When your home appliances break down, most people look into the phone book looking for their favorite repairman.
It simply follows common sense that repairing your microwave, dishwasher, or washing machine is very dangerous, and you should let a licensed technician to do the repairs for you.
However, if the repairs are minor, then you can attempt to do them on your own as long as you follow basic safety procedures.
Here are some essentials that you should follow when you are repairing appliances on your own.
Find out if your warranty is still valid or not - Today's appliances come with warranties which become void if the appliances are opened by an unauthorized person.
If the warranty is valid, then you should take the appliance to the repair store.
Find out the reason why the appliance broke down - This is important so you know where to concentrate your efforts.
It also allows you to see if you need to buy any replacement parts or not do not go replacing parts blindly.
Try to find some assistance from a technician - This is a good idea since he or she can point you in the direction of the most likely cause of the malfunction.
You can do this over the phone and follow the instructions given Switch off the appliance before you open it - Some appliances emit harmful waves when they are open, and there is the danger of getting electrocuted.
Always remove the appliance from the mains before you attempt to repair it.
Get to a well lit area - some of the inner workings of these appliances are very small, and you need a well lit area in order to see what you are doing.
If the area is spacious then it is better because you will have a lot of space in which to place your tools and spares.
Get some help - if the appliance is too heavy to handle by yourself, then you should get someone to help you move it.
It would be a shame to try a lift an appliance and end up in hospital with a sprained back.
Tools and documentation - Get repair documentation which will give you a list of the tools that should be used to repair the appliance.
If it did not come with such documentation, you can look for it on the Internet.
Appliance repair tools Every profession has tools which they uphold as the most important.
When it comes to repairing appliances one tool that you should have is the voltage meter.
When you measure the current that is flowing through the appliance you will be able to gauge where the problem is.
With this tool, you will be able to know where a shortage has occurred, or a part is defective.
This is like the stethoscope that doctors use to listen to your heart beat and breathing.
You can also use it to measure the voltage in your outlets so you can see whether this is the cause of your appliances braking down.