Small Home Appliances » Appliance Repair

Home Inspection And Appliances

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:14:39 +0000

Home inspection standards seldom specify that household appliances must be inspected by the professional home inspector. There are a number of reasons for this. For example, many times the appliances go with the seller so they will not be in the house after closing. Other times, there are no appliances in the home because it is brand new or, in an older home, they were worn out and were disposed of. A problem with trying to evaluate used appliances is the difficulty in doing so accurately. Even an appliance repair professional will be reluctant to try to predict the longevity or remaining life of a used household appliance.

The inspector does not want to make wild predictions about the unknown so, when appliance inspections are done at all, there are a few guidelines. These procedures may vary from one inspector to another, and from one appliance to another, but here are some basics. With a refrigerator or freezer, an inspector tries to determine if it is cooling and whether or not it is broken or rusted inside. Another common problem, that should be checked, is the condition of the door gaskets that are often found to be torn.

Ranges, gas and electric, should be checked for the basics: Do the burners, the oven and the broiler all heat? With a gas range there might be more safety checks but complicated functions, like the working of the oven timer or the calibration of the thermostat are beyond the scope of the inspection.

When the dishwasher is run, the inspector makes sure that it operates and that no water leaks show up around it on the floor or under the sink. A dishwasher, depending on the jurisdiction or circumstances, might require an air-gap. This device is a safeguard that keeps contaminated water from entering into the potable water system. In a related matter, the food disposal is usually run and the primary concern there is that it does not leak, that it is not heavily rusted and that it does not sound like it is flying apart.

As described above, kitchen appliances are commonly viewed by the inspector but laundry appliances, when they are present at all, may or may not be operated depending on a number of factors that the inspector takes into account at the time.

By: Eric Badgely

Appliance Repair & Maintenance – Houston, TX & Katy, TX

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:42:10 +0000

I’m back to tell you the importance of maintenance on your appliance. These Tips are directed to your Refrigerator, Ice Machine and Dryer, of course the Brand of the machine does not matter (Example: Whirlpool, Kenmore) etc…

Save Time and money! Create a maintenance schedule on your appliances. Do it yourself by checking your manual. Most people don’t even look at the manual of their appliance. If you don’t have your manual, you can try to look it up online or call the manufacture of your appliance.

Maintenance tips

Ice Machines:

The type of Ice Machine I’m referring to is a Stand Alone Ice Machine. Mostly manufactured by: Kitchen Aid ,Whirlpool… This Ice Machine’s have a evaporator plate that water runs over to create a block of ice. After time this plate needs to be cleaned or the block of ice will not drop into the cutting grid or will take longer than normal to drop, creating problems with your appliance.

To solve this problem you can put your ice machine in clean mode and use cleaner to clean your ice machine. Directions for this are normally on the ice machine door. If not found there you can get a basic cleaning method off the cleaning bottle. I recommend a nickel save cleaner. As always please check your manual. Ps make sure you rinse the system with clean water after cleaning. The cleaner is a acid cleaner. If you don’t think you can does this please call an appliance pro.

Dryers:

Is your dryer taking too long to dry your clothes? The first thing you should check is your outside vent. Some vents are located on your roof, so please be careful if you’re going to do this yourself. Some are located on the outside wall behind the dryer and can easily be cleared out. If you’re going to call a repair service to clear your vent you should ask if they clear vents, some appliance companies don’t clean venting.

If your vent is clear and you’re still having same problem: call a appliance service company.

Refrigerators:

Most Refrigerators have condenser coils that need to be cleaned. These coils keep the compressor cool and help the performance of the machine, saving you Money. Of course check your manual for the location of these coils and if there accessible from the front of the machine you can get a coil brush cleaner to clean the condenser coils. Use the coil cleaning brush for this job. You can usually get one at home depot or Lows at the appliance area; just ask for a refrigerator coil cleaning brush.

By: Donald Rowan

Testing The Electrical Usage of Your Appliances

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:29:01 +0000

One of the biggest power drains in your home is the electrical appliance. Testing it can let you know just how much energy is being used and whether there is a problem.

The United Kingdom and Australia both have very formal government programs that set very strict requirements on the testing of electrical appliances used in the work place. In the United Kingdom this program is known as the PAT or Portable Appliance Testing.

The appliances are checked on a routine basis and tagged to show that the inspection and testing has been accomplished. It has been found that almost one quarter of reportable accidents in the work place involve faulty electrical appliances. The PAT program has been in effect since 1974. It applies to all appliances used by workers on the job. It also applies to any appliances that might be used by the public such as in a hotel or hospital. Further, it also applies to any appliance repair shop or anywhere that appliances are loaned or rented.

The testing is supposed to be done by electricians that are well trained and under proper supervision. There is as much concern for the tester as well as for the users of the equipment. The PAT program has led to the development of several different types of testing equipment that is can be used. The equipment is generally divided into three main groups. The first is the simple pass/fail type of equipment. This type is pre-set to a certain standard and the appliance either passes the test or fails it. This type of tester has the disadvantage of not allowing for much interpretation of the results. The second type is more programmable and does allow for different settings to help diagnose the problems. The third type is connected to a computer that allows a complete diagnosis of the system. This type is especially useful for use on IT equipment.

The United States does not have a program quite the equal of PAT testing and the European and Australian versions of it. The US does have strict electrical codes and OSHA involvement in the work place. It is more the responsibility of the individual business owner to procure the proper testing equipment. Equipment such as oscilloscopes and cable testers are available for purchase or rental. A homeowner can make use of testing equipment to make periodical checks of his own.

The most important testing equipment for the homeowner remains his eyes, however. A visual check of connections and of the condition of wires is the first step in any electrical evaluation.

By: Donny Tee

Used Appliance Parts

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:33:24 +0000

With the growing environmental concerns facing the world today, it only makes sense to use and reuse appliance parts that are still working properly. Why contribute to waste when you can help lessen it? Knowing how to buy and dispose of used appliance parts can not only save and make you money, but also help you contribute to environmental preservation.

Buying used appliance parts. Second-hand appliance parts are widely available over the Internet or in your local electrical shops, and they’re usually sold at half the price of brand new parts. Ask your technician if you can cut costs by buying used parts. Remember that it is better to invest in brand new parts in some cases, so seek professional advice.

If you have some knowledge of appliance repair, you can probably purchase and install these used parts yourself to save even more money. Beware of low-quality used appliance parts, though, because you may have to replace them after only a short period of time, causing you to spend more than you would have if you just bought brand new parts. Buy used appliance parts only from trusted dealers. They will disclose information on what the condition of the used part really is and advise you accordingly.

Selling used appliance parts. Instead of throwing away your used appliances, why not make some money out of them? Take them apart and sell components that are still working either directly to individual buyers or to local shops that specialize in second-hand appliance parts.

To sell directly to individual buyers, try looking at wanted ads in forums and other buy-and-sell sites; you are likely to find someone who needs an appliance part you happen to have. You can also post ads of your merchandise yourself and wait for interested buyers to contact you.

To sell your used appliance parts to a local shop, simply bring them in for an appraisal. Expect the shop to buy it from you at a low price – after all, they need to resell the parts at a profit. This option is best if you do not have time to sell your used appliance parts individually. The shop will likely buy in bulk and pay you upfront.

By: Damian Sofsian

Free Appliance Repair Manuals

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:07:50 +0000

To help you get the appropriate guidance that you need to be able to repair your home appliances, there are a number of repair manuals that you can buy or download from various web sites. The good news is that there are a lot of web sites that offer repair manuals for free, especially the web sites of the manufacturers of the appliances. They use these manuals as a way of providing customer service. Apart from the web sites of the manufacturers, there are also a number of web sites that offer free repair manuals. These web sites are usually do-it-yourself web sites that provide very important information with regard to appliance parts and repair. However, the free repair manuals that these web sites offer still come with a price, although it would not involve having to pay a single dollar.

The ?Price? of Free Repair Manuals

Usually, do-it-yourself web sites ?earn? through advertising. This is because appliance manufacturers advertising on these web sites usually have an advertising arrangement with the web site. Usually, these arrangements state that the advertiser would pay a certain amount of money for every verifiable sale that results from the advertisement or for every time a person visits the site of the advertiser by clicking on the link that is placed on the web site. Given this, do-it-yourself web sites encourage their visitors to click on the links of their advertisers and, if possible, they also encourage their visitors to purchase items from their advertisers. This is because doing so can allow them to gain access to the funds that they need to maintain their web site as a result of the proceeds they would get from the advertising arrangements that they have with their advertisers.

Repair manuals are some of the best sources of information that you need to repair your own home appliances. The good news is that they are readily available from a number of web sites that either sell them at very low prices or provide them for free. However, free repair manuals also come with a price because the web sites that give them out for free depend on the funds that they get from the advertising arrangements they have with advertisers who places their ads on their web sites. Given this, one way of making sure that you would have access to free information is to take a few seconds and click on the links on the web site you are visiting.

By: Seth Miller

The Cost Of Appliance Repair

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:42:58 +0000

Appliances generally last for years, especially when maintained properly. Proper maintenance actually reduces the incidents of faulty functioning considerably. When a household appliance stops working, you have two choices. You can either repair the appliance or replace it. To take the right decision several factors need to be considered. First and foremost check up on the age of the appliance and its warranty period. If the warranty period is still on, the repair may cost nothing or less than what it would have cost otherwise.

Assuming that the warranty period is over and that repair is going to be costly, then you need to analyze a few points. You should begin by getting an estimate of the cost involved. If the cost is about 50% of the cost of a new appliance then it is worth getting the repair done. Otherwise it would make more sense to just upgrade to a newer model. A very old appliance may present you with the problem of hard-to- find spare parts. Substitutes for original spare parts are not a very good idea. Chances are they would create more problems than solutions. If this proves to be a stumbling block then dump the appliance and treat yourself to a new one. Newer models are generally energy efficient. This will translate into considerable savings and over the years the cost will be justified.

Appliance repairs are usually billed on an hourly basis. Average rates for the first half an hour could vary between $50- $70. For every subsequent time block the rates would be lesser. $10 – $20 could well be the average range for the later time slabs. Lesser rates are charged if the appliance is taken to the service shop. At times the rates could be decided on a job basis. This would be beneficial for the customer as then he wouldn?t have to worry over the time being taken.

Overtime calls, i.e., calls taken after business hours, on weekends and on holidays are generally charged extra. The charges could well be up to 25% more. So unless it is an emergency, an overtime repair call is not a very good idea.

By: Seth Miller

Appliance Repair Manuals

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:50:32 +0000

One of the best ways to save money on repairs for your appliances is to do them yourself. Hiring a repairman can be very expensive, and bringing your appliances to repair shops would also mean additional costs in transporting them on top of the service fees that you have to pay. However, unlike simple home repairs like fixing the sink, repairing appliances is a more complicated process because tinkering with appliances means tinkering with complicated technology. As a result, you need the proper guidance before you begin to take your appliance apart. Fortunately, repair manuals can provide the appropriate guidance that you need to effectively repair your appliances.

Sources of repair manuals

One of the best sources for repair manuals is the Internet because there are a number of web sites that offer them. Among these web sites are those of appliances manufacturers. They provide these repair manuals as a way of providing customer service to their customers. Usually, these manufacturers offer these manuals for free, which consumers can access either by having them shipped to them or by downloading a digital copy of the repair manual, which they can print. One of the advantages of getting repair manuals directly from the manufacturer is that you can get the exact information on the specific model of appliance that you want to repair.

However, there are also other web sites, which are usually do-it-yourself web sites, that offer repair manuals for some of the more common types of appliances, including refrigerators and dishwashers. Usually, these web sites sell these manuals to consumers. The average price for one manual is about $12 to $13, but you can avail yourself of discounts on these manuals when you buy more than one or if you buy the packages that these web sites offer.

One of the best ways to save on repairs is to do them yourself because when you do, all you need to pay for are the replacement parts that you need to install. However, repairing appliances can be very complicated because of the nature of these items. Fortunately, there are a number of good sources of information in the form of repair manuals from which you can get the appropriate guidance you need to be able to effectively repair your appliances.

By: Seth Miller