Happy Wednesday! Here's a new post for you explaining why you should buy a used appliance part.
Why buy used appliance parts? First of all, it is environmentally friendly to purchase recycled items. Second, it is cost-effective to do so. Lastly, they can be just as reliable as new parts; particularly considering how cheaply new parts are made these days. In this article I’ll explain further the benefits of buying used appliance parts.
So the first reason why to buy used appliance parts is to be environmentally friendly. With landfills rising higher and higher, why not purchase something recycled instead of adding to the problem? Understanding why to purchase a recycled appliance part can help the environment as well as your pocketbook.
The second reason why to buy used appliance parts is because it’s frugal to do so! With the U.S. economy going further downhill, why not save some cash and buy a used appliance part? Buying a small used part such as a switch might not save you a fortune, but consider this situation. Let’s say you have a repairman come out to your house to fix your washer. You pay him to come over and find out what the problem is, usually by the hour. Then he tells you that the motor is shot, well, you are probably looking at 100-200 dollars or more by buying a new motor. That doesn’t even include the cost of installation and other show up fees. Or you could learn how to install a motor by researching it online, and buying a used motor (which comes with a warranty usually) for half the price.
Another quick tip for used appliance parts is to do your research about the seller and the part that you want. Make sure they verify you are getting the correct part; you will usually need your model number for that. You should only buy used parts from sellers that offer warranties with their parts, just in case. Look for sellers who include pictures and other detailed information about their parts. Beware of low-quality used appliance parts; you may have to replace them after only a few months. So in essence, only buy from trusted dealers. (If you’re on eBay, just look at the seller’s feedback.)
My last reason why to buy used appliance parts is because they can be just as reliable as new parts. I’ll tell you why. Companies are trying to save money these days by creating their parts using cheaper materials. Most of the parts that used to be made of metal are now made with hard plastic or other cheap materials. This can cause the part to wear out faster, meaning you’ll have to replace it more often. Sometimes you can’t circumvent this problem, but that’s the main reason why I would purchase a used appliance part instead of new.
In summary, purchasing a used appliance part can help save you money, the environment, and they also can be more reliable.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Dryer Maintenance Tips
Well, spring cleaning time is just around the corner. (At least for us, it's still snowing in April!) With that, every year you should clean your appliances to keep them in good shape, and running smoothly. Here are some tips for dryer maintenance.
It's important to keep your dryer in tip top shape, both for performance reasons and also because if you don't keep your dryer clear of lint it could cause a fire. In this article I will explain some simple dryer maintenance tips, so you can be sure that your dryer won't become a fire hazard. The only tools you need are: a flashlight, a vent brush, and a vacuum with a small hose attachment.
The first dryer maintenance tip I have for you is to clean out your dryer venting pipe and duct. This is important to do at least once a year - or more if your dryer is used frequently. All you should need to do is unclamp the venting pipe from the duct and either vacuum out or poke out the clog. Don't try to push the clogged lint back into your dryer, though. You can also use what is called a vent brush, it has lots of bristles that trap and collect the lint and dust on the inside of your dryer venting. It is a handy tool to have, especially since you should be cleaning out the venting of your dryer at least once a year.
The second dryer maintenance tip I have is to clean out the interior of your clothes dryer. Most of the time the lint that comes off your clothes is collected in the lint filter, but sometimes it can collect inside the dryer. All your really need to do is take a flashlight and see if you have any lint accumulation on the inside of your dryer. If you do, you can use a vacuum to suck it out.
The third tip to maintain your dryer is to clean the lint filter. You probably already know that you should be cleaning off the lint filter after every load. You should also be inspecting the filter itself for any cracks, tears, or holes. If your lint filter is damaged, or has any tears you should replace it. Sometimes dirt and soap can stick to the filter, which easily comes off with warm water, soap, and a toothbrush.
The last dryer maintenance tip is to clean the space under the lint filter. Usually lint filters do a good job at... you guessed it - filtering lint. But sometimes lint and other debris can get stuck in the area under the lint filter. Basically all you need to do is clean out that space with your vacuum.
Well, that's basically all you'll need to do to keep your dryer in peak performance. But there is one last thing to check. If you do notice that your dryer has a lot of lint buildup you might want to hire a repair man to take a look at your machine and to clean the inner components as well.
It's important to keep your dryer in tip top shape, both for performance reasons and also because if you don't keep your dryer clear of lint it could cause a fire. In this article I will explain some simple dryer maintenance tips, so you can be sure that your dryer won't become a fire hazard. The only tools you need are: a flashlight, a vent brush, and a vacuum with a small hose attachment.
The first dryer maintenance tip I have for you is to clean out your dryer venting pipe and duct. This is important to do at least once a year - or more if your dryer is used frequently. All you should need to do is unclamp the venting pipe from the duct and either vacuum out or poke out the clog. Don't try to push the clogged lint back into your dryer, though. You can also use what is called a vent brush, it has lots of bristles that trap and collect the lint and dust on the inside of your dryer venting. It is a handy tool to have, especially since you should be cleaning out the venting of your dryer at least once a year.
The second dryer maintenance tip I have is to clean out the interior of your clothes dryer. Most of the time the lint that comes off your clothes is collected in the lint filter, but sometimes it can collect inside the dryer. All your really need to do is take a flashlight and see if you have any lint accumulation on the inside of your dryer. If you do, you can use a vacuum to suck it out.
The third tip to maintain your dryer is to clean the lint filter. You probably already know that you should be cleaning off the lint filter after every load. You should also be inspecting the filter itself for any cracks, tears, or holes. If your lint filter is damaged, or has any tears you should replace it. Sometimes dirt and soap can stick to the filter, which easily comes off with warm water, soap, and a toothbrush.
The last dryer maintenance tip is to clean the space under the lint filter. Usually lint filters do a good job at... you guessed it - filtering lint. But sometimes lint and other debris can get stuck in the area under the lint filter. Basically all you need to do is clean out that space with your vacuum.
Well, that's basically all you'll need to do to keep your dryer in peak performance. But there is one last thing to check. If you do notice that your dryer has a lot of lint buildup you might want to hire a repair man to take a look at your machine and to clean the inner components as well.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tips To Help Fix a Dryer That Won't Heat
Hello Readers! I apologize for not updating sooner, but my family and I were on vacation down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, it was wonderful. So now we are all ready to get back to work, and I have a new little article just for you. I hope it is helpful!
If your dryer will not heat then hopefully this article will help you. I will give you a few tips on how to fix it. Over the years I have learned these solutions as once I was asking myself "why won't my dryer heat?" Then I started working with people that work on appliances and I learned a whole lot of tips and solutions for fixing appliances. It is a benefit to know all of these tips and how to’s because to have a repair man come out to fix your machine can be quite costly.
There could be a number of reasons why your dryer won't heat. But first, you have to find out if your dryer is electric or gas. With electric dryers, they run on a separate circuit breaker, so make sure that is on. Turn it off and then turn it back on and then go try your dryer to see if it will heat. Say your dryer still does not heat; then you will need a continuity tester. Usually all dryers have a thermal fuse in the exhaust path. According to what dryer you have depends if the fuse will be found towards the front or back. If you have a back panel on your dryer then most likely that is where it will be. They are just about 1" in size and you will see where the spots are for continuity testing.
There will also likely be another thermal fuse that can cause your dryer to not heat and it is located outside the heater housing assembly. These also need to be tested with the continuity tester. So after you checked all of these options and you are still wondering "why my dryer won't heat?" then the next most common problem can be the heating element. All electric dryer elements are made of metal coils on some form of a frame with two contact points which is where the wires plug into. If one of the coils is broken then it will not heat your dryer and you will need a new heat element.
For those of you that have a gas dryer- and are wondering "why won't my dryer heat"? - well, gas dryers run on a burner system. There are a few parts that can fail and cause your dryer to not heat. But some you can replace by testing them and others you have to just decide to do it or not. With gas dryers not just a continuity tester is needed to test; you will need a good ohm meter. When your dryer starts hot but finishes cold then you could have some bad coils. They energize to keep the gas valves open. But the valves are one of the things that you are not able to test so you have to replace them. If your dryer never heats, then try the igniter first. Disconnect the clear plastic connector which has attached the igniter to the burner circuit. Disconnect and put your probes on the igniter side. After that the meter has to be under 100 ohms of resistance because anything higher means you need to replace the igniter. But if the igniter is good then the last thing to check is the flame sensor. If you don't have continuity then it needs to be replaced; it's that simple. One more thing: make sure you clean out your vent because if that is full of lint then that can cause your dryer to slow down on heating and also cause a fire.
Ok, well I hope the information I have provided has helped you. There is nothing else that I can let you know at this point. If your dryer does not work after trying all of these options then it's time to call a repairman.
I hope this helped you! Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic weekend!
-Balcum
If your dryer will not heat then hopefully this article will help you. I will give you a few tips on how to fix it. Over the years I have learned these solutions as once I was asking myself "why won't my dryer heat?" Then I started working with people that work on appliances and I learned a whole lot of tips and solutions for fixing appliances. It is a benefit to know all of these tips and how to’s because to have a repair man come out to fix your machine can be quite costly.
There could be a number of reasons why your dryer won't heat. But first, you have to find out if your dryer is electric or gas. With electric dryers, they run on a separate circuit breaker, so make sure that is on. Turn it off and then turn it back on and then go try your dryer to see if it will heat. Say your dryer still does not heat; then you will need a continuity tester. Usually all dryers have a thermal fuse in the exhaust path. According to what dryer you have depends if the fuse will be found towards the front or back. If you have a back panel on your dryer then most likely that is where it will be. They are just about 1" in size and you will see where the spots are for continuity testing.
There will also likely be another thermal fuse that can cause your dryer to not heat and it is located outside the heater housing assembly. These also need to be tested with the continuity tester. So after you checked all of these options and you are still wondering "why my dryer won't heat?" then the next most common problem can be the heating element. All electric dryer elements are made of metal coils on some form of a frame with two contact points which is where the wires plug into. If one of the coils is broken then it will not heat your dryer and you will need a new heat element.
For those of you that have a gas dryer- and are wondering "why won't my dryer heat"? - well, gas dryers run on a burner system. There are a few parts that can fail and cause your dryer to not heat. But some you can replace by testing them and others you have to just decide to do it or not. With gas dryers not just a continuity tester is needed to test; you will need a good ohm meter. When your dryer starts hot but finishes cold then you could have some bad coils. They energize to keep the gas valves open. But the valves are one of the things that you are not able to test so you have to replace them. If your dryer never heats, then try the igniter first. Disconnect the clear plastic connector which has attached the igniter to the burner circuit. Disconnect and put your probes on the igniter side. After that the meter has to be under 100 ohms of resistance because anything higher means you need to replace the igniter. But if the igniter is good then the last thing to check is the flame sensor. If you don't have continuity then it needs to be replaced; it's that simple. One more thing: make sure you clean out your vent because if that is full of lint then that can cause your dryer to slow down on heating and also cause a fire.
Ok, well I hope the information I have provided has helped you. There is nothing else that I can let you know at this point. If your dryer does not work after trying all of these options then it's time to call a repairman.
I hope this helped you! Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic weekend!
-Balcum
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