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.

Appliance Repair Rundown – Fix Almost Any Appliance With Our Top Tip

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.

More repairing categories

Top Appliance Repair Projects

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

Installing A Garbage Disposal

If you love this project, grab your quick start DIY guide & subscribe to our blog!One of the things I was really looking forward to when we moved into our new fixer upper was being able to install a garbage disposal. You see, at our old house, we were on the septic system and so we weren’t able to have a garbage disposal. It’s one of those things you don’t really appreciate until it’s gone!Disclaimer: Please be sure to follow your manufacturer’s specific instructions for installation and safety. Check to see if you need a permit for this installation. Be sure to observe any building and electrical codes. Lastly, be sure to contact a licensed electrician if you have doubts or questions about the electrical connections in your home.

Chelsea @ Making Manzanita

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

Clean and Lube Your Tower Fan to Keep It Running

Did you know that your tower fan needs regular maintenance to keep them running? Tower fans are upwards of $40 and more and are great for circulating air in the summer. I have 3 fans that run from June through October and boy do they get nasty with pet hair and dust! I have one tower fan that is over 9 years old! and the one I used for this post is over 6 years old. Truth be told it stops working when the dust and hair gunk up the fan blade motor. It is not hard to take apart these fans and clean and lube them. UPDATE: I ADDED A YOUTUBE VIDEO ON TAKING OFF THE BACK FOR ANYONE HAVING TROUBLE REMOVING THE BACK AND PUTTING IT BACK ON Want to see more? Stop on over and read more

The Garden Frog with C Renee

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 Replace a Faulty Gas Stove Igniter

For the past few months, my oven has been taken longer and longer to heat up and cook. I did not know anything about how a gas stove really works and I was afraid that I was going to have to either hire someone to come fix it or buy a new oven. Before I jumped into hiring someone or buying a new oven, I decided I would research the problem and attempt to fix it myself.After some research, I came to the conclusion that I had a faulty igniter. The information that I found seemed like it would be an easy fix. I located a replacement igniter for just under $25 from Sears. I figured that if I messed something up, that at least I would only be out $25 and my time.

Jaime LaPlant

Blow It Out Your Roof: a Guide to Replacing a Bathroom Fan!

They say nothing is certain but death and taxes, but I'd like to add a third: repairs! Last week alone, three things broke down on us that had to be repaired. When you're a do-it-your-selfer and a blogger, you have to look on the bright side of things and call that a good week: repairs alone can give you a ton of things to write about! This week, I'm sharing a DIY on how to replace a bathroom fan.

Birdz of a Feather

New Look for Refrigerator

When the door seal on my fridge decided it had had enough, I shopped around to see what it would cost to replace the refrigerator. What a shock to see how high the prices were for a similar fridge. Rather than have to spend a fortune I decided to look at replacing the seal and giving the fridge a makeover.

Janice Anderssen

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

Restringing a Weed Whacker

I probably should have already known, by age 65, how to restring the empty spool of weed whacker string, but I didn't. My sister and I share our childhood home and have been working on the yard. The other day I used up 4 spools of weed whacker string while trimming around sidewalk and fence edges. My sister said she will "get the spools restrung." I thought she meant at a store. She meant SHE would do it at home with the half full pack of trimmer string and the empty spools she had from last Autumn. I asked her to teach ME to do it so I will know. She explained that FIRST and FOREMOST you need to make sure you have the correct size of string for your weed whacker (.065 weight, or .095, etc.) AS WELL AS the correct type (round, flat, triangular, individual blades, etc). She told me it is important to buy the type recommended by the manufacturer in the manual that comes with the weed whacker, and IF the wrong type or size is purchased it won't work anyway, so why make more work for yourself? CHECK THE MANUAL. I asked her where she got the empty spools, and she said from a 3-pack of loaded spools at the store plus the one loaded spool that came with the weed whacker she had purchased. She decided NOT to throw out the empty spools and bought a package of line trimmer to restring the empty spools herself and save some money. So here are a few pictures to help you understand how to do it, just in case you don't know (but now you will).

KattywhampusLOL

Sweepovac USA In Wall Vacuum

When I find a product I really like I want to share it. The Sweepovac is an in-wall vacuum for your kitchen, although we installed ours where the most mess is..... our mudroom.

Bliss R

Installing A Garbage Disposal

Chelsea @ Making Manzanita

How to Correct Your Oven's Temperature

ChickFix

Clean and Lube Your Tower Fan to Keep It Running

The Garden Frog with C Renee

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

How to Replace a Faulty Gas Stove Igniter

Jaime LaPlant

Blow It Out Your Roof: a Guide to Replacing a Bathroom Fan!

Birdz of a Feather

New Look for Refrigerator

Janice Anderssen

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

Amanda

Restringing a Weed Whacker

KattywhampusLOL

Sweepovac USA In Wall Vacuum

When I find a product I really like I want to share it. The Sweepovac is an in-wall vacuum for your kitchen, although we installed ours where the most mess is..... our mudroom.

Bliss R

Appliance Repair Videos

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

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

Replacing & Cool Weather Operation of Heart a Ceiling Fan

The Story :: Most folks are unaware that a ceiling fan may be set in the winter to optimize your home's heating potential. By simply flicking the motor switch into reverse (usually up & blades spinning to the right aka clockwise), stagnant warm air is moved off of the ceiling and back down into the room. (See the vid below for a demo of this.) The BackStory :: Having a pair of apartments that we rent, I occasionally get called to perform landlord-like duties. And one item that *had* been on my to do list was replacing the ceiling fan in this tenant's kitchen. Now, I know, when it comes to ceiling fans folks usually fall into one of two camps. You either love them or you hate them. Very extreme, it seems. Me personally, well, and maybe it is the geek in me, but I L.O.V.E. them. They after all are very efficient in design and employ one of the simpliest simple machines. The inclined plane. As far as installing one, manufacturers (like Hampton Bay) have it down to a science and any diyer with basic set of tools and moderate skill can get one in within an hour. I find that this process is speeded along by assembling as much as possible on the ground prior to hanging the fan. To read more, about simple machines in the home >> www.buildingmoxie.com/2008/11/six-simple-machines/. Or about what went on around this install >> www.buildingmoxie.com/2012/12/resolution-christmas-in-baltimore/. Thanks, Happy 2013.

Building Moxie

Don't Buy New Appliances! These 9 DIY Hacks Are Brilliant

If your appliance is looking old and dingy, there's plenty of ways to make it look new.

Hometalk Highlights

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Appliance Repair Projects

Check out our best DIY appliance repair projects here. Prepare to be wowed.

How to Replace a Refrigerator Door Handle - DIY

My family and I use our garage refrigerator very often because it holds our water and other drinks. The refrigerator door handle broke a few months ago, so I decided to make a wood door handle for our refrigerator from hard maple.

Jeremy Hoffpauir

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

Installing an Oscillating Ceiling Fan / Fishing Wires

Our son's room is a den of tween, man-cave awesomeness. It's his fortress against the world, or at least against the constant onslaught of a pestering little sister. He spends a lot of time in there. To maximize space we'd gotten him a loft bed from IKEA, with a built in desk. Problem: the blades of his ceiling fan spun right through the sleeping area. I told him to scoot over against the wall and not roll around much, but Sweetie convinced me Child Protective Services would have an issue with my solution. So, I removed the fan and installed a simple light fixture. Unfortunately, during the hottest summer nights, it's been warm for him, up by the ceiling. A floor fan just doesn't cut it. We saw an oscillating ceiling fan on display at Home Depot and decided it would be perfect for him. We'd direct it at his bed and get him some much needed air flow. What a cool idea! I've installed plenty of ceiling fans over the years, this was an odd one, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes,...right? (Remember Murphy's Law?) Read the whole (It's hot up here) story on the blog!

John @ AZ DIY Guy

Is Your Bathroom Properly Ventilated?

We've seen it probably more than 100 times. In an attic, the bath fan discharges directly into a pile of insulation. You would be surprised that it's more common than many people realize! If you don't know the condition of yours, it's worth a quick investigation. So, what are the indicators of a properly ventilated bathroom? Here are a few tips. 1. Select the correct size bath fan. Many have a square footage chart included at time of purchase, but there are tables available online as well, such as this one from HVI: http://www.hvi.org/publications/HowMuchVent.cfm 2. Ensure adequate make up air can reach the fan. As pictured, allow a minimum of 3/4" clearance under the door, and even more if possible. Use caution, however, that hollow doors only have a small solid rail at the bottom which could limit the cut off. 3. Always terminate the ductwork to the home exterior. In the photo, the duct is attached to a pre-cut galvanized sheet, and connected with a 4" starter collar. It is attached directly under a roof static vent which was installed solely for this purpose. 4. How long to allow a fan to run post-showering? The Home Ventilating Institute recommends that a fan should be left on for 20 minutes after a shower to thoroughly clear humidity and to ensure moisture and condensation in the fan body or ducting is minimized. A preset timer, such as illustrated in the attached photo, helps achive this. 5. Not sure if your fan is drawing air? As pictured, you can give it a quick (albeit not scientific) test using a sheet of paper. if your fan is blocked by insulation, the paper likely will not stick.

Hamtil Construction LLC

Blow It Out Your Roof: a Guide to Replacing a Bathroom Fan!

Birdz of a Feather

Dryer Duct Cleaning: Dust Bunnies are Pyromaniacs

We all clean our dryer's lint trap but when is the last time you vacuumed the dryer ducts or around the heating element? Okay, I'm ashamed to admit that I've never done this (yes I should be punished by the DIY gods). So this past weekend our electric Maytag dryer got some much needed cleaning attention. Here are some tips you can immediately put into action to prevent a dryer fire in your own home (and believe or not there over 15,000 annually): +Add an appliance brush to a 1/4 inch drill and thoroughly clean all duct tubing +Vacuum tubing, the lint reservoir, and inside the dryer around the heating element +Make sure there isn't a birds nest or other animal debris in your exhaust vent +Use stiff walled or rigid metal duct tubing instead of the plastic variety +When you push your dryer back against the wall don't kink or crush the tubing +Make all kids & husbands do their own laundry on Sunday (haha, this last one is optional although I wash mine all the time) In case you need a video showing you how to take apart the front of your dryer there is a video along with pics and more tips over at http://www.homerepairtutor.com/dryer-duct-cleaning/. Have a great day!

Home Repair Tutor

How to Replace a Refrigerator Door Handle - DIY

Jeremy Hoffpauir

How to Attach Any Pull to a Ceiling Fan Chain

Iamsewcrazy

Installing an Oscillating Ceiling Fan / Fishing Wires

John @ AZ DIY Guy

Is Your Bathroom Properly Ventilated?

Hamtil Construction LLC

Blow It Out Your Roof: a Guide to Replacing a Bathroom Fan!

Birdz of a Feather

Dryer Duct Cleaning: Dust Bunnies are Pyromaniacs

Home Repair Tutor

Popular Repairing Appliances Discussions

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

Anybody ever use a battery operated chainsaw?

/> Mary d

I'm tired of trying to start the gas one. I have a battery operated blower and weed eater. I love them. Just wondering about a chainsaw with a battery.

View discussion

How do I install a ceiling fan ?

/> Jorge Guzman

View discussion

How do I repair a fiberglass bathtub?

/> Marquie Cahall

View discussion

How can I set up the TV antenna so I don't need to use cable?

/> Dfm

what types of antenna to use?

View discussion

New Appliance Repair Projects

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

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

ChickFix

Daytek Retractable Clothesline Restring Part 2

Here's part 2 of the Daytek Clothesline restring project

Andrew Bounader

How to Replace a Vacuum Cleaner Belt?

Is your brush roll working efficiently?Does your vacuum make more noise than before? In order to repair your vacuum cleaner's belt, you'll need a screwdriver and the replacement belt.STEP 1. After confirming that your vacuum is unplugged, turn your vacuum onto its back so that the base of the cleaner is facing you.

Justin Davis

Fix Plastic Door Inserts and Crisper Drawer for Fridge

I'm busy revamping my fridge to replace the door seal, spray the outside with Rust-Oleum Appliance Epoxy and fixing up cracked and broken plastic door inserts and crisper bins. There is a broken door insert, as well as a couple of cracked salad crisper drawers that need to be repaired. I worked out it would be far cheaper to fix these than replace the entire fridge.

Janice Anderssen

Thrifty, DIY Outdoor Fan Makeover

Our back porch outdoor fan/light fixture was badly in need of some TLC. So I took some paint and primer and updated it, making it look like new again. I encountered some pitfalls, though, which I explain how to avoid. Check out the post url for all the deets.

Living Rich on Less - Susan

Make your washer clean itself!

It sounds funny that you have clean a machine designed for cleaning, but the washer does need some love. Detergent and grime build up on the drum over time. Luckily, it's pretty easy to clean. Dump a couple cups of vinegar with a little bit of lemon juice (for smell) into the washing machine and set to the hottest cycle. While the washer is running, wipe down the exterior with a mixture of vinegar and water. After the cycle is completed, clean the detergent, bleach, and fabric softener dispensers with the same mixture.