Washing machine lights flashing: what our engineers find
These figures come from NAC's own repair records: 109 washing machine jobs our engineers attended for this fault in the last 12 months. Here is what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.
When a washing machine shows flashing lights or a water warning and refuses to run, the cause our engineers find most often is water sitting in the base of the machine. A safety switch there senses the water and stops the machine to protect your home from a flood. Quite often the water got there after the drain filter was cleaned, either because water spilled out as the filter was removed or because the filter cap was not screwed back in tightly enough. If you clean the filter yourself, make sure the cap goes back firmly.
Engineers sometimes find a genuine leak inside the machine instead, such as a split or worn hose, a hose that has worked loose, or worn seals in the part that carries water to the detergent drawer.
To put it right, an engineer clears the water from the base, then runs the machine through filling, rinsing, draining and spinning while watching closely for any leak. If nothing leaks, the machine is usually ready to use straight away. If a worn part is to blame, it often has to be ordered and fitted at a second visit.
Written by our engineers from these jobs.
- Jobs attended
- 109
- in the last 12 months
- Confirmed repairs
- 49
- This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Fixed at the first appointment
- 65%
- about 2 in 3 of our repairs
- Typical total paid by customers
- £102 to £161
- including parts and VAT, from 48 repairs
What's usually behind it
The causes our engineers found and fixed, as a share of our 49 confirmed repairs for this fault.
-
Water in the base: about 3 in 5 of our repairs, from 27 jobs.
55%
We only list causes with enough repairs behind them, so the shares won't add up to 100%.
Error codes we see with this fault
- Bosch E35-10: Anti-flood fault, water detected in the base.
- Hotpoint F05: Drain fault, the machine cannot empty.
About the price. £102 to £161 is the typical total paid by customers, including parts and VAT: the middle half of what customers paid on 48 of these repairs. Repairs paid for by manufacturers and insurers aren't counted, because that work is charged at contract rates. It's a guide, not a quote. Your engineer confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the washing machine off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
- UK-wide engineer coverage