Appliance repairs are expensive. On the other hand, so are new appliances. Used appliances cost less, but then you are faced with repair costs again to keep them running. It's a vicious circle, but one we can break by doing our own appliance repairs.
Before the advent of the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, do-it-yourself appliance repair was problematic to say the least. Manuals were expensive, if you could find them at all, and parts were often hard to locate. I found myself doing a lot of figuring it out as I went - not always the best strategy for machinery repair.
Now, though, there are a wide range of resources available online for the do-it-yourself repairman. This article will guide you through some of the options. Though it is by no means an exhaustive list, there is plenty here to see you through to saving money by fixing it yourself.
The Good (Recommended)
American Appliance is my first stop for appliance repair information. The best features of this site are the diagnostic charts and the exploded views of subsystems with all the parts labeled. This site is invaluable for identifying potential causes of your problems and identifying the parts responsible so you can order replacements.
Appliance Aid offers a decent repair information section with detailed instructions for diagnosing and repairing many common problems. My biggest gripe with these instructions are they way they are formatted. More white space and some paragraph breaks would make these pages much more readable and, thus, more useful. In spite of that, this site provides excellent information on lots of different appliances and brands, along with a listing of manufacturers' telephone numbers and a section of appliance repair jokes for easing the stress.
Samurai Appliance Repair Man The Samurai Appliance Repair Man hosts a blog and a number of forums where you can ask questions about your appliance problems and get answers from the host and from other forum users. The Samurai Appliance Repair Man is occasionally sarcastic or satirical, but seems to give good advice. The forums are an excellent source of advice from experienced appliance repair professionals and do-it-yourselfers. He does ask that you contribute to his beer fund, though this is completely voluntary. It's a small price to pay for such good help.
Appliance Blog gives tips from an appliance repairman. The Appliance Blog also has asociated forums for quick access to other users' knowledge.
The Bad (Not Recommended)
Appliance411 is a Web site with no apparent purpose. It offers extremely limited help, and the forums are small and little-used. Parts listings are linked to RepairClinic.com.
ApplianceRepair.net is deceptively named. the only resources available here are printed and online manuals for purchase. It does have one feature of limited usefulness that lets you search for parts distributors by Area Code.
The Ugly (Don't Waste Your Time)
ApplianceStuff.com has VERY limited repair info. They have an online Parts Information Request Form, but no catalog.
Point and Click Appliance Repair is another site with extremely limited online help. If you purchase a part, they offer free help by e-mail.
Parts and Manuals
When the time comes to order parts, finding a trustworthy and dependable source is vital. These three sites offer online ordering and comprehensive parts catalogs. They accept major credit cards over a connection secured by Secure Sockets Layer technology. They all also have toll-free telephone numbers listed if you want to speak to a person.
RepairClinic.com is my preferred source for appliance parts. Their online catalog contains seemingly every appliance part you might ever need. If you don't know the part number or name or the maodel number of your appliance, their online Parts Detective will help you narrow your choices based on size, color, metallic or plastic, and location of the part in question. They keep virtually their entire catalog in stock and ship promptly. Highly recommended.
PartSelect.com carries an extensive inventory factory original or authorized replacement parts. They use several warehouses around North America, so parts can often be shipped from nearby for reduced shipping cost and fast delivery. The real drawback to PartSelect, and the consideration that keeps them from being my Number One pick, is that you must have the model number available to locate parts. Else, you have to browse through thousands of parts to find the right one. Since my washing machine, the appliance I spend the most time working on, has lost the plate containing the model number, this eliminated PartSelect from my top slot.
Appliance Parts Depot allows browsing to find the part you need by type of appliance, then brand name, then part description. Their catalog does not have pictures of many of the parts listed, so identification can be an adventure occasionally. AP Depot also has a Chat feature for help and support.
Do-it-yourself appliance repair is a good way to save money, if you have an adventurous mindset, and there is plenty of quality help available just a Web browser away.
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