Adventures in domestic appliance repair (by a complete and utter noob)

After the success of my Kitchenaid repair (still going!) I've had the confidence to tackle some other appliances, rather than just throwing them out and buying new.  To be clear, I have pretty much zero experience in repair;  all of this has been done by trial and error, watching youtube, and a willingness to try.  I encourage anyone to give it a go;  as James Alun said in my Kitchenaid thread (thank you for the good advice):

James Alun wrote:The good thing about something being broken is that it’s already broken.  

In the spring, I replaced the torn/leaking gasket in my front loader washing machine:  that rubber seal around the rim of the opening of the machine.  I watched several youtube videos on several different machines (didn't find one of my exact machine) and decided to order a new gasket and give it a try;  the gasket cost about a quarter of what we had originally paid for the machine.  On a bright day when all of us were at home, my son (now 15) helped me get the old one off and then my husband joined us as a third pair hands to get the new one on--tricky, but altogether took us about 30 minutes, start to finish.  At one point my little daughter (now 5) was very blatantly doing something she wasn't allowed, but no one could let go of the gasket to stop her!

Then earlier this summer I lent my small food processor/blender to a colleague who had a very large block of cheese to grate:  resulting in a burnt out motor.  However, a little research showed that a new motor cost less than half the price of a new food processor.  Now, repair videos for food processors seem to be pretty thin on the ground, but I was confident it was a case of take it apart, pop out the old one, put in the new.  Yes! but... getting the thing apart really stumped us all.  We could take the outer casing off, but the coupling mechanism (that plastic bit with the prongs where the blender attaches onto the motor drive shaft) just didn't want to budge.  After a couple of weeks of sitting on it and researching a little more, we discovered that blender couplings are usually reverse threaded.  All it took was the husband securing the drive shaft with needle nosed pliers while I twisted the coupling the wrong way.  Off!  And it was just a case of old motor out, new one in:  two wires to detach and reattach.

And riding the high of the food processor repair, that very same day my husband got our vacuum cleaner going again, which hadn't turned on in a week.  We were almost sure it was the on/off switch as it's been an issue for a little while, requiring several pushes to turn either on or off.  He took off the plate, cleaned it out a bit, and that was that:  our floors are clean again!

some years ago I had a small laptop computer whose hard drive decided to die after about a month, and I was in a different country than the one I bought it in, so no warranty or repair. I also had an external hard drive that the internet reassured me would fit inside the computer. I opened the little thing up and swapped them out, following general internet instructions (this before youtube, even!) despite my total ignorance of electronics, and wouldn't you know it worked! I was so pleased!
The advice of "it's already broken" is so liberating. And it is super rewarding to know that through your own effort, something is living longer! Good for you!

With all of the repair sites, there is an amazing amount of resources available for someone with limited technical aptitude.

I wanted to mention, there could be times when a product is still under warranty, but you fix it yourself anyway.

We had a fridge defrost timer go bad on a fridge/freezer that was still under warranty. To get someone out to look, would have take several weeks. They don't carry many parts, maybe none at all nowadays, so another trip would need to be scheduled after the repair eval.

The part was $15. Replaced in about 5 mins. It was absolutely worth it to DIY for us to have the unit back up and running.

I congratulate you for taking on learning to fix appliances.

As a teenager I learned to repair TVs.  I would not take that on today.

My wife driver her sister's "modern" car. Motorized windows/automatic transmission/central locking/door cup holder.

Guess what? the door mirror turn indicator blew.

What [redacted] [redacted]!.

You had to change the WHOLE unit to fix that!

Clearly a case of one step forwards, multiple steps backwards.

I went to my favourite spare parts shop to get 12V amber lamps.

What could go wrong? I watched videos on youtube on dismantling it.

I thought I was prepared. Boy was I wrong.
OK I got the delicate motorized mirror out without breaking it.
It was different. There were no lamps to exchange. It was tiny circuit boards
with amber LEDS. Plot twist.

What the heck. I already invested in the lamps. So I soldered a couple
across the LEDS.

Fixed without too much environmental impact. Sheesh. What were
the designers thinking.

As a bonus, here is my fix for an unobtanium belt for a
Tiffany beadmaker:

I was forced into repairing our dryer about 25 years ago.  Out of warranty and no money to pay someone to fix it.  I had a big thick book someone had given me a few years prior that happened to have repairs of many appliances in it.   A clothes dryer was one of them.  $5 part, a few curse words from cut knuckles and it was back in service.  Lasted for about 15 more years before we sold it.

That got me started NOT spending money on things I might be able to fix myself.  Since then I have managed to fix almost every household appliance we had that broke, and that was almost everything we owned !  Not having much money back then we bought a lot of used things.  (6 years ago when we were building our new home we bought new appliances across the board.  Stove and dishwasher both had problems and the same as Josh, getting someone out to fix them was several weeks timeline,  a few $ for parts on both items and I had them running in a couple days.)

I did maintenance and remodeling for several years and fixed a lot of different items for people.  Always told them "time and materials and taillight warranty".  (warranty was good as long as they could see my taillights.  :-)

I the last few years I believe I have earned a "doctorate" in YouTubing fixes and doing projects.

Edward Lye wrote:

Sheesh. What were
the designers thinking.

They were thinking the company could sell an expensive part and the labor to remove old broken and replace new not broken.  They were thinking job security.

Many light fixtures marketed for our homes have integral LEDs, which they say will last for 15 years….

The sales people try to use this as a selling point.  You don’t need to replace lightbulbs!  You just buy a new light fixture, and hire a pro to install it!

Sheesh is right!

Thekla McDaniels wrote:

They were thinking the company could sell an expensive part and the labor to remove old broken and replace new not broken.  They were thinking job security.

The door mirror assembly was NOT available even if you wanted to "fix" it. Imagine even that. No spare parts. And there are so many sub-models of this type which is why those YouTube videos didn't come close.

I don't even dare touch anything in the engine bay apart from the battery even when I have dismantled my 1985 3-cylinder distributor down to the ball bearing to give it a clean. Once . . . once when I was much younger, I even opened the vacuum diaphragm to patch the leak.

They already have job security.

Most folks send theirs to the authorized workshop.

Up there was my previous post about replacing  burnt out turn indicator lamps.

In contrast, the most painstaking repair job in my career was fixing an IBM 7017 machine. It was relocated by someone else and when they couldn't power it on, i was called in.

The computer is about the size of your two-door fridge. The manual was terse. The power switch ran through a cable plugged into the motherboard to reach the power supplies. So if it isn't the switch, it is the motherboard. To replace the motherboard, you tore out everything in front of the motherboard and everything in the back.

Plot twist - after replacing the motherboard, it still wouldn't power on.

Guess what? I had encountered the first bug of it's kind in the universe. IF a certain number of "bulk power supplies" were not working, you get this exact condition. Apparently, one of then hung on just long enough until it was powered off. Each bulk power supply had one green LED.

The designers never thought to factor this in the diagnostics/troubleshooting guide - they have since UPDATED that.

Guess what? Since the customer's motherboard was not at fault, I would have to reinstall it.

It took a good week. I had long ago asked that relocations should begin with a power cycle of the entire system before disconnecting anything. It would gave caught "surprises" like this.

Bear with me. I am coming to the point.

So that's why I refuse to touch anything in my sister-in-laws car except for the car battery.

I just came across this video which reinforces the point and brings me to my knees. My 7017 ordeal is nothing compared to this.
Watch and you will understand.

It is the PERFECT cautionary tale. It hurts just to watch it.



So be grateful every time your plane lands without incident.

Years ago, we took a tax refund and bought what we thought would be our last refrigerator, a Kitchen Aid side by side. It died within 6 weeks. After various exciting "adventures" between us and the store we bought it from and Kitchen Aid (which included sending a part to Alaska!) it would work, then fail again... we did this 3 times. The store finally got us a "loaner" while they tried, again, to figure it out. There was a freon leak. There wasn't enough tubing to attach the mechanism with the colored smoke to find the leak. They tried and tried again and again.

We finally got a new copy of the fridge from Kitchen Aid. It died 6 years later, or started to and we replaced it at the first hint of trouble because of the issues before we knew there would be no real repairs available, probably. We bought a smaller Fisher & Pakel, which we still have.

At one point in my youth, I spent 3 months working for Sears on washers & dryers. My partner is handy.  But our long-term solution to this problem was to buy a convertible fridge/freezer, so we have a backup, also, if we stay here, a California closet and/or a root cellar is in my plans. The fridge/freezer are needed most critically for: milk, eggs, cheese, any meats, and ice cream. I can live with a lot less space than I have if I have to -- and I will.

The lack of repair-ability has gotten us to consider, seriously, the difference between convenience and what we really need. We could make do with a cold storage (like the root celler/CA closet) and small apartment sized units, instead of bigger ones. I'd rather have a ceramic fridge with no moving parts or an apartment size fridge than go through what we did with the KA.

Ugh, Jennie! My mom had a very similar experience with her KA stove. I've heard much the same from others who have purchased large KA appliances. They used to do extremely well with small appliances, which is how they built their reputation. Unfortunately, even their famous stand mixers are now made with nylon gears, instead of steel, and wear out quickly, if heavier doughs (like bread) are made in them, often. It's sad, because they used to be one of those things that could be passed from one generation to the next. That said, mine is almost 25yrs old, and only just beginning to complain a bit, with those heavy doughs. I think mine must have come a year or two before they made that change. My hope is that they saw the error of their ways, and switched back to steel.

Hot Point, GE, and Frigidaire all used to make a beasty tank of an appliance, that could keep running through almost anything. Oh, how I'd LOVE to have my grandma's old refrigerator!!

As it is, I now have need to learn large appliance repair, to troubleshoot our now dead freezer, to see if I can fix it - or if even then, it would be more cost efficient to simply turn it into storage for dry goods, and buy a new one. Not exactly in the budget, but here we are.

They definately don't make stuff like they used to..
My in-laws gave us their old fridge when they upgraded.  That was around 30+ years ago.  We gave it to one of our kids when we moved 6 years ago.  He still has it in his garage and it is working great yet !  It has never had to be fixed in any way, even the freon is still going strong.

We moved into our current house in 1973. My parents bought
a National fridge to replace the probably a Kelvinator.
It was smaller with the freezer atop the fridge compartment.
I plugged a power meter and found that the power consumption
averages 97W. There is no fan outside because the walls are
the heatsink. So there is no need to clean dust from the coil.

It has only failed ONCE. The circuit board was replaced and
now it chuggs along fine. We never had trouble with the
freon/refrigerant because unlike a car air conditioner,
the fridge has a completely sealed system.
No joints/hoses/ports. So a Freon leak is bizarre.

We bought a backup "fridge" during the repair.
I used the icecube trick. Keep an ice cube in a cup in the
freezer. If it melted, you have a problem or a power outage
so your meat might have expired.

The backup was a small Hisense unit. I don't consider it a
fridge because it is basically an exposed ice box sitting
above the trays. There is a huge ice build up. BUT the
surprising thing is the power consumption - a miserly 17 W.
How is that possible? Well, the dirty secret that your
fridge has is the defrost cycle. There is a heater inside
the fridge that toasts the coil to melt the ice on the freezer
coil. That is one reason why fridges can catch fire. This
defrost cycle and the constantly on blower is the reason for
the high consumption. It is higher if you have an icemaker.

One day I will sneak a telephone wire into the Hisense and
power a PC fan from an external car battery. It will help
even out the temperature.

The Hisense is a cheap unit while our washing machine is a
discounted display unit. Bargain prices. Due to unattended
cooking near-fires, the gas cooker has been retired.
We are now on induction. I choose my induction stove by
looking at the fan. Does it have a generous grille and is
it high enough that it has unobstructed airflow? Our oven
is a Russell Taylor oven door type air fryer. Chicken wings
come out fully cooked and perfectly juicy at 195C for 13mins.
The rotisserie  drum roasts cashews perfectly.
The Missus is a happy camper.

I believe this guy knows his stuff.

Maybe someone can help me.  I have a whirlpool/amana top loading washer I got in a house purchase.

The washer has cracks in the drain hose.  I can’t find the model number.  Not visible from the top outside or near the control panel.  Also not visible with the lid up…. I even deflected the drum in all directions, no model number.

My best plan at this point is to pull the washer out away from the wall, remove the drain hose and take it to the appliance store with the largest parts inventory

Any suggestions?

Hi Thekla,

You have a good strategy. If you do not find what you want, would you might attempt an automotive store or one that services farm machinery.  I have gone to junk yards and had them dig up serviceable replacement hoses and belts .

Thekla McDaniels wrote: The washer has cracks in the drain hose.  

I faced the same problem and after examining the material of the hose,
realized that this would be a recurring problem. Regular expenses, more
trash. Not good. If you watch the video, there is little room to work
and I would need to shift the whole machine someplace else every
time I needed to work on the hose.

So I did a repair that would last a lifetime.

I repurposed a broken bucket I found along the road. I then drilled a hole through the
bucket and drove a plastic pipe through it. Just a tight fit. Drill a smaller hole.
Pass a candle flame around the edge of the holes and push the pipe through.
I cut the rim to fit the supports. If I drilled enough exit holes, this would not
overflow.

BUT before that, I marked the section that remained in the bucket and drilled holes
into this to allow the water to drain. I fitted one end to another rescued/discarded
hose and ran it to a clump of banana plants.

And because I like dual purpose equipment, I friction fitted a joint at the other end
that would divert water into the drain if needed. It is as high as the bucket rim.
If water overflows here, I have a problem.

NOTE: There is some slight leakage but since the washer is so close to the
            drain, I am not bothered. You need to seal the all the joints if it is a problem.

I have attached a diagram that presents this in a single panel.

Next, I gathered gravel/pebbles and filled 4 small plastic pails(I also drilled
drainage holes) and elevated the washing machine on these. To dampen vibration,
some kind of plastic foam - expanded polyethylene perhaps?  Definitely not expanded
polystyrene.

When you buy an umbrella, you get these fabric sheaths. I found one and tied
one end to the outlet -  I think with a constrictor knot.
The other end I cut open and let it dangle freely into the bucket.

It has worked for years. See how growth has covered the black hose.
I bought the correct size that just fit the hose. Some water leaks here.
It is the spiral reinforcement that leaves a gap.
If you need to seal this, try surgical tape.

Breeding mosquitoes? If you do 3 loads a week, it shouldn't
be a problem. On vacation, drizzle some diswashing liquid
into the bucket.

My advice? Ditch the idea of replacing the hose.

Modify as required.
Your results might vary.



No animals were harmed in the making of this video.

Great ideas, thanks!

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Maybe someone can help me.  I have a whirlpool/amana top loading washer I got in a house purchase.

The washer has cracks in the drain hose.  I can’t find the model number.  Not visible from the top outside or near the control panel.  Also not visible with the lid up…. I even deflected the drum in all directions, no model number.

My best plan at this point is to pull the washer out away from the wall, remove the drain hose and take it to the appliance store with the largest parts inventory

Any suggestions?

Frequently, there's a serial number on the top, back left corner (if you're facing the machine). It also usually mentions the manufacturer and model number. With the appropriate model/manufacturer info, you should be able to find the appropriate part. Sometimes, the Sears machines I worked on were so old/dirty, the panel with the info wasn't easy to see. The other place it could be is on any access panels at the bottom again in back. The access panels are made to be removed so techs can clean buttons, etc. out.

The number would be facing the wall. Sometimes techs used mirrors on a stick to be able to read it so they could do it without pulling the machine all the way out from the wall.

Jennie, a mirror on a stick!  great idea!

Thanks

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Jennie, a mirror on a stick!  great idea!

Thanks

The new normal would be a selfie stick and video recording on.