Fix your own appliances and save a small fortune
There is never a good time for your washing machine to stop draining, your freezer door to refuse to shut, or your oven element to burn out.
Whilst trivial in the grand scheme of things, these occurrences will likely result in you having to wait in for a repairer to arrive any time between the hours of 7am and 11pm and for you to have to pay upwards of £50 for the privilege.
Then, in addition to that call out charge, there is the bill for parts and labour. Getting a pro in to fix your home appliance is expensive.
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But, now you can do what more and more people are doing, fix minor appliance problems yourself, with a little guidance from the world wide web.
Simple jobs that most people should be able to manage:
Replacing an oven or fridge light bulb; changing your dishwasher spray novel; renewing the seal on your freezer, fridge or washing machine door; curing a smelly washing machine; and, changing your vacuum cleaner belt are all pretty simple tasks, that require very little effort or exertion on your part.
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Slightly more complicated jobs that can be accomplished with just a little competence in DIY include replacing an oven element, repairing a dishwasher door lock and renewing your washing machine pump.
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Jobs you shouldn't attempt
There are a few appliance repairs that should be left to a trained engineer, basically anything to do with gas and the refrigeration system of a fridge or freezer.
And, if you have a very new, highly computerised appliance, you may have to call in the professionals even for the most minor fault. These machines have to be reset every time a component is tampered with and the only people with the programmes to do this are the manufacturers' registered repairers who have the correct equipment.
Diagnosing the problem
Before you can undertake any repair, however, you need to work out what's wrong. UKWhiteGoods and Espares are two sites that offer pretty comprehensive diagnostic guides to the most common problems with white goods and vacuum cleaners. And, Espares will also help you out with gardening tools too.
Fixing it
Espares and UKWhiteGoods also have excellent step-by-step guides that show you how to fix appliance problems, with Espares offering video tutorials. Both these companies sell spare parts for most appliances too.
Another site worth checking out for parts is Ransom Spares. Keep in mind that it is advisable to get genuine branded parts for your particular make and model, rather than generic parts.
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Safety first
Always follow these safety guidelines when working on any appliance:
Always disconnect any appliance from the mains before starting to work on it, or if it is battery operated remove the power source.
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Take a photo of any electrical wiring and pipes that you need to undo before disconnecting anything, so when it comes to putting everything together again you can check exactly how everything was linked up in the first place.
Guarantees and warranties
Be aware that by attempting to fix any of your appliances yourself, you will likely invalidate any warranty or guarantee that might cover it.
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