The GradedAppliance Hub

Washing machine isn't heating the water

Cycles complete but clothes come out washed in cold water — greasy marks stay, and the door glass is cold throughout. Usually a failed heating element or temperature sensor, and both sit behind the drum next to mains wiring.

Verdict

Needs an engineer

Mains electrical, gas or sealed-system work

Urgency
Fix soon

About 3 hr to work through

Typical cost

£95–£230

Before you start

  • Electrical safety: The heating circuit carries high current at mains voltage, and a welded relay can leave the element live when it should not be. Do not test or replace it yourself unless you are qualified to work on mains appliances.

What causes it, most likely first

  1. Failed heating element

    Most likely

    The element under the drum goes open circuit, usually after limescale has insulated it and driven it to overheat. Very common in hard-water areas and on machines run mostly on low-temperature cycles.

    Heating element£15–£40 for the partEngineer

  2. Failed NTC temperature sensor

    Common

    The sensor stops reporting a rising temperature, so the board stops heating as a precaution even though the element is fine.

    NTC temperature sensor£8–£22 for the partEngineer

  3. Corroded element terminals

    Common

    Damp behind the drum corrodes the spade connections until the added resistance reads as a broken circuit.

    Wiring loom / connector£10–£45 for the partEngineer

  4. Heater relay failure on the control board

    Occasional

    The relay switching power to the element fails open or welds shut. Needs live testing to tell apart from a dead element.

    Main control board (PCB)£70–£220 for the partEngineer

  5. Eco programme working as designed

    Occasional

    Eco cycles deliberately run cooler than their label for much of the wash to save energy. Worth ruling out before spending money — try a 60°C cotton cycle and compare.

    How to check: Run a 60°C cotton wash and feel the door glass after twenty minutes.

What to check, in order

  1. Confirm it genuinely is not heating

    Run a 60°C cotton cycle and carefully feel the door glass twenty minutes in. Warm glass means it is heating and the fault may be the sensor or simply an eco programme behaving normally.

    30 min

  2. Power-cycle

    Switch off at the wall for five minutes and restore power to rule out a latched fault.

    10 min

  3. Check for limescale and descale

    Run an empty 90°C maintenance wash with a proprietary descaler. It will not revive a failed element, but in a hard-water area it stops the replacement failing the same way.

    120 min

  4. Book an engineer

    Ask them to test the element, the NTC sensor and the heater relay. Get the total quote including parts and labour, and on a machine over seven years old weigh it against a graded replacement first.

    10 min

Need an engineer for this?

We list 83 washing machine repair businesses across the UK. Diagnostic callouts typically start around £55, and many will put that towards the repair if you go ahead.

Find washing machine engineers near you

Parts you might need

Typical UK prices for the part alone, before fitting. Worth knowing before you accept a quote — the part is often a small share of what a repair is priced at.

  • NTC temperature sensor

    A small thermistor that tells the control board how hot the water is. When it fails the board usually assumes the worst and stops heating.

    £8–£22

  • Wiring loom / connector

    Chafed wires and corroded connectors mimic dead components. An engineer will always check continuity before condemning a part.

    £10–£45

  • Heating element

    The element sitting under the drum that heats the wash water to the selected temperature.

    £15–£40

  • Main control board (PCB)

    The appliance brain. Genuine boards are expensive and often need configuring to the model, so this is rarely a DIY part.

    £70–£220

Worth repairing, or replace it?

At the top of this range the repair costs a significant share of a graded replacement, which typically starts around £200. Worth getting the quote first, then deciding — on a machine under about five years old a repair usually still wins.

Work out if it's worth fixingCompare graded washing machines

Is there an error code on the display?

If your washing machine is showing a code, that will narrow the diagnosis a lot further than symptoms alone.

Look up your error code

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