While a lot of people believe that trying to repair a home appliance will only make things worse, there are numerous benefits you should take into consideration. First of all, it saves you a lot of money, seeing how these repairs seldom come cheap. It also saves you quite a bit of time because you no longer have to wait for a free spot in a commercial repairman’s schedule. Lastly, it gives you a chance to be self-reliant which can be huge for your confidence.

By learning how to repair something, you get a hint of how it works and what causes these malfunctions. Needless to say, this makes your maintenance efforts much more efficient and these breakdowns much less probable. Of course, this does not mean that you should not call a repairman, but these tips might help you to avoid doing that too often.

1.      Fixing the Stove

While a lot of people might dread this as something too difficult to pull off, it isn’t nearly as complicated as it may sound! Even though stoves work on electricity, all you need to do is unplug them in order to make this repair completely hazard free. The most common issue with the electric stove is the bad burner. Here, all you need to do is replace a bad burner (or socket) and of course, replace the switch. You might want to use a continuity tester to see whether the latter might be necessary.

2.      Taking Care of the Garbage Disposal

When it comes to the garbage disposal, there are two things that might go wrong. You see, this device has a self-preservation mechanism that turns off the motor as soon as it gets too hot. This makes a lot of people panic and instantly call a handyman, when all they need to do is wait for it to get cool and just push the reset button. Other most common issue is usually related to having something stuck inside the mechanism, in which case you will have a bit more work. For this, though, you will either need an Allen wrench or a special disposal wrench.

3.      Fixing the Lights

Everyone knows how to replace a light bulb, but in a case where this is not the problem, most people don’t know what to do next. Well, checking the main electrical panel is as good place as any to start, but if this doesn’t help, you might want to consider giving your GFCI outlet a visit.

4.      Repairing the Air Conditioner

Sure, there are many different things that can go wrong with your AC unit, but the most common problem with it is usually a blown fuse. According to experts behind the finest quality airconditioning Sydney has to offer, this is a problem that is more or less exclusive to the older AC models, seeing how the new ones have a mechanism that prevents this problem.

5.      Mending the Dishwasher

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Like with the issues discussed in the garbage disposal segment, the reason why your dishwasher isn’t working is due to the fact that the filter is clogged. This is a problem that has the simplest fix of them all. Unplug the dishwasher and use a wet vacuum to clean off the screen. The greatest difficulty here is actually finding the plug, but this is something you can consult a user’s manual over if not, you can just check this online.

6.      Fixing Small Appliances

When it comes to the small appliances, in 9 out of 10 cases the controller is responsible for the problem. In other words, instead of replacing the entire device, all you need to do is find a way to replace the controller. First, however, you need to figure out the way in which they work. There is a basic division on thermostats, rheostats, timing mechanisms and solenoids. What they do here is open and close valves, turn on different parts of the appliance and control heating elements. All of this is a lot less scary than it may sound, still, you might need to watch a brief tutorial before you start messing around your toaster.

7.      Refrigerator Repairs

The most common malfunctions symptoms of a fridge are a fact that there is a problem with the icemaker, there’s a water leak and the fact that it makes too much noise. You see, taking your fridge to a handyman might cost you dearly, while a DIY project can be pulled off with as little as $20 in spare parts. Additionally, the repair doesn’t take more than few hours, which is more than worth the money you will save in this way.

8.      Taking Care of the Washing Machine Odors

People who wash a couple of washing machine loads each week and tend to leave the door closed between loads tend to get an unpleasant surprise over the course of time. Namely, the first thing they notice about their laundry is that it starts developing a specific mold-like odor, which is definitely not something you want to deal with. Instead of calling your repairman or even buying a new washing machine, you can get rid of the odor is get a mold cleaner and run the empty washing machine with it.

9.      Clothes Dryer Maintenance

There are many things that can go wrong with a clothes dryer, but the most common several issues are the trouble with drum support rollers, problem with a door switch and the lack of heat. Like with the above-listed issues, the parts are fairly cheap and the repair is, more or less, simple. Having a handyman pull it off, however, might cost you a few hundred dollars.

10. Fixing the Vacuum Cleaner

In the part where we discussed a DIY dishwasher repair, we mentioned a vacuum cleaner as the most vital piece of equipment, but what if the vacuum cleaner itself gets broken. Well, most commonly, this problem can be fixed by replacing the bag, cleaning the filters, making sure the airways are clean and most importantly, ensuring that the belt connects the brush roll and the drive shaft. Once you have all of this covered, your vacuum cleaner should be as good as new. The best part is that this usually doesn’t take more than several minutes.

In Conclusion

As you can see, most of these repairs are far from complicated and if you know what you’re doing, the chance of hurting yourself or making things worse is not very likely. Keep in mind, however, that safety always comes first, which is why you should never pry about an electrical appliance while it is still plugged in.

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