When to call an appliance repairman?

Getting your appliance repaired

When NOT to call for repair

Last 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 repair

Beyond 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 sheet of ice.

The fix was to remove a small rubber gasket and screen in the drain tube which caused the clog. But first, the freezer drawer needed to be removed. The freezer shelves needed to be removed. Then the cover over the freezer coils needed to be removed.

It only took the repairman about 3/4 of an hour to find the drain tube remove the small part. But this was way beyond my skill level, and I could easily have broken something else in the process of taking the freezer section apart and then putting it back together. These are not Mister Fixit home repair problems. You need a trained professional – like the ones at Universal Appliance Repair.

Here's the lesson:

Check the obvious, eg. something is disconnected. Power off, water off, etc. Beyond that, in the LA area call Universal Appliance Repair.