Los Angeles Appliances Repair & Service Center

Short Tips on Common Appliance Problems

If the appliance you are lifting is heavy, protect yourself and the appliance by getting help. Even then, be sure that you and your partner are using the proper lifting technique. Lift with the legs and not with the back. If you're bent over, you're not doing it right. The correct motion is an almost straight up-down motion, with the force being supplied by your legs.

If you feel the appliance slipping from your grip, don't be too proud to admit to it (immediately!) and set the appliance down again for a better grip, or a rest, or to simply abandon the attempt until even more help can be secured.

All wall outlets, light switches, and overhead and wall light fixtures are mounted in small metal or plastic boxes called electrical cases. These boxes are screwed or nailed to the studs or framework of the house, and then the outlet, switch, or light fixture is mounted over the case. The exposed (stripped of insulation) wire is wrapped around screw taps or solder connections, providing an electrical path to the outlet. Over periods of months and years, the outlet boxes become filled with dust. Some dust particles are flammable, as well as conductive. When an appliance is plugged in or out or a switch turned on or off, there can be a slight electrical spark when current first reaches the contact. This is caused when the contact is slightly corroded or otherwise not as solid as it should be. The spark that results is the number one cause of household fires in the United States. The most frequent occurrence is when an iron or a space heater, drawing heavy current, is pulled from a wall outlet or plugged into an outlet while the appliance is on. A spark naturally occurs when electricity jumps to the circuit being completed or opened by insertion or withdrawal of the plug.

Never plug an appliance in or remove a wall plug unless the power switch for that appliance has been turned to the off position. And it's a good habit once a year to remove all plastic wall plates covering outlets, switches and fixtures. Carefully use a plastic (insulated) extension on a vacuum cleaner to dust out the outlet boxes. If the vacuum attachment won't reach into the small areas, blow hard to get loose dust out, or use a small air compressor to blow out the dirt and grime.

Most modern appliances require little or no maintenance. With some disassembly required for internal maintenance isn't worth the risks. However, there are some things that you can do to increase the lenght life of your appliance, while reducing the number of times that you have to call in the for appliance repair or replace the appliance.

Most of it is common sense, and proper cleanliness. It doesn't require a lot of time or effort. And for that slight investment, you can safe the life of your appliances while cutting the costs to keep your appliances running perfectly. There is no better way to repair an appliance other than to keep it from breaking down in the first place.

Start thinking of preventive maintenance even as you are making the purchase. Will the appliance do the job? Does it have the features you need? Will it fit? Is it compatible with the wiring in your home? This involves some careful shopping on your part, and even a few measurements and calculations.

The most common for a new purchaser to expect an appliance to do something it can't. This both causes disappointment for the owner, and could tempt owner to use the appliance in a situation where it could be damaged. This is the first problem. The appliance you buy should be capable of doing what you want it to do. And you shouldn't try to get it to do it what isn't designed to handle. The more complex the appliance, the more likely it is that some things will go wrong sooner or later.

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