Washer repair in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
The service call fee is waived when you go ahead with the repair.
Fort Myers area
Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach
Bonita Springs and Naples area
Estero, Bonita Springs, North Naples, Naples, Marco Island
Washer problems we fix
Common symptoms on front-loaders and top-loaders. The numbers point to the parts on the front-loader drawing; where a top-loader differs, the row says so.
- What usually causes it
- A small pump at the bottom pushes the water out through the drain hose. On front-loaders a round filter in front of that pump catches coins, hair ties, socks and bra wires, and once it fills, draining slows and then stops. A jammed or broken pump impeller, a kinked hose behind the machine or a standpipe clogged with lint do the same. Most front-loaders keep the door locked while water is inside, so a drain fault often shows up as a door that will not open.
- What we check and fix
- We drain the tub, clear the filter and the hose, run the pump and listen to it. A pump that hums without moving water, or does not run at all, gets replaced. When the washer drains fine and the house standpipe is what backs up, we show you where.
- What usually causes it
- The washer only goes into spin once the water is out and the load sits evenly. So slow draining, one heavy bath mat bunched on one side, or a door lock that does not report closed will each cancel the spin. On the mechanical side: a worn drive belt on belt-driven models, worn carbon brushes or a failed motor, the motor control board, or on top-loaders a broken shifter or clutch.
- What we check and fix
- We put the washer into its service test to see whether the controls ask for a spin, time the drain, check the lock signal, then measure the motor and its wiring. The part that failed is replaced, not the whole chain.
- What usually causes it
- The spot tells most of the story. Under the door of a front-loader: a torn or folded door boot, or so much detergent that foam pushes past it. At the back: a fill hose or the inlet valve. In the middle, under the machine: the drain pump, a loose hose clamp or the tub seal. A puddle that appears only while the washer drains usually means the wall standpipe overflows, not the washer.
- What we check and fix
- We run a fill and a drain with the panels off until we see the exact spot, then replace the boot, the hose, the valve or the pump. A leaking tub seal usually comes with worn bearings, and we name the price of both before we start.
- What usually causes it
- A roar that rises with the spin speed is the sound of worn drum bearings, often after water got past the seal behind them. A bang on every turn points to worn shock absorbers or suspension springs, a cracked spider arm on the back of the drum, or a coin or an underwire stuck between the drum and the tub.
- What we check and fix
- We turn the drum by hand with the panels off, check the dampers, springs and spider, and fish out whatever is caught between drum and tub. Bearings and a spider arm mean taking the tub apart, so you decide before we start.
- What usually causes it
- A front-loader does not let water in until its door lock confirms the door is shut, and a top-loader waits for its lid switch or lid lock. A broken latch hook on the door, a lock assembly that burned out, a control board relay or a tripped outlet all stop the washer before the first fill. Sometimes nothing is broken at all: the child lock is on, a delay start is counting down, or a cycle is still paused.
- What we check and fix
- We check the outlet, then the lock or lid switch signal and what the control sends to it, and replace the lock, the latch or the board according to the readings.
- What usually causes it
- Water comes in through an electric inlet valve with fine screens where the hoses connect. Sand, rust and scale collect in those screens, a valve coil can burn out, and the faucets behind the washer are sometimes left half closed. If only hot or only cold is missing, one side of the valve is usually the culprit.
- What we check and fix
- We check water pressure at the hoses, clean the screens, test each coil of the valve and the pressure sensor that tells the washer when it is full, then replace what failed.
- What usually causes it
- A code names the step the washer could not finish: fill, drain, lock, spin or motor. The letters differ between brands. On an LG, OE means the water is not draining and UE an unbalanced load; on a Whirlpool, F9 E1 means the drain takes too long. Unbalance and suds codes often clear with a smaller load or less detergent. Drain, lock and motor codes usually need a part.
- What we check and fix
- Write the code down before you clear it. We read the fault history the control keeps, run the service test for the part the code names and finish with a test cycle.
- What usually causes it
- A front-loader seals its water in, so the folds of the boot, the detergent drawer and the drain filter stay damp between loads. Cold washes, extra detergent or softener and a door kept shut feed the mildew. A smell that is back a day after cleaning can mean dirty water sitting in the sump because the washer does not drain completely.
- What we check and fix
- We clean the boot folds, the drawer housing and the pump filter, check that the tub empties fully, and replace a boot that is torn or stained through.
- What usually causes it
- Many front-loaders heat their own water with an element under the tub. When that heater or its temperature sensor fails, hot and sanitize cycles stay lukewarm and run long while the washer waits for heat. Top-loaders take hot water straight from the house, so a weak hot side on the inlet valve or a slipping agitator is the more likely cause there.
- What we check and fix
- We measure the water temperature at the hose, test the hot side of the inlet valve, the heater and its sensor where the model has them, and look at the agitator drive on top-loaders.
Washers in Southwest Florida homes
Closets in condos, garages in houses, hard water and salt air: where and how a washer lives here changes what wears out.
Stacked laundry in condos
Many condos and townhomes have a washer and dryer stacked in a hall closet, often 24-inch compact models. Space is tight, the drain runs into a small box in the wall, and a leak ends up in the unit below, so a slow drip deserves a call before the neighbor downstairs makes it.
Hard water and wells
Hard water is common here. Scale coats the heater, narrows the inlet screens and makes people add more detergent, which a high-efficiency washer turns into foam, suds codes and smell. Homes on private wells add sand and iron, and the inlet screens catch them first.
Washers in the garage
May to October
In many houses the laundry stands in the garage. Summer heat ages rubber hoses and the door boot faster, humid air rusts the cabinet base, and ants can nest in a warm control panel.
Leaving for the season
May to November
A washer left shut for months with water in the sump grows mold, and the hoses age in a hot, closed house. Before you leave, close both valves, run an empty hot cycle, dry the boot and leave the door ajar. When you come back, open the valves and watch the first fill.
Corroded fittings by the water
Close to the Gulf and the bay, from Pine Island to Marco Island, salt air eats into hose fittings, wire connectors and the cabinet floor, most of all in ground-floor laundry rooms and garages.
After a storm or flooding
June to November
The motor, the drain pump and on many models the control sit low in the cabinet. If water reached the laundry room, do not plug the washer back in until it has been checked.
Washer brands we repair
Front-load and top-load, full-size and 24-inch compact, stacked pairs and laundry centers.
High-end brands
High-end appliances: parts are covered by a 1-year warranty.
Everyday brands
3-month warranty on labor for all appliances except high-end.
- Café
Brand names and logos belong to their owners. SUNTECH is an independent repair service.
Six checks before you call
No tools needed. A few of these get the washer running again; the rest save time once the technician arrives.
Dark panel
Look for a tripped breaker, and press the reset button if the washer is plugged into a GFCI outlet in the laundry room or the garage. Those outlets trip in damp weather.
Child lock, delay start, pause
A lock symbol, a countdown that does not move or a blinking Start light is usually a setting. The manual shows how to cancel it; on many models a button is held for three seconds.
Faucets behind the washer
Both shut-off valves should be open all the way. Pushing the washer back against the wall can kink a fill hose or the drain hose.
Drain filter on a front-loader
It sits behind a small door at the bottom front. Put down a baking pan and plenty of towels, let the water out through the small hose or by turning the cap slowly, then pull out what is caught and screw the cap back tight. Expect several gallons if the tub is full.
One heavy item
A bath mat, a comforter or a single pair of jeans can keep the drum from balancing. Spread the load, add two towels and run Drain and Spin on its own.
Shaking and walking
All four feet should touch the floor with their lock nuts tight. On a new front-loader, check that the shipping bolts were taken out of the back; left in, they shake the whole machine.
The fill hoses behind it. A burst fill hose floods the room at full house pressure until someone closes the valve. Look at both hoses once a year. Washer makers advise new fill hoses every 5 years, plain rubber and braided steel alike; a bulge, a crack, rust or a damp fitting means replace it now. Leaving for the season? Close both valves and leave the door open.
Leave these to us
Water around the outlet or the power cord: switch the breaker off before you touch the washer.
Do not force a locked door. It opens once the water is out; forcing it breaks the lock and can spill a full tub onto the floor.
A burning smell, smoke, or a breaker that trips again after a reset: unplug the washer and call.
A stacked washer and dryer is top-heavy. Do not pull the pair out of a closet on your own to reach the hoses.
Washer repair questions
Should I repair a washer with bad bearings?
The bearings sit behind the drum, so the repair means taking the tub apart, and on many front-loaders the two halves of the tub are welded together and come only as one large part. On a fairly new washer, or on a Miele or ASKO built to be serviced, it usually pays off. We name the price once we have looked at it.
How do I get the water out before you come?
You do not have to: we drain it as part of the visit. If you need the clothes, a front-loader drains through the filter at the bottom front into a low pan, with towels around it. A top-loader can be bailed out with a bucket.
How do I keep a front-loader from smelling?
Use HE detergent and less of it than the cap suggests, run a hot cleaning cycle once a month, wipe the fold of the door boot after the last load and leave both the door and the detergent drawer open. Clean the drain filter every few months.
Do you repair stacked washers and laundry centers?
Yes: stacked pairs, 24-inch compact sets and one-piece laundry centers with the dryer built over a top-loader. Tell us on the phone that it is stacked in a closet, because some repairs need the dryer lifted off or the pair pulled out, and we plan for that.
Where is the model number on a washer?
On a front-loader, usually on a sticker around the door opening or on the back of the cabinet. On a top-loader, under the lid at the back or on the rear panel. A phone photo of the sticker and the code on the display is all we need.
What does the service call cost?
We tell you the fee when you call. If you go ahead with the repair, the service call fee is waived.
What warranty do I get?
3 months on labor for all appliances except high-end. On high-end appliances, parts are covered for 1 year.
How can I pay?
Card, check or cash.
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Tell us the appliance, the brand and what it is doing.
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If it cannot wait
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
Fort Myers area
Bonita Springs and Naples area