Field notes
Appliance repair guides
Every published guide is listed here. Filter by appliance or search a symptom. The links are in the page, so you can browse with or without JavaScript.
How to clean an oven
How to clean an oven is a cool, empty cavity, racks removed, and only the method your manual allows: a labeled oven cleaner, a baking-soda paste when the man…
How to clean and descale a Keurig
How to clean a Keurig is an unplugged brewer, a washed reservoir, and the pod-holder parts the manual says you may rinse.
How to clean stainless steel appliances
How to clean stainless steel appliances is a soft cloth, warm water, and a drop of dish soap, wiped with the grain, then dried.
How to clean a coffee maker
How to clean a coffee maker is a cool, unplugged drip machine: wash the carafe and the basket, then run a cleaning cycle only with the solution the manual na…
What temperature should a refrigerator be?
What temperature should a refrigerator be? At or below 40°F in the fresh-food section and 0°F in the freezer.
How to clean a glass stove top
How to clean a glass stove top, including how to clean an electric stove top, is a cool glass-ceramic surface, a soft cloth, and the cooktop cleaner the manu…
How to clean a refrigerator
How to clean a refrigerator is emptied shelves, a mild wash the manual allows, a wiped gasket, and food put back only after the cabinet is cold again.
How to clean an air fryer
How to clean an air fryer means unplug it, let the basket cool, and wash the basket and tray the way that model's manual allows.
How to unclog a garbage disposal
How to unclog a garbage disposal starts with the power off at the switch and, if you go under the sink, at the breaker.
How to defrost a freezer
How to defrost a freezer, when the manual calls it a manual-defrost model, is: move the food to a cooler, unplug the cabinet, leave the door open, and let th…
How to clean a washing machine
How to clean a washing machine is an empty drum, the cleaner your manual names, and one hot cycle.
LG washer OE code
An LG washer OE code, on many current LG manuals, means the washer did not drain in the time that model allows.
Dishwasher not drying
A dishwasher not drying, when the tub itself is empty, is usually rinse aid, a load of plastic, or a heated-dry option the manual has to confirm for that model.
Washer not filling with water
A washer not filling with water is a supply problem until you prove the taps are open and the hoses are clear.
Refrigerator freezing food
A refrigerator freezing food in the fresh-food section is too cold, not a freezer that failed.
Washing machine shaking violently
A washing machine shaking violently on spin is usually the load, the feet, or shipping bolts that were never removed.
Dryer won't start
A dryer won't start when the drum never turns and the normal start press does nothing.
Dishwasher not turning on
A dishwasher not turning on means the display is dark or a start press does nothing.
Refrigerator water dispenser not working
A refrigerator water dispenser not working means the paddle or button does nothing useful: no water, or a trickle that stops.
Dryer taking too long to dry
A dryer taking too long to dry is an airflow problem when the drum turns and the clothes eventually get hot.
How to clean a dishwasher
How to clean a dishwasher is a filter rinse, a gasket wipe, and one hot cycle with the cleaner your manual names, or with white vinegar in a cup on the top r…
How to clean a dryer vent
How to clean a dryer vent starts with the lint screen every load, then the outdoor hood flap, then the short transition duct behind the dryer after you unplu…
How to clean a microwave
How to clean a microwave is a bowl of water heated until the cavity steams, then a soft cloth on the walls, the door, and the turntable after you unplug it.
Dishwasher leaking from bottom: door gasket, suds, or water under the tub
A dishwasher leaking from bottom is usually suds, a packed filter that lets the tub overfill, or a door gasket that is folded, dirty, or not seating.
Washing machine leaking from bottom: sort it by fill, wash, or spin
A washing machine leaking from bottom should be sorted by when the water appears.
Dishwasher not cleaning: spray, heat, film, and loading
A dishwasher not cleaning can still finish on time and leave soil on the plates.
Refrigerator leaking water: inside shelf, freezer, and floor
A refrigerator leaking water is a location problem first.
Dryer squeaking: level the feet, then note when it happens
A dryer squeaking is a fire-risk appliance first.
Dryer not spinning but heating: unplug it, then judge the drum
Unplug the dryer if it heats while the drum is stopped.
Samsung oven not heating: Control Lock, Sabbath, and a 175 stall
A Samsung oven not heating needs the icon on the display read against that model's manual before any heat part is blamed.
LG freezer not freezing: temperature, frost, and the serial tag
An LG freezer not freezing needs a thermometer in the food, not a guess from the door shelf.
Oven not heating up: mode, lock, and heat checks by fuel
An oven not heating up needs a display check and a thermometer before any parts talk.
Whirlpool refrigerator not cooling: new installs, vents, and coils
A Whirlpool refrigerator not cooling needs a thermometer and a split between a new cabinet and one that used to be cold.
Samsung washer not spinning: door, suds, drain, and balance
A Samsung washer not spinning usually shows a code you should confirm in the manual for that model.
GE washer not draining: the unplug reset and the real clog
A GE washer not draining is not fixed by borrowing another brand's drain code.
Whirlpool washer not draining: F9 E1, suds, and the hose
A Whirlpool washer not draining on many current models stores F9 E1, the long-drain code.
Samsung refrigerator not cooling: vents, frost, and Cooling Off
A Samsung refrigerator not cooling needs a thermometer and a look at the display before any parts are blamed.
Garbage disposal humming but not working: free a jam safely
Turn the disposal off and kill power at the breaker if you are not sure the wall switch cuts it.
Ice maker not working: cold, water, a seated bucket, and the switch
An ice maker not working almost always misses one of four things: a freezer at 0°F, an open water supply, a bucket that is seated, and a maker that is switch…
Whirlpool ice maker not working: temperature, water, and the control for that model
A whirlpool ice maker not working needs a freezer at 0°F, an open water supply, a bucket that is seated, and the maker switched on.
Whirlpool washer not spinning: lock, drain, and load before any coupling talk
A whirlpool washer not spinning usually has not been allowed to spin.
LG dryer not heating: read Flow Sense before you blame the heater
An LG dryer not heating on a normal dry cycle is an airflow or heat-supply problem, not a steam setting.
Freezer not freezing: measure 0°F before you call the cabinet dead
A freezer not freezing is a storage problem, not a door that merely feels chilly.
Whirlpool dryer not heating: separate a dead heater from a blocked vent
A whirlpool dryer not heating needs the fuel tag first, and a check that the drum still turns.
Samsung dishwasher not draining: use the model page, then the filter you can see
A Samsung dishwasher not draining needs the model number from the door frame before any parts talk.
Microwave not heating: stop if it runs and the food stays cold
A microwave not heating is a power, door, or setting problem only while the oven is not actually running a cook cycle.
Washer not draining: find whether the pump, the hose, or the suds stopped
A washer not draining leaves dirty water in the tub after the cycle should have emptied it.
LG refrigerator not cooling: read the tag before the compressor story
An LG refrigerator not cooling needs a thermometer and the model tag before any talk of a compressor.
Bosch dishwasher not draining: E22, E24, E25, and the filter
A Bosch dishwasher not draining on many models shows E22 for a blocked filter, E24 for a drain fault, or E25 for the pump or a hose restriction.
GE dishwasher not draining: Nautilus, Cafe, and the filter
A GE dishwasher not draining is not diagnosed from a single blink chart.
Whirlpool dishwasher not draining: F8 E1, filter, and hose
A Whirlpool dishwasher not draining on many current models shows F8 E1, Whirlpool's slow-drain code.
Frigidaire ice maker not working: shutoff, filter, and freezer
A Frigidaire ice maker not working needs a freezer at 0°F, water turned on, the bucket seated, and the maker switched on the way that model's manual describes.
Refrigerator not cooling: temperature, coils, and airflow
A refrigerator not cooling needs a thermometer, not a guess from the door dial.
Samsung refrigerator not making ice: freezer, water, and the bucket
A Samsung refrigerator not making ice needs a freezer at 0°F, an open water supply, a seated bucket, and the maker switched on.
Dryer not heating: vent, breaker, and airflow checks
A dryer not heating while the drum still turns is usually airflow or electrical supply, not a mystery setting.
Samsung dryer not heating: sensor bars, codes, and airflow
A Samsung dryer not heating usually still tumbles while the air in the drum stays cool.
Dishwasher not draining: filters, air gaps, and hoses
A dishwasher not draining usually has a blocked filter, a restricted air gap, a kinked hose, or a knockout plug left in a new garbage disposal.
Garbage disposal not working: power, reset, and jam checks
A garbage disposal not working is usually a tripped reset, a jam, or a wall switch that is not delivering power.
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