How to Repair Major Appliances

The first thing you should understand is that your household appliances run off of your home's electrical system. Large appliances often need a 220-240 volt wiring and cannot be used in your house's standard 110-120 volt circuits. However, all appliances have their power requirements written in the owner's guide or on the appliance itself.

Large household appliances are fairly complex machines, so sometimes it can be unclear what has caused the problem. The first step to finding out where the malfunction is to decide whether it is in a mechanical device or a control device. Let's take a dryer for example, the control parts control the heat, and the mechanical devices control the drum. So if the drum tumbles, but the dryer does not heat, then you are looking at a control problem. On the other hand, if the dryer heats up, but it doesn't tumble, then you are looking at a mechanical problem. In most large household appliances you can use this method to find out where your problem is located.

Now, before you begin to repair your appliance you will need to keep three very important tips in mind. Always double check that your appliance is disconnected from the power outlet and from any gas supply. Most appliances are held together with various screws and bolts. However, if any of the parts are held together with a weld or rivets you should not try to repair the appliance yourself - call a serviceman. Also, broken parts can be replaced more easily than trying to repair them either yourself or by a professional. Replace any worn parts - you can usually find a replacement by looking up your model number online. Always refer to the owner's manual if you are installing the part yourself.

The first task of how to repair major appliances is to check if it is connected to the power outlet. It may sound dumb, but with washers it is especially common to find that they have "walked" or wiggled themselves away from the wall and they come unplugged that way. Sometimes the power outlet itself is not getting power, and you can easily test this by plugging in something into that outlet and see if it works. Check to see if any fuses or circuits have blown too. If your appliance uses gas or water, check to make sure they are receiving a sufficient supply. Don't forget that you can always check the owner's manual for helpful information and troubleshooting for your appliance.

Next, I'll go over how to properly and safely disassemble your appliance, and how to put it back together once you have completed the repair. You should refer your owner's manual for the assembly diagrams and instructions. Remember that you will have to put your appliance back together again so you should keep a bucket nearby for screws and bolts, and lay out the parts in the order in which you removed them. If you will be disconnecting any wires, label them so you know where they go. Begin with removing the knobs and other fasteners. Most knobs just pull right off of the shaft, and some others you can twist off, others are held on by pins or clips. The housing panels are usually held together by screws, or held in place by clips. Never try to force parts apart, look for hidden fasteners. Sometimes fasteners can be hidden under a company logo or nameplate, under a plastic plug, or at the bottom of the appliance. Before reassembling a major appliance, vacuum the inside and remove all the lint and dust. Check for any other problems and make any adjustments or repairs. If the appliance uses a motor, lubricate it and make sure electrical contacts are clean. Reassemble the appliance in reverse of the way you took it apart. Never force parts together, or tighten the fasteners too much. Make sure any moving parts don't bind. After you put your appliance back together, connect the power and turn it on. If your appliance overheats, makes weird noises, smells, or doesn't work, turn off the power and do a once over of your repair again.

In summary, if you follow these tips on how to repair major appliances you will save a ton of money by doing the repairs yourself, and also you will get a better understanding of how your appliance works.

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