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Top 11 Most Common Appliance Repair Problems!

(Because 10 is just over done.)

Oh Sheet! | The Sound of Silence | They Broke the Mold | Floties
Deep Freeze | Snow Ball Fight! | Clothes Lined | The Barricade
Strike | It's Soo Cold | The Buzz

#11 "Oh Sheet!"

(Refrigerator) -Clogged Defrost Drain-

Customer Quotes:
"Water is leaking into my refrigerator."
"The floor of my freezer is a sheet of ice."
"Theres a bunch of water under my crisper bins."

A sheet of ice on the floor of the freezer is generally caused by a plugged up defrost drain.  If you have a top freezer model you may even notice water dripping into the refrigerator compartment from time to time.
When the freezer performs a defrost cycle the melted water should be carried down to the drip pan under the refrigerator via the defrost drain.  This drain can become clogged up with all kinds of stuff from food to parts of plastic bags.  In some cases the defrost heater is not close enough or hot enough to thaw the drain to allow water to pass through it. By removing the back panel of the freezer compartment you can examine and thaw the drain manually with some hot water a turkey baster and a whole lot of patients. (Unplug the refrigerator first! This will keep you from fighting additional cooling effects from the evaporator coil and keep you from an undesirable electrical jolt.)  If the problem comes back and you don't find any obstruction try installing a drain heater.
  This little piece of appliance trickery is not an official fix so try it at your own risk!  Get a short strip of 12 gage copper wire and shape it like a candy cane, then loosely hang it on the heater.  This will carry a little extra defrost thermal love down to the drain and keep it nice and warm.
Important Notes:
1. Don't crimp it around the heater or you may cause damage.
2. It should not extend more than an 1/8" into the drain or it may melt the plastic or rubber of the drain tube.
3. It needs to have a long enough hook that there is no danger of it slipping off the heater.

Appliance Fix: Unplug the refrigerator, open the doors and allow it to thaw out, or add a drain heater.

(Troubleshooting Refrigetator Problems)
(Watch the Refrigerator Defrost Troubleshooting & Repair Video)

Average Repair Labor: 125.00
Appliance Repair Time: 30-40 Minutes

#10 ”The Sound of Silence”

(Dishwasher) -Jammed Dishwasher Float Switch-

Customer Quotes:
”My dishwasher is dead.”
”My dishwasher won't fill.”
”I'm not getting any water to my dishwasher.”
”My dishwasher has no power.”

Dishwashers use a part called the float switch to control how much water is allowed to enter the appliance.  Normally when you start the dishwasher you would hear water running into the tub, if all you hear is the horrifying sound of silence this might be your issue.  The float is a little upside down cup located at the bottom of the tank, inside the dishwasher, that rises with the water level. When it has risen to its highest point the dishwasher knows that the tank is full and closes the water valve.  Objects like forks, knifes, and lids can jam the small cup in the up position tricking the dishwasher into thinking that it is full, not allowing any water to fill the dishwasher.

 

(Learn more about how dishwashers work, troubleshooting & fixing other possible problems.)

Appliance Fix: Remove any object lifting the float switch
Appliance Part Needed: None
Appliance Part Cost: Zero!
Average Repair Labor: 50.00 - 100.00 (If their honest)
Appliance Repair Time: 5-10 Minutes

#9 ”They Broke the Mold”

(Ice maker) -Bad Ice Maker Mold-

Customer Quotes:
”My icemaker is broken.”
”There are ants in my ice cubes.”
“There are little flakes of stuff in my ice.”
”Ice makers these days are crap!”

If you are noticing little floaties in your ice cubes it may be time for a new filter, but If they look like little thin flakes of black or plastic, take a look at your ice maker’s mold. The slippery coating of an ice maker mold tends to break down over time and little pieces of it can find their way into your ice… Not so good.  Unfortunately the only way to correct this problem is to replace the ice maker. In the old days before the birth of modern marketing wisdom and planed obsolescence, ice makers lasted for the life of your refrigerator... Today you can expect to replace your ice maker every 4-8 years! That gets expensive if your paying 200-300 dollars every time to have someone else do this simple exchange for you. Keeping you water filter up to date is about all you can do to delay icemaker decay and learning to swap icemakers is a must!

(Watch the Icemaker Repair & Installation Video)

Appliance Fix: Replace your ice maker
Appliance Part Needed: Ice maker
Appliance Part Cost: 60.00-120.00
Average Repair Labor: 200.00-300.00
Appliance Repair Time: 20-30 Minutes

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