Monthly Archives: July 2012

Appliantology Newsletter: Get the Apprentice Advantage!

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Appliantology Newsletter
Get the Apprentice Advantage!
 July 30, 2012
Presents another award-winning issue of…
It’s All You Can Eat… FREE!
In our continuing efforts to enhance your experience in getting the expert appliantological wisdom you need to repair your appliances, we have made some improvements to the Appliantology Academy.
With over 200,000 posts in the Appliantology repair forums, a quick search using the box in the upper right-hand corner of this page or using the Super Site Search box may reveal all the help you need for your specific appliance problem. Any guest or registered Grasshopper can access all of the posts in the Kitchen and Laundry forums absolutely free of charge.
That’s a great deal. But you need to know that there is a LOT more help available to you at the Academy if you need or want it.
To Unleash the Full Power of the Academy, Become an Apprentice
Here are the awesome advantages you receive as an Apprentice Appliantologist:
– POSTING PRIVILEGES: You can start, edit, or reply to posts. Start a topic with your particular appliance repair question, and receive personal, interactive help from the team of talented Master Appliantologists. They will step you through your repair from start to finish with troubleshooting instructions, diagrams, photos, videos, insider tips, or whatever it takes to help you get the job done. BAM!
– LIVE CHAT WITH THE MASTERS: Got a quick question or need help fast? Head on over to the Appliantology Chat Room and ask one of the Appliantology Masters… LIVE! If one of the Masters is in there, go ahead and ask. We’re here to help!
– SERVICE MANUALS: Having access to the service manual for your appliance is another powerful information tool that may be a crucial help in completing your repair. You can get manuals either in the Downloads section of this site or, if you’re not finding the manual you need there, just ask us in the Appliance Service Manual Request Forum and we’ll git it to you taco-pronto!
– ALL-FORUM ACCESS: Move beyond your kitchen and laundry appliances and participate in the many other forums at the Academy, such as Small Appliances, HVAC, Water Heaters, and more!
– PRIVATE MESSAGING: Communication with the Masters becomes much easier with the addition of private messaging to your toolkit!
All of this Appliantological power at your fingertips, for as little as $10.
Go Ahead and Take the Next Step!
STEP 1: REGISTER AS A GRASSHOPPER (free) ==> CLICK HERE (If you’ve already registered, make sure you’re logged in– look for your username in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.)
STEP 2: SELECT YOUR APPRENTICESHIP PACKAGE ==>CLICK HERE
STEP 3: STRAP YOURSELF IN AND PREPARE FOR TOTAL APPLIANCE ENLIGHTENMENT™!
FAQs About the Appliantology Academy Apprenticeship Program
Q: Why should I pay to get help at your site instead of just going to another site that’s free?
A: Generally in life, you get what you pay for and that goes for the quality of help you get. And remember, the help you get at the Appliantology Academy isn’t limited to the just forum replies– you get service manuals and live chat access, too. At the Appliantology Academy, you’ll get priority attention from an elite corps of hand-picked, internationally-renowned Master Appliantologists together with the service manuals and technical bulletins you need to get it fixed right and fixed right away!
Q: Why are the subscription fees so low?
A: Thanks for asking! We’re not trying to make a profit off the subscriptions, we’re just trying to cover our costs which include web hosting, bandwidth, and software licensing fees and also the time it takes to actually run and maintain the site– time I could be spending earning money running my local service call business.
Q: Most websites today have Google ads on them, but I didn’t see any at the Appliantology Academy. Why not?
A: Thanks for noticing! I don’t run Google Ads at the Appliantology Academy because I value a neat, clear and uncluttered user experience over the few extra shekels that I could make by junking up the site with them. I think Google ads make a site look junky and cheesy. I don’t run them at my blog, Fixitnow.com, either for the same reason.
Q: You’re just charging money because you’re greedy.
A: Well, that’s not a question, it’s actually a Marxist accusation, the implication being that money somehow defiles an otherwise “pure and pristine” association. The sad reality is that it takes money to do anything worthwhile. Perhaps the cruelest irony of all, even building a Marxist temple or running Obama’s re-election campaign require money. Where’s the justice in that? No justice, no peas!
The time and resources I spend running the Appliantology Academy could be spent doing paying service calls in my local area and earning money for things like food, medical bills, mortgage payment, power bills, etc., not to mention the confiscatory taxes we’re all forced to pay at the local, state, and federal levels. So, if it makes you feel better, think of your subscription fees as helping to pay for Obama Care (if you’re a Democrat) or to help pay for more foreign wars and corporate welfare (if you’re a Republican).
But, because we feel your pain, we do offer a special tool to help you build up your shekels and buy an Apprenticeship subscription.
See you in the Academy!

Domo for reading and Sayanara!
Samurai Appliance Repair Man, www.Appliantology.org

Maytag Bravo / Whirlpool Cabrio / Kenmore Oasis washer leaks, puddle appears after use

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In this excursion into appliance repair excellence, the Samurai shows you how to locate the source of a leak in a Maytag Bravo washing machine and how to fix it. In case you didn’t figure it out from the title of this post, the Maytag Bravo, Whirlpool Cabrio, and Kenmore Oasis washers are all the same machine, so this sublime repair kata applies to all three.

In these machines, the first thing to check for leaks is the pump. The other leak source is the tub seal. But leaking pumps are fairly common and also much easier to repair. Observe the technique of the Master:

Here’s the drain pump I used to fix this washer, in stock and ready to ship ==> http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Drain-Pump/W10217134/1472275?RCAID=24038

And this video has more detailed replacement procedures:

You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box right here at Fixitnow.com. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!

Subscribe to our FREE, award-winning newsletter, Appliantology: The Oracle of Appliance Enlightenment ==> http://newsletter.fixitnow.com and download your free report on appliance brand recommendations! Every issue is jam-packed with appliance repair tips and inside information direct from the Samurai’s fingertips to your engorged and tingling eyeballs.

The Appliance Guru provides prompt, convenient service in the following towns in New Hampshire: New London, Elkins, Wilmot, Springfield, Georges Mills, Sunapee, Mt. Sunapee, Newbury, Sutton, Bradford, Warner, Grantham, and the Eastman Community. Visit our website for more info and a discount coupon on your next service call: ==> http://applianceguru.com

Secret Samurai Trick for Correctly Diagnosing Refrigerator Compressor Start Problems

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Sometimes, when you’re working on a compressor no-start problem, it’s a simple matter of replacing the compressor start relay. But is the bad relay the primary cause of the problem or a secondary effect from something else? Sometimes, it’s not obvious and it takes real Samurai Kidneys™ to discern what’s really going on. Watch and learn, Grasshoppah…

Here’s the relay and overload kit I used to fix the compressor ==> http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Relay-and-Overload-Kit/4387913/586521?RCAID=24038

And here’s the replacement condenser fan motor I installed ==> http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Condenser-Fan-Motor/833697/2790?RCAID=24038

One of the common failures with a compressor is that the varnish insulation on the motor windings starts to break down and current starts leaking to ground. If the current leakage is large enough, you can deduce that this is happening by measuring compressor current draw. Or you can directly check out the compressor motor windings using an instrument called a megger to directly test the integrity of the winding insulation. This video shows using a megger to check the compressor motor:

Here’s the updated Supco megger I use to check compressors ==> Supco M-500 Megohmmeter

You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box right here at Fixitnow.com. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!

Subscribe to our FREE, award-winning newsletter, Appliantology: The Oracle of Appliance Enlightenment ==> http://newsletter.fixitnow.com and download your free report on appliance brand recommendations! Every issue is jam-packed with appliance repair tips and inside information direct from the Samurai’s fingertips to your engorged and tingling eyeballs.

The Appliance Guru provides prompt, convenient service in the following towns in New Hampshire: New London, Elkins, Wilmot, Springfield, Georges Mills, Sunapee, Mt. Sunapee, Newbury, Sutton, Bradford, Warner, Grantham, and the Eastman Community. Visit our website for more info and a discount coupon on your next service call: ==> http://applianceguru.com

Appliantology Newsletter: Home on the Range

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Appliantology Newsletter
Home on the Range
 July 8, 2012
Electric Range Tips
An electric range has two main working parts: the stove or cooktop elements and the oven elements. The most common problem with stove elements is the receptacles get sloppy and stop making good, tight electrical contact with the element resulting in poor heating. The most common (and simplest) problem with the oven is that the bake or broil element self-destructs, sometimes in spectacular fashion. In this issue of Appliantology, ol’ Samurai’s gonna show you how to whup up on both of these common and easily-repairable problems.
Putting the Heat Back into Your Stove Burners
Replacing an Oven Bake or Broil Element Safely
And Remember…
I’m always uploading new videos to my YouTube channel from my various appliance service calls as The Appliance Guru. You can keep up with ’em by subscribing to Samurai’s YouTube Channel.
You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box at Fixitnow.com or Appliantology.org. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!
Subscribe to the Appliantology Newsletter.
Samurai Appliance Repair Man, www.Fixitnow.com

Appliantology Newsletter: Secret Refrigerator Repair Tricks

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Appliantology Newsletter
Secret Refrigerator Repair Tricks
 Early-July 2012
Trade Secrets
Okay, before I divulge protected trade secrets for fixing refrigerators, I have to ask for your solemn vow of silence. Divulging this information to the profane can get me in big trouble with my Brethren in The Craft. I could get thrown out of the International Appliance Repair Guild! So, please, if you feel like sharing these secrets with someone, do so by forwarding them this entire newletter. That way, nothing can get taken out of context that might get me trouble with The Brethren. Domo!
Refrigerator Warming Up in Both Compartments and No Frost on the Back Wall Inside the Freezer?
This will be one of four things:

1. Dirty condenser (preventable)
2. Burned out compressor start relay (very fixable)
3. Bad or lazy condenser fan motor (very fixable)
4. Bad compressor or sealed system (“freon”) leak (terminal event: go shopping)

As indicated, the first three causes are very fixable, even preventable. But the fourth one is a 4th Down Time to Punt event. That’s because EPA’s DuPont regulations have made doing sealed system work so expensive that it’s not cost-effective to do it on most refrigerators… unless you paid so much for the box that you’re married to it (a la Sub-Zero). So, lots of easily-repairable refrigerators choking up the landfills today.

Be that as it may, let’s talk about the first three things that we can do something about…
Dirty Condenser
A dirty condenser will make any refrigerator warm up. Even the mighty Sub-Zero is not immune from a dirty condenser’s refrigerator-killing effects. Check this out, this could be you:
Burned Out Compressor Start Relay / Bad or Lazy Condenser Fan Motor
I grouped these two things together because they can and do occur together but most people, including most technicians, don’t catch this. But you, dear reader, are now privvy to one to the Samurai’s most cherished repair tricks…

And Hey! …
I frequently upload new videos to my YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe so you can check ’em out as soon as they’re uploaded: Samurai’s YouTube Channel

You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box at Fixitnow.com or Appliantology.org. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!
Samurai Appliance Repair Man, Fixitnow.com