An appliance repairman blogs.

Beko fridge freezer archaeology.

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:48:20 GMT

Searching for the elusive sensor....

When the temperature in the fridge section of a fridge-freezer can't be controlled and is freezing everything, usually, a little sensor called an NTC is the cause of the fault. It fails to sense that it is at the correct temperature, so the control system keeps the compressor running as a result.

On some Beko fridge freezers, the sensor is hidden away under the thick insulation layer at the back of the appliance (for some inexplicable reason,) and requires cutting into the insulation to find it. It's almost an archaeological dig!

On this job, last week, I spent quite some time cutting into the insulation to find the rogue sensor. Eventually, I found it; lower down than I had expected, but it was a relief to see the blue wire which I followed to the sensor.

A bit of a job, as I had to re-insulate the whole area of the cutout after replacing the sensor.

It's not a job that would be covered under the fixed-cost labour due to the additional time required to accomplish a repair, and was charged at a slightly higher cost, but nonetheless, it was very satisfying to rescue a fridge freezer which would otherwise have had to be scrapped as many repair companies will simply tell you that it cannot be repaired.

Heat pump dryers. They are very efficient in terms of energy usage, but consumer websites don't seem to understand how they work.

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 22:48:46 GMT

There's a real lack of knowledge as to how these work!

Heat pump tumble dryers. The graphic above shows how they actually work!

I’m surprised by the lack of understanding of heat pump tumble dryers from consumer organisations and other providers of energy saving advice.

I've seen numerous website articles, and even printed ones, which are clearly under researched and misunderstood. The authors of these pieces would appear to have heard the words “heat” and “pump” and have then imagined that heat is somehow being ‘pumped’ into the tumble dryer - or something!

They do get the idea that heat pump dryers are very energy efficient, and that's a good thing to explain to the public, but when they go on to supposedly explain how they work, they get all muddled up with only partially grasping the concept of heat pump technology. And it really isn't that complicated to grasp!

One explanation, from a consumer publication which (see what I did there) is very respected, said that heat pump dryers were so efficient because " The remaining dry warm air is then pumped back through the drum, re-using it to help the clothes dry faster ". That is not exactly how a heat pump works, and not a proper explanation of why it is energy efficient. The word “pump” is a misnomer in this context and is misunderstood! There is no dryer pump that pumps warm air into a drum. It is nonsense! They also use a graphic which does not even show the heat pump technology, but just the condensing system as is found on any condenser dryer.

A non-heat pump condenser dryer also recirculates the air, so they are confusing the operation of a standard condensing dryer with that of a heat pump dryer. (However, the graphic above is an actual demonstration of heat pump technology in a dryer).

Heat pump technology has nothing to do with pumps. Heat isn't being ‘pumped’. It’s just terminology.

The same article made a distinction between a ‘condenser dryer’ and a heat pump dryer but this distinction is again incorrect. A condenser dryer and a heat pump dryer are BOTH condenser dryers (I.e. they take moisture from the laundry and use a cooling surface to condense and extract the moisture). A vented dryer ( the kind with a large hose which goes through the wall or window ) doesn't need to condense internally to get rid of the moisture content; it just passes the hot moist air straight out through the wall so is very wasteful of energy.

Heat pump technology isn’t actually new, as much as appliance manufacturers want you to think that it is; it’s been in your fridge forever! A heat pump dryer is basically a fridge with a drum and churning motor!

A heat pump is basically heat energy being removed from one place and being transferred to another. Your fridge is a heat pump. It takes the heat from the inside of the insulated fridge cavity, including the heat in the food and drink, and transfers it out the back of the appliance into the room through the condenser. It's why you feel heat coming from the back of a fridge or freezer. It's easy to think of a fridge as 'adding cold', but that isn't the case. More correctly it is removing heat energy and putting it outside of the fridge cavity.

A normal condensing or vented dryer has a heating element which uses lots of electricity. What makes heat pump dryers energy efficient is that the dryer doesn't need an electrical resistive heating element. It uses the heat generated by the condensing of a refrigerant gas back into a liquid ( and the cooling effect of the evaporation of the liquid to condense the moisture out of the laundry in the warm air ).

A small compressor motor, a larger motor to turn the drum & a small condensate pump are the main electrical components in a heat pump dryer. These components aren't particularly energy hungry. There's no resistive heating element, so far less power is consumed. The condenser coil does recapture some of the heat from the drying process and transfers it back to the warm airflow, so there is some truth to the 'recycling of warm air' claims made.

With no electric element, it's not going to get as hot as a conventional vented or standard condenser dryer, so the cycle will inevitably take longer.

Heat pump dryers aren’t suitable for people who require quick drying of multiple loads of washing, but if speed isn’t an issue, they are highly energy efficient and cheap to run. Given the current high cost of electricity, these appliances are likely to pay for themselves in energy savings over time.

Your dishwasher can clean better with this simple tip!

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:19:07 GMT

Your dishwasher does a pre-wash, and adding detergent for this phase results in a better wash.

Dishwashers usually perform a short pre-wash prior to the main wash.

On some programmes, the pre-wash is a cold rinse. On the stronger programmes, the pre-wash is usually hot. (That's why liquid dishwasher cleaners should not be put in at the start of a programme. See previous blog post https://www.fixmywhitegoods.co.uk/do-you-use-a-dishwasher-cleaner )

In both cases, the pre-wash would simply use just water. Adding detergent on the pre-wash would improve the quality of the overall wash as it will remove additional grease during the pre-wash phase.

Most people simply put detergent in the dispenser compartment, close the flap, then run the dishwasher. And that's what is done by the vast majority of people who have a dishwasher. However, your dishwasher does a pre-wash and doing a pre-wash with just water won't remove sufficient grease to prepare it for the main wash in most cases.

And this hasn't escaped the knowledge of dishwasher manufacturers!

If you look closely at your dispenser, you may find that the manufacturer has provided a receptacle for a pre-wash detergent dose. Of course, this is too small to accept a tablet, but it will hold a small amount of dishwasher powder (yes, that's a thing!) or, even a small squirt of washing up liquid (too much is not recommended as it can foam up excessively). Red arrows above show the pre-wash detergent compartments.

The small amount of pre-wash detergent does not actually have to go in any particular place as it simply dribbles out the second you close the door, prior to starting the programme, so you could simply add a small quantity of powdered detergent onto the opened door.

It really does make a difference!

With a hot pre-wash using dishwasher powder or washing up liquid, the early phase of the wash can clear the worst of the grease and oils in your wash prior to the start of the main wash.

It's actually how dishwashers are supposed to be used but not widely known.

Bosch/Neff/Siemens sump leaks & E:15 errors

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 14:31:06 GMT

A repair set is available for this fault but it's very difficult to fit!

Internal leaks are quite common on Bosch/Neff/Siemens dishwashers.

On the more modern Neff/Bosch/Siemens dishwashers, there are two types of wash cavity. Many of them have a completely metal tank environment.

However, some have a plastic base which separates from the steel sides over time, causing water to enter the internal base of the machine. A float detects this water and brings on the pump permanently and with most displays, elicits an E:15 code (see my other blog post) https://www.fixmywhitegoods.co.uk/bosch-neff-siemens-dishwasher-e-15-faults

However, there's also an issue which affects the sump, and BSH (Bosch/Neff/Siemens) have a repair set for this which involves replacing a silicone seal on top of the existing one through the top of the sump assembly.

These are very difficult to fit as it involves trimming off plastic with a sharp knife, then pulling the seal through two post-holes using a supplied wire hook.

A very difficult and often frustrating job as the silicone comes close to sharp metal edges and can easily be cut.

Fortunately, I've done many of these over the years and now fit them with relative ease!

Component level repairs

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 10 May 2021 12:47:15 GMT

We can repair many circuit boards at a fraction of the cost of replacing.

Circuit boards can often be expensive.

When a circuit board fails, replacing it can often make a repair uneconomical due to the sometimes high cost of the board.

Most appliance repair companies simply order a new board and replace it as they do not repair down to component level. However, whenever possible, I can offer the option of repairing the circuit board by replacing some of the on-board components, or alternatively, they can be sent off for repair.

A board repair can cost a fraction of replacing it, saving you a considerable amount of money.

There's that annoying 2 minute delay at the end of a wash. Why is this?

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 13:01:55 GMT

Well, ultimately, it's to stop you from putting your hand into a washing machine at full spin (very dangerous), but here's Just a brief explanation of how an old-fashioned washing machine door lock works. (One for the technical geeks who might be interested in this sort of thing!)

Most modern washing machines now have an instant door lock so there's no delay in getting the washing out at the end of the cycle. As soon as the machine stops, the door releases.

These locks also have the added advantage that you can usually pause the wash and add items, such as when you find something that you forgot to put in the machine at the beginning.

However, older machines and lower specification washing machines have a lock which stays locked for around 2 minutes. That short time can seem an age when you're waiting to get the washing out.

I just wanted to put up an interesting explanation of how they work.

When you start the appliance on a wash programme, the machine needs to check that the door is closed and it needs to prevent the door from opening during the cycle.

It achieves this by heating a small resistor which bends a bi-metal contact, causing a latch to move into a position which prevents the door from being opened. This movement also causes the live contact to connect with the unconnected pin on the door lock. When this pin becomes live, the machine receives a signal telling it that the door is closed and latched.

On completion of the cycle, power is switched off from the heating resistor, the bi-metal cools down and it springs back into the unlocked position, allowing the door to be opened.

That's the simple explanation, but I've put up some pictures explaining this in greater detail.

Yet another 'colour catcher'.

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 11:08:37 GMT

This time, stuck in a washing machine filter.

On a previous blog post, I had to strip down a washing machine to get to a 'colour catcher' which had got stuck in the sump hose. I had a call to a washing machine last week which wasn't draining.

On switching the machine to drain mode, all I could hear was a quiet hum from the pump, which was trying to run.

I tipped the appliance back, drained out the water through the filter and found a 'colour catcher'wrapped around the pump impeller. Removing this rectified the fault.

Another example of these useless items causing problems.

A problem for a plumber.

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 22:40:07 GMT

When it's the supply pipework causing a leak, it's time to call in a plumber!

Today, I visited a customer where it appeared that the dishwasher was leaking.

Clean water was appearing beside a built-in dishwasher on an 'island' in a kitchen.

This was a bespoke kitchen, with hand-built units. I couldn't pull out the dishwasher to thoroughly check out the cause due to the way that the fitters had installed it. It was fitted in such a way that the dishwasher could not be removed, as a wooden strut had been fitted across the dishwasher without any visible way of removing it.

I was able to get to the back of the dishwasher through the opposite side of the island which had a cupboard under the island sink. It quickly became clear that the fault was not with the appliance itself, but with the pipework supplying it.

The dishwasher supply pipework has a fitting that has a compression joint. This had a small bead of water above it which was causing a tiny leak.

I'm not a plumber, but I got my grips and a spanner and tried to tighten this up but the nut didn't move at all. That's as far as I was willing to go with it as I had visions of the fitting splitting at full mains water pressure with no way of turning off the supply. I certainly didn't want to risk this so I had to advise the customer that they would need to get a plumber in to rectify the fault.

Colour catchers!

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 21:34:05 GMT

They cause problems and I'm not convinced they do anything!

My first blog post of 2020!

Colour catchers. They cause problems!

I've been to problems caused by these recent 'innovations' before. I recently went to a job in Kings Langley where the washing machine was failing to drain.

On removing the sump hose, a collection of 'colour catchers' was found in the sump hose, stopping the water reaching the drain pump.

You will notice from the photos that modern machines now have a ball in the sump hose. These are for saving energy. The ball rises when the appliance fills, sealing off the area beneath the tub. This means that the machine doesn't have to heat the water between the tub and the pump, saving energy!

The ball, however, restricts the outflow of water from the drum, and it doesn't take much to collect around it to severely restrict the ability to drain.

I really don't believe that these colour catchers actually do anything at all. They seem to change colour, but that isn't necessarily going to stop colours running since the colours will also run elsewhere!

My advice, don't waste money buying these things. They may well end up costing you a visit to remove them!

Do you use liquid dishwasher cleaners? If so, you should read this!

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 15:26:50 GMT

Use the long hot wash but don't put it in at the beginning!

My number one dishwasher cleaning tip for these liquids - Don't put the cleaner in at the start!

There are many proprietary dishwasher cleaners on the market which do a reasonable job of cleaning your dishwasher. However, if you don't follow the instructions carefully, you may not be getting a proper clean and may actually be wasting the product. Some of these cleaning products are approaching £5 a time, so it's a lot of money to pay out to then not get the benefit.

The problem occurs if you put the cleaner in at the beginning of the cycle.

These liquid cleaning products have a wax seal under the cap. When you remove the cap, you place the bottle upside down in the dishwasher and the wax seal keeps the cleaning fluid inside the bottle until the water heats up, the wax then melts and dispenses the cleaning liquid into the dishwasher so that it will circulate round the system for the full duration of the main wash.

The idea is that the liquid should dispense ONLY after any cold pre-wash and get dispensed when the main (long) wash begins.

The longest wash cycle should be used for this procedure. However, the longest cycle usually starts with a short HOT pre-wash. If the cleaner is put in at the beginning of the cycle, the liquid will be dispensed too early so it will only clean briefly during the pre-wash phase before being flushed away (around 10-20 minutes) and won't have had time to do a really thorough clean!

A dishwasher cleaner needs to recirculate for a sufficient time to thoroughly clean out the system during the main part of the washing cycle. This comes after the short hot pre-wash and runs for a considerable length of time where the cleaning fluid gets to do a thorough job.

The answer to this is to wait for the first part of the cycle (the hot prewash) to complete BEFORE introducing the dishwasher cleaner into the system. This can be achieved by simply waiting approximately 10-20 minutes into the cycle, (by then, it should have completed the pre-wash), or by observing when the pre-wash has finished by listening out for the water to drain before it fills up for the main part of the wash. Then add the cleaning product. (Open the door just a fraction and wait a second for the door latch to detect that the door has been opened and for wash action to stop if it has started washing again.)

It's a really simple tip which will mean you're not wasting money on an ineffectual clean!

Better still, get a cleaning and descaling powder and place it in the dispenser. The dispenser will open only on the main part of the wash so you won't have to hover around the dishwasher waiting for the first part of the cycle to complete. We can supply professional descaler/cleaning products.

A second opinion that worked out well.

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 22:10:32 GMT

Sometimes, an engineer can overthink a simple fault thinking parts are needed when they're not!

I recently visited a dishwasher where the customer wanted a second opinion on the previous engineer's quote for an expensive part. The engineer had found that the machine was failing to go into wash mode and told the customer that a quite expensive wash motor would be needed.

The fault was that the dishwasher was filling up but failing to start washing. Normally it's a failed capacitor on the motor. A cheap and simple fix which is easy to diagnose and shouldn't be hard for an experienced engineer to sort out.

On examining the machine, however, I found that the fault did not even require a capacitor!

Examination of the loom wires which go under the door and supply electricity to the motor revealed a broken motor wire.

The constant opening and closing of the dishwasher door over many years had continually flexed the bunch of wires going under the dishwasher door which continue on to the various components in the base area. Eventually, this had led to the motor supply wire breaking.

A simple re-joining of the broken wire restored the dishwasher to full operation without the need for any parts whatsoever! The cost to the customer was just the £59 labour/call-out charge since no actual parts were needed other than a simple wire connector (we don't charge for ancillary or sundry items such as these) and I left the appliance back in full working order.

I don't think that the previous engineer was doing anything wrong. I'm sure that he sincerely believed that the motor was faulty. He just failed to do the necessary checks which, if done properly and methodically, would have shown that the motor was not the cause of the fault but the wire supplying power to it!

Another tub replacement (bearing failure).

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 17:03:49 GMT

Quite often, a drum replacement is economically viable on a decent machine.

Washing machine drum bearings fail!

Given the amount of use a family washing machine gets, and the high spin speeds and large load capacities, it isn't surprising that the bearings fail all too often.

With very cheap washing machines that are available today, particularly those budget ones from China, a major repair such as a tub change would be as expensive as replacing the entire appliance.

However, with a quality brand, a tub replacement is often economically viable given that replacing a machine of the same quality can be £400+

Most modern washing machines have factory-assembled tubs which hold the steel rotating drum, which can be easily replaced.

Being the main operational part of the appliance, replacing a noisy drum makes the machine as good as new, particularly if a new door seal is fitted at the same time.

If your machine makes a hollow rumbling sound when you rotate the drum by hand and is noisy on spin, then your bearings have almost certainly failed.

Here are a few photos of a recent tub change in Hemel Hempstead.

Bosch/Neff/Siemens Dishwasher E:15 faults

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 20:39:09 GMT

The manufacturer has released a repair set for its Polinox base tub leaks.

The B/S/H group (Bosch Neff Siemens) have released a repair set for a fault which causes many of the plastic based dishwashers to leak into the base of the appliance. (I was the official local Bosch/Siemens/Neff engineer for Hemel Hempstead and St Albans areas some years back, and have seen this fault on numerous occasions.) The dishwasher can bow at the side and rear, and cause the steel sides of the dishwasher to separate from the grey plastic base, which can allow water to breach the seals and leak into the base of the machine. When the water enters the base of the machine where the motor and other electrical components reside, a polystyrene float rises up and pushes on a microswitch, causing an error code E:15. Sometimes, the water can leak out of the back of the dishwasher but with no error code so could go un noticed.

The repair set comprises a set of seals and two metal support braces which reduce bowing of the sides of the steel tank, and seals the gap. It also comes with a replacement lower spray arm which has slightly different spray characteristics.

The following is an explanation of the steps involved in fitting the manufacturer's repair set. The whole job takes around 30 minutes to complete.

We offer a quick and convenient repair service for this kind of leak and carry the necessary repair sets on the van.

A Hotpoint condenser dryer tripping the electrics

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 13:11:19 GMT

A quick and easy fix requiring no parts!

I went to a Hotpoint condenser dryer today which had been tripping out the electrics after running for a while and was also leaking onto the floor. The water container at the top of the appliance which collects the condensate (moisture from the clothing) was receiving only a tiny amount of water.

Fortunately, this is a very common problem and was easily solved without the need for any parts.

These condenser dryers collect water in the base of the machine which flows through a hole to the pump chamber where it is pumped up into the water container. When the water container can take no more water, the water in the sump area rises, causing a polystyrene float to rise which in turn pushes a micro-switch, telling the user to empty the water container.

When the hole to the pump chamber gets blocked, the water cannot get to the pump to be pumped into the water container so the water level in the sump area rises and overflows, causing a leak. A side-effect of this is that the rear air process fan chamber becomes filled with water and the fan flicks water up onto the heating element, tripping out the electrics.

Unblocking the hole allows the water to reach the pump, keeping the overall sump level within limits.

Needing no parts to fix, the total repair cost was just £59 and another satisfied customer!

See below for the steps that were needed to fix this fault.

A quick & easy tumble dryer repair in a shed.

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 09:44:27 GMT

Drum wasn't turning but all it needed was a cheap part to fix!

I went to this tumble dryer a few days ago in Kimpton. The drum wasn't turning after pressing the button. A quick test indicated a capacitor fault. The capacitor 'kick-starts' the motor and is a common part which fails on any tumble dryer. Since I carry a wide range of capacitors of different capacities on the van, it was a simple matter of swapping over the faulty capacitor with a new one.

A £59 labour/call-out charge and a cheap capacitor made this a nice low-cost repair.

A Miele dishwasher lower door seal replacement

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 23:35:32 GMT

An internal leak caused by a badly perished lower seal

The above dishwasher failed due to water getting past the seal at the bottom of the door and entering the compartment where the pumps and other electrical components reside. This caused the anti-leak float switch to operate, bringing on the drain pump and setting the appliance into error mode.

I visited and emptied the compartment of water which temporarily cleared the fault, and I ran the dishwasher to see where water was coming from. After a few minutes, I observed a drip coming from the bottom of the door. I found that the lower seal had perished badly.

I didn't have a seal available so I had to place an order. The part arrived quickly and I returned a few days later to complete the repair.

I removed the door completely from the rest of the dishwasher, releasing it from its hinges and carefully removed the screws and supporting strip. The old seal was removed and a fresh new one fitted.

A fairly tricky job but a nice dishwasher, so well worth repairing.

Another old appliance (microwave) repaired

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 10:36:22 GMT

This time, a microwave over 30 years old. I fixed it!

I went to a very old Brother microwave. It was completely dead. The display did not light up and there were no signs of life.

I checked that power was reaching the printed circuit board for the display panel, and found that it was. The display PCB had failed. Being well over 30 years old, there was no possibility of obtaining a new PCB, but the customer was really keen to get this microwave repaired as she had used it from new and was used to it. I explained that parts were no longer available but I suggested that I would take the PCB away and see if I could do anything with it. I further explained that if I was unable to repair it, there would be no charge whatsoever.

On checking the PCB, I noticed a darkening of the area around a group of components (electrolytic capacitors) and I tested each of them using a capacitance meter. One of them had failed as I got no reading when probed.

I ordered a new capacitor and soldered it onto the board. I went back to the customer with the PCB and explained that I hoped that this would work, but if not, she would have to obtain a new microwave. I wasn't particularly confident that this would actually work but it was worth a try.

I fitted the PCB back into the microwave and made all the electrical connections. To my relief, the display immediately came to life, and the microwave was back in operation.

The parts cost was just a small capacitor so a very cost-effective repair to a microwave that I thought would need to be scrapped, and a customer who got her trusty microwave back!

The majority of appliance repair companies would not repair an appliance to component level, and had parts been available, I would have changed the complete PCB. It was a bit of a different repair to normal but I'm really pleased that it worked out.

I'm going to fix a very old oven on Monday

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 10:43:30 GMT

Not sure of the age but must be 40 years old! They don't make 'em like that now!

I visited recently to assess a fault with this great old cooker where the lower of the two ovens was coming on despite being switched off.

It's a lovely old oven and parts are obsolete, but I really wanted to get it back into operation for the customer.

I identified a fault with the lower oven switch/thermostat which has failed internally causing the switch to energise the lower oven even though it is not actually switched on.

Being so old, I wasn't expecting to be able to source an original part. I made some enquiries but to no avail.

This is therefore going to require a bit of rewiring using a modern selector switch and thermostat.

On Monday, I'm going to attempt to replace the existing switch using a selection of switches in the hope that at least one of them will be of the correct shaft length to protrude correctly through to the selector knob at the front. So long as it physically fits, it will be a simple matter of tracing which wires go to which elements and wiring accordingly.

It's jobs like this that stretch my engineering skills to achieve a result rather than simply swapping a like-for-like part over.

Another repair not requiring parts

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 22:43:44 GMT

A noisy fridge-freezer only needed a slight adjustment to its internal fan. It required a second visit, unfortunately, but all was well in the end!

A few days ago, I attended an American-style fridge-freezer which was noisy. The customer said that the noise would stop immediately upon opening of the freezer door, and continue once the door had been closed.

I had visited this appliance some days previously as it had been making a similar, but louder noise. At the time I visited, the noise had actually stopped, but knowing that the noise was stopping with opening of the freezer door, I knew that it must be the fan inside the freezer section, as the freezer fan is the only constantly moving part inside the freezer, and it is designed to stop immediately upon opening of the freezer door.

I cleared out a build-up of ice in the fan and ducting, and ran the appliance. It was completely silent now. I had assumed that the problem had now been resolved, but I asked the customer to let me know if the noise returned. The next day, I received a call saying that the noise had in fact returned, although not so noisy since my visit.

I told the customer that I would need to re-visit, and the customer booked a date online using our online booking system. I revisited on the day the customer had booked, and stripped down the freezer section back panel by removing the ice maker, drive motor, back panel and fan assembly.

On inspection of the fan assembly, I found that the ice build-up had caused the fan to bend slightly into a position where it was now very lightly brushing against the back panel, causing the noise.

Repairing it was a simple matter of moving the fan a few millimetres forward on its shaft to allow a sufficient clearance so that the fan no longer touched the plastic at the base of the fan.

The repair required no parts, and involved a simple adjustment. I was happy to revisit and make good the problem. Since it was a revisit to the same repair, there was no additional call-out or labour cost to the customer.

A nice little drum-change in the September sun

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 17:53:53 GMT

It was such a nice day yesterday I thought I'd do the bulk of the job outside

Yesterday (26th September 2018) was a lovely sunny day and I had a drum to change (bearings really noisy) on a Hotpoint Aqualtis washing machine.

I pulled the old drum & tub out of the machine inside the house, but did all the other things like swapping the motor and door seal over, etc outside in the sun.

The machine has gone from being noisy to as good as it was when first purchased. Apart from the cost of the drum, the customer paid just £59 which included the initial visit to check the fault and the return visit after the drum had been ordered. Job was completed just a couple of days after getting the go-ahead from the customer.

Most parts arrive within a day or two so repairs are normally fairly swift.

No parts required

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 07:55:12 GMT

Parts are charged on top of the £59 repair cost but are often not needed to complete the repair.

We have a simple pricing structure of £59 plus parts. Many repairs simply don't require them such as internal blockages, broken wires, items coming loose, internal adjustments etc.

Yesterday I repaired an AEG washer dryer where everything worked fine except the heater on the drying section. It was blowing cold air only & therefore not drying.

I traced the fault to a broken wire connected to a sensor on the top of the drying duct. Some AEG washer dryers have heater ducting which is bolted to the drum (bad idea!). The problem with this is that the ducting moves with the whole drum assembly constantly during the washing or drying cycle and this movement causes the wiring to flex and sometimes break.

It was a simple matter of repairing one broken wire and the customer simply paid a £59 repair charge. No parts needed!

A really simple repair

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 11:00:43 GMT

How I fixed a tumble dryer with a simple spring!

I recently went to a condenser tumble dryer, the type that pumps all of the condensate into a tank at the top which is pulled out and emptied when full.

The fault was that the tank was not filling with water and the 'empty water tank' light stayed on, despite the fact that the tank was empty.

I initially suspected a blockage in the little pump which sucks the water from the sump and puts it into the tank, but on inspecting it, all was well and the pump operated normally.

I therefore decided to check the hose from the pump to see if there was an obstruction and, sure enough, where the hose arrives at the top water tank, the hose had bent over and kinked. This was stopping the water from coming through to the tank.

I needed to take out the kink in the hose, and as part of my van kit, I have a box of springs of various sizes. One of these was a perfect fit for the hose in question so I put it inside the hose and reconnected it with a plastic clamp-tie for good measure.

This fixed the fault and ensured that the hose couldn't kink again due to the reinforced spring support.

A simple repair. Naturally I didn't charge anything for the spring, so the whole repair cost just the standard labour/call-out charge!

Yet another un-earthed appliance.

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 10:30:55 GMT

And this one is inexcusable

The lack of competency and disregard for safety of some 'installers' still surprises me.

The above cooker was fitted by somebody who connected the live and neutral wires but just didn't bother to connect the earth wire apparently. From the markings on the green/yellow earth wire, the fitter seems to have deliberately pulled the wire down to close the cover, as the cover has made indentations on the sheathing.

I could perhaps understand it if the sheathing had been cut back ready for the earth wire to go onto the terminal, and had somehow come out when the cover was pushed down. (This doesn't excuse the fact that the earth should then have been tested at the other end with an appropriate tester).

I just cannot make any sense of why somebody would do this! It's potentially lethal and the person who fitted this cooker clearly had no idea why the earth wire was there, or if they did, they were wantonly irresponsible.

Of course, the appliance worked normally and the owner was completely unaware that this had been wired dangerously. It only came to light when I did an earth loop test on the appliance.

Summer's here - Appliance service Al fresco!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 07:05:19 GMT

A dishwasher repair in the sun.

You wouldn't think I could get a sun tan doing my job.

At the weekend, I had a dishwasher fault to fix, in a garden!

Checking availability/booking online

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 01:09:10 GMT

It's really quick and easy and you can revisit and amend/cancel at any time!

When I set up www.fixmywhitegoods.co.uk I wanted to make engineer availability clear and transparent, and appointment booking as easy as possible.

Being a sole trader, I'm sometimes not in a position to take a phone call to discuss availability and to book in clients, for example when I'm driving between visits or engaged in a repair.

Of course, if I'm not available to answer a phone call, I will always get back to you if you leave a message or text, but if you are calling to enquire about availability, my live online booking page allows you to choose a suitable time slot and book, reschedule or cancel whenever you want.

I'm really keen to encourage online booking as it's so easy and completely without obligation!

Booking an appointment online simply reserves a 1-hour time slot for you. It doesn't commit you to the appointment at all, and you can revisit the booking page to reschedule or even cancel at any time. So if you're even just considering a visit, you can book a slot safe in the knowledge that it is never 'set in stone' and you retain full control of the booking at all times.

Please do feel free to use the online booking system . It only takes a few minutes to do and you'll receive an instant confirmation text the second you book (if you put in a mobile number), with a reminder text sent 1 hour ahead on the day of the visit.

Bosch washing machines don't have a 'spin-only' setting?

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 23:14:31 GMT

Something I'm told very often but actually, they do!

I have had the same discussion many times on the subject of why many Bosch washing machines don't have a spin-only facility.

Customers have complained that they sometimes want to spin clothes that are wet, but don't require rinsing. Most current Bosch machines have no dedicated 'spin' position on the dial, but instead, a rinse/spin option.

Therefore, to spin only, the customer selects this setting then has to wait for the machine to first rinse before the desired spin.

The answer to this is not completely clear in the instruction sheet but you can make the machine spin only without a rinse.

The answer is to select the rinse/spin setting then TURN OFF the rinse by touching the 'aqua plus' button which is initially illuminated when rinse/spin is selected. Turning this illumination off switches off the rinses and the machine goes straight to spin.

So simple but I've been to countless customers who had no idea this was even possible!

When one thing leads to another!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 22:37:55 GMT

A leak, a slug and a small explosion!

I went to a tenanted property in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead to investigate a dead washing machine.

As soon as I approached the washing machine, I could hear water trickling from the area behind the dishwasher which was next to it.

So, instead of the washing machine, my attention was turned to the more pressing problem of why water was running down the back of the dishwasher!

On pulling out the dishwasher, I found that the connection to the fill hose of the dishwasher was loose, water was pouring out and now, having pulled out the dishwasher, it was splashing onto the floor. It took just a moment to tighten up the loose connection and stop the leak.

From the water erosion damage to the plaster, this had clearly been going on for many months. I asked the tenant if she had heard water running in the kitchen and she said she'd heard it continuously since she moved in around 2 years earlier, but thought nothing of it!

When I turned my attention back to the washing machine (which was the reason for my visit in the first place), I found that the main motor control circuit board had exploded, causing the washing machine to fail.

I removed the board and found that the point of explosion on the mains-powered circuit board had a slug trail leading to it where the very unfortunate slug had come into contact with 240 volts!

The colony of slugs had built up over time in the perfect damp conditions provided by the loose dishwasher connection!

see the video here

'Remote' repairs.

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 11:30:31 GMT

Last week I remotely 'repaired' a fault over the phone and it didn't cost the customer a penny! Re-enacted on my own dishwasher in photos above.

I had a call last week from a customer who, incidentally was in London, which is beyond my operating area. On asking about the fault however, It became clear that the problem was with a dishwasher where the door would not close and the pump was running with the door open (something which shouldn't normally be possible).

Having seen this fault many times before, I was able to advise the customer that the likely problem was that the switch inside the door had become latched, causing the dishwasher to be in 'door closed' mode. This is usually when the door latch springs round into the closed position which then tells the dishwasher that the door is closed when it isn't. The latch springs forward and when you try to close the door, the latch hits the metal door bar that goes into the lock opening so it won't close and the dishwasher can actually then run with the door open. Not a good idea!

I was able to talk the customer through putting a thin screwdriver behind the latch and flipping it back round to the open position.

It isn't uncommon for faults such as these to be solved over the phone. Remember, when you call, you speak directly with the engineer and sometimes, the problem can be solved free of charge. It's all part of the great service we offer to all of our customers, even the non-paying ones!

I have re-created the fault in photos above on my own dishwasher.

I got a glimpse of the Eastenders set!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 17:49:12 GMT

A good few years ago but I thought I'd put it on my blog.

Some years ago, I went to a job in Borehamwood whilst working for a major retailer/manufacturer.

During my visit, the customer told me that they often had complete strangers knocking on their door wishing to get a view of the BBC Eastenders set which backed on to their front garden.

On completing the repair, the customer let me take a photo of the view from the upstairs window, of the Eastenders set. Here's the Queen Vic in Albert Square! You can clearly see that the facing houses are just a shell!

Interestingly, the customer and his neighbours receive notifications from the BBC set in advance of any upcoming 'incidents' where noise, explosions etc are due to be filmed, so they are not alarmed, and I saw a few of these letters, with the Eastenders logo, during my visit to the house.

The photo was taken on an old mobile so the quality isn't great but I came across it looking through some old files on a hard drive so seeing as it's vaguely appliance-related, I thought I'd add it to the blog.

Condenser dryers stopping unexpectedly

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:38:19 GMT

Often parts aren't required. It's usually a build-up of fluff!

I visited a Bosch condenser dryer yesterday where the drum stopped after a few minutes when sensor-drying.

Although it seemed that the problem could have been caused by faults in the electronics or sensors, The fault was simply a gradual build up of fluff in the system.

With a strip-down of the machine, a clean of the sump area, pump and condenser, the machine was up and running again, without the need for any parts.

The complete repair therefore cost my customer only our current labour/call-out charge of just £49!

Potentially dangerous fridges & freezers

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:19:08 GMT

Customer could smell burning for a few days then electrics tripped.

I went to a job yesterday where a fridge freezer had been tripping out the RCD at the fuse box as soon as it was switched on.

Electrical shorts like these on self-defrosting fridge freezers are often associated with the element which comes on periodically to melt any excess build-up of ice (defrost element).

On removing the evaporator cover, I was able to test the element which was indeed creating a short-circuit. On closer inspection however, I discovered what I believe to be a potentially dangerous issue regarding shielding of the element.

The plastic next to the heating element was only partially shielded by a metal heatshield with a small section unshielded and causing burning to the plastic lining. The heat was sufficient to crack the plastic also.

I cannot be sure if this fault could have potentially gone on to cause a fire, but had the appliance not short-circuited, the plastic would have continued to burn. It's therefore fortunate that the appliance went faulty as this potential hazard has now been revealed and can be corrected.

They bought their appliances in the 1950s

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 17:47:51 GMT

And were using them up until a few months ago!

A great story on the BBC news website today 19th Nov 2017, about a couple who have decided to replace their old appliances. And I mean old appliances!

'Sydney Saunders, 83, and wife Rachel, 81, from Exeter, have a tumble dryer, water boiler, cooker and washing machine, all in recent working order.

They bought some of the items when they got married in 1956 and have been using most of them since.'

How did these appliances continue to work all this time? I'm glad I wasn't called out to repair one of these beause I'd have needed to consult an archaeologist to obtain spare parts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-42043754

Credit :BBC

Electrical safety of your appliances

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 15:58:13 GMT

We will always ensure that your appliances are electrically safe.

Electrical safety is something I take seriously. Most metal-cased appliances require a sound, functioning earth connection to protect you against electrical shock should the casing become live.

I check for safe electrical installation on EVERY visit, and am happy to test any other appliance which you may have any concern about during any visit, free of charge.

I check every appliance for electrical soundness, as well as the quality of the supply earthing by performing a loop test. This ensures that the appliance has a correctly-functioning earth, it also ensures that the supplying socket is wired with the correct polarity.

It is surprising how often I have come across appliances with no functioning earth connection. I've occasionally had customers say that they've noticed a tingling or mild shock when they have, for instance, touched the door of the dishwasher at the same time as the (earthed) sink. This is because the poorly earthed appliance is allowing a current to leak from one hand, down the arms, to the sink. Your feet can also provide a path to earth and many appliance user manuals advise you to never operate your appliance in bare feet! (A very sensible piece of advice).

We are happy to perform appliance safety tests at any time, so if you have any worries about an installation that has been made in the past or maybe you have fitted an appliance yourself, but need to know that it is electrically safe, we are happy to attend to do a safety check for just the cost of a call-out, that's £35.

We of course do not charge anything for performing safety tests during our repair or installation visits!

Appliance recalls

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 09:26:32 GMT

The Government collates a list of potentially dangerous appliances. Is there one in your home?

Ever since I've been involved in the domestic appliance industry there have been product recalls. Many of these are safety-critical. Some involve the risk of electrocution, fire, flooding and other harm.

The best advice is to register your purchase with the manufacturer. That way, any recall will be notified to you. Most appliances arrive with a registration card or a direction to a website to confirm your details, primarily for warranty purposes. It's always a good idea to do this.

It's worth checking online to see if any electrical appliance you own has a recall outstanding. The Government has a useful website which shows current appliance recalls https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-appliances-recalled-due-to-fire-risk which relate to fire risks which is particularly pertinent after the Grenfell tower fire in London.

There's also some useful information here : https://www.ifsecglobal.com/what-appliance-is-most-likely-to-set-fire-to-your-home/

The appliance industry have a fantastic registration scheme which proactively notifies you of any recalls as they arise. you can register your appliances here: https://www.registermyappliance.org.uk/

Using capsules/sachets in your washing machine?

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 09:29:24 GMT

Just don't put them in here!

Soft detergent capsules are becoming more common these days. I attended a fault where the customer had complained of water cascading out of the front of the detergent drawer as it was doing its initial fill.

I attended and checked the machine over but didn't find anything wrong. Water pressure was fine and the customer said that this was an intermittent fault as it didn't occur every time but randomly.

I left the call still not knowing why the water had escaped from the detergent drawer and asked the customer to contact me again if it occurred again. A few days later I had a re-visit as the water had once again poured out of the detergent drawer section during the initial fill.

Once again, I checked the appliance over but found nothing wrong with the machine. I started asking the customer about the way she was using the appliance, how much detergent used, etc. It was then that I discovered that the lady had recently changed to new capsule-type detergent similar to the one in the photograph.

The crucial thing was that she was putting the capsule in the drawer which is solely for the use of liquids or powders.

What had been happening was that on occasions, the capsule would slip down into the chute where the water goes, blocking it, and before the capsule had had time to dissolve, the water level in the drawer section would then briefly rise and come out of the front of the drawer section.

Of course, every time I visited, the capsule had by then dissolved and slipped into the tub of the washing machine leaving no evidence of the cause!

It took a bit of detective work to solve but after advising the customer to place the capsules directly into the drum, the problem was resolved.

Water filters in fridges

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 08:53:19 GMT

Have you changed yours?

Most fridges with a water dispenser and ice maker have the provision for a water filter. Some are simply a cartridge which you connect to a socket inside the fridge section whilst others are usually located externally.

These filters need to be regularly changed or the taste and quality of the water will be affected.

We can supply and also fit where required, genuine and compatible filters for a wide variety of models.

Mouldy door seals

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:46:42 GMT

Mouldy door seals. Replace and prevent.

Mouldy door seals are an ever common problem. Years ago, this was not so prevalent as hot washes were the order of the day. These days, with modern detergents, low temperature washes are encouraged. The problem is, this can lead to bacteria and mould growth on door seals.

Over the years, I've tried various mould-removing products without success. What looks bad from the front is even more slimy and mouldy in the folds of the back of the door seal, and this is constantly in your wash water causing smells and poor wash quality.

The only real solution is to replace the seal. With the average gasket costing around the £25 mark, replacement with a nice, new, fresh seal is affordable.

Once fitted, a regular hot 'maintenance wash' with a washing machine cleaner will kill off the mould-causing bacteria. Wiping out the door seal after every wash and leaving the door ajar for air to circulate will greatly reduce this problem. It is also a good idea to slightly open the detergent drawer.

We carry a comprehensive range of door seals on the van, or can order any seal we don't have, so if you have a damaged door seal, give us a call.

So they're offering a Dacorum card discount?

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 11:49:03 GMT

A discount isn't a discount if you don't know the price beforehand!

Some appliance repair companies bandy about phrases such as '10% discount', but if they haven't published their price, how do you know you've had anything off the price at all?

It's very easy to say you'v been offered a discount but have you? Was the price you're paying artificially inflated prior to the discount? You'll never know unless the repair company publishes their price in advance.

Our policy is simple, straightforward pricing with a genuine discount for Dacorum card holders. We openly publish our repair price at £49 + parts, and offer a 10% Dacorum card discount on the call-out/labour (£5). That's a real, verifiable discount on our published rate.

Thank you for our 5 star rating.

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 20:25:28 GMT

After just a couple of months on Google, we've got our 7th 5 star review today! Thank you to all who have taken the trouble to rate us.

It's really gratifying when we receive good reviews for our service. We've only been on Google a couple of months now and we had our 7th review today, and it's another 5 star too! A big thank you to everybody who has left a review.

We're never offended if you ask us to cover our shoes!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 09:16:49 GMT

We're careful about protecting your home during our visit and that starts as soon as we walk through your door.

We always have shoe covers with us for wet and snowy conditions and are happy to use them at any time. We understand that it's not necessarily only during wet weather when these floor protectors are needed. For example, we have been requested to wear these on floors where children are playing to protect against germs.

Whatever the reason, we are only too happy to cover our boots at any time when requested.

Oven not working? Check your timer.

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 09:20:24 GMT

If your oven clock is flashing, and your oven won't switch on, read on.......

I have been to one oven this week where the 'fault' was that one of the ovens wasn't working. On arrival, I immediately saw that the display on the clock was flashing 'A'.

The customer had been trying to set the clock but had inadvertently set the oven into automatic mode where the oven can be set to come on when you are away.

When this mode is set, the oven will not switch on manually.

In most cases, pressing buttons 2 & 3 once, (briefly & simultaneously) then pressing the + or - buttons to adjust the time is all you need to do.

This might be particularly important over this weekend as the clocks go back, and this could happen during adjustment.

Bear in mind also that any interruption to the power supply or power cut in the area will set any automatic oven into auto mode when power is restored so before spending money in calling out a repairman, just check that the display isn't flashing, or that the oven hasn't defaulted to auto mode.

I just love old photos!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 13:45:13 GMT

Taken in 1961 I believe.

From an unknown photographer so unfortunately I can't give a credit. Here's Hemel Hempstead water gardens in 1961.

Check your pockets!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 13:36:19 GMT

A new washing machine with a rattle.

Another one from my archive! This was a brand new washing machine, installed for just a few weeks when the customer complained of a rattling sound during spin. This was during my time with the German manufacturer.

On moving the drum, I immediately heard something rattling. I went round the back, removed the rear cover and heating element and shone my torch in.

At the other end of the appliance, there was a coin, standing on its end and trapped in an upright position between the drum and the surrounding tub.

This fault was not unfortunately covered by the warranty as it was not actually a fault of the machine itself!

Mousey goings on

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 13:24:58 GMT

When a furry intruder goes to town on an appliance!

The lower photo is from when I worked for a well-known German appliance manufacturer. The customer had bought the appliance less than 6 months earlier when a fault developed where lights were flashing and the dishwasher wouldn't start a programme.

On removing the side panel, there was an immediate 'mousey' smell and inside, some of the internal insulation had been stripped away to form a nest.

Whatever the unwelcome visitor had been, presumably a mouse, it had bitten through various cables and seemed to enjoy the taste of the polystyrene float disc in the base of the dishwasher.

The top photo shows a similar problem I came across in a washing machine. From memory, I don't think the rodents had actually damaged the appliance in that particular case, but the nest was found whilst sorting out an unrelated problem with the machine.

"That appliance costs me how much to run"?

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 17:18:33 GMT

Fascinating energy-cost calculator shows just how much you're paying to run your appliances (IN DOLLARS).

I found this website http://energyusecalculator.com/calculate_electrical_usage.htm which shows the cost of running various appliances in the home. Some surprising results to say the least! It all appears to be in US dollars so you'll need to convert.

The builder put the wrong screw in, it went BANG!

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 08:57:55 GMT

There's a reason why screws are a set length as a builder found out.

A job a while back. I went to a house in Berkhamsted where a lot of building work was being done. The fault was a completely dead washing machine, no lights, etc.

I noticed immediately that the screws holding the lid on were not standard (they were long wood screws) and on removing these and the lid, I found that the screw had penetrated the internal wiring and gone with a bang.

In the picture, you can see a soot mark where the flash shot down the screw and through the screw hole.

Right next to the machine was the telling evidence! A box of the same screws being used by the builders.

I've still no idea why the builder decided to put an unsuitable screw in the lid of the appliance. Presumably, it had the original screws in and maybe the lid was removed to reduce the height to fit it into a low space? I just don't know!

A quick repair to the broken wire (and replacement 13 amp fuse) and it was all back to working again.

An old picture of my area taken in the sixties?

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 22:50:42 GMT

You might just recognise it if you live in Bennetts End, Hemel?

It's Bennetts End shops. Actually it's not much different today!

One of the the worst fluff build-ups I've ever attended

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 22:33:02 GMT

At least 10 years ago but I remember it well.

This was the amount of fluff I removed from a dryer with a faulty seal, some years ago in Harrow. How this machine didn't catch fire is a miracle. Taken on my old pre-smart phone Sony mobile so apologies for the picture quality.

A blog about appliance repair and installation. What's not thrilling about that?

washerfixer@yahoo.co.uk (A T) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 19:32:27 GMT

I present to the world a new blog all about the shenanigans in the life of an appliance repairman!

Somebody once said I should write a book about the incidents and occurrences during my time as an appliance engineer. Well maybe a blog will do instead! Here's to my first ever blog!