Repairman

Getting Your Appliance FixedHow do you know when to call?Here's when you don't need appliance service: Your refrigerator water filter needs replacement. You should be able to do this yourself. If for some reason you can't, a handyman can do this for you. Your washing machine has an inlet hose that is leaking. Replace the leaking hose (I'd replace both hoses). No need for a service call. The dishwasher is not getting your dishes clean. There could be many reasons for this other than a malfunctioning dishwasher. Maybe the incoming water is not hot enough. Hard water can be a problem. There's not enough or too much detergent. You might need to use a rinse agent, or additive.Here's when you do need to call for service: Your refrigerator is not cooling. You've plugged and unplugged, and tested the electric outlet so that you know your fridge is getting power. Nevertheless, your food is spoiling. Call for service. Your washing machine suddenly made a loud grating sound, and ground to a halt. Now you can't get it to do anything. You need a qualified service agent. The dishwasher will start, fills with water, etc. but it just doesn't do anything. No noise, no water movement, no nothing. Your neighbor says, it's probaly the pump and/or motor.You get the idea. Some simple things like changing filters are not reasons to call for service. When appliances have critical failures, that can't be fixed by turning the power back on, etc. it's time to

Replace or Repair Your Old ApplianceFix the Old or Go to UAKC to buy a New One How bad is the old one? Is your old refrigerator making grinding noises, and keeping you up at night? Really, if you're worrying about having a refrigerator full of spoiled food, you've got a very good reason to consider a new refrigerator. You should be heading down to Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center right now. How old is the old one? If your old refrigerator looks like this: ...then what are you waiting for. Seriously, these days if you get more than 15 years out of your fridge you are ahead of the game. Also, it's not unusual at all for people to hand down a 8-10 year old refrigerator when buying a new home or doing a kitchen remodel. We all have different ways of justifying a new purchase in our mind, and it's certainly reasonable to consider the age and likely failure of an old appliance to justify a replacement. How much is it going to cost to repair the old refrigerator? Well, just the trip charge is likely to cost you in the $50 range, and then there's finding the problem, getting the part which often needs to be ordered, and you know the rest. So, how much are you willing to spend to get your old fridge back in working order? My top price for repairing a refrigerator that is 8 to 10 years old is $250. If it's

Getting your appliance repairedWhen NOT to call for repairLast week my wife informed me that our dishwasher was broken. When I asked her what the problem was she said it just didn't work. It wouldn't even start. I asked her if she'd been under the sink that day. "Sure" she replied, "but what does that have to do with the dishwasher being broke." "It's simple. It is unplugged." I said, pointing to the dislodged dishwasher cord on the back wall underneath the sink. This would NOT have been a time to call for a repairman.Before calling for appliance repair be sure that cords, hoses, etc. are all connected. Also, open the breaker box and make sure that no circuit breakers have been tripped. Review your operating instructions. There may be a "before you call for service" section in the back of the manual. This is all designed to avoid the embarrassment and cost of paying for a service call when the only thing the repairman does is flip a switch.When TO call for appliance repairBeyond the obvious disconnections or blown fuses, call for service. The last time I needed service was just a few years ago, when the bottom of the freezer section in my refrigerator became covered with ice. I knew exactly what the problem was. There was a defrost drain tube in the back of the freezer section that was clogged and wouldn't drain, causing water to drain on to the freezer floor and freeze into a large