If you have an appliance problem, it can be very frustrating. Whether the issue is with your dishwasher, dryer, or refrigerator, it can be difficult to find the source of the problem and even more challenging to figure out how to fix it.
Fortunately for you, these common appliance problems are easy (and often inexpensive) fixes if you know what you’re looking for! Here’s a list of nine common home appliances we’ve seen break down and how to fix them:
Dryer not heating
Check the venting. Are there any kinks and twists in it? Kinks and twists could cause air to get trapped in your dryer, which leads to poor heat circulation.
Check the heating element. A faulty heating element is a common problem with dryers, so if you’re having trouble drying clothing or towels, check this first!
Check the thermostat. If your dryer runs but doesn’t heat up at all when activated, try adjusting its temperature setting—this could be a simple fix if you’ve accidentally set it too low or high for optimal performance!
Look for a clogged lint filter or vent hose. If you don’t have a lint filter installed on your unit yet (and we recommend that everyone does), then there’s probably some buildup of fluff around its exhaust port that needs cleaned out before it can function properly again; otherwise, gently remove any debris from these areas using compressed air and reattach them securely before turning back on again so nothing gets sucked into other components like bearings or motors where it won’t belong!
Oven not heating evenly
- Check the oven temperature. Turn the dials to see if your oven is heating at all. If it’s not getting warm, you may need to reset the thermostat (see below).
- Check the oven thermostat. Look on top of your stove and find a small box with wires coming out of it; this is most likely your oven’s thermostat. Unplug the power cord from underneath and check if it’s broken or bent—if so, replace it with a new one (or take apart yours and straighten out any bent areas).
- Check for faulty fan motors and burners by feeling for heat around them; if there isn’t any, try cleaning or replacing those parts instead of buying new ones altogether!
- It could also be that something is blocking hot air from exiting through vents in your kitchen; clean these vents by removing dust buildup with a vacuum cleaner attachment or feather duster before trying again!
Water Heater (electric) does not heat
If your water heater is not heating, check to see that the pilot light is not out.
If it’s lit, but the heater isn’t working, check for any mechanical issues within the gas valve or heating element assembly. It could be that something has been knocked loose or disconnected during installation or service.
If none of those things are problematic and you’re still experiencing problems with your electric water heater, you may need to replace its thermostat.
Refrigerator is noisy or loud
If your fridge is making a lot of noise, the problem could be one of several things. First, check to see if there are any loose or damaged parts. You may have a bad door seal or hinge that needs to be replaced.
Next, check for clogged condenser coils and fan. The condenser coils are located outside the refrigerator and are responsible for removing heat as part of the cooling system; if they’re covered in ice or dust and not working properly, it will cause loud operation noises while running on “High” power mode (which uses more electricity). You can often clean these by using canned air or just blowing them off gently with an old vacuum cleaner nozzle attachment.
Finally, look at your defrost timer; if it’s faulty it could be causing problems with how often ice has time to melt away from inside your freezer section before refreezing again later on down the line (and thus needing another round of defrosting).
Dishwasher won’t drain
One of the common dishwasher problems, is when it doesn’t drain.
The first step is to unplug and remove the drain hose from your dishwasher, which you can usually find on the right side of your appliance.
You’ll then want to open up any doors that are in your way as you begin searching for a clog. If you don’t see anything obvious, give it a few more minutes and check again later—sometimes it takes time for clogs to develop.
If you still have issues after this point, take out the filter at the bottom of your dishwasher—this will usually be made out of metal mesh or plastic mesh that has been twisted into place at an angle (you may need pliers). Clean off any debris with soap and water then place it back inside before reconnecting everything else together again. If none of these steps worked out for you then try bumping up against one end of the hoses so they can dislodge whatever might be stuck inside without causing too much damage!
Washing Machine doesn’t spin or drain.
The most common problems with washing machines are drying issues and failure to drain or spin.
If the washing machine doesn’t go into the spin cycle, check:
- The drain hose is not kinked or clogged. Remove any blockages in it (such as towels).
- That all of the hoses are connected properly and secure in place.
- The water level is set correctly for your load size and type of wash cycle you want to use (see your user manual). If you don’t have a manual, check out our Washing Machine Manuals page for help finding one!
Dryer stops and starts
If your dryer is stopping and starting, first check the belt. If the belt is broken or damaged, it will make a lot of noise and not spin properly.
Next check the heating element. If it’s burned out, you might need to replace it. The thermostat on your dryer may also be defective if you notice that your clothes are not getting completely dried in one cycle or if they are taking too long to dry. Finally, make sure that there aren’t any obstructions in the dryer door switch (if there is one).
Stove Burner or Oven Won’t Turn Off
If you can’t turn off your oven, the problem may be with either the control or power supply to your appliance. Check to make sure that the “OFF” setting isn’t accidentally switched to “ON.” If it is and you want to switch it back, simply press down on each button until they all pop up.
If no buttons are sticking and nothing else seems out of order, check if there’s an issue with your circuit breaker (it might be tripped) or thermostat (could be broken).
Test these by flipping them on and off again, making sure they’re actually functioning properly before you move onto another possible culprit: temperature sensors located in both your oven and stove top burners. These sensors automatically shut down when they detect too much heat from cooking; sometimes they get stuck in a loop where they never stop detecting high temperatures even after everything has been turned off!
If this happens just unplugging everything for awhile can help reset everything; once things are plugged back in then try turning them back on one at time until you find what doesn’t work so well anymore.
Refrigerator Not Cooling
If your refrigerator is not cooling, there are many possible causes. The first step is to check the thermostat. The temperature of the refrigerator should be between 33°F (1°C) and 38°F (3°C).
If that checks out, check the temperature in the freezer: it should read 0°F (-18°C). If it doesn’t, then you may have a problem with your compressor or defrost cycle. Try unplugging your refrigerator for 30 minutes to see if this solves the issue; if it doesn’t, call an appliance repair technician.
Next check the fresh food section: it should be 40-41 ° F (4-5 ° C). If it’s warmer than this or colder than 32 ° F (0 ° C), then move on to step 3: inspecting and cleaning out condenser coils under refrigerators with side-by-side compartments.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you diagnose and fix some common appliances problems in your house. If you’re still struggling with a problem that we didn’t cover here, feel free to leave us a comment below and tell us what issue you’re having.
