Guides

Appliance repair guides, in plain language.

What common problems usually mean, what to check before you call, and how to decide whether to repair or replace. Written by the people who take the calls.

Every guide follows the same order, because that’s the order the problem happens in.

Most repair articles open with a list of parts you’ve never heard of. Ours start with whatever is urgent: getting the water out of a washer, checking whether a dryer vent is a fire risk, saving the food in a warm fridge. Only then do we get to what is actually wrong.

Every one of them is written so you can follow it without tools and without taking anything apart. Several end with you not needing us at all, which is the point. If a dishwasher won’t drain because the garbage disposal is full, you should know that before you pay anyone to drive out.

01Make it safeAnything urgent first: standing water, a blocked vent, food at risk.
02Check the usual suspectsA handful of things you can check yourself in ten or twenty minutes.
03What it usually turns out to beIn order of how often we actually find it.
04Repair or replaceAn honest answer, including when the answer is replace.

Refrigerators and freezers

Cooling problems are the most common call we get, and the most urgent, because food is on a clock.

September 25, 2026 · 7 min read

Refrigerator making a loud noise? What each sound actually means

Buzzing, rattling or humming? Where the noise comes from tells you what's wrong. How to place it, which sounds are normal, and when to call.

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September 11, 2026 · 6 min read

Fridge not cooling but the freezer works? Here's what it usually means

Fridge warm but the freezer still cold? It's almost never the compressor. Here's what it usually is, three quick checks, and whether to repair or replace.

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Washers and dryers

Laundry faults usually come down to something blocking water on its way out, or air on its way through.

September 16, 2026 · 7 min read

Washing machine not draining? Start by getting the water out

Standing water in the drum and a load of soaking clothes? Here's how to drain it safely, four checks that find the cause, and when it needs a repair.

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September 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Dryer running but not heating? Check these four things before you call

Dryer spins but clothes come out cold and damp? Here's what usually causes it, four ten-minute checks (one is a fire risk), and when to call for repair.

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Ovens and ranges

The oven and the stovetop are two systems in one cabinet, which is why one can fail while the other is perfectly fine.

September 17, 2026 · 7 min read

Oven not heating but the stovetop works? Here's what that tells you

If the burners light but the oven stays cold, the fault is inside the oven, not the supply. Here's what it usually is on gas and electric, and what to check.

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Dishwashers

Standing water in the bottom is almost always a blockage, and often not inside the machine at all.

September 16, 2026 · 6 min read

Dishwasher not draining? Start with the filter, then the disposal

Dirty water sitting in the bottom after every cycle? Here's how to clear it, the four places it's usually stuck, and the one that catches new dishwashers.

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Not written up yet? Our list of common problems covers what every symptom we see usually means. Or describe it on the phone and we’ll tell you the likely cause.

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