Appliance Repairs - How to go about doing it yourself

Recently, my dishwasher stopped working and I had to call a repair company to fix it. Just to send somebody out to look at it cost me $150. When the repairperson came, he identified the circuit board assembly as the issue and ordered the parts, which were to be delivered at a later date. I was watching how easily he removed several screws and opened up the cover on the door to access the circuit board assembly. He told me that he would come back to install the replacement parts when they arrived. After a few days the replacement parts came and I decided to put them in myself. The job took me 15 minutes. The repairman would have charged me another $150 to do this. The whole job would have cost me over $400 but I managed to save $150.




This got me thinking that for repair jobs like this, a handy person should be able to do it themselves. Another example, a couple of winters ago, my furnace stopped working.

I called a repair company and they sent someone but the person could not identify what the problem was. I still got charged just for someone to show up. I looked at the furnace itself and read the instructions manual and it stated how to identify the indicator lights. It stated that one of the interlocks was malfunctioning. A week went by and finally the company sent another more senior repairman and he was able to identify that the relay on the control board had shorted out leaving burnt marks on the board. The relay was part of the interlock. It took the company two weeks to fix my furnace and charged me $300 for labor and $275 for the control board. I sent in the receipts to the manufacturer since it was under warranty, thinking that I would get full refund. To my dismay, the manufacturer informed me that the control board only costs about $24 which they would gladly reimbursed. I lamented that the repair company charged 10 times the cost plus labor but I was told that they were not on the authorized repair shop list and did not qualify so I was not able to get reimbursed for labor.



These expensive experiences were repeated again with plumbing issues, which cost me $800. The point is, repair jobs are getting very expensive and the average person cannot afford these. I guess for most people, the choice is: to get it fixed, buy a new one, or live with the non-functioning appliance. There is another choice: fix it yourself, but you need to arm yourself with knowledge.



I decided that next time I would be more resourceful and find out what I needed to repair appliances myself. Here a general list of what one can do using a personal computer with Internet access. This is a general approach, it varies with the shop and type of appliance:

1. Troubleshoot the problem and identify part to be replaced. For electrical appliances before opening it up, make sure that you turn off the power by switching off the circuit breaker. Shut off water if applicable or gas (I would not repair gas equipment). Look in the Troubleshooting Section of the manual if available. Google “Appliance Repair Do It Yourself” and there are a number of websites with specific information on “how to repair”something. See number 7 and 9 below. If you cannot figure it out, call a professional and have that person troubleshoot and identify the parts needed, then you can proceed to get the parts yourself and perform the repairs (if it looks like you can do it).

2. Identify the manufacturer (make) and model number of your appliance. You can find decals with this information on the doors (dishwasher), inside on the wall of refrigerator, inside the microwave door, etc. In case of furnace, if under warranty, contact the manufacturer first and get a list of authorized repair companies.

3. Write down the make and model.

4. Go to a computer that has Internet access.

5. Open Google and type in “appliance parts.” You should get a whole list of parts replacement shops.

6. Click on one of the shops and click on the type of appliance. At some point, you will be asked to enter the make and model number. Some sites will have an exploded view of the whole assembly showing pieces, others just list the parts.

7. You can go to the manufacturer’s website and see if they have manuals or repair tips. You can contact their tech support, though you might have to wait.

8. Safety should be your main concern when it comes to repairing appliances or any equipment. Make sure that you read the manual and make sure that you understand and know what to do. For electrical appliances, turn off the circuit breaker that feeds power to the appliance before doing anything.

9. You can also go to on-line forums and post questions. You could get there by Googling, for example, “Airens 824 Snowblower Repairs.” I did this with my replacement for the snowblower friction disc.

10. Do-It-Yourself repair books for some things do exist also.



The point that I am trying to make is that if one has hand-eye coordination (handy), has the time and willingness to do some research over the internet, one should be able to get enough information to perform simple repairs. For example, my dishwasher’s handle broke again, this time I went on-line and ordered the part myself. It cost me $19 versus probably $300 had I called a repairman.



There are repairs that are extremely difficult without proper tools or dangerous; such repairs should be left to the professionals. For example, I would not rewire the power lines to my house—I would call the local electric utility company; I would not replace the timing belt on my car—I would bring it into a car repair shop etc. Again, if you are uneasy about repairing something yourself and if you are not handy, then “Do it yourself repairs” are not for you. Safety is the major consideration; no amount of money is worth putting yourself in danger. Know what to do and how to do it safely before taking on any repair job.



The author offers free general guidance and does not guarantee anything and is not responsible for any damages, losses or injuries. Readers proceed at their own risk.