DIY Appliance Repair Tips

Wait! Before you call an appliance repair in Grapevine for help, you should be able to keep your household appliances running like new with the tips below.

1. Smelly Washing Machine

The presence of a unpleasant odor in your washer can defeat the entire reason for owning the appliance! If you’re trying to get your clothing items so that they are fresh and clean, but the unit will not cooperate, run an empty cycle in warm water and pour in 2 cups of white vinegar and a half-cup of baking soda to eliminate the unpleasant smell. This problem commonly occurs in front-loading washers. To prevent smells in the future, prop the door open after cycles so it can dry out.

2. Inefficient Refrigerant

A semi-cool refrigerator in the kitchen is not a welcome sign. A warm refrigerator definitely won’t keep liquids cool, and the food on the inside could also be on the verge of becoming spoiled! In many cases, your refrigerator might not be in need of professional repair; instead the inside might just need to be cleaned. Or the coils on the back panel of the unit need cleaning.

Unplug the refrigerator and move it away from the wall before vacuuming the coils. If you do not see cooling improvement, it is best to hire a professional appliance repair technician in Grapevine.

3. Clicking Igniter on Stove

If the igniter on your gas oven clicks nonstop and the burner won’t light, look to be certain your burner cap is in place and correctly aligned. You could also experience this if you have had a recent boil over or spill on the top of the stove.

If that is not the case, the cause is probably a clogged igniter. To clean the igniter, remove the burner top and dust off any dirt. You can also use a pin to scrape dirt from the grooves. If that does not resolve the problem, it’s best not to take a lighter apart for anyone without the proper training; call on a professional appliance repair service to investigate the issue.

4. Broken Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal includes self-protection in the form of an overload trip. If it becomes filled up, overheats, grinds for too long, or has a different issue, the disposal might just need to be reset rather than fixed. First, make sure the switch is OFF. Then, find the reset button on the disposal under the kitchen sink and then press the button. If the switch does not stay pushed in, just wait 10 minutes and then press it again. Turn on the water and then press the switch on.

If the disposal is filled up with waste and you hear nothing but a humming sound rather than food grinding, you might need to twist the blades with a hex key tool to clear the clog. Then, push in the reset switch to get the garbage disposal running again. If these tips do not get things working like it is supposed to, don’t give in to the urge to put your arms down in the system to figure things out. Be safe and schedule an appointment with a professional appliance repairman in Grapevine.

5. No Power from Outlet

In the kitchen or bathroom, your outlets need to be installed with GFCI capabilities in order to protect people against harm in wet environments. If a GFCI outlet is not providing power, push in the red “reset” button to see if that will restore juice.

If it doesn’t, or if you’re trying on a standard electrical outlet, make sure that a breaker has not tripped in your circuit breaker panel. If you are uncertain if a circuit breaker was tripped, switch it to the OFF position and then flip it back onto the ON position. But remember, safety around electricity is critical. Should you have any concerns, call a professional technician.

6. Wobbling Washing Machine

A wobbling washing machine will often produce a obnoxious banging and is not a productive process to wash clothing. If your washing machine is suddenly knocking, the washer might be in trouble. To repair this issue, rotate the legs of the appliance to lift or lower each corner until it is level. Another possible case is the unit is not leveled. Crack open the lid and move around the clothes so they are more evenly dispersed inside of the drum of the washing machine.

Trying this will help your washing machine not have to work quite as hard. If you do try to move around the laundry once or twice to no avail, don’t ignore the problem. You might have a loosened motor or drum mount to fix, which is easy enough for a professional technician to repair. But continuing to run your washer with this problem might destroy some of the other parts and lead to a more costly repair down the road.

Call for Help

If none of these quick fixes solve your broken appliance, you can schedule service from Valor Appliance Repair!

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