Toshiba Repair

The programme starts but water does not come in or only trickles, and after a while the washer stops and shows the code.

Possible causes

• The tap is closed or the water is cut off
• Low water pressure
• A kinked inlet hose
• The mesh on the inlet valve blocked with sand or rust
• The inlet valve itself

Solution: Check whether water is reaching the rest of the house. With the tap closed and the washer unplugged, undo the inlet hose at the back, brush the small mesh clean, refit it and open the tap. If the supply is good and the code returns, the inlet valve needs a technician to measure it.

The washer stops before the spin with water left in the drum.

Possible causes

• The drain hose end hung too high or sitting in water
• A kinked or blocked drain hose
• A front-loader pump filter full of coins or lint
• The drain pump

Solution: Lower the hose end, lift it out of any standing water and remove any kink. On a front-loader, drain the water through the emergency hose and clean the pump filter. If all of that is fine and the water still does not drain, the pump needs checking.

The top-loader refuses to start washing or spinning and shows the code.

Possible causes

• The lid is not fully closed
• Clothes or an object stopping the lid from closing
• The lid switch or lock

Solution: Clear anything caught, close the lid fully, then press Start. If the code stays with the lid closed, the lid switch needs a technician.

The washer bangs during the spin and stops, or shows the code while trying to redistribute the load.

Possible causes

• Most of the clothes on one side, or an overload
• The washer not level or on a sloping floor
• The dampers or tub suspension

Solution: Spread the clothes around the tub, reduce the load and level the feet on firm ground, as the manual advises. If the banging continues with an even load, the dampers or suspension need checking.

The display shows E7 followed by a number from 1 to 5, and the washer has stopped.

Possible causes

• A serious fault according to the manual, usually in the motor, the board or a sensor; the technician pins it down

Solution: Press the power button to stop it, unplug it and do not keep restarting it. The manual says to contact service when this code appears.

A small pool under or in front of the washer after a wash.

Possible causes

• A loose inlet or drain hose connection
• The pump filter cap fitted at an angle
• Lint built up on a front-loader door seal
• Excess foam from unsuitable detergent
• A leak inside the washer

Solution: Close the tap, tighten the connections, refit the filter cap correctly and wipe the door seal. If water still comes from under the cabinet, there is an internal leak and a technician must open the washer.

Check it monthly if your water carries sand, and clean it as soon as filling slows.

Clear coins and lint from it about once a month, and empty pockets before clothes go in.

The manual says lint building up on the seal can cause leaks; also remove any coins or buttons from its folds.

On the AW-DUK series, such as the AW-DUK1300K, this is a draining alarm: lower the hose end, lift it out of any standing water and remove kinks, then press Start; on some models that is the only way the alarm clears. If the code returns with a clear hose, the pump needs checking. On other Toshiba top-loaders E2 can mean the lid is not closed, so check your washer's manual or send us a photo of the label.

Not necessarily. The table here comes from the AW-DUK top-loader manual, and front-loaders have a different manual. Photograph the code and check your washer's manual, or send it to us with a photo of the label.

Food in the freezer is frozen solid, while the vegetables and dairy below are not cold.

Possible causes

• The defrost heater or its sensor, with ice blocking the air duct
• A stopped freezer fan
• Food blocking the vents between the freezer and the fridge
• A door that does not close properly

Solution: Move food away from the vents and make sure both doors close. Switching the fridge off for a day with the doors open melts the ice as a temporary fix, but if the problem returns within days, the defrost cycle or fan needs a technician.

A growing layer of ice inside a No Frost fridge, which should not form ice.

Possible causes

• The automatic defrost cycle has stopped working
• A seal that does not close, letting moisture in
• A door left ajar or opened very often

Solution: Close the door on a sheet of paper: if it slides out easily, the seal is not closing. If the seal is fine and the ice keeps returning, the fault is in the defrost system itself.

No compressor sound, or it starts and cuts out quickly, while the inside warms up.

Possible causes

• Weak mains voltage, or power dropping in and out
• The fridge running from an extension lead or multi-socket
• The inverter board
• The compressor

Solution: Plug it straight into an earthed socket and wait a few hours. On inverter models the board and the voltage are measured before any talk of the compressor, and if your supply fluctuates a suitable stabiliser protects the board.

Water collecting at the bottom of the fridge under the drawer, or dripping in front of it.

Possible causes

• A blocked or frozen defrost drain
• The fridge tilting forward
• The evaporation tray underneath cracked or out of place

Solution: Wipe up the water and make sure the fridge leans very slightly backwards, not forwards. If the water comes back, the drain needs a technician to clear it and check its heater.

A louder hum than usual, a fan blade hitting something, or constant clicking.

Possible causes

• The fridge not level, or touching a wall or cupboard
• A fan blade striking ice
• Pipes at the back touching each other

Solution: Level the feet and move it slightly away from the wall. If the noise comes from the freezer together with ice, that points back to the defrost fault.

The drawers are cool but the food does not freeze.

Possible causes

• The appliance switched to fridge mode
• A door not closing or a worn seal
• A defrost, fan or compressor fault

Solution: On a model such as the GR-RU312WE-DMN(06), which switches between freezer and fridge, check the mode on the control panel first. If it is on freezer mode and food still does not freeze, book an inspection.

Wipe it with water and mild soap, and check it sits flat against the cabinet on all four sides.

Do not box the fridge into a cupboard, and clear the dust behind and under it.

No. The maker's FAQ rules out extension leads and unearthed adapters; the fridge should go straight into an earthed socket.

On a model such as the GR-RU312WE-DMN(06), yes: the retailer's page says it switches between freezer and fridge modes, and the mode is changed on the control panel.

Channels and sound work, but the screen is black or very dark.

Possible causes

• The LED backlight strips
• The power board feeding the backlight
• The T-Con board or the panel, less often

Solution: Do the torch test. If a faint picture is visible, the fault is in the backlight or the board, and the repair needs a technician to open the TV on a clean table.

You press the remote and nothing happens, or the light keeps blinking.

Possible causes

• The remote or its batteries
• The power board
• The main board or software

Solution: Turn it on with the button on the set, and unplug it for a minute. If the light blinks and it still will not start, the board needs checking.

Fixed vertical or horizontal lines, or a patch that stays whatever the source.

Possible causes

• A knock or pressure on the panel
• The panel's flat cables
• The T-Con board

Solution: Photograph the screen without touching it. If the lines show on every source and in the settings menu too, an inspection decides whether it is the panel or a board. If it is the panel, the technician gives you the price and you compare it with a new TV.

The TV will not connect, or apps keep closing.

Possible causes

• The router or network
• Outdated software
• Wrong date and time settings

Solution: Test the internet on your phone in the same spot, set the time and update the software. If it persists, do a factory reset; this rarely needs a technician.

A no-signal message, or many channels gone at once.

Possible causes

• The dish, the LNB or the cable
• Channel frequencies have changed
• The satellite input on the TV

Solution: Check the cable and the dish head, and run a new channel scan. If signal is zero on every channel while the dish works on another device, the input needs checking.

Use a surge protector, and unplug it during a power cut until the supply returns and settles.

Do not set it inside a closed cabinet; heat shortens the life of the LEDs and the board.

Not necessarily. Most of the time this fault is in the LED backlight or the power board, and the panel itself is the least likely cause.

The panel is the most expensive part of a TV. The technician gives you the cost after the inspection; on smaller sizes it often comes close to the price of a new set, so the decision is yours.

Air comes out, but the room never reaches the set temperature.

Possible causes

• A clogged filter
• A dirty outdoor unit, or one boxed in without airflow
• The outdoor fan or its capacitor
• Low refrigerant from a leak

Solution: Clean the filter and clear the space around the outdoor unit. If its fan is stopped or the air is still not cold, the technician measures voltage and pressure, and if refrigerant is low the leak must be found before any recharge.

Drops on the wall or floor under the unit while it runs.

Possible causes

• A blocked or kinked drain hose, or one that does not run downhill
• A dirty filter letting the coil ice up and melt all at once
• A unit mounted out of level

Solution: Clean the filter and follow the drain hose to its end. If the tray inside is blocked, it is cleared during a unit clean.

Cools well at night, but at midday the compressor stops and restarts.

Possible causes

• Voltage dropping at peak hours
• A dirty outdoor condenser
• The compressor capacitor
• Low refrigerant overheating the compressor

Solution: Clear around the outdoor unit and watch the voltage when it happens if you have a stabiliser with a display. If it keeps cutting out, the technician measures current and pressure while it runs.

Knocking or vibration from either unit, or a damp smell at start-up.

Possible causes

• Loose bracket or unit bolts
• A broken fan blade or something caught in it
• Mould on the coil or water standing in the tray

Solution: Switch the unit off and check nothing has fallen into the outdoor unit. A smell that lasts after the filter is washed needs the coil cleaned, and tightening the bracket is a technician's job, especially when the unit hangs outside a window.

Every week or two in summer, and let it dry in the shade before refitting.

The coil inside and the condenser outside, with a check of the drain hose and connections.

The major retailers do not stock air conditioners under this name at present, and the brand's Egyptian website lists fridges, washers and small appliances but no air conditioners. Units already in homes are repaired like any split, with parts matched to the model on the label.

No. The refrigerant is in a sealed circuit and is not used up by running. If it is low, there is a leak to fix first, and the recharge then uses the type printed on the outdoor unit label.

Everything looks normal and the timer counts down, but nothing heats.

Possible causes

• The magnetron
• The inverter board or high-voltage circuit
• One of the door switches

Solution: There is nothing here to try at home. Unplug it and call a technician; all of these parts are in the high-voltage circuit.

Blue flashes or popping as soon as it starts.

Possible causes

• A dish with metal trim, or foil
• Food residue around the waveguide opening on the side wall
• A burnt or holed waveguide cover

Solution: Stop it at once and remove the dish. Clean the side wall with the small cover; the manual says residue there can cause sparks or smoke. If the cover itself is burnt, it is replaced before the oven is used again.

The plate stays still, or turns noisily and jerkily.

Possible causes

• The plate or ring out of place
• Dirty ring wheels
• The turntable motor

Solution: Take out the plate and ring, wash and dry them and refit them properly. If it still does not turn, the turntable motor is replaced, which is a small repair.

You press and there is no beep and no change on the display.

Possible causes

• The child lock is on
• The touch panel or control board

Solution: Try the long press that cancels the child lock, then unplug it for a minute and plug it back in. If it still does not respond, the panel or board needs checking.

No light at all, or the power trips as soon as you close the door or start it.

Possible causes

• The socket or the plug
• An internal fuse blown by a door switch
• A short in the high-voltage circuit

Solution: Try another appliance in the same socket. If the socket works, do not replace the fuse yourself and switch on; a fuse blows for a reason the technician has to find.

Wipe splashes after use, especially around the waveguide cover; residue that burns onto it is what causes sparking over time.

Food stuck on the door edge stops it closing properly, and the oven may then refuse to start.

Do not replace anything yourself. The cause is usually the magnetron, the inverter board or a door switch, all in a high-voltage circuit. The technician discharges it and measures before naming the part.

Instead of the magnetron switching on and off to give lower power, an electronic board adjusts the power continuously. When heating stops on these models, the board is checked along with the magnetron.

The vacuum runs with its usual sound but no longer picks up dust as before.

Possible causes

• A full dust cup or bag
• A clogged HEPA or motor filter
• Something stuck in the hose or tube
• A cracked hose

Solution: Empty the cup and clean the filters, then test suction at the hose without the tube and head to find where the blockage is. If it is weak even without the hose and with clean filters, the motor needs checking.

It runs normally, switches off after some minutes, and works again after a rest.

Possible causes

• The motor protection tripped from overheating
• A clogged filter or hose making the motor run hot
• The power cord or plug

Solution: The manual says to unplug it, clear any blockage at the intake and exhaust and clean the filter, then let it cool for more than an hour before switching on. If it stops again with clean filters, the motor or cord needs checking.

A strong hot smell, or sparks visible through the vents.

Possible causes

• Worn motor carbon brushes
• A blockage that left the motor running hot for a long time
• A fault in the cord or internal connections

Solution: Switch it off at once and do not carry on. Brushes, the motor and wiring are repaired by a technician.

Fine dust coming out with the air from the exhaust.

Possible causes

• The filter not seated properly
• A torn filter
• A torn or badly fitted bag on bagged models

Solution: Open the filter cover and seat the filter correctly, and replace the filter or bag if it is torn.

You press the rewind button and the cord does not move, or it winds only halfway.

Possible causes

• The cord twisted inside
• The cord reel spring
• The reel brake

Solution: Pull the cord out gently all the way, then press rewind while guiding it with your other hand so it does not twist, as the manual advises. If it still will not wind in, the reel needs a technician.

A full cup or bag weakens suction and makes the motor run hotter.

In lukewarm water, and let it dry completely before refitting; a damp filter goes mouldy and clogs.

Usually not. The VC-BL200 manual says the motor has a protection that cuts it out when it overheats, usually because of a blockage or a clogged filter, and the vacuum works again once it has cooled.