DIY Appliance Repair Tips

Wait! Before you get the itch to call an appliance repair in Spring for help, you can keep your household appliances in good shape with the tips in this post.

1. Smelly Washing Machine

A foul smell in a washer can defeat the reason for owning the appliance! If you are trying to get your clothes so they’re fresh and clean, but the unit isn’t cooperating, run an cycle with no clothes/laundry in hot water and pour in two cups of white vinegar and a half-cup of baking soda to remove the odor. This issue often occurs in front-loading washers. To prevent future smells, prop the door open between washes so it can dry out.

2. Inefficient Refrigerant

A room-temperature fridge in the kitchen is never a good sign. A warm refrigerator will not keep beverages cool or refreshing, and the food inside might also be on the verge of going rotten! In most cases, your refrigerator will not be in need of professional repair; it might just need a cleaning. Or the coils on the back panel of the unit are in need of cleaning.

Unplug the appliance and move it away from the kitchen wall prior to cleaning the coils. If you don’t see immediate cooling improvement, it is a good idea to contact an appliance repair service.

3. Clicking Igniter on Stove

If the igniter on your gas-powered oven continues to click and the burner doesn’t light, check to make sure your burner top is in place and correctly aligned. You may notice this issue if you’ve had a recent boil over or liquid spill on your stove top.

If that’s not the case, the cause is probably a dirty igniter. To clean the igniter on a gas stove, first remove the burner cap and wipe away any loose dirt. You can use a clothes pin to pick dirt from the grooves of the igniter. If that does not fix the problem, it’s safest to not take a lighter apart without the right training; hire a professional appliance repair company to investigate the issue.

4. Broken Garbage Disposal

A sink’s garbage disposal comes with self-protection in the form of an overload trip switch. If it gets clogged, overheats, grinds for too much time, or has some other issue, your disposal could just have to be reset rather than fixed. You should be sure the switch is turned OFF. Next, find the switch on the disposal beneath the sink and then press the switch. If the button will not stay pushed in, just wait ten minutes and then press it again. Turn on the water from the faucet and turn the switch on.

If the disposal in the kitchen sink is clogged with food and you only hear a humming noise rather than the grinding of food, you could need to turn the disposal blades with a hex key to clear the clog. Then, press the reset switch to get the garbage disposal running again. If these tips don’t get the appliance working like it is supposed to, don’t give in to the temptation to shove one of your arms down in the blades to investigate. Be safe and arrange service with a professional appliance repairman in Spring.

5. No Power from Outlet

In the kitchen or bathroom, the outlets should be installed with GFCI switches to protect people from harm in wet areas. If a GFCI outlet is not generating power, push the red switch to see if that will restore power.

If it does not, or if you’re trying on a basic outlet, make sure that a breaker has not been tripped in your circuit breaker box. If you’re uncertain if a circuit breaker was tripped, switch it to the OFF position and back to the ON position. But remember, safety by electricity is critical. Should you have any concerns, call a professional.

6. Wobbling Washing Machine

A shaking washer will create a obnoxious racket and isn’t a great method to clean clothes. If your washer is abruptly shaking around, the unit could be in trouble. To repair this problem, turn the legs of the washing machine to lift or lower each corner until it’s straightened out. Another possible situation is that the appliance is not balanced. Open the lid and move around the clothes so that they’re evenly dispersed inside of the drum of the washing machine.

Trying this should help the washer not need to work quite as hard. If you do try to rearrange the clothes a couple of times without success, do not ignore the issue. You could have a loosened motor or drum mount to deal with, which is easy enough for a professional repairman to fix. But if you continue to operate the washing machine with this problem could break other parts and result in a more significant repair down the road.

Call for Help

If these tips can solve your issues, you can schedule an appointment from Spring Appliance Repair NOW!

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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Safety
Emergency Appliance Repair
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts