The FTC says the yearly cost on the yellow label is an estimate using a national average energy price. Here is what the label is genuinely good for, and what it cannot answer.
What an Energy Label Actually Tells You Before You Replace Read Post »
We went looking for the source of the lifespan tables everyone publishes. Here is what the trace found, and the four questions that answer this better than a number would.
Appliance Lifespans: When Repair Stops Making Sense Read Post »
Unplug it first, then work out which of four causes it was. Two are your fault and fixable, two are the appliance. And never, under any circumstances, open the cabinet.
Three cooktop types, three different answers. On one of them the element is a plug-in part; on the other two the repair is behind the glass and it is not yours.
Electric Burner Not Heating: What’s Replaceable and What Isn’t Read Post »
Leave the building. Do not touch a switch, a light or a phone on the way out. Call from outside. There is no repair on this page and there should not be one.
A thermometer and one hour tells you whether it is the oven or the recipe. Then the calibration offset, which most ovens have and most owners have never used.
Why Your Oven Runs Hot or Cold, and How to Check Read Post »
Emptying the screen is one of three jobs. The housing behind it and the duct are the other two, and they carry different risks. Here is each one.
How to Clean a Dryer Lint Trap and the Housing Behind It Read Post »
Dryer takes too long to dry? Feel the load when the cycle ends. Hot and damp means airflow, cool and damp means heat, and the two lead different places.
Washer not draining? Kill the power and shut the water off first. Then the checks that are yours, and the exact point where the machine stops being yours.
Washer Not Draining or Spinning? Start Here, Safely Read Post »
Front load washer smells come from biofilm in the door gasket, drawer and drain, not a dirty drum. What causes it, what to clean, what never to mix.
Why Your Front-Load Washer Smells (The Gasket Guide) Read Post »
Four hours in the fridge, 48 in a full freezer, 24 in a half-full one, and 40°F is the line. USDA’s own figures, quoted, plus the rule about never tasting food.
Six checks that cost nothing, in the order that finds the cause fastest, plus the point where it becomes a plumber’s job rather than an appliance one.
Ice Maker Not Making Ice: What You Can Check Yourself Read Post »
