Having a dishwasher comes with plenty of perks: you save time, protect your hands and forearms from the water, you get sanitized dishes and utensils, among many other benefits. The unfortunate thing is that, like other appliances in your home, the dishwasher develops problems that not only reduce its efficiency, but also bring it to a stop.

Want to know about these problems?

Here are the five most common problems with dishwashers as given by dishwasher repair experts:

Leaking dishwasher

This is probably the most common dishwasher problem you can have. The unique thing with this problem is that the dishwasher will leak due to plenty of reasons, and it will present itself in different ways. Some of the reasons the dishwasher will leak include:

• An ineffective water pump seal
• A water inlet valve that has spoilt due to hard water or corrosion
• Cracks in the drain hose or recirculation hose
• A float switch is stuck or has gone bad

With the help of your owner’s manual, try diagnosing the problem and fix it. If you are having challenges, stop putting your appliance at more risk and hire a contractor to help you fix it.

Failure of the dishwasher to start

You have dirty dishes that you should clean but on starting the appliance, it won’t start. This is a clear sign you have a problem with your unit, and you should move with haste and fix it.

Begin with checking the power sources and ensure the fuse hasn’t blown. You also should ensure the outlet isn’t malfunctioning. To be certain of the problem, try power cycling the appliance.

If the problem is due to a blown fuse, replace it, and you will have an optimally functioning appliance.

Your appliance will also fail to start if the door has a problem. For example, if the door hasn’t latched closed, the dishwasher won’t start. You should also check for problems with the latch and fix them before proceeding with the other troubleshooting steps.

Does your appliance sound like it’s trying to work, but it doesn’t run correctly? The motor might be stuck. If this is the case, try spinning the fan motor by hand and see if it will move. When doing it, remember to turn off the power from the main panel to avoid getting electrocuted.

Failure of the dishwasher to dry the dishes

Besides cleaning the dishes, a properly functioning dishwasher should also dry the dishes, so you get them out clean and dry, and all you have to do is store them. Since drying the dishes is a primary role of the appliance, it means that if it’s not drying them, it has a problem, right?

The unit will fail to dry the dishes due to plenty of reasons. One of the reasons is the heating element malfunctioning. If you do the troubleshooting and the heating element is fine, you might be having a problem with the high limit thermostat or the rinse aid dispenser.

The high limit thermostat keeps the dishwasher from getting too hot, but when the thermostat isn’t functioning properly, it might cause the heat to switch off prematurely, and the dishes don’t dry.

The high limit thermostat is often located at the bottom of the dishwasher tub, directly behind the access panel. You should access it and use a multimeter to check whether it’s functioning properly.

If you are having a problem with the rinse aid dispenser, the dishes won’t dry properly.  First, ensure the dispenser is empty, then troubleshoot the source of the problem.

The dishwasher is leaving a film, spots, or residue on the glassware

A properly functioning dishwasher should give you clean glasses at all times. This means that if you have a residue or spot, you have a problem with the dishwasher.

In most cases, the spots and residues are due to hard water. Thankfully, you can lessen the hard water effects by adding a dish detergent booster or rinse aid to the dishwasher.

The dishwasher making odd noises

If your dishwasher is making unusual sounds, check the internal parts and figure out what is wrong. If you have the skills, you can do it yourself, but for the best results, let a reputable and experienced appliance repair Springfield professional help.

The post Five Most Common Problems with Dishwashers first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

In a perfect scenario, the freezer and fridge should always be cold and in perfect working conditions, but this isn’t always the case. If your freezer is working, but your fridge isn’t, it means you have a problem in your hands, and you should have an appliance repair professional look at it.

Are you wondering why the fridge is not cold, but the freezer is? There are plenty of reasons this might be the case. Some of these reasons include:

The evaporator coils are covered in frost.

When the evaporator coils are covered in frost, air doesn’t get space to pass through them to get cold, hence a warm refrigerator. To restore the fridge, remove the frost by blowing hot hair over it.

If you do this, then after a few days, the problem recurs, you might be having a problem with the defrost heater. Check the heater and confirm that it’s working perfectly.

The defrost timer is malfunctioning.

The defrost system relies on the control board to control it, and the timer makes the heater turn. This means that if the timer is malfunctioning, the heater won’t start working, and frost will form on the coils preventing the fridge from cooling.

To fix this issue, try advancing the timer dial to the defrost cycle. If the heater doesn’t come on within 30 minutes, consider replacing the timer.

The thermistor is broken.

Thermistors monitor the refrigerator’s temperature and relay the information to the main control board. When the temperature gets too high or low, the control board turns the compressor on and off as needed.

A broken thermistor causes the compressor to run too often, or it doesn’t run enough, leading to improper temperatures. Use a multimeter to test your thermistor for continuity and install a new one if the current one is broken.

The evaporator fan is defective.

For the fridge to cool, the evaporator fan has to draw cold air over the evaporator coil. This means that when the fan is defective, it doesn’t draw cold air; hence the fridge doesn’t cool.

To find out if this is the cause of the problem, turn the fan blade using your hand. A properly functioning fan should run smoothly, so if there is resistance, the fan is defective, and you should get a new one. You also should get a new fan if the current one is noisy.

The damper control assembly is faulty.

The damper allows cold air into the fridge from the freezer section. This means that if the damper blocks or stops working, little or no air gets into the refrigerator section.

To determine if the damper is the reason for the warm fridge, you need to physically inspect the damper and see whether it’s opening and closing correctly. If it’s not functioning properly, replace it.

You have overstuffed the fridge.

When you overstock the fridge, you save money you would have spent cooling small chunks of foods, right? Wrong. When you stock your fridge with more food items than it can take, you prevent air from circulating, as well as it should, and without proper air circulation, the fridge cannot maintain a cool interior.

To restore the unit to proper working condition, you need to remove the excess food. The proper way to go about this is to remove all the foods in the fridge and clean the insides with a clean cloth and warm soapy water. You should then rearrange the shelves to allow for better airflow. Once the shelves are in place, sort the foods and dispose of the old ones. You should restock the fridge only with fresh foods.

Understand your fridge first

From the problems and solutions presented above, you can see that the fridge problem you have can be fixed even with basic skills. It’s always wise to hire a refrigerator to repair Alexandria to look into the issue and fix it, but if you don’t have the money for it, try to fix it yourself.

If this is the first time opening up the fridge, don’t go at it blindly—first, take time to understand the various parts and how they work. Thankfully, you can get most of the information from your refrigerator user’s manual.

The post 6 Reasons Why the Fridge Is Not Cold but The Freezer Is first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

if you turn on your dishwasher and think it’s running its cycle, only to discover that it is not actually filling with water, you might assume that it needs to be replaced. While it might be that your dishwasher is done for good, it is also possible that there is a simple fix. Read on to learn why it might not be filling with water, and then contact American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934 if you need service on your dishwasher.

Make Sure the Door is Completely Closed

The simplest solution to this problem
is that the door to your dishwasher has not completely closed. If
this occurs, then your dishwasher will not fill with water. It could
also be that you have an issue with your door switch malfunctioning,
in which case you will need to get professional assistance.

You Might Have a Defective Water Inlet Valve

One of the most common reasons that
dishwashers fail to get the water they need is that the water inlet
valve is faulty. This valve is used to ensure that the right amount
of hot water gets into the dishwasher, and it is controlled by either
a time or electronic control. If the valve does not open, then water
will not enter the dishwasher.

The valve is generally located in the
front section of the dishwasher and behind the bottom access panel.
There is a hose connected to the waterline and a hose that comes out
of it to the bottom of your dishwasher. This is something that is
better diagnosed by a professional.

A Malfunctioning Float Switch is Interrupting
Power

If water fills up the dishwasher during
its normal wash cycle, there is a small piece that floats up.
Underneath that piece is a float signal that tells the water inlet
that the tub is full. If the switch is not working correctly, then
the water inlet valve might not open at all, and there would be no
water going into your dishwasher.

The Door Switch Might Be Broken

The door switch is a fairly simple dishwasher part, but if it is not working correctly, it can prevent the dishwasher from filling with water. There is no easy way to check this without the right tools, so we do recommend calling in the appliance repair professionals for help.

If you are ready to get our opinion,
contact American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934, and we can take a look. In our many
years of experience, we have seen it all and have the solutions you
are looking for. Call now, and let us get started.

The post Discover the Top Reasons That a Dishwasher Would Not Be Filling with Water appeared first on American Appliance Repair.

“The dryer ate my socks.”

For years, the aforementioned phrase has been more urban legend than rooted in fact, something that’s often muttered tongue-in-cheek when folding laundry doesn’t yield a proper sock match. The reality of this conundrum is that there’s an explanation for why you can’t find a sock or two after doing the laundry – it’s more of just a matter of how much effort you want to put into debunking things and truly discovering where they are. Let’s examine some of the possibilities:

Did Your Socks Even Get to the Dryer?

Yes, you read that header right. We want to know: Did your socks even get to your dryer?

You may recall a 2018 story that generated some buzz when a woman at her housing complex’s laundromat discovered that it was the washing machine that was actually “eating” socks. According to the story, a commercial washing machine was disassembled to reveal socks that had become trapped under the bottom panel. The belief is that these socks slipped through some sort of opening in the washing machine’s gasket and became lodged in the space. It’s also possible for some socks to get stuck in between the tub and the walls that hold the tub, especially if you’re doing a large load of laundry.

Other Explanations

There are a variety of other explanations behind lost socks. Here’s a look at some of them:

• Through the dryer lint trap: It’s important to regularly clean out your dryer’s lint trap, but it’s also important to replace the screen after you do so. If you don’t, small articles of clothing – like socks – could conceivably find their way into them.
• In other clothing: If you’re drying socks with other clothes, it’s possible that they find their way up shirt sleeves and pants legs. This is especially more likely in the winter months with heavier clothing or if there’s a high amount of static inside the dryer. Feel for bumps inside of your clothes while folding your laundry if you can’t find a sock match or you’ll likely find those lost socks the next time you go to wear that specific article of clothing.
• Around the washer and dryer: Still, the most likely reason that you can’t find a sock is probably that they fell around or behind the washer or dryer when you were going to load it. Socks are small, so they’re easy to miss. And if they fall behind or get kicked underneath your appliances, they’ll be a lot more difficult to detect.

No, dryers don’t “eat” socks. Unless you count how they may get caught in the washing machine bottom panel or in the dryer lint trap. Most of the time, all it takes is a little bit of effort to properly locate any missing socks. 

The post Do Dryers Really Eat Socks? appeared first on Appliance Repair New Mexico.

How do you know if your washing machine is broken? Well, there are plenty of symptoms you can look out for. Some of these symptoms, as given by washer repair contractors include:

The washing machine is leaking.

Most washing machine leaks are due to overflowing or loose connections, but sometimes the leaking can be due to complex problems. For example, if you have had your appliance for a long time, the water hose at the back of the washer might be worn out, and you need to replace it.

Your appliance might also be having a cracked tub you need to seal to restore the unit to its proper working condition.

Before you hire a service provider to fix the unit, first try to solve the overflowing problem. You do this by finding out the size of the load that can fit the washer and still leaves room for turning, shaking, and spinning.

The washer is making a lot of noise.

The washing machine will make weird noises due to plenty of reasons. For example, if it’s unbalanced, it will make noise when running, and all you need to do to fix this is to place the washer level.

If you balance the machine, but it’s still making the noise, you have a reason to be worried. First, stop the wash cycle, rearrange the clothes, and load the washing machine correctly, so the clothes are evenly distributed. Still experiencing the noise? The motor drum or mount might be loose and need tightening.

Unless you have the experience, let an experienced professional help you with the work.

Water doesn’t drain properly.

Once you have completed the washing cycle, the washer should drain completely, so you are left with little or no water in the washer. If you complete a cycle but some water sticks around the washing machine’s insides, you definitely have a problem you should address as soon as possible.

For example, the pump might be blocked, or the drain hose might be clogged hence preventing the water from draining as well as it should. The improper draining might also be due to problems with the water pump.

You need to get in touch with experienced technicians with the necessary tools and expertise to help you diagnose the issue and fix it.

Water doesn’t fill the drum.

When properly functioning, the washing machine should fill up with enough water to thoroughly clean the clothes. When the appliance is broken, water has a problem getting into the appliance. Water will fail to get into the appliance due to plenty of problems such as: kink in the hose, issue with the machine’s water intake valve or filter, or any other issue.

Contact an experienced professional to help you troubleshoot the source of the problem and fix it.

The drum doesn’t spin.

Water might fill the drum without any issue, but if the drum isn’t spinning, it’s pointless as you won’t be able to clean your clothes. The drum will fail to spin due to plenty of issues such as belts or lid switch.

You can try to replace the belts on your own but replacing the lid switch is more difficult, so you will be better off hiring a professional to help you out.

The washing machine keeps moving.

A moving washer might seem interesting, and most homeowners ignore it, but don’t do this. A properly functioning washer should remain in place when cleaning, spinning, and rinsing. So, when the unit is moving around, you have a problem you should fix as soon as possible.

If the machine is moving around and at the same time making a lot of noise, the movement could be due to imbalance, so you need to balance it, and you are good to go.

If you balance it and it’s still moving, it might be having a more serious problem, so you need to hire an appliance repair Springfield professional to find out the cause of the movements.

Don’t ignore these movements as a walking machine comes with plenty of risks. For example, the machine might start sloshing water outside the unit, which can ruin the floor leading to mildew and mold.

The walking washer can also pull itself free of its connections putting your property at the risk of fire.

The post How Do You Know If Your Washing Machine Is Broken? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Stoves and ovens are a little tricky, because they are a little dangerous to use under the best of circumstances, so when in doubt call in expert help. You can check out our DIY guide on gas stoves here, and our DIY guide on electric stoves here, but if you are at all uncomfortable performing your own repairs, skip those and call the helpful, knowledgeable folks at Dave’s Appliance now.

If your oven or stove isn’t working the way it used to, if it’s taking a long time to heat up, or (in the case of gas) not igniting properly, or heating unevenly, or not performing well in any other way, you have to decide whether to repair or replace.

As a general rule, we are inclined to repair when we can. You can expect most stoves or ovens to give good service for at least 15 years. As with any other kind of appliance, some are better quality than others, made with better parts and generally more durable. Some have parts that are harder to replace, or are otherwise not as well supplied with replacement parts by manufacturers. Some are simply made to be more disposable than others. People who have more money to spend, more room, and who are more serious about their cooking are more likely to shell out for better quality stoves and ovens, and some are serious enough to want commercial quality cooking gear, which will last significantly longer than most home appliances.

The 50% Rule

In general terms, though, as with other appliances, the 50% Rule applies: if your appliance is over 50% of its expected lifespan of 15 years, and it costs more than 50% of its replacement cost to repair it, it may be time to think about replacement. Obviously, that calculation also changes if you are remodelling and want something that’s a better fit either in style or dimension, or if (in the case of an electric oven, particularly) you want something more efficient than what you’ve been using.

Cooking with Gas . . . Maybe Now’s the Time To Buy

It seems likely that under new fossil fuel policies, natural gas prices may rise considerably, though obviously the quantities used in cooking are much less than in home heating. Some people simply prefer to cook with gas, though, and this is a good time to consider whether it might be best to purchase a new gas stove now, before any governmental agencies decide to make it harder or impossible to get them. Chances are such devices will have to be grandfathered in for a couple of decades, anyway.

Warranty Issues

Although consumer surveys indicate that on average people are happier with repairs performed by local repair services over factory repairs, you’ll want to call on your warranty if it’s still in force. If it’s not, the experienced repairmen at Dave’s Appliance can help. A telephone consultation is free.

Installation Fees

Don’t forget that installation costs can be significant for major appliances. Those are included in any quotes that Dave’s Appliance give you, so you’re not going to be unpleasantly surprised: No Hidden Costs, Ever.

What To Keep In Mind When Purchasing a New Oven or Stove

1) Don’t buy anything with bells and whistles that you’re unlikely to use. Those are things that are also likely to break.

2) When purchasing for the elderly, try not to buy anything with advanced electronics they might find hard to use.

3) If you’re going with gas, make sure your home is set up for it. Otherwise, you may shell out significant money getting that set up.

4) Go with a quality brand with a good warranty, and buy an extended warranty if the peace of mind seems worth the cost to you, but do some research to make sure the insurer isn’t fly-by-night.

5) Make sure the dimensions are right for your space. Measure and check, and check and measure again, making sure to leave enough room for hookups.

If your stove or oven can be safely and cost-effectively repaired, Dave’s Appliance will get it done for you. And if not, they’ll let you know and help you find something new. Give them a call.

The post Should I Repair or Replace My Broken Stove or Oven? appeared first on Dave's Appliance Service.

When considering whether to repair or replace a malfunctioning or broken refrigerator, it’s best to have a little guidance. If the refrigerator has a history of breakage or poor performance, or if it’s quite old and inefficient, or if you’re just plain tired of what you have for any number of reasons not having necessarily to do with performance, such as capacity or layout or features, that may make your decision easier. You might also decide to replace your refrigerator because you are moving or remodelling, and it doesn’t fit a particular space or decor. That said, this article is for those who want to have some clarity as to whether it’s better to repair a refrigerator that you’d rather not replace if you don’t have to.

Replacing a refrigerator is a somewhat expensive proposition, if quality and features are factors, and most buyers will invest considerable time and effort into scoping out the alternatives. Luckily, refrigerators are pretty low-maintenance as major appliances go, and those manufactured by quality brands are liable to have reasonably long warranty coverage, which can be extended, usually by an insurance company associated with the sellers for added peace of mind. Generally speaking, you should expect for a new refrigerator to last from 10 to 20 years.

That said, the consequences of a broken or malfunctioning refrigerator can be significant, particularly if you use the freezer to store expensive cuts of meat. If that’s the case, it’s not a bad idea to keep a high-quality cooler on hand, just in case your refrigerator breaks or the power goes out for an extended period of time, or just for when you wish to defrost or deep clean the unit.

As with any other appliance, the more features and conveniences there are, the more there is to break. It’s nice to have an ice and water dispenser on the outside of the fridge, but it’s one of the most breakage-prone parts of an expensive fridge. I know I’m one of the people who just limped along without the water dispenser for awhile every time it stopped functioning the last time I had a refrigerator with one. Some people prefer to have dedicated ice makers and tap-attached water filtration at the sink for just this reason. If something goes wrong, it’s just that smaller appliance that’s affected.

All that said, here are the situations in which you might consider replacing rather than fixing your refrigerator.

Overheating

Your refrigerator compresses and expands gas to absorb and move heat. That’s why you’ll feel heat emitted out of the bottom of your fridge if you place your toes down there. The compressing is done by a motor, and the motor itself may overheat. Relatedly, some compressor motors are louder than others. You can hear them kick in when you leave one of the doors open long enough to trigger the thermostat. That sound may also be accompanied with a beeping to alert you that you should close the door as soon as possible to preserve the temperature.

While it’s normal to feel some heat when you touch the back of your fridge (and there should be sufficient space behind and above to permit the heat to radiate away without building up too much), if your fridge becomes positively hot to the touch such that you have to pull away for fear of burning yourself, there’s either something wrong with the thermostat or the other mechanical elements of the unit. The coils in the back that radiate the heat that’s transferred from inside to outside your refrigerator are insulated, but if it gets hot back there try first to remove any dust or grime that has accumulated on the coils. A paint brush and vacuum attachment work well for this operation. If that doesn’t help, call a repairman to come look. It may be that your refrigerator has leaked some coolant, which can be replaced, but it might be something more significant.

Overfreezing

On the other hand, your freezer unit may be positively freezing over. Obviously, you want your frozen food frozen, but on the other hand you shouldn’t have to see the foods inside turning into a glacier. If it’s starting to look like a new ice age in there, check that the temperature isn’t set to max cooling. Move anything you want to keep into alternate cold storage (such as a large cooler, or, if you live where it gets cold in winter, you can use those temperatures), throw down some old towels to absorb the meltage, and unplug the unit to let it defrost thoroughly before plugging it back in. This would be the ideal time to try cranking the freezer setting back a little to see whether that suffices. Most modern refrigerators have auto-defrost, so this recommendation largely applies to older models.

If the problem persists or gets worse, it’s best to have a pro get a look at your refrigerator to see what the issue may be. The friendly repairmen at Dave’s appliance will probably be able to sort it out pretty quickly.

Leakage or Extreme Condensation

This may be a simple matter of the seal around your refrigerator or freezer door. If heat is escaping, ice may be melting in the freezer and causing leakage. Alternately, moist air from outside might be entering the refrigerator and condensing, then leaking out of a bad seal. Check the stripping all the way around the door. You may be able to reaffix it yourself, or buy new stripping if you’re handy. But leakage near the refrigerator can pose a health hazard, either by slipping or through accidental electrocution, so BE CAREFUL.

Alternately, the drip pan may be broken or out of place, or hoses may be broken or kinked, or a malfunctioning latch or other problem may be preventing a door from closing properly. Often these are the culprits if you find the inside of your refrigerator is wet to the touch and drips.

Your Refrigerator Runs Loud

Some of us are just more sensitive to this kind of noise than others, but if it seems to have gotten louder than you remember, you can pull the plug and then replug it in, and this may take care of any buzzing. If not, give your repairman a call. Your refrigerator could be on its last legs.

Food Spoilage

Obviously, this gets expensive quickly, and it can pose a health hazard. Check to make sure that door latches and stripping are good, and that your setting hasn’t been dialed way back. Check the back of the unit for overheating, as mentioned above.

In Conclusion

If your refrigerator is older, say 12+ years, and/or if it’s needed significant repair one or more times before, or if it’s not efficient, or you’re ready to move on, a new refrigerator may be your best option.

If you’d rather not replace it, and if you’re handy, you can look for online resources to help you take a stab at fixing such problems yourself, but when in doubt, call on the experts at Dave’s Appliance. They’ll fix your refrigerator if that’s the best course of action, or recommend a new one if that’s your better bet given your situation. And Dave’s carries all the best value, top quality brands. Give them a shout if your refrigerator is having troubles. They’ve seen it all. They’ll get it straightened out for you.

The post Should I Repair or Replace My Broken Refrigerator? appeared first on Dave's Appliance Service.

When you turn on your washer
and dryer, you want them to work without issue. Unfortunately,
this is not always going to happen. At American Appliance Repair, we offer a wide
range of appliance
services for all major brands and all types of appliances, and
one of the most common questions we get is why a certain appliance is
making a strange noise.

Keep reading to learn about some of the
potential reasons that a dryer might be squeaking, along with our
solutions. Then contact American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934 to request help if your
appliance is not running smoothly.

A Squeaking Dryer is Not Something to Ignore

The first thing to know is that if your
dryer is running correctly, it will not squeak. If it starts doing
so, this is not just a sign of wear and tear. In most cases, it means
that there is a part that’s worn out and needs to be repaired or
replaced. Start by trying to determine where the squeak is –
whether the back, front, top, or bottom of the dryer.

The Best-Case Scenario

Ideally, the squeaking is caused by the
wheels or bearings under the dryer because this is an easy fix. Think
of it like this – when you are drying a large load, the dryer will
move a little while it’s drying. If the legs or wheels underneath
the dryer become uneven or loose, then they can cause squeaking.
Fixing this issue is as simple as getting grease or machine lube to
get rid of the squeak. If there are screwed-in legs on the bottom of
the dryer, you can also try tightening them to see if it gets rid of
the sound.

Check the Lint Filter

Another potential issue is that there
are small objects within the lint filter or drum of the dryer, such
as coins or paper clips. To determine if this is the issue, unplug
your dryer and look down the lint catch opening. Do you see something
stuck? If you do, keep the dryer unplugged and get the item out of
the lint catch or drum.

The Dryer Belt Might Need to Be Replaced

Due to the extreme temperatures at
which dryers run, it is not uncommon for a dryer belt to become worn
and eventually crack. If the squeaking is coming from the top of the
dryer, then the dryer belt is the most likely culprit. You can check
to see if it’s cracked by unplugging your dryer, opening the dryer
cabinet, and looking at the belt.

If you would rather have the
professionals take a look, contact American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934. We have
many years of experience and are standing by to provide you with the
best possible result for your repair or replacement.

The post Why is Your Dryer Squeaking? Get Troubleshooting Advice from the Appliance Experts appeared first on American Appliance Repair.