Microwave·Advanced·15–30 minutes for safe checks·DIY $0·Pro $150–$400
Call a technician for anything past the door latch. Magnetrons, high-voltage capacitors, diodes and transformers are all professional work, not because the parts are complicated but because the stored charge in that capacitor is genuinely dangerous. A technician will also verify the door seals and check for microwave leakage after any repair, which matters and which you cannot do without a survey meter. If your microwave is over-the-range or built in, get a quote — those are worth repairing. If it is a countertop unit, price a replacement first.
Refrigerator·Moderate·45–90 minutes·DIY $0–$150·Pro $150–$900
If the coils are clean, both fans run, the defrost circuit tests good and the compressor runs continuously without the evaporator ever getting cold, you are looking at the sealed system — a low refrigerant charge, a restriction in the capillary tube, or a compressor that has lost compression. Telltale signs are a suction line that never gets cold to the touch, frost on only the first few inches of the evaporator, or an oily residue around a weld joint. Opening that system legally requires EPA Section 608 certification and recovery equipment, so it is not a DIY repair. Expect $400–$900, and get that quote before committing on a unit over ten years old.
Washer·Moderate·45–90 minutes·DIY $0–$130·Pro $150–$400
If the drain path is completely clear, the pump impeller turns freely, and the pump is still silent when the machine calls for drain, the fault is in the wiring harness, the motor control or the main board — and boards run $150–$400, are rarely returnable once fitted, and are not worth buying on a guess. A burnt-plastic smell from the pump area means the motor has failed and, more importantly, that something ran it stalled for a long time, so find the obstruction before fitting the new part. Water backing up out of the standpipe is a plumbing job, not an appliance repair.
Dryer·Moderate·45–120 minutes·DIY $5–$70·Pro $150–$400
On a gas dryer, anything past swapping the igniter, flame sensor or valve coils — adjusting the burner, opening the gas valve body, or touching the supply line — is licensed trade work in most jurisdictions and should not be attempted at home. On an electric dryer, get an electrician rather than an appliance technician if the outlet, cord or terminal block shows scorching, if a leg of the 240-volt supply is genuinely missing, or if the breaker trips the moment the element energises. And if every heating component tests good but the element still never gets power, the fault is in the timer or the control board — a diagnosis worth paying for rather than guessing at.
Microwave·Easy·15–30 minutes·DIY $6–$40·Pro $150–$350
If arcing continues after a new waveguide cover, a clean cavity, and no metal present, the damage has reached the waveguide or the magnetron antenna cap. That is professional work — and on a countertop microwave costing $90 to $250 new, replacement almost always beats a $200 repair. Over-the-range and built-in units are worth having a technician assess. Any cavity with rust perforating the wall should be replaced rather than repaired, regardless of unit type, because a compromised cavity cannot contain microwave energy.
Refrigerator·Moderate·30–90 minutes·DIY $0–$80·Pro $150–$400
If the leak is coming from the sealed system — an oily residue around a weld joint, or frost forming on the suction line — stop. That is refrigerant, and repairing it requires EPA Section 608 certification and recovery equipment. Likewise, if you have cleared the drain twice and it keeps freezing solid, the defrost heater or defrost thermostat is failing and the whole defrost circuit needs testing.
Washer·Moderate·30–90 minutes·DIY $0–$120·Pro $150–$600
If the belt, coupler, lid switch and actuator all check out, the fault is in the motor, the motor control board, or the transmission. Motor control boards run $150–$350 in parts and transmission work on a top-loader often costs more than the machine is worth. A grinding or scraping sound during what spin you do get usually means the tub bearing has failed, which on most front-loaders requires splitting the outer tub — a repair that routinely runs $400–$600 and is frequently not worth doing on a machine over eight years old.
Dryer·Moderate·45–120 minutes·DIY $0–$80·Pro $100–$350
If the vent is clear end to end, the blower is intact and the machine still cannot dry a normal load in one cycle, the fault is in the heating circuit or the control — a partially open element, a drifting cycling thermostat, or a failing control board. Also call a professional if the vent run is inside a wall or ceiling cavity you cannot access; a duct cleaning service has cameras and 30-foot rods for exactly that. Gas valve work is licensed work in every state.
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