Appliance installation and maintenance
A surprising share of the repair calls we take in Ottawa and Gatineau trace back to the day the appliance went in: a dryer duct crushed behind the machine, a dishwasher drain hose without a high loop, a plastic fridge line that split behind the cabinet, a range that was never anchored to its anti-tip bracket. Installation is not a separate trade from repair. It is the same knowledge applied before anything breaks.
This section covers the installations RepairWell may offer, what each one includes, what your home needs before we arrive, and where the line sits between appliance work and licensed-trade work. It also has two maintenance pages: what preventive maintenance is worth paying for, and what you can do yourself.
Installations we may offer
- Dishwasher installation: like-for-like replacement where a supply valve, drain connection and power already exist.
- Washer and dryer installation: connecting to existing hot and cold taps, standpipe, 120 V and 240 V receptacles and a proper metal dryer duct; stacking kits.
- Refrigerator water-line connection: connecting an ice maker or dispenser fridge to an existing shut-off valve with the right tubing.
- Range, cooktop and wall-oven installation: electric models on an existing 240 V circuit, anti-tip brackets, levelling and cut-out checks. Gas connections are certified-technician work; see the page for the rule.
What needs a licensed trade, in one place
The rule we work to is simple: we connect appliances to connections that already exist and are correct. Creating or altering the connection is a licensed trade.
- Electrical (Ontario). Electrical contracting work must be done by a business holding an ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence. A homeowner may file a notification of work with the Electrical Safety Authority for their own property only. A new circuit, a new 240 V receptacle, a hard-wired junction box or a panel change is electrician work.
- Electrical (Quebec). Electrical installation work falls under RBQ licence subclass 16.0, electrical contractor, and the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec states that this licence is mandatory to execute electrical work in the province. Book a CMEQ member for any new wiring in Gatineau.
- Gas (Ontario). TSSA states that fuel-fired appliances must be worked on by TSSA-registered contractors, who are required to employ TSSA-certified gas technicians. Connecting a gas range or gas dryer to the gas supply is that work. [OWNER TO CONFIRM whether RepairWell holds a TSSA contractor registration and employs certified gas technicians; if not, gas connections are referred out.]
- Gas (Quebec). The RBQ directs homeowners to licensed gas appliance contractors and states that burner adjustments must be performed by someone with a gas appliance techniques qualification certificate. In Quebec, gas connections are made by the certified contractor holding the applicable RBQ licence.
- Plumbing. Adding a shut-off valve, a standpipe or a drain tailpiece is plumbing. We connect to what is there.
Maintenance
- Preventive maintenance: what is worth doing, what is not, and what RepairWell may offer as a scheduled service.
- Appliance care guides: filters, gaskets, lint, coils and water hardness, appliance by appliance, with the Ottawa water numbers.
How an installation booking works
Send the model number of the new appliance and a photo of the existing connections. We confirm fit and compatibility before booking, so nobody discovers on the day that the duct is the wrong size or the receptacle is the wrong type. Installations are quoted before we start; the $89 diagnostic rule applies to repair visits, and installation is $189 per appliance where the existing connections are in place and correct. Anything extra — a new supply line, a stacking kit, a dryer cord, replacing a foil duct with metal — is quoted before we start.
Questions
Do you install appliances you didn't sell?
Yes, subject to the owner confirming which installations are offered. Send the model number and a photo of the connections and we confirm fit first.
Can you run a new circuit or gas line while you're there?
No. New electrical circuits are licensed electrical contractor work in Ontario and Quebec, and gas piping is certified gas technician work. We tell you what the trade needs to leave in place, and we come back to connect the appliance.
Is installation covered by the $89 diagnostic rule?
The $89 rule applies to repair diagnostics. Installation is $189 per appliance where the existing connections are in place and correct. Anything extra — a new supply line, a stacking kit, a dryer cord, replacing a foil duct with metal — is quoted before we start.
What if my existing connection is wrong or unsafe?
We stop and tell you in writing what we found and which trade needs to correct it. We do not connect an appliance to a connection we would not put in our own home.
Do you take away the old appliance?
We don't take away old appliances. The City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau both offer bulky-item collection for them.
Related
Sources
- Electrical Safety Authority: Electrical contractor licence (who may do electrical work; homeowner notification)
- TSSA: Be Fuels Wise, hire registered and certified professionals (fuel-fired appliances must be worked on by TSSA-registered contractors employing certified gas technicians)
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec: licence subclass 16.0, electrical contractor (qualified by the CMEQ)
- Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec: mission (subclass 16 licence mandatory to execute electrical work in Quebec)
- Régie du bâtiment du Québec: Gas appliances, safety advice at home (licensed gas appliance contractors; qualification certificate for burner adjustments)
Reviewed 2026-09-24.
Ask us first
Send the model number and a photo of the space; we'll confirm what's needed before you book.
Online booking is a request. We confirm the appointment by text or phone within 1 business hour.