Oven Repair in Meridian - Mouse in the house

Mouse in the House

Field mice can reach on appliances once they have entered a home.  I’ve seen a lot of damage over the years by these pesky critters.

Mice will chew a hole in the back access panel of a refrigerator and make themselves a nest.   Eventually some of them take a wrong turn and run right into a spinning fan blade. The mouse body gets wedged between the fan blade and the sheet-metal housing.  This will stop the fan completely and the refrigerator compressor overheats.  I had two of these repair calls in Meridian  Idaho in  one week.  Unbelievable!

In this picture it shows what a mouse can do when it gets into the insulation of a stove.  The mouse droppings will get warmed up when a homeowner turns on the stove and cause a very wretched smell.  The smell may be eliminated once the affected insulation can be removed and/or cleaned.  Many home-owners decide to buy new appliances.

Maytag Neptune Washing Machine Problem

This is a picture of a very reliable and top-end front-load Maytag Neptune washing machine.  This washer, once the cycle is started, will not lock the door when it is suppose to.  When the door is locked the front panel light should illuminate.  In this case it is not happening.  The first thing we want to look for on this board is the R11 resistor on the front of the main control board.  Remove the screws from the back panel and gently remove the access panel.  The main control board will be attached to the back panel.  You will have easy access.  Inspect the front of this board very carefully and look for any burn marks.  Sometimes the burned components will give off a bad smell.  If you find that the board is burned, the board will need to be replace.  Please note: the wax motor, which controls the door lock, will also need to be replaced at the same time.
Western Appliance Repair
208-599-1086

Dishwasher dispenser indicates problem

When we see this kind is soap buildup it suggests a problem with water circulation.  A healthy dishwasher will wash away any residual detergent and leave the dispenser clean after each wash.

Damaged Dryer Drums

Bad bad bad.  This dryer drum has definitely seen better days.  What started out as a new LG dryer drum, shipped straight from the manufacturer, has turned into to a taco shaped mess.  UPS did a good job at destroying this however, it wasn't all their fault.  The box that it was shipped in was thin and did not have any support.  Considering how paper thin these new dryer drums are, you would think that the appliance-maker would provide decent packing and support.  I guess not!  This is what I get.

I may not provide replacement drums for my Meridian and Boise customers anymore.  The damage rate on these drums, as received, are about 70 percent.  That's right, seventy percent are damaged.  I usually have to go through paperwork and refunds to make sure everyone is happy and it leaves the customer without a repaired dryer.  It's become a big pain in the !@#ss.  Oh well!

Rich
Western Appliance Repair
208-599-1086

Dryer repair meridian

What happens when the ignitor goes bad on a gas dryer? ...no heat and your clothes won't get dry. I see this many times on my appliance repair calls.

Whirlpool repair Boise and Meridian

This whirlpool washer need repair due to overfilling the tub with water. Western appliance had this problem isolated and fixed in one our. 208-599-1086

Appliance Repair Meridian Idaho | Replacing Washer Hoses

Replace any hose that leaks from a crack or puncture.  If the leak seems to be at the connection, try moving the clamp to a lightly different position on the hose.  Be sure the clamp grips the hose and pipe end.  The best tool to use is hose-clamp pliers, because it's made for the job.  If you use regular pliers, watch your fingers.  This tool easily slips off the springy clamp.  To replace a worn-out gasket, just lift it off the tub rim and slip a duplicate on.

Rich
Appliance Repair Meridian Idaho
208-599-1086

Automatic Washing Machines - Western Appliance Repair Meridian Idaho

Automatic washers offer various cycles of operation.  Provisions for soaking, rates of agitation, lengths of washing time, rates of spinning, and kind and number of rinses differ among models such as whirlpool, kenmore, maytag, and ge.  Here, however, are the basic operations common to all automatic washers.

Soaking clothes in a washer:
In some washing machines, separate user settings are provided for a soak cycle.  The clothes are agitated about in warm or cold water in the same manner as for washing.  Water is extracted and drained at the end of the soak cycle.  The user setting may have to be reset to start the regular washing machine cycle.  If there is not a user control setting for soak, the wash setting can be used with warm water, and after the water has be drained, the setting will be reset for the regular wash cycle.

Western Appliance Repair Meridian
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Meridian, Idaho 83642
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Washer Electrical System - Washer Timers

Some of the parts in a automatic washing machine appliance, new and old, include timers, solenoids, switches, motors, pumps, and motors. 
The most important, or the "brains" behind all the operations performed is the washer timer.  The timer programs the other electrical components in such a manner as to control the mechanical functions, water fill system, dispenser, drain, agitate, and spin.  There are also different modes of timer control such as Delicate, Permanent Press, Second Rinse, Normal Wash, Pre-wash, and Pre-soak.  These merely identify the various cycles available and the setting of the timer to obtain those cycles.  Timer settings require the operator to set it manually and select and set the wash and rinse water temperatures.  Some of the more modern Front Load Washers, have sensing features that choose load size, wash time, and spin time automatically.

For more appliance repair articles in Meridian and Boise Idaho, please visit our website at http://www.western-appliance.com
You can also email Western Appliance Repair

Dishwasher Repair - Soft Water | Dishwasher Repair Meridian

Soft water, as used in dishwashers, is virtually mineral free.  Total dissolved solids are usually low, in the range of 100 to 200 ppm.  Water is considered soft when the grain hardness does not exceed 4 grains/gal.
In naturally soft water the temporary hardness, or bicarbonate content, is the important factor affecting the Ph.  Solutions of bicarbonate, when heated to a high temperature, undergo a chemical reaction to form a carbonate.  In the presence of hardness, the carbonate with the calcium and magnesium, precipitates out of solution as scale.  In soft water this precipitation does not take place, and the carbonate stays in the solution.  Carbonate is much more alkaline than bicarbonate, causing the alkalinity of the final rinse water in a dishwasher to increase.  The carbonate and bicarbonate content of water is part of the total dissolved solids.  Most naturally soft water will have some calcium and magnesium dissolved in it, even though the amount may be small.

Many appliance repairs in Boise, Meridian, and Eagle areas of Idaho have to do with white scaling found on glassware and dishes.  In the majority of these dishwasher calls the problem lies with the hard water that is being used to clean the dishes.  If you suspect you may have hard water the best cure would be to invest in a good water softener.  This will help your dishwasher clean better and it will minimize the white scale you see on your dishes.

Another Tip from Western Appliance Repair Meridian and Boise.  You can contact us at 208-599-1086 or Email Me .

Refrigerator Door Seals Replacement | http://www.western-appliance.com

Refrigerator Door Seals Diagnosis and Repair
Refrigerator door seals may be one of the most misunderstood parts of the refrigerator.  Ask a layman or do-it-yourselfer about why his refrigerator is not functioning or warming properly and the first thing he may say after “I don’t work on compressors” is “but let’s check the door seals."   The door seals rarely go bad or have a problem over the lifetime of the refrigerator.  The only door seals I’ve seen go bad are when dogs or cats chew or sharpen their claws on them, or kids that like to climb or hang on the refrigerator door.  A really bad door seal problem is most likely to show up as a defrost problem or frost buildup on the interior of the freezer.  This is due to humid air getting into the refrigerator.
Door seals are magnetically held to the door frame to keep the doors closed.  Unless the seal is shredded or you can physically see a gap between the seal and the door frame with the door closed, there is no reason to suspect a door seal problem.
To replace the refrigerator door seal, you should have a nut driver of the proper size.  A cordless drill-driver is better choice.  A magnetic tip will prevent you from going crazy trying to hold the driver, the screw and the seal at the same time and allow you to complete the job faster.  There are lots of screws holding the seal on so be prepared.  Remove the screws from no more than two sides at a time.  One side at a time is better.  The idea is to prevent the plastic inner door liner from drifting around.  If you have to re align it, it can be a long, frustrating process.  The new seal will fit in the same way as the old one came out.
You are much more likely to have a door alignment issue or warping.  There’s not much you can do with a badly warped refrigerator door except to try to warp it, or bend it, back into shape or replace it.
With the door closed, measure the gap around it, top and bottom, left and right.  Check if the door edges and the refrigerator edges are parallel.  If the measurements indicate that the door is badly out of alignment, re align it by loosening the hinges slightly and shifting the door around.  It may take a few tries to get it aligned properly.
Remove anything that might be obstructing the door seals.  Sometimes the kick plate or drawer will get in the way.  If it’s metal, you may be able to bend it slightly to solve your problem.
For more information on this appliance repair articles please visit our website.  For Appliance Repair needs in the Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Eagle, Kuna, Star areas please visit our homepage or call us at 208-599-1086.

Refrigerator Defrost System | Method of Operation

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Refrigerator Defrost System
When opening the refrigerator and freezer doors repeatedly to add and remove food you also let warm moist air enter the interior compartment.  The humidity from this warm air gets attracted the refrigerator evaporator coils and will freeze directly to the coils.  This will form a uniform frost layer to the outside of coils.  If too much frost builds up on these coils, airflow will be restricted and the evaporator cannot absorb heat from the interior compartment.  The result will be the freezer operating at a lower temperature and a partial or full restriction in cold air flow to the refrigerator.
To prevent too much frost from collecting on the evaporator coils, a self-defrosting refrigerator will actually stop itself for approx 20 minutes every six to twelve hours to melt off this frost.  This defrost cycle is switched off and on by an electric defrost timer or electronic ADC board.  The timer stops the compressor and switches current to an electric defrost heater located directly beneath most evaporator coils.  When the heater is energized the heat is radiated upwards to melt the frost.  The frost water drains into a pan located at the bottom of the evaporator and is diverted through a tube into little pan which is located on the bottom of most refrigerators.  Most Maytag, Kenmore, Whirlpool, GE, and Frigidaire models will have this type of system. The condenser fan circulates warm air across the water filled pan and evaporates the drain water before the next defrost cycle.
If all the frost melts before the defrost timer finishes the defrost cycle, a terminating thermostat, or bimetal, will keep the defrost heater from overheating the evaporator compartment. When the freezer compartment reaches a fixed temperature, the terminating thermostat will open the circuit and shut off the electricity to the defrost heater.
Many of the later electronic refrigerators incorporate an electronic device called an adaptive defrost control board.  This electronic control board provides the same function of the defrost timer but adds a new element to save energy and to adjust the defrost cycles to “adapt” to customer usage.  The adaptive defrost board monitors how many times the door is opened and closed.  The more the refrigerator doors are opened and closed, the more humidity has entered the compartment.  The more humidity that has entered the refrigerator the more frost that has accumulated thus the “period” between each defrost cycle will be reduced.
For refrigerator repair boise needs, whether it be Whirlpool, Kenmore, GE, Maytag, or Frigidaire, please contact Western Appliance Repair. We offer the following services:
Appliance Repair Meridian Idaho
Appliance Repair Kuna Idaho
Appliance Repair Star Idaho
Appliance Repair Eagle Idaho
Appliance Repair Boise Idaho
208-599-1086

Appliance Repair Meridian | Washing Machine Washer Hoses

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When installing any washer or washing machine hose, be sure it is not twisted or kinked or positioned in such a manner that it might kink in the future and stop the proper flow of water. Most hoses used inside washers and washing machines are secured on each end by hose clamps, and easily removed and replaced by using a screwdriver, hex driver, or special hose clamp pliers.
Water Inlet Hoses
Extreme care should be taken when attaching the water inlet hoses to the washer inlet valves with nylon bodies. Cross threading of these hose couplings on the valve inlets can cause leaks and can damage the threads. Do not over tighten. A filter washer screen is provided for each hose and is to be installed cup side up in the shoes end that is to be attached to the faucet. A standard rubber washer is provided for use in the end that attaches to the valve. Two 3/8 inch inside diameter rubber molded or reinforced stainless hose is used to carry the water from the water supply valve to a water inlet valve of washing machine.
Fill Control Hose
The fill control hose and recirculation inlet hose are secured to the tub by special internal retaining rings that can be removed by use of regular or needle-nose pliers. The reducing connector that couples the fill control hose to the plastic tubing should be tightly secured to the inside of the fill control hose by use of rubber cement.
Recirculation Hoses
On many washers here are two hoses used to recirculation the water from the outer tub through the recirculation pump and through the filter at the top of the tub. The hose between the tub and the pump is attached to a plastic side outlet assembly which is secured to the tub side by a locking ring. The other hose runs from the outlet of the recirculation pump to the filter housing. Because the filter housing is secured to the top, the recirculation hose must be removed to raise the top for servicing.
Pump Outlet Hose
On machines that do not have a two-way valve, the hose runs from the pump outlet to a hole in the rear of the cabinet and is secured to a hose coupling by a hose clamp. On machines equipped with a two-way valve, the hose runs from the pump outlet to the inlet on the two-way valve.

For all your appliance repair needs choose Western Appliance Repair in Meridian Idaho. We provide the following services:
Appliance Repair Boise - We provide appliance repair throughout the treasure valley and includes garden city and hidden springs areas.
Appliance Repair Meridian - Our appliance repair in Meridian is second to none. As our home base, we can get to the job quickly and get your appliance running properly.
Maytag Repair Washer and Refrigerator Repair Experts.
208-599-1086

Washer Repair Meridian Idaho | Washing Machine Water Level Control

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Washer | Washing Machine | Water Level Control

Regardless of the brand or design of water level switch used on Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore, GE, Frigidaire washers, it’s main function is to control the amount of water that enters the tub. As soon as the correct water level is reached in the washer, the switch completes a circuit to the timer motor, machine motor and agitator control.

During the fill portion of the washing machine cycle, a circuit is completed through the pressure switch contacts to either one or both of the water control valves on the water inlet, permitting water to enter the washing machine.. since the timer motor does not operate until the proper water level is reached, not operating time is lost during the fill process.

Earlier models of washers used a float-type switch to control water level in the washer. Because they are now obsolete we’ll keep our discussion to the pressure-type of water level switches.

Modern washers now use a pressure-type switch. A hose is connected to an air bell on the bottom of the outer tub. It then connects to the pressure switch – which is usually mounted behind the control panel. As the washer is filled with water, an air pocket is formed in the plastic hose. As the water rises in the tub, the air pressure in the tube increases until it is sufficient to cause the diaphragm in the pressure switch to actuate the switch contacts; thus, opening the circuit to the water control solenoid, or valve, and stopping the flow of water into the washer. As the water drains out of the tub the air pressure in the hose gradually decreases allowing the pressure switch diaphragm to reset the switch contacts.

For all your Meridian Appliance Repair Idaho needs, choose Western Appliance Repair.  208-599-1086

Western Appliance Repair | Appliance Repair Meridian Idaho

If you would like some money saving tips to keep your appliance in top condition then this video may be helpful.  Our goal at Western Appliance Repair in Meridian Idaho is to provide the most solid, professional appliance repair service here in the treasure valley.  Whether it be washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, or other, we can fix it. 208-599-1086

Appliance Repair Boise Maytag Washer Won't Drain

Maytag washers are notorious for drain pump failures. The most common complaint is that it won't spin, agitate, or mainly won't do anything. The pump bearing locks up and stops the washer belt from turning. Tilt washer up against the wall, remove belt, and turn each pulley by hand. If it doesn't move, then it's locked up. Remove the front panel and replace pump.

Rich
Western Appliance Repair
Meridian and Boise Idaho