Have Questions about Appliances? Bowen’s Appliance Repair Answers
Troubleshooting Assistance for “Do-It-Yourselfers”
In an effort to better educate our clients and provide troubleshooting assistance for “do-it-yourselfers,” Bowen’s Appliance Repair Service has assembled a list of some of our most frequently asked questions. In the event that you still have a question not answered here, feel free to contact us and one of our knowledgeable technicians would be more than happy to provide additional troubleshooting assistance over the phone!
Q. How do I replace elements on my electric stove?
A. If your stove’s heating elements need to be replaced, the good news is this is usually an easy fix that you can do yourself. Here are some helpful tips for replacing an electric stove’s heating elements:
● Check your stove’s serial and model numbers (usually found on the inside of your stove) so you can call us to order the right element. It’s always best to remove your element first and bring it into our shop for testing prior to getting a replacement part, as you may not actually need to replace it.
● Once you have the correct element and are ready to begin, unplug your stove. You can usually unplug it by pulling out its bottom drawer so you can reach underneath it. This saves you from having to move the entire stove!
● Unscrew the plate connected to the element and pull the element forward until you’ve exposed its wires. Once this is done, hold one side of your element with pliers and proceed to turn your screw until it is out so you can remove the wires from both sides.
● Put your new element in using your pliers while using a nut driver to attach the wires and element’s base together on both sides.
● Be sure to bend your element’s prongs the same way the old element was. Now you’re ready to put back on the plate and plug your stove back in. If your stove continues to experience issues heating food, call us!
Q. How do I manually defrost my refrigerator/freezer?
A. If your refrigerator/freezer has stopped keeping your food cold, you may just need to manually defrost it without the cost of purchasing additional parts. Here are some steps to take when manually defrosting:
● Remove everything from your refrigerator and freezer. Perhaps ask a friend, neighbour or family member if you can temporarily store items in theirs. You don’t need to leave both your refrigerator and freezer door open. If you clean out the freezer and unplug or turn it off, just leave the freezer door open. The defrosting process should take about 10-12 hours to complete. It’s best to do this at bedtime, so you can turn your freezer back on and close it in the morning.
● Because there will be melting water from the defrosting, plan ahead for extra moisture around your refrigerator – place towels around it.
● Be sure to unplug your refrigerator/freezer! There should be a back panel on your freezer’s back wall.
● Once you’ve removed the screws holding the back panel in place, you should notice a frozen block of ice that will be across your freezer’s back wall. The longer your problem has occurred, the less likely you will be able to see the refrigerator’s coils. Your goal is to melt all of this ice.
● Once all of the ice has melted, replace the back panel and plug your refrigerator back in. Adjust your temperature setting to medium and wait and see if this has corrected your issue. If your refrigerator doesn’t seem to be working properly within the next few days, give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to come out and take a look at it!
Q. How do I clean my dryer vent?
A. Here are some tips for cleaning your dryer vent safely:
● Whether your dryer is gas or electric, first you will need to unplug your dryer.
● Pull your dryer out so you can extend the vent. You will need a screwdriver to loosen the dryer’s vent clamps. Slide the vent off your dryer.
● Reach inside your dryer’s back hole to get rid of any built-up lint lurking back there. You can also reach into the vent’s tubing and pull out any lint you find in there. Most of the lint will likely be inside the ends.
● Slide your dryer’s vent clamp back over the vent to reattach it, tighten it and slide your dryer back into place.
● You will also need to remove the vent on the outside of your house and clean out the lint found in the exhaust tubing.
● Once you’re sure you’ve successfully cleaned it out, plug it back in. We recommend you run it on air fluff for about 10 minutes and then recheck the outside part of the vent for further obstructions.