Fixit Hound looks on lovingly as Samurai Appliance Repair Man and his young apprentice prepare to launch into the sky and fly to yet another broken appliance in Gotham City (click for larger view).
Click for larger view.
So, you did your due diligence and eliminated all the usual suspects: water supply hose, drain pump boot, door seal boot, but you still get that pesky leak. What’s a grasshopper to do?
Ahh, Grasshoppah, have you considered the tub gasket? Observe:
Note the wet-warped envelope that holds the tech sheet. This is a sure sign that the tub gasket is leaking in a Frigidaire-built front-loading washer (also sold under the Kenmore brand). Click the picture for larger view.
Loose tub bolts will make a leak. Ya sure, ya betcha. Yep, I fixed this one by reachin’ waaaaay up in the tub and crankin’ down on those tub bolts. Got half a dozen turns on three o’them bad boyz. Problem solved. We bad!
Now go git ’em!
Jim H wrote:
I have a Kenmore Dryer with the lint trap in the door. I just replaced the heating element as it went bad. Once I reassembled the dryer and turned it on to check it out, it seemed to me that it smelled hot and that it was getting pretty hot. I took the bottom cover off again so I could see the heating element and the insides. I did not see anything unusual but did smell the heat. Smelled like something was burning. So, I unplugged it and am writing to you to ask what you think it might be. My only guess is that the thermostat is not turning the thing off like its supposed to. Ofcourse you are the expert, not I. So, what is your advice master?
_______________________________
Message sent from IP: 199.232.230.24
OH. MY. GAWD! Get out of there NOW! Your dryer is about to explode!
Or it could just be lint balls that got dislodged when you changed the heating element and were harmlessly incinerated when the element fired up. Hard to tell ‘cuz I’m, like, on the other side of your computer, an’ all.
Run the dryer for about 10 minutes while monitoring it. That’s plenty of time for the smell to dissipate… if it’s gonna. If it doesn’t, then there’s something horribly wrong, like a grounded heating element or a bad cycling thermostat.
What is going on with you fruit cakes over in Portsmouth? This is what happens when you let collectivist-socialist-liberals run the nut house: government on acid. Y’all better get your sheist in one sock– you’re giving the rest of us Granite Staters a bad name!
Gas dryers come from the factory ready to run on natural gas. If you want to run it on propane, you’ll have to convert it. What happens if you don’t convert the dryer or (more commonly) you convert it wrong?
House go boom. Pants go brown.
Well, it might not be quite that bad, but it would at a minimum be a sooty mess. From time to time, I get called in for a cleanup service call on a botched gas dryer conversion. Did one just yesterday.
They had a parts changing monkey from a large appliance dealer in Concord, NH, attempt the conversion. Monkey boy changed the burner orifice but didn’t install the blocking pin, didn’t tag the dryer, and left the rest of the conversion kit inside the dryer, by the burner. It took me a few minutes just to figure out what he did and did not do.
To top it off, the dryer wouldn’t fire up because, as he told the customer, “the igniter was bad.” This was another indication of monkey boy’s competence because, as it turned out, the igniter did, in fact, glow upon starting (thereby proving that the igniter was good) but the burner didn’t fire up. A couple of valve coils took care of that and the burner fired up with the proper flame.
Now, a new problem had appeared: there was a strong gas smell. A plumber had installed the flex gas supply line for the dryer. What’s the rule about getting Buttcrack Bubba to do an appliance tech’s job? I don’t know either, but there awwta be one! I got my bubble leak detector bottle to check it out and found the leak location. Turns out that ol’ Buttcrack musta been tossin’ back the Newcastles ‘cuz he had two mis-matched flare fittings which I discovered when I attempted to tightened the connections and the fittings fell apart in my hand!
Oh, it was a rich comedy of errors. ‘Course, it woulda been a black ‘n crispy comedy if the house had burned down with their two little kids!
Some of the shi’it that goes on out there is downright freaky!
For information on propane’s Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and health effects, see this page.
Appliance Wisdom
Water Leaking into Dryer Outlet
GE WASHER ROARS DURING SPIN CYCLE
Broken Icemaker? Buy a New Refrigerator!
Whirlpool Microwave Ovens Overheating
Kenmore Oven Door Lock Problem
Too much detergent… dishwasher won’t drain!
War Story: Leaking Frigidaire Front Loader
ASKO Dryer- belt stringing (T700)
GE: Bringing Anything-but-Good Appliances to Life
Fisher Paykel Dishwasher, DD602, Won’t Start
Technique of the Master: Wiring in a New Defrost Thermostat
Field Notes: Maytag Side-by-Side Refrigerator Warming Up
Field Notes: Maytag MAV Washer Won’t Run, Just Buzzes
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Harisutosu hukkatsu! Jitsu ni hukkatsu!
Hillstomping Update, Mt. Kearsarge
Hillstomping Update, Sandwich Dome 05052005
Hillstomping Update, Bond Cliff 05172005
Hillstomping Update, Cannon Mountain 05242005
Hillstomping Update, Edmands Col 06012005
Will You Survive the Coming Financial Crash?
Hillstomping Update, Mt. Garfield 06032005
Happy Dependence Day to all my fellow Ameedicans. I’ve re-named the 4th of July as Dependence Day in recognition of our complete and utter dependency on the government from the cradle to the grave. I present, for your reading pleasure on this auspicious occasion, an article from Harry Browne, former Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. Enjoy!
Uncelebrating the Fourth
by Harry Browne
Unfortunately, July 4th has become a day of deceit.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally declared its
independence from Great Britain. Thirteen years later, after a
difficult war to secure that independence, the new country was open
for business.It was truly unique — the first nation in all of history in which the
individual was considered more important than the government, and the
government was tied down by a written Constitution.It was the one nation where you could live your life secure in the
knowledge that no one would ask for your papers, where you weren’t
identified by a number, and where the government wouldn’t extort a
percentage of your income as the price of holding a job.And so each year July 4th has been a commemoration of the freest
country in history.False Celebration
But the America that’s celebrated no longer exists.
The holiday oratory deceitfully describes America as though it were
the unique land of liberty that once was. Politicians thank the
Almighty for conferring the blessings of liberty on a country that no
longer enjoys those blessings. The original freedom and security have
disappeared — even though the oratory lingers on.What made America unique is now gone, and we are much the same as
Germany, France, England, or Spain, with:– confiscatory taxes,
– a Constitution and Bill of Rights that are symbolic only — merely
documents used to justify governmental actions that are in fact
prohibited by those documents,– business regulated by the state in the most minute detail,
– no limits on what Congress or the President might decide to do.
Yes, there are some freedoms left, but nothing like the America that
was — and nothing that you can’t find in a few dozen other countries.The Empire
Gone, too, is the sense of peace and security that once reigned
throughout the land. America — bound by two huge oceans and two
friendly neighbors — was subject to none of the never-ending wars and
destruction that plagued Europe and Asia.Now, however, everyone’s business is America’s business. Our
Presidents consider themselves the rulers of the world — deciding who
may govern any country on earth and sending Americans to die enforcing
those decisions.Whereas America was once an inspiration to the entire world — its
very existence was proof that peace and liberty really were possible
— Americans now live in fear of the rest of the world and the rest of
the world lives in fear of America.The Future
Because the education of our children was turned over to government in
the 19th century, generations of Americans have been taught that
freedom means taxes, regulations, civic duty, and responsibility for
the whole world. They have no conception of the better life that could
exist in a society in which government doesn’t manage health care,
education, welfare, and business — and in which individuals are free
to plot their own destinies.Human beings are born with the desire to make their own decisions and
control their own lives. But in most countries government and social
pressures work to teach people to expect very little autonomy.Fortunately, in America a remnant has kept alive the ideas of liberty,
peace, and self-respect — passing the concepts on from generation to
generation. And so today millions of Americans know that the present
system isn’t the right system — that human beings aren’t born to
serve the state and police the world.Millions more would be receptive upon being shown that it’s possible
to have better lives than what they’re living now.Both groups need encouragement to quit supporting those who are taking
freedom away from them.You and I may not have the money and influence to change America by
ourselves, but we can keep spreading the word — describing a better
society in which individuals are truly free and government is in
chains (instead of the opposite).And someday we may reach the people who do have the money and
influence to persuade tens of millions of Americans to change our
country for the better.I don’t know that it’s going to happen, but I do know it’s possible. I
know that the urge to live one’s own life is as basic in human beings
as the will to live and the desire to procreate. If we keep plugging
away, we may eventually tap into that urge and rally the forces
necessary to restore the real America.And then the 4th of July will be worth celebrating again.
The URL of this article is:
http://www.HarryBrowne.org/articles/JulyFourth.htm
In case you’re wondering why I haven’t been posting as frequently of late, it’s because I’ve been so busy answering posts and tending to my duties as HMFIC at the repair forum, a.k.a., the Samurai School of Appliantology. With more than 20 new grasshoppers and 100+ new posts every day, it keeps me and the other Master Appliantologists hoppin’, ya sure, ya betcha!
We opened the doors at our new campus in April and, in a little over three months, we have over 1,700 grasshoppers seeking appliance repair know-how. To help fill these tender skulls with knowledge, the School has more than 30 Master Appliantologists, including yours so very truly, the Exalted Grand Master of Appliantology, guiding these grasshoppers on their path to appliance enlightenment. Yea verily, the fields are ripe for the harvest.
And I recently added a chat room (or Chatto Ru-mu in Japanese) to the Samurai School. It’s a great place for light chat, clearing up misunderstandings, or just tawkin’ smack. However, chat is far too cumbersome and intensive a medium for technical how-to discussions– that’s what the forum is for. OTOH, if grasshoppers are confused about how to post an attachment or a link in the forum, or what further information they should provide so you can answer their question, that’s exactly the kind of confusion that chat can clear up. The Chatto Ru-mu, just like the Samurai School itself, is completely free and is open 24/7 to all registered grasshoppers, apprentices, and Master Appliantologists.
So, if you need help fixing your own appliances, register in the Samurai School of Appliantology Forum (it’s free) and you’ll be plugged in to the premier do-it-yourself appliance repair resource on the web.
The Samurai School of Appliantology: it’s not what’s for dinner ‘cuz you can’t eat it; but it does have some damn fine appliance repair help.
Had an interesting one the other day. This was the newer Maytag MAV top-loading washer. Complaint was that the washer wouldn’t run; it just made a horrible buzzing noise when you pulled the timer knob to start it. What’s worse, the tub was full of rancid washer water.
I verified the complaint and placed the source of the noise as coming from inside the cabinet, not the control panel. This is an all-important first step because, in accordance with Samurai’s 6th Law of Appliance Repair, “Begin troubleshooting directly at the problem,” it tells me that I should begin by checking the mechanical drive system of the machine. So I began this excursion into appliance repair excellence by removing the front panel of the washer.
Using a flashlight, I located the clips in the top seam of the front panel. Then I used my putty knife to push in the clips and pop the hood. With the hood raised, I located and removed the two 5/16″ black hex screws on the inside holding the front panel to the rest of the cabinet using my magnetic hex driver. The front panel tilted out, up, and off. Once the front panel was removed, I had access to all the mechanical guts.
I pulled the timer knob again and the buzzing noise was definitely coming from the motor. To eliminate the possibility that the motor was having blocked rotor effect from a seized transmission, I pulled off the drive belt and ran it again. Same noise. So the problem was definitely related to the motor or its power circuitry.
Next step was to open the control console and get the schematic diagram for the washer so I could do some basic electrical tests. I removed the motor’s wiring harness and tested the motor’s start and run windings for continuity. Both checked good.
Ok, it was time to take it to the next level.
The next weapon in my arsenal of troubleshooting tricks is the live electrical test. This is where I measure voltage in a live circuit. Please, I AM a professional so don’t try this at home. My objective here was to see if the motor was getting the right voltage, meaning 120vac (nominal), to the right places. With the harness still disconnected, I used the schematic diagram for the washer to locate the pins on the wiring harness corresponding to the motor’s start and run windings. Once located, I pulled the timer knob to energize the circuit and measured the voltage at the pins using my multimeter. Voltage to the run winding was good but the start winding voltage was AWOL. Things were getting curiouser and curiouser.
Now here’s where the parts changing monkeys get separated from the Master Appliantologists. At this stage, monkey boy would think the timer was bad and order a new one. But, alas, he would choke and gag on the bitter herb of disappointment. For the problem, in this case, was not the timer; nay, nay, young Grasshopper, behold:
Wiring harness on the Maytag MAV top-load washers. If the motor won’t run and the washer makes a buzzing noise when you start it, check this harness before you replace any parts!
I pulled the harness apart and noticed a teentsy-weentsie black spot on the end of the male spade on the white wire. “Hmmm,” I said, whilst scratching myself in my most ponderous fashion, “what’s this?” I removed my bifocals and stuck my face up close and personal to that harness and, yea verily, that black spot was revealed to be a tiny electrical arc. Being a certifiable appliance guru, I knowed that electrical arcs occur because of loose connections. So I looked at the female side of the harness assembly and saw that the number nine white wire was pulled out of the harness by the barest fraction of an inch. Here’s a detailed diagram of the harness:
Wiring harness connector in the console of the newer Maytag MAV washers. If the motor won’t run, check the 9 White wire in this harness.
I re-seated the white wire and re-connected the wire harnesses at the console and motor. Now it was time for the moment of truth. I pulled the timer knob and… that bad boy fired right up! I let the washer pump out all that putrid water, received glowing accolades (in the form of a check) from my grateful customer and went skipping and plucking on my merry way to the beer store. And drank heavily ever after. The End.
I’m starting to see problems with the Maytag-built (includes Jenn Air) side-by-side refrigerators where the beer compartment gets warm, but the ice cream compartment stays very cold. (Home refrigerators have two compartments, the colder one for ice cream and the warmer one for beer. Many folks store frozen food in the ice cream compartment and fresh food in the beer compartment.) This differs from the typical defrost failure complaint which, in these fridges, is usually a bad Adaptive Defrost Control (ADC) board because 1) there’s no fuzzy ice built up on the back, inside wall of the freezer and 2) the freezer temp is good (around 0°F).
Having established that the sealed system is intact (evidenced by the cold freezer) and that the defrost system is working, this means the problem is in the air distribution system. “Uh, say what?” Awwite, grab ‘hold of those two large lumps at the base of your spine and read this post for some background scoop on how the cold air is distributed around your fridge.
So, applying my keen, razor-sharp powers of Samurai deduction, my katana-like mind sliced through the fog and concluded that I need to check for air flow into the beer compartment. In these refrigerators, incoming cold air is ported in at the top left-hand side of the beer compartment. I felt no air coming in. Then I opened the freezer door and the cold air started gushing in! Therefore, the problem had to be with the return air vent inside the beer compartment. How did I know there was a return air vent? Because fans don’t suck; they blow. (As a side note, pumps are the opposite because they suck. Take your mind outta the gutter for five minutes in your decadent life, ok? In fact, pumps are sized according to Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH). Fun fact to know and tell.)
I pulled the crisper drawers out to inspect the return air vent. Sho’ ’nuff, it was sealed tight by a curtain of frozen condensate. I busted it open and the cold air started gushing in. Here’s the return air vent, click it for a larger view:
The return air port in a Maytag side by side refrigerator located behind the crisper drawers in the beer compartment. Condensation can freeze in a sheet over this port blocking the return air flow, creating warm beer.
To learn more about your refrigerator, or to order parts, click here.
Went out on a service call for an old-style Hotpoint (GE) top-loading washer. Complaint was that it leaked. When the customer called, I explained my fee structure: I charge a flat professional fee of $149 (for most repairs) which includes all trip charges, service call charges, diagnostic fees as well as the services to implement the repair, no matter what the repair or if I need to order a part and come back. Parts are extra. I also give a one hour window for arriving at the customer’s house, accept payment by cash, check or any major credit card, and guarantee my work for one year, parts and labor. She was fine with this and just wanted her washer fixed ASAP. I got out the same day.
Upon arrival, I pulled the washer out from the wall, removed the back panel and added some water to the tub in order to locate the leak in accordance with Samurai’s 14th Law of Appliance Repair, “All leaks are visual.”
The source of the leak soon became evident. It was a rust hole in the outer tub of the washer, as shown below. Click the picture for a larger view.
Rust hole in an old-style GE/Hotpoint washer tub.
I advised the customer that it was in her best interest to buy a new washer. Obviously, I couldn’t charge $149 for just diagnosing the problem and determining that it would be in the customer’s best interest to purchase a new washer. Since I was effectively condemning this washer, I only charged her a $65 fee for diagnosing the problem. I so rarely condemn appliances while at the customer’s home that I almost never discuss that possibility with them on the phone while setting up the service call. Ain’t I special? I love me!
Now that most of you are no longer reading this post, I’ll go ahead and share with you my reasoning for charging the way I do. I used to charge using the Blue Book flat rate guide. I would charge a $69 diagnostic fee for which I would schedule an appointment with the customer to diagnose their appliance and give them a quote for the repair. The repair fee would come out of the Blue Book flat rate guide. If the customer declined the repair, they would only owe the $69 diagnostic fee.
The problem with this fee structure is that it creates an unrealistically low price expectation in the customer’s mind for what the repair will cost. Inevitably, after troubleshooting the appliance and quoting the repair cost, I would get asked, “How much is a new one?” I got asked this question so frequently that I wrote an article about it that I would hand out to customers. Worse yet, about half the time, the customer would decline the repair, pay the $69 fee, and be left feeling soiled, as if I was trying to pull a fast one, and I walked out with $69 for “just looking at it.”
Funk that noise!
Here’s a fun fact to know and tell: the average repair price under this new fee structure is actually less than what it was using the flat rate book! But all some people hear on the phone is $149 and they’re off searching for someone who’ll tell them something misleading because, the fact is, most people need to be lied to when it comes to paying what it really costs for in-home service. But those folks are not my customers. The nice thing about my new fee structure is that it automatically selects people who are my customers: they have a realistic expectation of what it will cost to get it fixed; they value their time and so appreciate that I schedule one-hour windows for arriving at their home; and they like that I stand behind my work for one full year, parts and labor.
So, I decided instead of letting people know how much it’s gonna cost to repair their low-brow, cheesy appliance after I’ve already wasted a chunk of my life rolling around on their filthy kitchen floor or in their nasty laundry room, why not give ’em a good idea right up front, on the phone? So that’s what I do now and life is mucho better. I schedule far fewer service calls but end up grossing about the same amount of money and my job average has doubled from under $100/job to almost $200/job. But, here’s the kicker: fewer service calls means lower variable costs and a correspondingly healthier bottom line. And, most importantly, it means more time off for the really important things in life, like hiking.
Splicing in a new defrost thermostat on a refrigerator evaporator coil. Note the heat shrink on the splice connection. This is to prevent moisture from migrating into the splice connection and rotting it out. An alternate technique would be to use a dab of silicone in the open end of the terminal crimp connector. Pigtail wire nuts are not a reliable splice connector in this environment, crimp connections only.
This was one of the most spectacular hikes so far this year, rivalled only by the Edmands Col hike a week ago. There is an Edmands on this hike, too: Edmands Path. Bubba and I hiked Edmands Path for three miles up to the ridge where we picked up Crawford Path. Mt Eisenhower was just to the south of us and Mt. Monroe, our objective, was two miles to the north.
This was also a charmed hike: the weather forecasts threatened afternoon thunnderstorms and, for once, they were correct. And although an ominously dark thunderhead did take firing position directly overhead on the hike back down Edmands Path, it didn’t bust loose until the exact moment we reached the trail hog van and closed the door. I shi’ite you not!
The four pictures below are thumbnails– click ’em for a larger view. They were selected from the full set of photos of this hike, which you can see here.
Happy trails!
Heading up Edmands Path to the ridge. That’s Mt. Monroe in the center. Mt. Washington is to the left, partially occluded by the spring buds.
Looking back at Mt. Eisenhower. You can see Edmands Path cutting off to the right.
The view from Mt. Monroe. Mt. Washington looms before us. Glacial remnants on the right, the AMC Lakes of the Clouds hut on the left.
AT Thru-Hiker, Just Mark. He’s from Arizona. Started the AT February 22 in Georgia. About a month left ’till Katahdin. Go, Just Mark!
Went on a service call for a Fisher Paykel dishdrawer yesterday. Complaint was that the lower drawer would not start up. Diagnosis confirmed the complaint, the drawer would act as though it wasn’t closed all the way, would just give not-ready beeps when you closed it and pressed start.
I put the drawer into diagnostic mode by pressing and holding the Key Lock and Start buttons simultaneously. In diagnostic mode, I could review the current and previous error codes. Current code showed U2, drawer not closed error. The prime suspect in this case is always the drawer limit switch. On the DD602’s, the limit switch is located on the very back of the left drawer guide which means, you guessed it, the drawer needs to come out.
If you’ve not removed a drawer from a DD602, you’re in for a joy ride. This article has details on how to do it. Fisher Paykel has made several improvements in the DD603 models which have been gratefully received by Fisher Paykel servicers. The drawer linkage is chief among them. It’s actually not that bad, you just have to be patient and methodical.
Anyway, with the drawer out, the problem was plainly visible, as seen in the thumbnail photo below. Click it for a larger view.
Fisher Paykel DD602, broken drawer limit switch. You can see that the actuating lever on the switch has been broken and bent upwards, so it can no longer depress the switch button. Consequently, the dishdrawer’s CPU never knows the drawer is closed.