1. First check is underneath the sump entrance screen. This is located on the bottom of the dishwasher (on the inside). There are usually a couple of screws that you have to remove to peek in. Check in there for any crud or gook. There may be small pieces of glass so wear work gloves. Get all of the crap out of there.
   


2. Many dishwashers have a self clean filter inside the basin, at the back of the dishwasher. The draining water must pass through a plunger in the self clean filter body. This can get clogged up and you may need a new one if it is twisted or distorted. The draining water must get past this. The filter can be easily removed from the inside to check to see if it is okay and the plunger will twist out of the self cleaning body so that you can check for distortion.



3. The back flush valve is sometimes the culprit of draining problems. This can be viewed on the back of your dishwasher. All hoses between the the drain hose to the house plumbing should be checked for any type of restrictions.



4. Newer dishwashers have a separate drain pump and motor. Older model dishwashers used a drain solenoid valve. If this solenoid fails, the dishwasher won’t drain and you will have to replace it. If the solenoid cannot pull in the plunger, the drain port will not open to allow the motor and pump assembly to drain the water out.
   
5. Use a ohm meter to test the continuity of the solenoid coil. You should also test to see if it’s receiving voltage when the dishwasher is supposed to be draining.

Labels: Dishwasher Parts

We can't say enough about doing your homework before purchasing replacement parts for your appliances. It can safe alot of your time, money and most of all - it will say you from getting a headache!

Here are some things that are important for you to understand when buying parts for your air conditioner, washing machine or other household appliance.

• It is basically an "appliance parts industry standard" to NOT accept returns for electrical appliance parts! Electrical parts may be calibrated and can easily be damaged by mishandling or improper installation, without showing any signs to the naked eye - therefore in most cases - your part will not be returnable
  
• Many times - appliance part stores charge a restocking fee of 15% to 50%. This is to help defray the cost of time involved in helping you and stocking the parts
  
• Always check your warranty. If a part or appliance is under warranty - chances are you will not have to pay the restocking fee, of course
  
• On-line merchants usually make you apply for a return authorization before they will accept returned goods. This is in part because many online retailers ship from warehouses directly and may not have parts in thier store. (Some online retailers may not even have a store)
  
• Special order parts are usually NOT RETURNABLE unless a mistake is made by the parts supplier or the manufacturer.
  
• Before ordering anything, be sure to read the store policies!

If something fails - get some expert help or read up online at Appliance Life before purchasing your parts!

Labels: Universal Appliance Parts

This is a special reminder from Appliance Life during the biggest remodeling season of the year. If you are getting new appliances - please take note to discard your old appliances safely. The lives of children are at stake.

• Cooking.com Coupons for Appliances and more

The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC) has received reports of numerous suffocation deaths involving children who crawled inside latch freezers, clothes dryers, combination washer/dryer units, picnic coolers, ice boxes in campers, and oldstyle latch type refrigerators.

Most of the victims were four to seven years old. In all cases, the doors could not be easily pushed open from the inside. In some the incidents associated with clothes dryers, the appliance was accidentally turned on while the child inside. Frequently, the children were playing “hide-and-seek” and the appliance or chest provided a deceptively good place to hide.

When the door slammed shut, tight fitting gasket on most of the appliances cut off air to the child. This, along with the insulated construction of the appliance, also prevented the child’s screams from being heard.

But abandoned appliances are the only items involved with accidents like these. Entrapment deaths have been reported in products use or stored in the kitchen, laundry room, basement, or garage.

Deaths also have occurred in ice boxes located in campers parked outside the home.

Take care to remove the door from refrigerators, dryers, washing machines and other appliances when discarding them.

Keep the door to your laundry room locked shut if you have small children OR you will have small children visiting your home.

Parents - please remind all children of all ages to never crawl inside an appliance.

Labels: Appliance Safety

For many homeowners - the 4th of July weekend marks the perfect opportunity
to either fix or ditch. Another words - should you fix that old refrigerator or buy a new one. If it's not too old, the answer (from a financial point of view) is fix it, of course.

Over the years, experts have approximated the average life of most household appliances (see the chart below). If your appliance is younger than indicated in below - you probably have a good chance to find a the part you are looking for and fix it.

• Air conditioners: 8 to 15 years
• Dishwashers: 5 to 12 years
• Disposals: 5 to 12 years
• Dryers: 8 to 12 years
• Freezers: 15 to 20 years
• Furnaces: 8 to 12 years
• Heat pumps: 8 to 12 years
• Refrigerators: 15 to 20 years
• Stoves: 15 to 20 years
• Washers: 8 to 12 years
• Water heaters: 8 to 12 years

Featured Repair Part for the Maytag Washers:

Outer Tub Bearing Repair Kit

• Used on Maytag top-load clothes washers from 1950 to present
• Also suggested to replace 22204012 at the same time.
• Replaces: 204013, 3056, AP244279, PS60151
• Maytag Washer Tub Bearing Repair Kit
  
  

Good luck this 4th of July weekend on all your appliance repairs!

Labels: 4th of July Appliance Repairs