Monthly Archives: March 2012

Repairing a cracked outer plastic tub in a top-load washing machine

Jim wrote:

I noticed my washer was leaking water and i took the front cover off and noticed that on the bottom of the outer plastic tub there is a crack would an epoxy cement seal this up .I checked on the replacement of the tub and it is costly.

This is an easy fix using 3M 800 tub sealant adhesive. Or you can use a spiffy product called Slap Stix made for this very purpose. Either way, it’s a pretty easy and reliable repair.

If you need help disassembling your washer to get at the crack in the outer tub, come start a new topic in the Laundry Forum at the Appliantology Academy and we shall reveal that kata to you ==> www.Appliantology.org

Rachel fixes her incontinent refrigerator water dispenser

Rachel wrote:

Just wanted to say thanks for helping me diagnose my fridge leaking from the water dispenser. You were right on and even made it easy to order the part. You rock!

Thanks, Rachel! And way to go on the repair!

For others coming along and reading this, here’s the post that helped Rachel fix her drippy dispenser ==> http://fixitnow.com/wp/2007/12/02/ge-profile-refrigerator-leaking-from-the-water-dispenser/

To learn more about your refrigerator or to order parts, click here ==> http://www.repairclinic.com/Refrigerator-Repair-Help

How to troubleshoot a Whirlpool refrigerator that keeps icing up the coil in the freezer

Ron wrote:

Hi. I have a 20-year old Whirlpool Fridge; top freezer model # ET18ZKXXW00. I love the fridge, but…about 6 months ago i replaced the defrost timer on the advice of an appliance parts store. Fridge was always running, freezer was full of ice and fridge unit was warm.

i took the back off and it too was covered in ice. I defrosted everything, replaced the timer and the unit is still constantly running.

Last week i unplugged it for a couple of hours to melt some of the ice in the freezer, took the back off and melted the ice that was encasing the coils.

what could the issue be?

Two problems right off the bat:

1. You replaced the defrost timer without knowing or proving that it was the real problem or bad to begin with.

2. You didn’t buy your parts thru Fixitnow.com! 🙁 Fun fact to know and tell: if you had purchased the defrost timer thru this site and it didn’t fix the problem, you could have returned it for a refund! Can you do that at your parts store? No? So… Why do you buy there?

Okay, enough scolding. Let’s get your fridge fixed!

The defrost system consists of three components: the defrost timer, the defrost thermostat, and the defrost heater. If any one of these three components goes bad, then the refrigerator will not defrost and ice will accumulate on the evaporator coil as you are seeing. Since you have already replaced the defrost timer, that only leaves the other two components as possible suspects.

Both the defrost heater and the defrost thermostat are easy to test with a multimeter. For the defrost heater, measure the resistance through the heater with your meter. The resistance should be something in the low ohms; the exact ohm reading is not important as long as it is something low. High resistance in the kilo-ohms or mega-ohms range or open is a bad defrost heater and it should be replaced.

To test the defrost thermostat, remove the thermostat from the evaporator by unclipping it and place it into a glass of ice water. Let the defrost thermostat sit in the ice water for about five or ten minutes and then measure the continuity through the defrost thermostat. Again, if it reads open or very high resistance, then the defrost thermostat is bad and must be replaced.

Not surprisingly, you can buy the new defrost heater or new defrost thermostat right here through this website! 8) Just enter your model number here ==> http://www.repairclinic.com/Whirlpool-Refrigerator-Parts

If you need more help troubleshooting and repairing your refrigerator, come start a new topic in the Kitchen Forum at the Appliantology Academy and we’ll step you thru it for free ==> www.Appliantology.org

Appliantology Newsletter: Burnin’ Down the House!

Appliantology Newsletter
Burnin’ Down the House! Mid-March 2012
The Hottest New Way to Burn Down Your House…
This one innocent and friendly-sounding thing in your kitchen can end up burning down your whole house. Think I’m being hyperbolic just to get you to click a link? Okay, then please DO NOT click this link to learn what it is.
New LG Tech Info Hot Off the Training Press…
Fresh out of the LG training circuit, here’s the latest inside scoop on LG’s new front-load washers and bottom-mount and top-mount refrigerators all arranged in two easy-to-browse photo galleries for your edification and sanctification. I even made a screencast describing them so you can bask in the soothing sounds of my mellifluous voice. Come have a listen and a look.
Enough Appliance Talk– Let’s Go Hiking…
Even though I am the one and only Samurai Appliance Repair Man, appliance warrior extraordinaire, I can only do so much appliance talk before it starts eating my brain. You too? Yeah, when that happens to me, I head for the hills. Specifically, hillstomping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Come refresh your spirit on virtual hikes along the Welch n’ Dickey Loop and on Crawford Path to check out the view from Mt. Ignatius.
The Appliantology Academy, www.Appliantology.org

New LG tech training info on their new washers and refrigerators

One of the fine Master Appliantologists at the Appliantology Academy, Grand Master Funk appl.tech.29501, recently attended an LG tech training session on their new model front-load washers and bottom-mount and top-mount refrigerators. He was gracious enough to take photos of the training handouts and send them to me. I’ve uploaded them to a couple new albums in the Gallery at the Academy and briefly explain them in a short screencast posted at my blog there. Check it out:

http://appliantology.org/blog/1/entry-401-lg-front-load-washer-and-top-mount-and-bottom-mount-refrigerator-training-albums/

Warning: Using the self-clean feature on your oven may be hazardous to your health

Dennis wrote:

my neigbors fridgidaire oven caught on fire during selfcleaning, the fire totally destroy their house and my house, do you have any information about any fridgidaire range malfunctioning during self cleaning mode?

Using the self-clean feature on ANY oven or range is just asking for trouble. What happened with your neighbor’s Frigidaire range is one of the worst-case scenarios. More commonly, something just breaks in the oven: door lock motors seize up and won’t unlock the door, shoddily-made (but expensively-priced) electronic range control boards fail from being exposed to high temperature and humidity that they were never designed to withstand, even though they are included in self-cleaning ranges. Idiotic? You betcha! Welcome to the low-budget underworld of appliance manufacturing.

If you spend any time at all reading topics in the Kitchen Forum at the Appliantology Academy, you’ll see warning after warning to never ever ever use self-clean on your oven… unless you just like fixing broken stuff and buying appliance parts, which I have no problem with as long you’re buying your parts here! 8)

As to your specific question about Frigidaire ranges blowing up during self-clean, I don’t know of any repeating pattern of this problem unique to Frigidaire-built ranges. However, as I’ve said, ANY range is vulnerable to this during self-clean. Fun fact to know and tell: oven temperatures can exceed 900F during self-clean. At those temperatures, the volatilized carbon from the food soils would explode on contact if they were to mix with ambient air if, for example, the door was opened during self-clean. It is for this very reason that the door locks during this process. So I’m wondering if the door lock was disabled on this oven or if the door gasket was badly damaged or missing, allowing enough ambient air in to fuel an explosion.

If your oven is broken from using the self-clean or for some other reason, we can help you fix it in the Kitchen Forum. Just create a free account at the Appliantology Academy and start a new topic. We’ll help you whup up on it.

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

Replacing the tub bearings in a Maytag Bravo / Whirlpool Cabrio / Kenmore Oasis washer

Yep, they’re all three the same ezzact washer, all made by Whirlpool.

Two ways to go on this job: replace just the tub bearings or replace the entire tub with the bearing pre-assembled at the factory. Pro’s and con’s with each method. See this topic at the Appliantology Academy for more info ==> http://appliantology.org/topic/37050-maytag-bravo-washer-model-loud-roar-during-spin-tub-bearing-replacement/

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

How to silence a Maytag Atlantis washer that makes a loud clunk and screech when it stops

Typical model number: MAV7600AWW

This topic in the Laundry forum at the Appliantology Academy has a short video clip that shows the problem. It’s basically a brake job. The needed parts are posted along with another video that show exactly how to do it. There’s also some tips on upgrading to the new, improved bearing.

http://appliantology.org/topic/36781-maytag-mav7600aww-washer-loud-cluck-after-spin-cycle/

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