DIY Appliance Repair Tips

Wait! Before you get the itch to call an appliance repair in Bowie for help, you can keep your household appliances running like new with the help of the troubleshooting tips in this post.

1. Smelly Washing Machine

The presence of a unpleasant smell in a washing machine defeats the reason for the appliance! If you’re in the process of trying to wash your clothes so that they are fresh and clean, but your washer is not cooperating, run an empty cycle in hot water with 2 cups of white vinegar and a half-cup of baking soda to get rid of the odor. This problem frequently happens in front-loading washing machines. To prevent future odors, leave the door open between cycles to let it dry out.

2. Inefficient Refrigerant

A room-temperature fridge is not a welcome sign. A warm refrigerator definitely will not keep beverages cold or refreshing, and the food inside could also be in danger of spoiling! In many cases, your refrigerator will not need professional repair; interior could just need a cleaning. Or the coils on the back panel of the refrigerator need cleaning.

Unplug the appliance and pull it out from the kitchen wall prior to wiping down the refrigerator coils. If you do not notice instant cooling improvement, it is a good idea to hire a professional appliance repair service in Bowie for a diagnosis.

3. Clicking Igniter on Stove

If the igniter on your gas-powered stove continues to click and the burner doesn’t light, look to be sure the burner lid is tightened and correctly aligned. You might experience this if you’ve recently had a boil over or liquid spill on your stove top.

Otherwise, the source is probably a dirty igniter. To clean the igniter on a gas stove, take off the burner lid and clear off any loose dirt. You can use a metal clothes pin to pick debris from the grooves. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, it is safest to not disassemble a lighter unless you have the training; in this case call a professional appliance repairman to diagnose the problem.

4. Broken Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal comes with self-protection in the form of an overload trip. If it is filled up, overheats, grinds for too much time, or has another problem, your disposal might simply need to be reset instead of replaced. You should be sure the switch is OFF. Then, find the reset switch on the disposal unit beneath the sink and then press the switch. If the button will not stay in, just wait a few minutes and then try again. Turn on the water from the faucet and then press the button on.

If the garbage disposal is filled up with food and you the only noise you hear is a humming sound instead of the grinding of food, you may need to unwind the disposal blades using a hex key tool to clear the jam. Then, push in the reset button to get the garbage disposal working again. If these tips do not get the appliance working like it should, don’t give in to the temptation to put your hands down into the disposal to investigate. Be safe and arrange service with a professional appliance service in Bowie.

5. No Power from Outlet

In the kitchen or bathroom, your electrical outlets need to be equipped with GFCI switches in order to protect people against harm in wet areas. If a GFCI electrical outlet is not generating power, press the red button to see if that will restore juice.

If it doesn’t, or if you’re trying a typical electrical outlet, make sure that a breaker has not tripped in the breaker box. If you’re not sure if a breaker has been tripped, flip it to the OFF position and then flip it back onto the ON position. Remember, safety near electrical outlets is a must. Should you have concerns, call a professional repairman.

6. Wobbling Washing Machine

A wobbling washer will create a obnoxious banging and is not a good process to wash clothing. If yours starts banging, the appliance may be broken. To fix this issue, turn the legs on the machine to lower or lift each corner until it is balanced. One other likely situation is that the unit is not leveled. Lift open the top and rearrange the clothing items so that they are more dispersed inside of the drum of the washing machine.

Doing this could help your washer to not need to work as hard. If you do try to arrange the clothes a few times to no avail, do not ignore the problem. You might have a loose drum or motor mount to fix, which is easy for a professional technician to fix. But if you continue to use the washer with this issue could destroy some of the other components and result in a worse repair down the road.

Call for Help

If these suggestions are able to fix your problems, you can schedule an appointment from Renew Appliance Repair!

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