Appliance Repair Tips to Try Before Calling in the Pros

Appliance repair very often calls for the services of a trained professional. Thank heavens this is so or else we would be out of business. Sometimes, however, professionals arrive to repair appliances that don’t exactly require the high level of training they bring to the job. Owning a few basic tools and applying a few easy tips can prevent this situation.

• Multimeter

A reliable multimeter can be bought for less than $20 and comes in handy on pretty much every appliance in the house that might be in need of repair. Some of those repairs can be DIY jobs while others may call for someone with significantly more experience. A multimeter can come in handy for determining whether the problem is electrical in nature. For instance, a multimeter could tell you whether whether the problem with your washing machine is due to electricity not reaching the time motor or whether the fact that a burner on the stove is not working because of a loose wire or due to an element that needs to be replaced. One word of advice on multimeters: make sure you know exactly how it supposed to operate so that you won’t make the mistake of calling for appiance repair service due to a bad battery in the multimeter.

• Circuit Breaker Panel

One of the most useful appliance repair tips you can put into action is this: get to know your circuit breaker panel. Know exactly where it is located so that you can reach it in completely darkness if necessary. Test each circuit breaker so that you can then label exactly what rooms and outlets each breaker supplies power to. Resetting a tripped circuit breaker the fuse in your circuit breaker panel is really not a job that requires an appliance repair professional, but it may very well be the cause behind an appliance not working.

• Always Check the Cord Before Assuming the Worst

Here’s a very useful tip for stemming the tide of unnecessary appliance repair calls. Just check to make sure the thing is plugged in. Most refrigerators are plugged into a wall behind the appliance so you never see it, which allows for electrical cords to come unplugged without your ever realizing it. The wild vibrations of washers and dryers contributes to the plugs of these appliances coming out. As a general rule for avoiding calling for professional appliance repair help, always first check that the problem is not as simple as the thing coming unplugged.

• Special Tips for Dishwashers

Dishwashers are in a league of their own when it comes to appliance repair service that is not really what you need. Dirty dishes may well be annoying, but there is a very good chance they are not a sign that you need professional servicing. A dishwasher that produces dirty dishes after running through the full cycle may be subject to a variety of tips you can check out. If the dishwasher doesn’t fill up with water, check to make sure your water cutoff valve is open. Dirty dishes may well be caused by water that is not getting hot enough which may be solved simply by resetting the thermostat of your water heater. Another tip to try is checking to make sure a clogged filter isn’t adversely affecting drainage.

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