Stilly: That problem with your washer (washing machine?) reminded me of a vaguely similar intermittent fault that our Dyson vaccuum cleaner has developed. The beater, which is driven by a motor rather than a belt, sometimes refuses to start; leave the cleaner unplugged from the mains for five minutes, and all is well again. I've deduced it's protected by a PTC thermistor, which the Wikipedia page says is used sometimes as a self-healing fuse.*

I also noted that the exhaust outlet is a bit warm, especially in the summer; and that the summer is when this tends to happen more often. I really must get delivery of a sufficiently Round Tuit and change the filters.

Anyway, mention this to the tech. There may be some part of your washer that's about to finally fail, and it's trying to send you smoke signals first.

* Briefly: Too much current, and it gets hot and goes nearly open-circuit. Remove the mains to let it cool down again, and service is restored. End of blethers.