Appliance Repair Wisdom for the Ages

Friday, June 27, 2003

You bet I do! The place to start for information on this is right here. If you need the tubing kit, which comes complete with the saddle tap valve for connecting to your water supply, you can buy one here.

Easy job, take you about 30 minutes and then it's Margaritaville!

Thursday, June 26, 2003

Just in time for summer, I've added two new appliance repair links to the main menus here at Fixitnow.com, the Appliantology group, and at Moostafa's Mecca of Appliance Repair. The links are for air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Both these links have very helpful interactive diagrams as well as a full selection of parts for all major brands. Check 'em out!

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

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I was online earlier this morning doing live help and then had to go do some real work. When I returned, I realized that I had left the status to "online" even though I wasn't here. So if you clicked for live help, you'd wait and wait and no one would ever come online. Hey, I've committed far worse infractions and you'll be just fine, so chill out.

But I really will be online for live help this evening. Later, dude.

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

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Sunday, June 22, 2003

Uploaded a bunch of new repair photos in the washer repair photo gallery at the Appliantology group. Check 'em out.

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The repair forum at the Appliantology group is back up and open for bidness. Many thanks to my good friend, Moostafa, for nourishing my precious grasshoppers with his own special brand of appliance wisdom in his repair forum.

Also uploaded new pics in the refrigerator and dryer repair photo galleries. Check 'em out.

Saturday, June 21, 2003

In the Shotgun School of Appliance Repair, students are taught to change parts because they might be bad, not because they are proven to be bad.

Now compare this to the enlightened teachings of the Samurai School of Appliantology where students are taught the cardinal rule of appliance repair: never change a part unless you can prove that the part is bad.

Let's take a look at Judy's refrigerator repair challenge. I'll bet you a six pack of Bud Light that she didn't use her ohm meter and do a continuity test on the defrost heater (what she's calling the "heater coils"). Same bet with the cold control (what Judy is calling the "thermostat") and the defrost timer. All these parts were probably never bad to begin with!

So what's the problem with Judy's fridge? The clue lies in her statement that both the freezer and fresh food compartments "are only cold at the bottom." This tells me the air is not getting blown around. First thing I'd look for in this fridge is a bad evaporator fan motor (that's the one in the freezer). Could even be a bad door switch preventing the fan motor from running. Judy should check this and verify the bad component with her meter before buying new parts here.

The repair forum at the Appliantology group is currently down for maintenance. In the meantime, my dear friend, Moostafa, has graciously agreed to assist all my grasshoppers seeking appliance repair help in his very fine appliance repair forum. Allahu Akbar!

Lots of good information on toaster repair for both of you guys in this thread from Moostafa's Mecca of Appliance Repair. Check it out, yo.

Friday, June 20, 2003

Good question, thanks for asking! To gain access to the lid switch on this washer, you'll need to remove the washer cabinet shroud.

With the washer cabinet removed, you have easy access to the lid switch. You may find that the actuator lever is broken. If the actuating lever looks ok, then you should use your ohm meter to check the continuity of the lid switch. Many times, if the switch is bad, it will no longer make a clicking sound when you actuate it. Your lid switch can be replaced using one of the kits below, most likely the older style. But you can easily confirm this by feasting your Vulcan squinties on your washer's lid switch.

Older-style Lid Switch

Newer-style Lid Switch

There are a couple of things to look out for in replacing the cabinet, shown here. Other than that, piece of pie. Tear 'em up, Hoss!

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

The ancient and mystical technique for discharging a large-size or high voltage capacitor, such as a microwave oven capacitor or the motor start capacitor in a central air conditioning condensing unit, is illustrated here.

To test the capacitor, first make sure it's discharged, as described above. If it ain't, then you're gonna ruin a perfectly good meter and you may shock your buns off, too. Using your meter, a good capacitor will test like this and a bad capacitor will test like this.

Now, grasshopper, go ye forth and conquer!

Thought y'all might be interested in this update that Rebecca sent me on the outcome of her washer repair ripoff dilemma:

In my not-so-humble opinion, Sears hasn't redeemed anything! You should never have had to go through such an ordeal to get the service you hired them to do.

The Sears tech should never have charged you for the bogus repair in the first place. If he screwed up, or needed to order a different part, or was simply confused, he should have told you that up front and assured you that he was going to make it right.

I'm glad you stuck to your guns!

Samurai and Rebecca: 1, Sears: 0. BOOYAH!

The first line of defense for any mold and mildew prevention program is to make sure you have a dehumidifier installed and running in your basement. This will reduce the humidity in the basement and make the environment less hospitable to unwanted little nasties that can wreak havoc on carpet, wood, etc.

Next, I recommend using an air purifier which features both phyotohydroionization and electron generation, which work together to quietly and safely clean up to 3,000 square feet of air. The only product I know of that offers both of these features is the AirSource 3000. In scientific studies, the AirSource 3000 reduced mold and yeast counts by an average of 94% over a six-day period and bacteria counts were reduced by an average of 95%. We use two in our house: one for the upstair living area and in the basement (along with a dehumidifier). Since using the AirSource 3000, we have never had a mold, mildew or odor problem and allergic symptoms from pollen and pet dander disappeared. It's a good investment for the health of any home. Learn more about the AirSource 3000 and buy yours today here.

Monday, June 16, 2003

Your fridge has a dual solenoid valve--one side serves the icemaker and the other side serves the water dispenser. The dispenser solenoid may have burned out but the icemaker side is still good. More troubleshooting information here.

Sounds to me like you may have a warranty issue with whoever serviced your washer. Any repair company worth their salt will warranty their work. If they didn't fix the problem you hired them to fix, then they failed to provide the service you paid for, plain n' simple. You don't care that the whatchamahoosit was bad and they fixed that but they failed to also fix the thingamabob that was contributing to the same problem. As far as you're concerned, you paid for your washer to be fixed, and it wasn't.

Now, on the other hand, if they fixed the problem and it worked fine for a while and then something else went wrong and it crapped out again, that's a different deal. That kind of thing happens and there's no predicting it.

If you want to try fixing it yourself, use the repair forum at the Appliantology group. And be sure to include your model number.

Sidney is obviously the tragic product of yet another trailer-park momma drinking way too much malt liquor while pregnant.

Did you know that in the United States alone, literally billions of babies are born each second with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? There is just no excuse for this type of child abuse to continue in the wealthiest nation on earth!

Even if I were able to somehow divine the information Sidney needed, it is very doubtful he would know how to apply that information. Let's look at the signs of Fetal Alcohol syndrome so painfully evident in poor Sidney's email:

• he omits any reference to the type or brand of appliance he's working on,
• he writes in ALL CAPS,
• he is unable to use any kind of punctuation when writing his thoughts.

Folks, you know the Samurai loves beer as much as anyone, but listen to me now, believe me later and hear me next week: don't drink and gestate!

Saturday, June 14, 2003

Well, if you live in the New London, New Hampshire area, you could call me for a service call. But if you've gotten this far on your own (with a little help from my website), you probably wouldn't want to pay for a service call.

You're almost there, sounds like you're doing something just a little bit wrong. Look at the base of the washer on the sides. You will see two extrusions or metal tabs that mate with slots in the bottom of the cabinet. The cabinet has a lip on the bottom front that goes under the bottom frame of the washer, shown here. Place the lip under the base, let the cabinet down to mate to the extrusions on the base. Line the back up to the cabinet and replace the brass colored clips that hold the back of the washer to the cabinet. Plug the lid switch back in. Put console back in place and install the screws holding console.

Now, go break open one o' them brewskis. Grab me one, while you're at it.

Wednesday, June 11, 2003

Many grasshoppers often ask me, "Oh, most wise and beloved Samurai, which appliances use the most power and what can be done to make them more efficient?" To which I sagely reply, "Look, I'm Samurai Appliance Repair Man, not a friggin' power meter. How 'bout you measure the power usage of your appliances yourself?" Yes, grasshopper, until recently, power consumption test instruments were very expensive. However, a new product called the Kill-a-Watt meter, which only costs $39.95, can help you determine which appliance is hogging the most energy in your home.

Is your refrigerator running too much, or is your window air conditioner causing your electric bill to skyrocket? With the Kill-a-Watt meter, you can determine energy usage of any standard household appliance that plugs into a 110 volt outlet.

Refrigerators use a lot of power -- between 300 and 500 watts while running. If the condenser coil is dirty, or the door gaskets are torn, they’ll use even more. Check the efficiency of your refrigerator and other appliances regularly, and clean or maintain them as needed to make sure they’re running as efficiently as possible.

You can also use the Kill-a-Watt meter to check computers, table lamps and most other devices that plug into standard wall receptacles. You’ll learn many devices, such as TVs and stereos, actually use energy when they’re turned off.

The Kill-a-Watt meter is now available for only $39.95. This is a small price to pay to potentially save hundreds of dollars in electricity over time. Come git you one!

Hello, my precious grasshoppers. First, let me say how honored I am that you have chosen to spend a few minutes of your empty life with me here in this shrine to my own empty life. Come, let us combine our emptiness and together we shall create a huge sucking sound.

If you prefer to avoid reading any more of the drivel that you have just read, perhaps you could be better served with repair photographs. Your all-benevolent Samurai has warehoused hundreds of appliance repair photographs to assist you in your journey to appliance satori. Yes, it is true. Would you like to see them? Alright, they are listed below. Hare Krishna!

• Finding Your Model Number
• Making Basic Electrical Tests
• Refrigerators and Freezers
• Icemakers
• Washers
• Dryers
• Dishwashers
• Ranges, Ovens, Stoves
• Microwave Ovens

Sunday, June 08, 2003

Did you know anyone can look up your driver's license on the web? This site should be illegal!

Tuesday, June 03, 2003

I'll be online this evening and available for Live Help. If you see a face in the Live Person box in the gray column on the right hand side, that means I'm online and you can click it for Live Help. If you've already purchased a Live Help Session or a Live Help Subscription, just identify yourself as such and we'll get to work fixing your appliance. If you haven't purchased Live Help yet, you can do so here. Talk to you later!

Sunday, June 01, 2003

Hello, my friends. I just returned from an overnight camping trip with my two boyz aboard the USS Massachusetts ("Big Mamie") at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA. This was a field trip with Cub Scout Pack 71 in New London, NH.

For young boys (and old boys like me!) this trip was endlessly fascinating. Battleship Cove hosts several other naval warships besides its famous battleship: the USS Lionfish, an attack submarine, the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, a destroyer, the Hidensee, a Russian-built rocket launching ship built for coastal defense, and a couple of PT boats. And you just can't beat the price: $35 per person and this includes three square Navy-style meals (served onboard Big Mamie), berthing in the crew's quarters and various educational and entertainment events. I loved one of the movies they showed onboard the ship that night, "Chips, the War Dog." mostly 'cause Chips looked almost exactly like our own German Shepherd, Ouzo.

If you ever get a chance to stay overnight on Big Mamie with your kids, I highly recommend it!