Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Late August is the right time to check the three machines that carried the winter: the washer, the dryer and the dishwasher. All of them have just done their heaviest run of the year, and most of what is about to fail is already giving warning — a rumble, a longer cycle, a knock on spin, a filter that has perished. The whole check takes about half an hour with everything unplugged, and almost everything it finds is a single stocked part.
Last updated August 2026
The half-hour checklist
Oz Appliance Spares lists 2,778 appliance spare parts online for Australian households, as at August 2026 — the point of a seasonal check is to find which one you need before the machine decides for you.
| Machine | Check | What it points to |
|---|---|---|
 Dryer | Hold the lint filter to the light; has it thinned or torn? | Lint filter — the part that drives every other dryer fault |
 Dryer | Turn the drum by hand: free and loose, or stiff and gritty? | Loose means the belt; stiff means the bearing |
 Dryer | Motor hums on start but the drum does not move | Run capacitor |
 Dryer | If wall-mounted: any movement, rust or elongated fixing holes | Bracket kit, and re-fix into structure |
 Washer | Push down on the drum and release: does it settle in one or two movements? | Bouncing on means suspension |
 Washer | Spin the empty drum: rumble or roar rising with speed? | Bearings and lip seal |
 Dishwasher | Open mid-wash: is the water genuinely hot? | Lukewarm means the heating element |
 Oven | Run each mode briefly: which ones heat? | One dead mode means that element |
Work through it with each machine unplugged. Nothing in the list needs tools beyond a torch, and none of it involves opening a machine up — this is a triage pass, not a repair.
Why the end of winter is the moment
Appliance parts do not wear by the calendar, they wear by load. Winter is when the washing is heaviest — towels, doonas, blankets, thick clothing — and when the dryer runs because the line is not an option. Everything mechanical in those machines has just had its hardest quarter.
That matters in two directions. Wear that was invisible in March is audible now, so the diagnosis is easier. And the parts that are marginal will fail in the next few months, usually mid-load, usually at the least convenient moment. Checking now converts an emergency into a planned order.
The other reason is sequencing. Several of these faults cause each other. A blocked dryer filter makes the machine run hot, which ages the belt and the element. Worn washer suspension loads the drum bearing unevenly, which is a far bigger job. Catching the small part stops the big one.
The dryer half in more detail
Dryers give the clearest warnings of the three, and they are the machines most likely to have been abused over an Australian winter.
Start with airflow, because it drives everything else. A perished lint filter and a crushed or lint-packed duct both make the dryer run longer and hotter for the same load, which is the mechanism behind long cycles, burning smells and early element failure. If your cycles have quietly stretched, that is the diagnosis in dryer taking too long to dry.
Then the drum. Free and loose by hand means a snapped belt; stiff or gritty means a bearing, and a bearing left alone will eat the next belt too. A motor that hums without turning is the run capacitor rather than the end of the machine. The full seasonal version of this, with the symptom table, is the winter dryer service check.
The washer half
Two faults account for most of it, and they are easy to confuse.
Knocking, walking or banging on the spin is suspension — the rods on a top loader, the dampers on a front loader. It shows up first on heavy loads, which is why winter bedding exposes it. Always replace the full set rather than one part; the walkthrough is in front loader suspension rod kit replacement.
A rumble or roar that rises with drum speed is the bearings, and that is a much larger job. It is present whether the load is balanced or not, which is the cleanest way to tell the two apart. Before ordering anything for it, rock the drum: noticeable play raises the odds of spider damage, and that is the point where the repair stops making sense.
Also worth doing while you are there: leave the door and detergent drawer ajar between washes, and wipe the fold of the door seal dry. Both are free, and both stop the mould that a closed winter laundry encourages.
The dishwasher half
Dishwashers get the least attention and have the simplest winter check. Open the door partway through a wash — carefully, there will be steam — and feel whether the water is genuinely hot. Lukewarm points at the element or its thermostat. Hot water with wet dishes at the end is a drying issue rather than a heating one, and the difference is set out in dishwasher not drying dishes.
For the wider household picture on what each appliance class draws, energy.gov.au publishes the guidance. Clean the filter in the base while you are there, and check the spray arms turn freely and that their holes are clear. Colder mains water in winter already lengthens cycles; a partly blocked spray arm on top of that is what turns a normal program into a two-hour one.
Frequently asked questions
Nothing is broken. Is this worth doing?
That is exactly when it is worth doing. Every fault in the list gives warning before it strands a load, and the parts are less costly and easier to fit when you are not mid-emergency.
How often should the dryer lint filter be replaced?
When it stiffens, shrinks at the edges or tears, not on a schedule. Hold it to the light — if it has thinned or opened anywhere, fluff is already getting past it.
My washer only bangs with towels. Still a fault?
Early-stage suspension wear, yes. A healthy machine handles an awkward load without walking. Reacting only to heavy loads is how the wear announces itself.
Should I order parts now or wait until something fails?
Order what the check actually finds. There is no value in stocking parts for faults you do not have, and every one of these is normally in stock when you need it.
Can I do all of this myself?
The checks, yes — they are all visual or by hand with the machine unplugged. The repairs vary: dryer filters and belts are approachable, washer bearings are a long job, and anything hard-wired like an oven element has a real electrical limit and may want licensed tradies.
What is the single highest-value thing on this list?
The dryer lint filter, because it is the lowest-cost part and it is the one whose neglect quietly damages the belt, the bearing and the element.
Get the right part first time
Work through the table, then send us the model codes for whatever the check flagged — or run them through the part finder. Tell us the symptom in your own words and we will tell you which part to look at, including when the honest answer is that nothing needs replacing yet. Same-day dispatch from Sydney’s Northern Beaches on orders placed before 12pm.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
