How to Repair Appliances

Are you ready to start repairing your own appliances? If you are new to the world of DIY, we invite you to get started at Hometalk. We have DIY video tutorials, discussion boards, and slideshows to guide you with step-by-step instructions on how to successfully repair your broken appliances. Check out our best appliance repair projects too.

Restoring a Vintage Sink...

Advice for Fixing Appliances

Listen to identify the issue: Listen to the moving parts of the appliance to isolate the issue. If something is broken, there will often be an unpleasant noise.
Switch off and unplug: This may seem obvious, but it can be forgotten. Never start any type of repair on an appliance that is switched on or plugged in.
Consult the appliance’s manual: Manuals can provide the answer to common problems. If you've lost the paper copy of a manual, you can always find it online.
Find the right parts: Installing the wrong part or a poorly made component can cause the appliance to break further. Use official or trusted suppliers.
Give it a good clean: If in doubt, remove and clean components where possible. It may be that a build-up of dirt stopped the appliance from working smoothly.

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Top Appliance Repair Projects

We hereby present you with the top DIY appliance repair projects at Hometalk.

Restoring a Vintage Sink...

When I was planning the renovations here at BannockBurn 1878 I knew I wanted to incorporate some vintage pieces. The house seemed to beg for it! So… many years ago my parents gave us this vintage sink. It was in their attic. They took it out of their kitchen around the time I was born… I will just let you guess when that was! I always thought the drainboard aspect of it was interesting… and quite practical. After much debate about whether or not it was worth the time and effort to try and restore it… We decided to give it a try. I am sharing the whole process and my experience with it over on the blog. So if this is something you have ever considered trying… pop over and get all the details!

Cynthia Weber @ A Button Tufted Life...

Adding a Second Water Line From a Refrigerator to a Coffee Maker

There is a small section of cabinets and countertop next to our refrigerator, the perfect place to create a drink station. Mostly filled with coffee supplies, it also has a basket with our bottle openers and some drink packets and such. The biggest annoyance I had with the drink station, is that in order to make the coffee, we had to pull the coffee maker all the way out to the front edge of the countertop in order to add the water and coffee grounds because of how low the upper cabinets are. We recently had to replace our coffee maker so I took the opportunity to get a slightly fancier one, where the area for the grinds swivels out instead of having to lift the lid up. The other issue was the water, so here is how I made our coffee making process super easy every morning!

Amanda

How to Get A New "Ice Maker" for Under $4!

Oh those ice makers are a life saver if you love having ice in your cold beverages! But when they clog up or quit working, and if like us, you're tired of the "fixing", you start looking for other ways to have ice .... without buying a new appliance. (Average cost to have a new ice maker installed is about $200-$300 depending on model of frig and labor fees.) Yes, an automatic ice maker is essentially another appliance that works inside (or you could say is installed inside) your frig's freezing compartment. This is a photo of one that's similar to the one we have...or I should say "had". Now if you're looking for a rocket science approach to a 'fix', this isn't that post. ;-) But if you're looking for a very simple and inexpensive "fix", do read on. UPDATE: For those who are concerned about your plastic being food grade or not, you can line the container with Saran Wrap or other plastic wrap or line it with aluminum foil. Both options are food safe. Others comments have addressed this issue as well, if you're looking for more answers to this concern. SECONDARY UPDATE: We've been using this little ice "bucket" now for several years with happy success! No smelly ice cubes, no problems with ice cubes all sticking to each other, only a little 'frosting over' on the cubes occasionally. It may not be everyone's perfect solution, but it worked great for us. :-)

How to Attach Any Pull to a Ceiling Fan Chain

I love customizing my home decor, and I had made up my mind that I was going to have these old-fashioned skeleton keys hanging from the ceiling fans in my sewing room. But the keys only had a loop at the top to hang them, so how was I supposed to clip them onto the ceiling fan's ball chain? I decided to make my own solution.

Iamsewcrazy

Daytek Retractable Clothesline, Restring or Repair Part 1 of 2 Parts

Our backyard undercover clothes line from Daytek needed new line and some of the existing lines had started to sag. I searched the ‘net’ for a ‘How to’ to repair it and couldn’t find anything. So I thought here’s an opportunity to fix it myself and upload a ‘How To’ myself. This particular unit is an older model, however the principals should be similar for most of the retractable lines currently available I believe.There are a few how to photos, so this post needed to be in 2 partsAny comments or questions will be appreciated.

Andrew Bounader

Daytek Retractable Clothesline Restring Part 2

Here's part 2 of the Daytek Clothesline restring project

Andrew Bounader

Ruined Stove Burner Covers? Dont Worry!

I don't know about you but I go through allot of stove burner covers, if its not me turning the wrong burner on its someone else and as you can see the first picture shows the result, Darn , they were so nice though. I almost put them in the trash until I decided to give them a couple of coats of chalk paint.

Lisa@ Sweet Tea N' Salty Air

How to Convert a Wood or Gas Fireplace to Electric

Traditional wood-burning fireplaces are beautiful and iconic, but they are also messy and bad for the environment. Losing an estimated 60% of your heat right up the furnace, replacing your hearth with an electric insert is a great way to save money on your monthly energy bill will providing supplemental heat. The electric fireplace options available from Electric Fireplaces Directlook like the real thing without any of the mess or risks. Electric fireplaceheaters can provide 4700 BTUs of heat per hour, enough to provide supplementalheat for up to 400 square feet. Electric fireplaces only require a 120-volt household electrical outletto operate, with the exception of some built in models. No more mess from ash, stress from cleaning up or safety concerns. And as an added bonus, electric fireplaces can be used with or without the heating mode for year-round enjoyment. For more information:http://www.electricfireplacesdirect.com/articles/converting-wood-fireplaces-to-electric?utm_source=housetalk&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20140130&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=lm

Electric Fireplaces Direct

Restoring a Vintage Sink...

Cynthia Weber @ A Button Tufted Life...

Adding a Second Water Line From a Refrigerator to a Coffee Maker

Amanda

How to Get A New "Ice Maker" for Under $4!

How to Attach Any Pull to a Ceiling Fan Chain

Iamsewcrazy

Daytek Retractable Clothesline, Restring or Repair Part 1 of 2 Parts

Andrew Bounader

Daytek Retractable Clothesline Restring Part 2

Here's part 2 of the Daytek Clothesline restring project

Andrew Bounader

Ruined Stove Burner Covers? Dont Worry!

Lisa@ Sweet Tea N' Salty Air

How to Convert a Wood or Gas Fireplace to Electric

Electric Fireplaces Direct

Appliance Repair Videos

Watch our DIY video tutorials on how to repair your own appliances. Great tips here.

Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

This is the coolest trick to unclog a toilet. It's so much cleaner than using a plunger. I can’t promise it will work every time for you, but it worked every time I tried it. All you need is dish soap and hot water.

Shawna Bailey

How to Correct Your Oven's Temperature

Have you ever noticed that food cooked in your oven comes out overcooked or undercooked, even though you followed the directions perfectly? It's quite possible that your oven isn't baking at the right temperature! Whether your oven is gas or electric, or has knobs or a digital display, calibrating it is easy!

ChickFix

The Quick and Easy 5 Minute Fix For a Clogged Garbage Disposal

A paper clip once fell into my garbage disposal without my knowledge. The whole thing seized up and I had no idea what was wrong. I feared I would have to buy a whole new disposal...until I figured out this trick. Watch the video for some added tips on how to clean your disposal with things you already have in your kitchen.

ChickFix

Making a Belt for a Treadle Sewing Machine

I found a pretty blue vintage sewing machine at a thrift store, and I went home without it. Then I decided that I loved it and went back to pick it up. And then sparks came shooting out of the motor, which caused me to quickly unplug it and hope it hadn’t caught on fire. Clearly the sewing machine didn’t love me back. In fact, I think it may have been trying to kill me. Okay, so maybe I had a $10 paper weight. No big deal. But wait! There was an antique treadle table in a local auction. Maybe, just maybe…

Iamsewcrazy

Popular Repairing Appliances Discussions 44567071

Visit and give us your two cents on the DIY appliance repair discussion board.

My refrigerator door was left open all night and won't cool

/> Rivka Hellendall

I came downstairs this morning and noticed the refrigerator door had been left open all night. Now, it seems like the fridge is not cooling. Why is this happening and how can I fix it? Thanks

My refrigerator door was left open all night and won't cool

View discussion

Why is my steamer spitting water?

/> Bracha Moskoff

My clothes steamer isn't producing a lot of steam and is starting to spit water. Why would this happen and how can I fix it?

View discussion

My dryer takes two cycles to dry, what is wrong?

/> Amy Poulton, Hometalk Editor

Lately, it’s been taking my dryer two cycles to dry the laundry and I have no idea why. Any advice on the problem and how to fix it would be greatly appreciated.

My dryer takes two cycles to dry, what is wrong?

View discussion

Why is my little green machine leaking?

/> Amy Poulton, Hometalk Editor

When I switch my little green clean machine on it ends up leaking and causing a mess. I am trying to find the cause of the leak and hoping someone has advice on how to fix it.

View discussion

New Appliance Repair Projects

Here is our collection of new DIY appliance repair projects. Take a look around.

How to Fix a Washing Machine That Won’t Spin

By Erin LindholmBesides filling with and draining water, a washing machine’s core function is driven by the spinning motion of its internal drum (the proper name for the metal cylinder that holds the wash load). It’s that constant spinning motion that keeps your clothes, sheets, and towels swishing and tumbling around in the suds. And during the spin cycles, the machine’s rapid-spin motion pulls out excess water so your freshly-cleaned clothes aren’t sopping wet going into the dryer. The bottom line: When your washing machine isn’t spinning properly, it’s not cleaning your laundry correctly or operating optimally—which is a major headache for any household.Before you start worrying about how much it’s going to cost to fix a washer that won't spin or replace the washing machine entirely, take a few minutes to walk through the troubleshooting topics outlined in this guide. We’ll cover the most common scenarios for what’s causing the issue and how to fix a washing machine that won’t spin. With any luck, it may be as simple as a user error!

How-To Guides

How to Unclog a Dishwasher That Won't Drain

By Alexa EricksonA dishwasher is so convenient. It provides a “set it and forget it” approach, saving you the time of washing and drying by hand while freeing up space in the sink and on countertops as you prep and cook. It’s easy to take the dishwasher for granted — until the doomful day when it gets clogged.There are a few reasons why a dishwasher gets clogged, but the culprit is likely food particles that get caught in the drain or hose. Or, the issue might not even be in the dishwasher; it could actually be in the garbage disposal.If this helpful kitchen appliance takes a hit, don't fear! This guide will walk you through the tools you’ll need for how to unclog your dishwasher.

Alexa

How to Replace an Oven Heating Element (and When to Do It)

By Stacey KelleherWhether you’re popping in a frozen pizza or you’re baking a birthday cake, it can get infuriating if your food doesn’t cook all the way through in the oven. Luckily, if your electric oven is not heating food evenly or not producing any heat at all, that doesn't mean the whole appliance is done for. It may just be the heating element that needs to be replaced.In this guide, we’ll teach you how to test the bake or broil element, remove a burned out element, and install a new one for safe and efficient baking and cooking. Before you know it, you'll be back to baking that birthday cake worry-free.

How-To Guides