Monthly Archives: September 2009

Cash for Appliances

Emboldened by the stunning success of their Cash for Clunkers program at screwing lower income folks, the geniuses at the Feral Gubmint have a new program: Cash for Appliances. They’re plugging it in just in time for October, which got designated by someone as National Kitchen & Bath Month.

Just as the Cash for Clunkers program was a bailout for the auto industry, the Cash for Appliances program is a bailout for appliance manufacturers. Domestic appliance manufacturers, like Whirlpool (Benton Harbor, MI) and Frigidaire (Martinez, GA), have gotten slammed during this engineered economic collapse of Ameedica.

But there’s a slight difference.

Unlike the Detroit auto makers, Whirlpool and Frigidaire actually make decent stuff. Both companies have an enlightened policy of making technical information on their products readily and freely available to professional appliance servicers.

I especially like Whirlpool appliances because, with a few exceptions, their products are decent quality and servicer-friendly. In the past, Frigidaire had a horrible reputation for being nightmares to work on; but they’ve made big improvements in this regard.

Happy shopping!

Maytag MGR5755QDB Range Sabbath Mode

Most modern ranges have the ability to be programmed for Sabbath mode. This is a mode of operation based on Jewish requirements for holidays and Sabbaths. On Sabbaths, devout Jews cannot operate any machinery, including appliances, because this is considered work, which is prohibited on the Sabbath Day. To accommodate this, the range can be placed into Sabbath mode where only the bake and timed bake modes are functional.

If you see a 5Ab code on the control panel of this Maytag range, it means the range is in Sabbath mode (the “5” is used to represent an “S”) and only the bake and timed bake functions will work. Don’t ax me why these functions are kosher but broil apparently is not– I am but a gentile Samurai.

Here’s how to get into and out of Sabbath mode:

Hold CLOCK pad for 3 seconds to activate Sabbath mode.

“5Ab” will be displayed and flash for 5
seconds.

______________________________________________________

Hold CLOCK pad for 3 seconds to disable Sabbath mode.

Display will go back to time of day.

To learn more about your range/stove/oven, or to order parts, click here.

GE Triton Dishwasher Makes Weird Rumbling Sound while Washing

Your GE Triton dishwasher is making a weird sort of rumbling sound when it’s washing, sort of sounds like the spray arm is loose. In your befuddled poking around, perhaps you pulled the lower spray arm out and ran it but, lo, it still makes the noise when washing. You don’t hear the noise during the drain cycle.

Sublime Master of Appliantology Pegi offered this appliance repair wisdom in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum. Ahh, grasshoppah, can you snatch this pebble from her hand?

The sound is almost always caused by a worn docking cone “O” ring on the main conduit. When the docking cone “O” ring wears, the mid level spray arm conduit is no longer constrained and it can vibrate against the docking cone, making the “growling” or vibrating sound. The recommended repair for this problem is to replace the titanium or gray docking cone.

More Posts on GE Triton Dishwashers

To learn more about your dishwasher, or to order parts, click here.

Entering Service Diagnostic Mode in a GE Triton Dishwasher

ge-triton-dishwasher-service-mode.pngService diagnostic mode is one of those indispensable troubleshooting tools built into some appliances with electronic controls. Although electronics on wet appliances, such as dishwashers, is a flagrant violation of the 5th Law of the Prophecy, this is somewhat mitigated by having a service diagnostic mode to help troubleshoot it.

In service mode, you can do things like make the dishwasher fill with water and nothing else. Or make it pump out and nothing else. Real handy if you’re trying to track down the cause for a no fill or no pump out complaint.

Applies to the following GE dishwasher models:

EDW4000

EDW4060

GSD6200

GSD6300

GSD6600

GSD6660

GSD6700

PDW7300

PDW7700

PDW7800

PDW7880

To learn more about your dishwasher, or to order parts, click here.

LG Front Load Washer Won’t Tumble

Ahh, LG: Life’s Good. Except when your stinkin’ LG washer won’t tumble! Fills with water and pumps it out fine, but that drum just won’t budge. What’s a grasshoppah to do? First thing is to unbunch them panties and unfurl that brow as you grok on this sacred repair wisdom from the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, the Web’s behemoth of appliance repair help! Come with me now on a sublime journey of appliance enlightenment as Sublime Masters of Appliantology RegUS_PatOff and NCSU_laundry_tech dispense their pearls of wisdom to an apprentice in the forum and help him whup up on his motionless LG washer…

LG Front Load Washer No Tumble

To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.

Frigidaire and Kenmore Smoothtop Electric Ranges Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

Right on the heels of their washing machine recall (also due to fire hazard) and their unserviceable 12 c.f. refrigerators, Friggidaire is recalling their smoothtop electric ranges for, that’s right, fire hazard. Also sold under the Kenwhore brand. They’re on a roll!

FrigidaIre Smoothtop Electric Range Recall

To learn more about your range/stove/oven, or to order parts, click here.

Repair Goodies for the Dacor RSD Gas Range

Got you one o’ them fancy-pants RSD Dacor ranges that needs some Fixite Do? Well, you came to the right place, budrow! The Samurai has pulled together these precious scrolls from the Appliantology scripture archive to illumine you. May your hammer be mighty!

Appliantology Scrolls for the Dacor RSD Range:

Circuit Path Drawings

Field Service Bulletins

Bezel Replacement Instructions

Diagnostic Manual (for all models)

Parts Manual and Diagrams

Buy Genuine Dacor Replacement Parts

To learn more about your range/stove/oven, or to order parts, click here.

Service Update: Non-serviceable Frigidaire Refrigerators

Sublime Master BrntToast posted a heads-up in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum. Friggidaire (not a typo) sent out a service bulletin recently on their furrin’-built, 12 c.f. refrigerators, model numbers FRT125GW and FRT125GWK. Usually, service bulletins explain how to repair a particularly weird problem with an appliance. In this case, the problem is repeated loss of cooling in the beer compartment. The repair procedure in this bulletin was simple: don’t bother. Yep, Friggidaire doesn’t want servicers going out on these boxes, not even to look at them, if the serial number is before RA91. They’re just going to arrange an exchange.

Seems the problem is that frost builds up in the air channel that supplies the beer compartment with cold air, eventually choking it off and causing the beer to get warm. That just ain’t raht! And Friggidaire has no fix for this problem!

So, if you have one of these bad boys that’s not under warranty and it’s not a typical defrost system problem, call Friggidaire (800-374-4432) with your model and serial number to arrange for an exchange.

To learn more about your refrigerator, or to order parts, click here.