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Residential appliance repair

Five machines cover most household calls. Each page below sticks to one of them: what you can see without opening a sealed system, and what to photograph before you email a shop.

Refrigerator

Cooling split between freezer and fresh food, a compressor that never starts, ice maker fill problems.

Washer and dryer

Drain pumps, lid switches, belts, and the dryer vent that makes a good heater look broken.

Oven and stove

Bake and broil elements, spark igniters, and a gas oven igniter that glows but does not open the valve.

Dishwasher

Filters, the high loop on the drain hose, spray arms, and door gaskets.

Microwave

Door switches and turntable motors are ordinary. The high-voltage side is not a home project.

Model tag

On a refrigerator the tag is usually on an inside wall of the fresh-food section. Washers hide it in the door frame or under the lid. Ovens put it on the frame behind the door. A photo of that tag is more useful than the name on the front of the door, which is often a series name shared by a dozen models.