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Author Archives: Samurai Appliance Repair Man
Gluing Copper Water Pipes Together: A Photo Odyssey
(You can click the photos for a larger view. Or not. Whatever.)
Lo! The battle doth beckon!
It’s kinda like porno. Not that I’d know anything about that. Por-who?
I have to cut that cap off so I can make the connection with the hand shut off valve using the pipe glue. Uhhh… forgot whether or not I shut off the water before I cut that cap off. Well, I reckon we’ll find out.
Hi. Welcome to my world.
Holy guacamole, Batman, it works! Connection made and water pressure turned back on. No torch, just this glue holding the water valve to the copper pipe. Sheer and uttah, uttah madness!
An art shot. Go "ooh! ahh!" or something.
You’ll probably need to take apart and tape all the connections right under the sink. If’n you need to, you’ll know as soon as you restore water pressure.
Dayyam! I should be a water valve photographer…. or something!
The bathroom sink installation: plumbing. Fini.
Find Appliance Repair Info FAST With the Supah Samurai Search!
WARNING: The Department of Defense has classified the Supah Samurai Search (SSS) an appliance repair weapon of mass construction. This search engine is considered to be the nuclear bomb of DIY appliance repair. Use of the SSS may result in your appliance not being broken any more.
The scope of the Supah Samurai Search (SSS) includes the thousands of appliance repair articles I’ve written here at this site plus the hundreds of thousands of pages of specific, topical appliance repair discussions at the world-famous Samurai School of Appliantology. If you think you have what it takes to handle this quantum flow of information, then click the hyperportal image below to engage the Supah Samurai Search…
Re-thinking this weekly-summar…
Re-thinking this weekly-summary-of-tweets-on-my-blog bidness. Messy-looking and insufficient granularity for search. FNO: 1 post/tweet.
Appliance Repair Tweets for Week Ending 2009-05-02
- Ahh, the golden age of appliances. *sigh* http://twitgoo.com/1l77
- … and the double-deckin-bad Samurai rock show tour bus. Call now to reserve your tickets: 603-526-7129. http://twitgoo.com/1l61
- The supah-bad Samurai fixit van. Look for it around your neighborhood. http://twitgoo.com/1l5x
- Rough day at the Samurai office. TGIF! http://twitgoo.com/1j80
- The pic you’ve been waiting for… the trick to removing the spray arm from a GE Nautilus dishwasher. http://twitgoo.com/1j5i
- Troubles with TwitterMail. Cool idea, flawed execution. Flawed user? Pishaw!
- Frankenflu #NameThatFlu
- 20 y.o. GE dishwasher, still runs but throws a BLOCKED WASH ARM code about a minute into the cycle. Spray arm sensor: http://bit.ly/15fhii
- Service calls today. All refrigerators! ‘Tis the season.
- Appliantology: The Oracle of Appliance Repair, April 2009. Come git you some! http://fixitnow.com/?p=2462
- Fedders EnergyStar Window Air Conditioner – http://tinyurl.com/ch3svg (via @mhfeder). New window shakers for a new cooling season.
- These Are Not Your Grandmother’s Eco-Appliances | My Bad Pad http://bitly.com/SURyn (via @mhfeder). The bleeding edge of small appliances.
- Home that uses appliance & body heat to heat/cool your home! http://bitly.com/xHNsT (via @mhfeder). This is pretty cool (or hot)!
- Does Your Appliance Servicer Have the Skills Needed to Repair Your Appliances? http://fixitnow.com/?p=1091
- @TerriH70 We loved the MN state fair when we lived in Excelsior, 16 yrs ago. Cheese curds! Your blog is coming along nicely, keep it up!
- Freebie of the Day: Service manual for Maytag, Jenn-Air, Magic Chef side-by-side refrigerators http://www.mediafire.com/?y…
- Duet washer:
Problem- control is locked.
Solution- all the way to the right of panel, push & hold “end of cycle” for 3 seconds. - Magic Chef gas range:
Two burners spark, two do not.
Replace spark module.
http://applianceguru.com/fo… - Using glue on copper water pipe connections on a bathroom sink. First time using copper glue. Weird!: http://bit.ly/15Odot
- Older refrigerators with mechanical defrost timers– two types of timers were used: accumulated and continuous. Which? http://bit.ly/tG9j5
- Read Dr. Mercola’s take on the frankenflu scam, er, I mean, scare: http://bit.ly/uKLaV
- Tales from the Buttcrack, Episode No. 1,897: Defective Customers http://fixitnow.com/?p=1186
- Broken Dryer? Fuggetaboutit and get high (& dry)! http://fixitnow.com/?p=2358
- Facebook: the FEMA camp of the Internet. (via @Zenzoidman). Dude, you harshed my buzz!
- http://twitpic.com/46g9c – Kitty Wuvs Flowers!
- Let’s hear it for fixing things yourself! http://tinyurl.com/dxp53d (via @mrssamurai)
- Great tips for repairing the augur assembly in a GE refrigerator icemaker dispenser: http://applianceguru.com/fo…
- Loose electrical connections on a dryer power terminal can melt the power
cord right off. This… Read more at http://tinyurl.com/d7t8cm - Audit the FED! Call your congress critter to support HR 1207. Sign the petition here: http://bit.ly/3y6xep
- And now, back by popular demand, the omniscient (and she knows it) Appliance Age Oracle! http://www.fixitnow.com/sho…
- You have a broken appliance. How do you decide whether to repair it or replace it? Some thoughts here: http://bit.ly/8btIP
- @jdsok An omission I shall remedy… sometime. Meanwhile, assume trash compactor has a similar half life as a dryer.
- @jdsok
If you’re going to fix it yourself, yea verily. If not, depends on age,
half-life. Got an article on that, search my site to find. - Fix it yourself and save big $$$! The Samurai School of Appliantology is now accepting new Apprentices: http://apprentice.appliance…
- Freebie of the Day: Service manual for the LG DLE7177 electric dryer: http://bit.ly/Tupf9
- Asko dryer starts, runs briefly, then stops– the fuse holders have been a problem in these dryers: http://bit.ly/IH5qs
Appliantology Newsletter, April 2009
Just when it looked like my rehab was going so well, I had a relapse and produced the most important newsletter in history! Thank you for not asking which history this newsletter is important to but, if you must know, it’s the history of Applianchia, a remote, mountainous region in Lower Slabovia famous for producing the appliance repair nephilim of yore. Those nephilim can be greedy, too, so hurry and get your FREE copy of the latest newsletter before they snarf it all up!
And if, in the future, you’d like your very own personal copy of Appliantology sent to your email in a discreet brown wrapper so the appliance nephilim don’t git it first, kommen zie hither, bitte.
Duet Washer Control Locked
Sherry wrote:
Duet washer:
Problem– control is locked.
Solution– all the way to the right of panel, push & hold “end of cycle” for 3 seconds(It’s actually written beneath button).
Domo, Sherry! And lots more appliance repair revelations on the Duet washer ratcheer.
To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.
Summary of Appliance Repair Tweets for the Week Ending 2009-04-26
Get these Appliance Repair Tweets real-time as they happen– follow me on Twitter.
- New Pearl of Wisdom: Summary of Appliance Repair Tips for the Week Ending 2009-04-19 – http://fixitnow.com/?p=2390 #
- Freebie of the Day: KitchenAid Stainless Steel Dishwasher Service Manual: http://www.fixitnow.com/shorty/82872/ #
- Wanna learn how to fix washing machines for fun and profit? Here’s your basic training: http://www.fixitnow.com/shorty/84929/ #
- Broken appliance but you can’t afford a repairman or parts? You need the Mega-Money Management System! http://megamoney.fixitnow.com/ #
- So, Grasshoppah, you think you know a thing or two about appliances? Awwite, let’s see whatcha got: http://fixitnow.com/merit-exam/ #
- Pop Quiz: I’m Measuring the current draw on a flat-style ignitor. Is the ignitor good or bad? http://twitpic.com/3rvru #
- Freebie of the Day: Fault codes and ERC diagnostics for a GE XL44 gas range. http://twitpic.com/3rw9w #
- Freebie of the Day Bonus Edition: Removing the drain pump in a Bosch dishwasher: http://www.fixitnow.com/shorty/45134/ #
- The synergy of the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum: Apprentices helping each other with repairs– http://www.fixitnow.com/shorty/71639/ #
- Clearing gookus from a stuck drain pump in a Frigidaire FL washer: a photo tutorial– http://www.fixitnow.com/shorty/46407/ #
- The Appliantology 3000 microchip implant now available! Get yours now! http://www.fixitnow.com/shorty/96100/ #
- GE Profile dishwasher, heat will not shut off. Usually a stuck relay on the control board: http://applianceguru.com/forum1/20013.html #
- Removed this dishwasher for a repair. Note mouse droppings on top. Every house has ’em. Decon is your friend! http://twitpic.com/3yf1g #
- War Story: Dead Kitchenaid Dishwasher. A gruesome story but with a happy ending (the Samurai always wins!): http://fixitnow.com/?p=612 #
- @Zenzoidman Lo! I have dispatched a team of ninjas to deal harshly with your insolence. Prepare to hear really bad haikus! in reply to Zenzoidman #
- @zenzoidman @mrssamurai Behold! The Haiku Ninja draweth nigh! O, pity the ears defiled by his insipid prose! https://twitter.com/HaikuNinja #
- Went on a call for a Bosch dryer squealing like a pig with flu. Found stray screw behind roller. Kanpai! http://twitpic.com/428ra #
- Sublime Master Willie B explains the timer pause and neutral drain on a Whirlpool-Kenmore direct drive washer: http://bit.ly/Wap2z #
- GE Profile washer fills then stops, nothing else. Probably a bad lid switch. Details here: http://applianceguru.com/forum2/20033.html #
Get these Appliance Repair Tweets real-time as they happen– follow me on Twitter.
Frigidaire-Built Front Loading Washer Full of Water and Won’t Pump Out: A Haiku of Emptiness
Front-Loading washer,
drain pump hummms but will not drain.
Gookus stuck in pump.
To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.
The Tool Box: Tool Talk for Tool Heads
Started a new forum at the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums for TOOLS. It’s called The Tool Box. This is such an obvious forum to include; I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier! Must be all that cold mountain air freezing my brain.
Anyway, this forum is all about tool talk for tool heads and cool tools for fixit fools. Found a cool tool you want to share? Or made a tool for a specific repair? Well, come tell us about it. Also, specialty tools for appliance repair and tool recommendations from Master Appliantologists. Come rumble in The Tool Box.
Maytag / Jenn-Air Refrigerator Not Cooling Properly in the Refrigerator Section
This Pearl of Appliantological Wisdom℠ applies to the Maytag and Jenn-Air side-by-side and wide-by-side refrigerators manufactured in 2001. (How do you know what year your refrigerator was manufactured? Consult The Oracle!) The problem here is that the freezer gets goodncold (that’s a technical term used by us professionals, defined as 0°F or colder) but the all-holy beer compartment (that’s the one that ain’t the freezer, kapeesh?) won’t get below 40°F, or so– certainly not cold enough for any self-respecting lager drinker. We gotta step through the paces on this one so grab ‘hold of your favorite katana and let’s romp.
First order of bidness is to get some hard numbers on the temperatures in both the freezer and beer compartments. If you don’t already, you should have two thermometers specially made for refrigerators living inside your fridge, one in the freezer section and another in the beer section.
“But, Samurai, I know my freezer is cold because the ice cubes haven’t melted. So why do I need to spend money on thermometers?”
Ahh, Grasshoppah, do you have a calibrated palm that can tell the difference between 0°F and 17°F? No? Well, there ya go. A good freezer will easily keep 0°F and indicates that all is well with the sealed system and condenser fan. OTOH, if your freezer has trouble getting much below 20°F or even 10°F, then, Houston, we have a situation– see this page for further guidance. In a freezer at 0°F, the frost pattern on the evaporator (the coils inside the freezer– hidden behind a panel– that make all the cold air for the entire refrigerator) will look something like what’s shown here. Notice how there’s a thin, fine layer of frost evenly distributed over most of the coil as opposed to too much or none at all.
Still here? OK, that means everything I’ve talked about so far checks out on your fridge and you are now ready to learn the advanced repair kata for this problem. All is revealed in this parchment from the Appliantology scriptures.
Now go kick some refrigerator butt!
To learn more about your refrigerator, or to order parts, click here.
Summary of Appliance Repair Tweets for the Week Ending 2009-04-19
- Was posting daily summaries of my Tweets at my website, fixitnow.com, but decided that’s a bit much. Just gonna do weekly summaries now. #
- Appliance problems? Use the Forum, Luke! http://applianceguru.com. Confoosed on posting? Message me real-time on AIM: Zenzoidman. #
- Wondering how old your appliances are? Consult the Appliance Age Oracle: http://tinyurl.com/cgqrlv #
- Another example of how GE gouges their customers for replacement parts: http://tinyurl.com/dlfp2p. Thank you, GE! #
- Freebie of the Day: Amana Top Load Washer Service Manual: http://tinyurl.com/cx6784 #
- Thinking about buying a Whirlpool Duet SPORT (vs. the full-sized Duet) washer? Read this first: http://tr.im/iLrP #
- Freebie of the Day: Bosch Dryer Disassembly Guide http://www.mediafire.com/?zdxumqnjdzm #
- Frigidaire training videos for complete teardown of their standard top loading washer http://tinyurl.com/cgwblp #
- Beeyootious day at the Clarke Lookout viewing Mt. Sunapee. http://twitpic.com/3d21r #
- Changing the belt on the new-style GE top loading washer can be a real beeotch if’n you don’t know The Trick: http://tinyurl.com/dy7j49 #
- Freebie of the Day: Whirlpool Direct-Drive Top Loading Washer Service Manual http://www.mediafire.com/?dkmy4iunnxl #
- Water left in dishwasher at end of cycle? Check for gookus in the drain hose and/or disposal d/w drain port. http://twitpic.com/3fslw #
- Blessed Great and Holy Friday to all. “It is finished.” http://twitpic.com/3g6ka #
- Freebie of the Day: Dacor Technical Manual. Loaded with fundamental tech info applicable to all ranges: http://tinyurl.com/dzqev7 #
- Old Testament readings at the Vesperal Liturgy of Great and Holy Saturday. http://twitpic.com/3iz58 #
- Having to replace the thermal fuse on your gas dryer frequently? Wisdom! Let us attend! http://tinyurl.com/c5t7rt #
- Tips from a Sublime Master of Appliantology on removing the agimutator from your newish GE washer: http://tinyurl.com/d4nwqb #
- Broken appliance? Live in or near New London, NH? Lucky you cuz the Samurai makes housecalls! http://service.fixitnow.com #
- This just in from our “What were they thinking?” Department: would you buy this dishwasher? http://twitpic.com/3jvck #
- Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by Death. And upon those in the tombs, bestowing life! http://twitpic.com/3l5mh/full #
- Come experience total appliance satori with these haikus for appliance repair: http://tinyurl.com/7yhfm2 #
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Hot Appliance Repair Tips on Twitter
I’ve started using Twitter to post quick appliance repair tips. These are things that don’t quite merit a full-blown blog post here at the site but are still Fun Facts to Know and Tell (FFTKAT). Seems like the ideal use for microblogging. It’s stuff like pointing out a particularly illuminating post at the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, links to appliance service manuals, appliance recall alerts, and maybe a little personal stuff, too. Take a look at my Twitter page and you’ll see what I mean.
Twitter posts are called “tweets.” (I know, it took me a while to get used to the metrosexual lingo of the web, too. It’s a brave new world!) You can keep up with my tweets as I post ’em by following my Twitter page. And it’s free.
Precaución: ¡Está Caliente!
Samurai’s Daily Twitter Pearls for 2009-04-12
- Refrigerator sealed system pearls of wisdom from a Sublime Master of Appliantology: http://tinyurl.com/dhd5ps #
- Freebie of the Day: GE’s concession letter for the rash of motherboard failures in their Arctica refrigerators: http://twurl.nl/1q63bn #
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Mailbag: How to Remove the Front Panel and Drawer in a Fisher-Paykel DD603 Dishwasher
Andy wrote:
How do I remove the front panel of a Fisher Paykel DD603SS dish drawer? I’m trying to resolve an F1 error code problem.
Thanks
Ahh, Grasshoppah, this is one of those repair katas that’s so easy it’s sublime. The only tool you need is a pair of needle nose pliers. All is revealed in this sacred parchment from the Appliantology scriptures.
F1 error codes are caused by leaks. On the DD603’s, the most common source of leaks is the drain hose– it gets little splits in it and sprays water inside the dishdrawer compartment during drain. These splits in the drain hose are usually caused by one of the white nylon drain hose support rods breaking. The drain hose itself is just a cheesy plastic corrugated tube that gets easily damaged if it gets bent too much, which is what those nylon support rods are supposed to prevent. Click the thumbnail to see the larger version of the annotated photo wherein all is revealed.
Kanpai! 