THE FIX IS IN
Has your microwave given up the ghost? Mourn it briefly and replace it, says Wayne Archer, who fixed appliances for 20 years and now provides DIY help for appliance and lawn and garden equipment for Sears.
Q My front-load washer is starting to smell. How do I get rid of the stink?
A Over time, an odour-causing residue can build up from all the dirt, detergent, fabric softener and water that pass through your front-load or top-load washer. One of the best things you can do to prevent odours is remove wet clothes as soon as possible when the wash cycle is done. Also, leave your washer door or lid open between loads to dry out.
If you have young children who might find the open washer door an invitation to play, keep the laundry room door closed while airing it out.
Q I have occasional bouts of dirty water appearing in the bottom of my dishwasher, presumably from the sink next to it. Our appliance repairman says the washer is functioning fine. The plumber made sure the dishwasher’s water hose was raised up a bit, and advised I clear the sink drain occasionally with yeast or RID -X. Any other ideas?
A If dirty water is appearing in the dishwasher at random times, your problem might be from a restriction in your house drain line. This will block the water from going down the drain, causing the house drain water to back up and fill the dishwasher with some dirty water. I recommend checking the dishwasher for dirty water after you run water from other places, such as sinks or showers. If water appears then, you will need to have a plumber come over and clean your house drain lines.
Q The ice dispenser on my sideby-side refrigerator suddenly stopped working. Now I have to scoop ice from inside the freezer door. It’s a minor inconvenience, but I wonder whether there’s a simple solution. The water dispenser works fine, as does the ice maker. Any ideas?
A Open the freezer door and look into the ice chute from the inside of the freezer door to check for an ice clog. Use a hair dryer on a low setting to defrost ice and clear the clog if you see ice cubes in the chute. If the chute is clear, then a wiring failure or faulty control is probably preventing the ice-dispenser door from opening.
Q My 10-year-old microwave stopped working. Except for the popcorn button, any other function causes it to conk out and prompts a Reset Clock message. Do you think it would be cheaper to fix it or replace it?
A Repairs for a 10-year-old microwave would most likely be more expensive than buying a new one.
Q My kid scratched up the inside of my microwave. Can I use appliance touch-up paint to repaint the entire inside?
A Sorry, no. Touch-up paint is designed only for use on arcs and burn marks up to the size of a quarter. The touch-up paint shouldn’t be used to repaint the entire inside of the microwave. For safety, a service technician should examine the inside of the microwave if it has large scratches. If the technician determines that it’s safe to repaint the inside of the microwave cavity, the technician can apply the paint and then test the microwave for radiation leakage. The leakage test must be conducted on the microwave before it can be used safely.
Q My top-load washing machine has a cracked agitator fin. Can the machine continue to run effectively if a piece breaks off completely, or would I need to replace the entire agitator unit? Will this throw it off balance?
A Yes, it could throw the washer off balance. It could also rip clothes that get caught on it. We recommend replacing the cracked agitator.