is acting up. Measure the closet if you can and clear the path to it, so the technician knows how much room there is to work. For a pair in a basement, mention the stairs.
On the visit
The technician tests the machine, names the fault and quotes parts and labour before touching anything. Ottawa firms list the visit at about $80–90 plus tax and most waive it when you go ahead.
Repair or replace
The diagnosis tells you the fault and the price. Set that price against a similar new machine today. Past half of it, Consumer Reports leans toward replacing.
Who calls you
613 Pros passes your request to one independent repair company that works in your part of Ottawa. The quote, the work and the warranty come from that company.
Questions
01My washer won't drain. What does the technician look at?
The drain hose and, on a front-loader, the pump filter behind the lower front panel: Samsung and LG list both as the usual causes. Then the drain pump. Samsung advises waiting about an hour after a hot cycle before anything is opened, so write when the last cycle ran.
02My electric dryer runs and stays cold. What does that point to?
An electric dryer needs a 240-volt circuit with two breakers, and the Air Only and Air Fluff cycles add no heat (Whirlpool). The technician rules those out first, then tests the heating parts. Write the cycle you used and whether a breaker has tripped.
03How do I know if my dryer is gas?
Look behind it. A gas dryer has a gas pipe with a shut-off valve going into the back. If you can’t tell, write ‘not sure’ in the request and the technician will ask.
04Can you send someone for a stacked washer-dryer?
Yes. Write ‘stacked’ in the request, plus the brand, so the technician knows the setup before the visit.
05Is an older washer worth repairing?
Consumer Reports puts the line at half: when the repair costs more than half of a similar new machine, look at replacing. US data put typical life at about 10 years for a washer and 13 for a dryer (NAHB, 2007).