Appliance Repairs You Can DIY
Experts tell us which appliance repairs to do on your own—and which ones to leave to the pros
When you’re faced with a leaky dishwasher or a broken cooktop control knob, finding and coordinating with a repair technician can feel time-consuming, and you might wonder if hiring a professional is even necessary.
We asked experts about which fixes are easy enough for most folks to do themselves, and we found that this do-it-yourself approach works well for replacing fridge and dishwasher gaskets, as well as unclogging range ignition ports. Repairs that involve tinkering with electronic connections, however, may best be left to the pros.
Appliance Fixes You Can DIY
Unclogging range ignition ports: Boil-overs can leave burners on a gas range with clogged ignition ports, resulting in a burner that doesn’t light properly—or a weak or uneven flame. Remove the burner heads, then clean the ports with a toothbrush.
Repairs You Should (Probably) Never Try
Fixing a leak on your fridge’s sealed refrigerant system: It’s best to avoid contact with the potentially toxic gases in the circulating refrigerant. Making solid connections to fix the leak involves brazing, which is similar to welding.
Replacing the bearings on a front-load washer: They’re usually at the back of the drum, so you have to disassemble the outer cabinet and drum to reach them. The process requires keeping track of all the electrical connections as you go so that you can reassemble them later.
Tinkering with microwave electronics: A microwave capacitor can hold a high-voltage charge well after it’s unplugged. If you don’t correctly discharge the capacitor before you touch any metal parts or wires, you risk shock or even electrocution.
Working on an appliance under warranty: Do-it-yourself repairs might void the warranty, so read the fine print before you begin.
Which brand tops our reliability chart? Check out the winners and losers in CR’s updated Appliance Brand Reliability Rankings.
