For questions relating to powered consumer products that perform some value-added task within a home, including but not limited to hot water heaters, stoves/ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators, etc. For questions specifically relating to furnaces or air conditioners, see the "hvac" tag.
19
votes
4answers
22k views
How long should I wait before plugging in a new refrigerator?
Today I received my new refrigerator, and I've been told not to plug it in until a couple of hours have gone by. Some people told me a couple of hours was enough, but others have told me up to 12 ...
10
votes
1answer
775 views
What is the correct way to wire a 4 prong oven receptacle?
I think I wired this the right way but I can't find an online reference that I trust enough to flip the breaker back on.
This is how I wired it.
Is this correct?
9
votes
4answers
294 views
Why is my dryer taking longer to dry clothes?
I know nothing of dryers... but my dryer is taking longer and longer to dry clothes. I've heard this is very common among dryers and I was wondering what it might mean. Is there a specific part I ...
6
votes
2answers
12k views
How do I replace oven insulation that has been soiled by mice and smells bad?
We've had mice work their way into the oven insulation of our standalone range and now it stinks when we turn the oven on.
Looking around on the web suggests that replacing the oven is the most ...
6
votes
4answers
9k views
Can a dryer be vented through the roof?
In my home the dryer vent is set up to vent out into an enclosed back porch. The problem is that all sorts of lint (and heat) get pumped out into that enclosed area and makes a mess.
Directly above ...
6
votes
2answers
422 views
How to use grounded European plug of coffee maker correctly in middle east countries?
I have bought a coffee maker with a European plug which doesn't have a grounding pin like our plugs here in Israel have. Here is a picture of the splitter I use and the European power plug:
As seen ...
5
votes
3answers
140 views
Vampire Power Draw and Power Strips
Can a standard power strip (when switched off) stop vampire power draw from electronics??
I'd rather not buy one of those new-fangled "smart" power strips for $30 - $40 if a standard one will do -- I ...
5
votes
2answers
386 views
Should I be concerned about fridge/freezer airflow?
We just recently had the following counter/cabinet system put into our basement family room. After everything was done, I started to get concerned about airflow. The enclosure was built in such a ...
5
votes
1answer
117 views
Bought a US appliance and powered directly off Aus mains, is it boned?
Hope this is on topic for this stackexchange.
I recently bought a lamp from the US and had it shipped to Australia. Stupidly I powered it straight off the mains through an adapter. The device is ...
5
votes
1answer
177 views
How do I diagnose an occasionally leaking dishwasher?
We are remodeling our kitchen, part of which will be replacing the vinyl flooring. When pulling out the vinyl and 1/4" plywood I found many water stains which appear to have started under my ...
4
votes
3answers
644 views
How do I discharge the capacitor of my refrigerator?
In order to avoid electric shock, I need to discharge the capacitor of my refrigerator before working on it. How do I do it, and where can I buy an appropriate power resistor?
4
votes
3answers
400 views
Why does my dryer duct have such a long vertical portion?
My dryer duct follows this path:
Flex duct leaving the dryer
Four feet of vertical rigid steel duct down into crawlspace
Eight feet of horizontal rigid steel duct, immediately below the floor
Outlet ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Is there a problem in putting an oven over the microwave oven?
I have an electric oven and a microwave oven. I used to keep the microwave on top of the old refrigerator. Now I've got a taller new refrigerator, and I read it's not safe to keep the microwave oven ...
4
votes
4answers
5k views
Why is there water in my washing machine barrel some time after a load?
I have a frigidaire front load washing machine, and we are finding a few inches of water in the barrel after running a load, but not right away -- it takes at least 1/2 an hour before the water ...
4
votes
1answer
296 views
What do I need to connect a refrigerator water line?
I currently have a water valve behind my refrigerator, but it's not hooked up to our current refrigerator. I have no tubing coming out of the valve. We purchased a new refrigerator and want to hook ...
4
votes
2answers
880 views
How do I install a water line to my refrigerator?
Recently bought a new refrigerator that has an ice maker and now I want to run a water line to the refrigerator (there is not one there right now). The cold water line is pretty much right below the ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
What is involved in installing a free-standing electric oven range?
My current oven just plugs into a big outlet in the wall. It's a giant three-pronged outlet. But all I need to do to get the oven to work (when it works) is to plug it into the outlet. I am now ...
4
votes
3answers
543 views
Why is the small white box near my fridge's compressor making an incessant clicking sound?
I have a small Frigidaire (model FRT045GB) ~9 months old (but shockingly outside of warranty) which recently started clicking. Actually it almost sounds like a small water pump?
I have been able to ...
4
votes
1answer
670 views
How do you descale a dishwasher heating element?
I've tried something I got at Lowes (with the wax plug, you put upside down) and CLR.
The CLR worked the best, but didn't really get it off and it's building up again.
I've heard vinegar will work ...
3
votes
4answers
943 views
Is it safe to put a clothes washer outdoors?
I will be short on usable indoor space for a while, but want to be able to wash clothes on site.
Are there any issues with putting a washer (and perhaps, a dryer) outdoors?
Perhaps it needs to be ...
3
votes
3answers
193 views
What are ways to clean glass top ranges undergoing heavy use?
We are avid cooks and our cooktop witnesses almost daily use.
To that effect, does this picture of suggest permanent wear, or can it be cleaned? Either case, any way of cleaning or mitigating the ...
3
votes
2answers
598 views
Why am I finding condensation in my dryer?
I live in Houston, TX (Very Hot, Very Humid). In the summertime, my dryer is dripping with water, when not in use. I do not have overly excessive drying times.
My dryer is vented via an unfortunate ...
3
votes
3answers
126 views
What should I check for before turning on an OLD dish washer for the first time?
We recently purchased a house with a REALLY old dishwasher. The inspection report says that it "appears to be in working condition" but I'm paranoid of having a plumbing mess if we start using it. ...
3
votes
5answers
539 views
Does it make sense for a freezer to work , but the refrigerator to not work?
We have a relatively new fridge (~2 years). Its got the double door over/under freezer, but the door has a weird way that it closes in that it can get stuck open very easily. The fridge was left ...
3
votes
1answer
455 views
How can I make a fake ground output?
I'm having problems with my electrical oven: I get shocked when I touch it. I think the way to solve this is to connect the ground wire it has (the green wire) to ground?
The problem with that is ...
3
votes
2answers
189 views
Who to call to fix electric oven?
My electric oven stopped heating. The range works fine. The digital controls work fine. The oven light works fine. But neither the element at the bottom of the oven nor the one at the top heat up at ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
Why is our brand new dishwasher not draining?
So, some background on this issue first... our old dishwasher seemed to work fine when we first moved into this house, but within the last year it started having a drainage issue. Water would be left ...
3
votes
1answer
154 views
Can I use the original drain line after I move my washing machine twenty feet away?
I currently have a washing machine and dryer in the basement and wish to move them both upstairs. I can tap into the same drain line, but it will be about 20' from the old p-trap. Should I install a ...
3
votes
1answer
521 views
Why does my Whirlpool refrigerator ice maker not make ice exactly one day a week every week?
My Whirlpool Gold refrigerator's ice maker does not make ice one day a week. After that day it begins to make ice again as normal. I think I read in the manual about a setting for Jewish households ...
3
votes
2answers
464 views
Could stepping down from 220V/50Hz to 110V/60Hz cause issues with household electronics? [closed]
I have a USA market Yamaha stereo receiver RX-V563 which is 110V/60Hz. I have moved to China and have a 220V/110V stepdown transformer but I can not get my receiver to work. The lights come on but I ...
3
votes
5answers
139 views
How to get discount prices for replacement parts
I inherited an old fridge a while back that had a broken ice maker. I never had an ice maker before I so started to look into fixing it. I found a parts store and bought a new one for $100 and ...
3
votes
3answers
154 views
Refrigerator Knocks
I have an older refrigerator (~10 years?) that came with the house I bought 2 years ago.
It's always made occasional noises, which I chalked up to the motor and/or ice maker starting.
Lately, the ...
3
votes
2answers
118 views
Is there an online way to check my appliance power usage?
I'm considering replacing my old appliances (refrigerator, washer & dryer) with a more efficient model. Is there a website or simple method to look up their measured power usage ?
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How can I figure out why my washing machine is tripping the GFCI receptacle?
I have a Kenmore 80 Series (Model No. 110.24872300) washing machine which up to this point has been working fine. Since it is near a sink, the outlet it is plugged into is a GFCI outlet. On the last ...
3
votes
1answer
146 views
How do I even out a tile floor to properly support a dishwasher?
I'm remodeling my kitchen and I have tiles under the dishwasher. Unfortunately the transition between tiles is not even and 2 tiles are lapping EXACTLY where the dishwasher back wheel is. This makes ...
2
votes
4answers
435 views
My house is nearing 20 years, what will break soon?
Okay, I recently learned that most appliances/things start breaking once the house reaches around 20 years. I'm running 19 now.
From what I have heard, roof (although mine is apparently a 30 year ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views
Can I share a 240V outlet between two devices?
I have a single 50 amp 240 volt outlet. However, I've been using both my dryer and a welder on this same outlet, both have 3-prong (10-50P) plugs. It can be difficult to plug and unplug cords from ...
2
votes
1answer
674 views
AEG “micromat_combi 635” halts with error E14. What to do?
My AEG MICROMAT_COMBI 635 often halts with a beep and an error E14. I then need to temporarily unplug it from the mains power. I remember this annoying error occurring since years (it first made me ...
2
votes
2answers
648 views
Can I put a convection toaster oven over the range?
My over-the-range microwave died and I want to replace it with a convection toaster oven.
I would love it to be put where the microwave was, over the stove. Can I do this? I have looked for ...
2
votes
1answer
894 views
Connecting electrical wires to a cooktop (platetop)
Having some problems understanding how to connect some electric wires for a platetop.
The wire colors normally mean, blue=N, brown=L, and yellow/green=PE.
My problem is, the platetop has L1 & ...
2
votes
1answer
606 views
How do I stop a leak in a refrigerator water line connection?
I have a copper water line going into my refrigerator. It's leaking at the connector line in the attached picture. It looks like the leak is not from the fridge, but from the connection line, right ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Is there a high temperature glue that I can use on a cook top?
We have a 1 year old Frigidaire gas range (This model or a near sibling, purchased from Lowes). The burner grates appear to be painted cast-iron, while the surface below them is a polished and ...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
Why does my Kenmore washing machine not move out of the wash cycle?
While doing laundry this weekend, it seemed like the washer was taking a very long time to get through 1 regular load. I finally went to check on it and found that it never moved from the very first ...
2
votes
1answer
169 views
What type of centralized home control hardware is available?
I recently got excited about the idea of creating a web software to run locally for my home that could be accessed via computer, smart phone, or tablet, which would give me complete control over most ...
2
votes
2answers
88 views
How do I troubleshoot a dishwasher that runs normally until wash cycle begins, then doesn't wash?
My dishwasher stopped working correctly a couple of weeks ago. After loading dishes and starting it, it successfully fills with water, rinses the dishes, drains, and then switches to the actual ...
2
votes
1answer
249 views
Can I convert a European washing machine to work with a North American outlet?
I'm looking to hook up a European washing machine I got my hands on to either a standard North American outlet (unlikely) or a 220 V appliance outlet.
Here's the info I have right now:
230V
...
2
votes
2answers
464 views
Why does my LG Microwave range hood hum loudly when the fan turns on?
Lately once the microwave has been running for more than 5-10 seconds, a very loud humming noise starts happening. When I remove the top vent panel, the humming stops, but I cannot for the life of me ...
2
votes
1answer
464 views
Easy to repair washing machine?
It appears our front loading Kenmore (aka Whirlpool) may need new main bearings, and various sources (including appliance repair guy and online reading) suggest that replacing them is a non-trivial ...
2
votes
1answer
84 views
Damaged connection when replacing oven element
Our fan oven stopped getting hot the other day so I guessed that it is likely to be the element. Removed the cover and element so I could test it with a multimeter. Unfortunately on one of the ...
2
votes
0answers
112 views
How can I diagnose my fridge's evaporator fan?
How can I find out which part has failed in my fridge? The evaporator fan at the back of the freezer is not working, so the freezer is cold but the fridge is not. How can I figure out if it's the fan ...
