Electrical, Home, Repairs

How to repair household appliances: easy fixes

repair household appliances

Can you repair household appliances yourself? Our guide outlines some easy fixes for common problems — that could save you a lot of money.

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If your own household appliances go on strike again, a solution is urgently needed. There are two options: buy new or repair. Read here how to repair household appliances yourself.

Many choose to buy a new one, especially in the case of defective small devices. For toasters, blenders, etc., the costs are still in the lower range, but for larger household appliances this is associated with high costs.

The only solution is repair.If you have no knowledge of mechanics or electronics, feel insecure or do not have the necessary tools, it is better to consult a technician or your home warranty company for help with the repair. He knows the weaknesses of the machines very well, orders the necessary parts, installs them and the device works again like when buying a new one.

Depending on the amount of repairs and the age and type of household appliance, the work may not take several hours and can also cost money. You can also make many small repairs to household appliances yourself.

Simple ways to repair household appliances

1. Repair the washing machine yourself

In the case of older models in particular, minor repairs may be necessary over time, which does not always require a specialist . A defective pump function is one of the most common causes of a malfunctioning machine. The pump transports the water out of the machine or into the machine under high pressure. If something does not work, the appliance will not draw water or the water will remain inside after the wash. In very few cases, this is actually due to the pump, even though it is a sensitive component.

If pumping is interrupted, the hoses must first be dismantled. If the supply and waste water lines of the device are not blocked, the cause is elsewhere. Check the fluff filter. If there is heavy contamination from small parts, cleaning the sieve could solve the problem. These measures don’t help? Then the tool has to be found. The device must be disassembled.

The pump is located in the rear area of ​​the device. After they have been removed, it is advisable to energize them and see if the pump is working. There is often an intermediate hose in the interior. If smaller items – such as coins – get in here, this affects the washing cycle or the spin cycle is interrupted. Therefore check all lines. If this does not help either, the only option is to buy a new pump.

2. Reactivate the oven’s self-cleaning

Modern ovens are real all-rounders. In addition to top and bottom heat, grill and circulating air, there are also self-cleaning processes like pyrolysis . However, if you have had no previous experience with self-cleaning household appliances, it may be necessary to deal with the correct procedure for the self-cleaning process.

Self-cleaning is not possible with every degree of soiling . It targets small contaminations in the ceiling, floor and side wall areas. If larger pieces of pizza, cheese and etc landed on the floor of the oven, they must be removed manually. The same applies to fats. Carefully remove them and then ensure that there are no accessories such as the baking sheet in the oven.

Above all, remove non-stick coated pans, roasters and trays from the oven, close the oven door and switch on the cleaning process. If it still doesn’t work, the problem could be in the electronics of the oven.

Since the oven is connected to the power supply, you should definitely consult a specialist to check the electronic components.

3. Repair the refrigerator

The refrigerator is one of the most important household appliances. If it suddenly stops cooling, quick action is required. Before calling the repair service, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the technology of the refrigerator.

If the device does not make any sounds , the compressor does not work. The reason for this is often a defective thermostat. The thermostat controls the temperature in the refrigerator. If it doesn’t work, there are no instructions, so to speak. The replacement of the thermostat is essential and is really easy. A cover can be seen in the interior of the refrigerator. After removing the cover, the thermostat behind it appears, which you can replace with a new one. 

To do this, pull the pipe from the thermostat out of the housing and photograph the rest of the type of cable installation, so as not to confuse anything later.

The integrated cables must not touch when changing. Bending or even kinking the cables should also be avoided to ensure their function. Attention! Although the refrigerator is not connected to the power supply, please disconnect it from the power circuit before repairs.

4. Repair the dryer

The dryer is one of the more difficult household appliances to repair. Since the problem mostly lies in the area of ​​the drum, there are some easy-to-understand and implementable measures to restore functionality.

  • Does the power supply work?
  • Is the door closed properly?
  • Are the start time pre-setting or the child lock activated?

No? Then the reason for the stoppage of the drum has to be found elsewhere.

Difficulties with the drive belt: The drum cannot move without the drive belt. Manufacturers make the belts extremely stable. Nevertheless, cracks can occur. If the belt is old, its consistency changes. It appears porous and eventually tears. Even a dryer filled with too high a laundry weight poses a major challenge to the belt. If there is a crack, the safety thermostat is activated .

As soon as the safety thermostat is set, the belt stops moving. This not only happens if the belt breaks, but also if the motor is defective or if the device overheats due to continuous use over a certain period of time. As the safety thermostat does not reset, it must be removed after it has been activated. Important: Some devices allow the safety thermostat to be reset . This only makes sense if the cause of the problem has been found.

5. Repair the dishwasher

The dishwasher increases comfort, especially in families. The dirty dishes are quickly stowed away after eating and the device starts its cleaning process . To do this, you first need a pump that literally catapults the water into the machine. After the rinse cycle, the device pumps out the excess water. Sometimes the water stops.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. First of all, it is important to tackle the repairs by scope. What can be done with little resources and little effort comes first.
  2. First check the hoses on the device. Do you have enough space and can pump the water through all the hose points or is there a kink?
  3. Are the hoses dirty or even clogged? Then clean the hose and then connect it again.

Sometimes the blockage is in the area of ​​the siphon. The dismantling works quickly. Place a bucket under it to collect the water from the siphon.

None of these measures take effect? Then the problem is probably in the interior. Here is the seat of the drain pump and this is where the impeller comes in. If this is blocked, the pump will not work. In the worst case, the entire drain pump is defective . In this case, the removal must be carried out by yourself or by a technician.

gerhardt-richter Gerhardt Richter is a writer and a trainer at trade technical colleges, specializing in carpentry, plumbing, mechanics and construction.