Most stove top parts can be replaced, ranging from drip pans, to burners and switches. \012\012Avoid using aluminum foil under an electric burner as it can reflect too much and overheat part of the unit. Also, pieces of the aluminum foil can flake off and cause a short circuit where the wires at...
Most portable vacuum cleaners have fairly poor filters. Sure most of the real "dirt" gets caught in the bag, but much of the very fine stuff just blows out the back end. A central vac has the same problem, but because it is placed in one place, it can have a much stronger motor to allow it to d...
Viewers sent in a series of questions about their appliances, so I located a very interesting resource written by a busy appliance repairman in Calgary, Alberta. John MacKenzie writes in detail why it is that so many appliances die premature deaths.Ken from London, Ontario has grease stains on h...
One of the greatest difficulties we encounter when trying to fix an old appliance is where can you find the part. Hardware stores, even the massive box stores, rarely have much more than the very standard stuff like stove top burners and a selection of springs and fasteners that you hope might m...
A viewer wrote in complaining about soap suds backing up in her sink, another complained about the suds backing up in the basement floor drain.Suds are something that drains have trouble flushing out, because they float on top of the water and tend to pile up in the pipes. First you should try t...
All washing machines vibrate when they go into the spin cycles. Top loading machines have the tubs suspended on springs that create a primary bad vibration as they build up to speed. If the load is too unbalanced, they bang around and the machine stops. If the load is only a bit unbalanced, th...
Brenda from Port Hardy, B.C. says that her wood burning insert smells of soot when it is not in use.The problem is obviously one of air coming down the chimney. Either the exhaust fans in the house are drawing air when there is no fire to maintain an upward draft, or the wind is twisted around on...
Nancy from Welland, Ontario has had a terrible saga with her electrical appliances literally blowing up. We have been writing to each other for some while now trying to find the elusive problem. Read it through, you may learn about how to hunt down problems, and learn a bit about electrical sys...
There are a number of appliances around the house that have user or trade adjustable temperatures and it is not always simple to get them right.Hot Water HeatersMost Hot Water heaters for domestic hot water are factory set to 66deg C. ( 150F ). This is actually hot enough to scald someone so legi...
Outdoor sound system speakers are subject to the elements, but some are made for just that. One of the easiest is a water resistant speaker system (the paper on the speaker drum is replaced with a water resistant material) that is wireless. A small transmitter in the house feeds its signal to t...
