Appliance Repair Blog

I'm sure you may know someone who has tried this - "I'll just put some dishwashing detergent into my dishwasher to clean it out". Guess what happens, you end up with a kitchen full of suds and a dishwasher that will not work correctly. The reason the dishwasher fails after ordinary dishwashing detergent is used is because a flood switch is usually activated and needs to be reset by a qualified technician.

There is a safer way, and quite often you will have the products in the house. Lime scale commonly builds up in kettles, dishwashers, and coffee machines. White vinegar can be used to break down this build up. Simply fill the dishwasher dispenser with the vinegar and run the machine on the longest hottest cycle. Citric acid, which is available from the supermarket or chemist, works a treat as well. Citric acid may help to make the stainless steel shiny again.

There are products specifically made for cleaning dishwashers such as Scalex. The benefit of these products is that they do not leave a taste in the kettle and the dishwasher is left with a lovely citrus smell.
Another thing to check for is a build up of fatty deposits. This should be cleaned off as quickly as possible as any bacteria can lead to sickness and "tummy bugs". These build ups can be found below the lower door seal and under the filter. Use a sponge and a cream paste cleaner such as Jif to clean this build up off.

Remember to try out Scalex, I'm sure you will be impressed.

For a dishwasher repairer in your area visit www.appliancerepairs.com.au

Next post What maintenance should be done to my refrigerator.

It is scary the number of times I have been households and people have told me they have just thrown out, or about to throw out their dishwasher because it is not cleaning properly. With a couple of simple checks their dishwasher could have been running as good as new...

A common line I hear is "I ran one of those dishwasher cleaning thingy's through my dishwasher and it still didn't wash well so I dumped it and I want you to install this new one". I can bring a grown person to tears by telling them a very simple repair that they could have performed themselves could have fixed the problem.

The first simple check to make is to look at the spray arms, these are the rotors which spin when the machine is washing, are the jets/holes in the arm clear? Often plastic, pips, bread ties, peas, or other foreign objects block these holes because the filter is not seated correctly or people have not disposed of objects prior to placing their dishes in the dishwasher. You may have to remove the spray arms and use a garden hose or stiff piece of wire to clean out the holes.

Secondly, check when the dishwasher is fully loaded that all the arms spin freely, a large percentage of people hang one of those dishwasher fragrances in the path of the spray arms preventing it from spinning. Another cause spray arms don't spin is the upper basket often has multiple height settings and when on the lower setting the dinner plates prevent the top arm from turning.

If after performing the above inspections the dishes or cups are still not coming out clean align both spray arms in a certain position after the dishwasher has been running for a few minutes. Then run the machine for about 5 seconds and stop the machine and check to see if the arms have moved. If the arms have not rotated it is most likely you have poor water pressure output by the motor and you will need a service person to repair it.

For a dishwasher repairer in you area go to www.appliancerepairs.com.au

Next post Tips on keeping your dishwasher clean.

How to look after your refrigerator door seals...

Fridge door seals can last much longer if some simple precautions and maintenance is performed on them. Often times fridge door seals are replaced every couple of years caused by poor care. One of the leading causes of damage to a fridge door seal is drinks not being cleaned off the seal as soon as they are spilt. Any fruit juices, cordial, or wines etc. which are spilt and not wiped up immediately rapidly turn sticky. Every time the door is opened this stickiness pulls on the door seal and causes fatigue until eventually it tears the rubber seal.

Many people dispense their wine from the cask in the fridge and every time a drink is poured a few drips fall down onto the closing surface of the fridge door seal and before you know it you have a sticky mess which damages the seal, similar to the damage caused in this photo by cordial.

The other leading cause of damage to fridge door seals is the curling of the hinged side of the door due to the seal not sliding freely across the cabinet. To help prevent this from happening run some petroleum jelly down the hinge side of the cabinet where the seal meets the cabinet. This form of damage can be seen in the photo below.

If your seal is already broken or needs replacement service personal can be found at FridgeDoorSeals.com.au

Once a door seal reaches a certain age it becomes very stiff and brittle and will begin cracking and the magnet will often fall out of the seal.

To maintain the quality of the seal, clean it regularly with warm soapy water and lubricate if necessary as described above.

For more hints and tips visit www.appliancerepairs.com.au

Next post Why won't my dishwasher clean any more?

The big freeze on insurance claims!

The other day I was chatting with one of my old business colleagues, he is an insurance claims manager. During the conversation it came up that he had to pay out a thousand dollars for a new fridge for one of their clients. As the discussion continued he explained the technicians report said the motor had fused and R12 motors are no longer available, so consequently the insurance company had to buy them a new fridge. He was almost sprayed with the drink that I was drinking, and after I finished choking he asked had he done something wrong. I said no, you probably have an eighty year old client jumping for joy clicking his heels together, and kissing the ground you walk on.

The technician had told the truth, but not the whole truth. R12 motors are not available and have not been for some time now. What he failed to tell the insurance company is that he could have fitted a new R134a motor and re-gassed the refrigerator with R134a refrigerant. A similar story holds true for many other repairs on the sealed system of a refrigerator. An old R12 refrigerator can have a repair on the pipework, the filter/drier changed and the refrigerator recharged with one of the many blend gases available. R134a can be used in a R12 motor however the oil in compressor/motor needs to be changed to one which is compatible with R134a, and the system recharged with R134a refrigerant. The efficiency of the newly recharged system with not be quite as high as the original system but at least you won't have to buy a new fridge.

For a refrigeration repairer in your area search at www.appliancerepairs.com.au

Next post How to look after your fridge door seals.

Quite often we are asked "When do I buy a new appliance?"

Once upon a time not so long ago, appliances would last 20 maybe 30 years, and it was not unheard of that an appliance would be passed on not just to your children but your grandchildren. Manufacturers today appear to be constantly shortening the life cycle of an appliance.

So what sort of life can you expect from a new appliance? Well it all comes down to the all mighty dollar, what you pay for is what you get. You could say there are three main categories for washing machines -

1. First there is the small imported machine which sells between two and four hundred dollars. What can I say... don't expect too much from this little baby, if you are strapped for cash this should get you through the warranty period without too many problems.
   
   
2. Next is the mid size family machine that you could pay up to about one thousand dollars for. You may start repairing this machine on a regular basis at the ten year mark. Many families seem happy with these machines, just be careful that you are not throwing good money after bad if the machine begins breaking down regularly.
   
   
3. Above one thousand dollars you start to see the large robust commercial style machines that you find in laundromats. These are the old school machines which are usually worth hanging onto. They feature more reliable components and can take a hammering over the years.

Back to the original question when do you buy a new appliance, well it is a simple mathematical equation. First work out which category your appliance is in and how much you paid for it, add in what you have spent in repairs, and what you could spend in repairs in the near future. Those 3 "cheap" washing machines that you bought and repaired over the last 15 years could have cost you more than the 1500 dollar industrial strength washer that has given its owner trouble free service.

Next post Can your old R12 Freon filled fridge be repaired?

For more advice from appliance repair experts head to www.appliancerepairs.com.au

How to find a good appliance repair guy in your area...

Appliance repairs is a specialized trade and although some repairs can be done by the home handyman others should be left to appliance repair experts. How do you know if you are choosing the right appliance repairer? Firstly consult friends, relatives, or work colleagues, have they had any experiences with appliance repair tradespeople. If any of these people have had a bad experience with an appliance repairer they are sure to warn you off them.

You may be new to an area and you have nobody you can ask, so what do you check for when calling for an appliance repair person. Don't be afraid to ask them questions, it is better to weed out the unfriendly appliance repairers or the ones that refuse to answer your questions than be burnt when the work is completed.

Firstly check that they have the relevant electrical or gas licenses. Then ask them questions like, how long have they been in business, what is the warranty on their work, have they had experience with that fault or brand before, have they been factory trained on this brand, are they members of any trade associations, do they have a ball park estimate of the total job costing or at least the cost to quote you on repair.

It is also a good idea to check the appliance repairer has insurance, you don't want Murphy moving into your house. There would be nothing worse than your appliance repair guy slipping on your wet floor from your leaking washing machine, ploughing his size 12 boot through your wall and fracturing his skull. Suddenly your leaking washing machine is the least of your problems, you need to find a dry wall specialist, but only after you have paid off some medical expenses and found someone else to fix that leaking washing machine.

Biggest is not always the best. Just because you have chosen the biggest ad or biggest appliance repair company in the telephone directory doesn't mean that you are going to get the best service. In fact it could be quite the opposite, you are more likely to receive more personalized service from the owner/operator and resolve any problems quicker with a small company. Those big ads or big companies are going to cost you, their operating costs are going to be higher and they are not going to absorb those costs out of love for you. You will usually find the the bigger the appliance repair company the higher the staff turnover and it is unlikely you will be unable to build up any sort of relationship with the business.

Next Post When do I replace my appliance?

For service and parts head to www.appliancerepairs.com.au