My old Sears Kenmore washing machine conked out on me the other day, and couldn't have happened at a worse time. Broken appliances are never good for a budget since those service calls and special parts to be ordered can be quite costly. However, as expensive as those parts are, nothing is worse than paying for a service call only to discover that the appliance really isn't worth fixing.
Before spending $85 or more for a service call, it's always a good idea to do a little homework on your own first. Research can help you determine the age of your appliance, what might be the problem, the cost of the replacement part, and if the machine is even worth fixing at all.
Preventative Maintenance check list
The Sears appliance department posts preventative maintenance checklists on-line for many of their large appliances. If you bought a used appliance or can't find your old manual, this link to the Sears Repair Service Department is a great place to start.
The checklists won't help you fix your appliance, but will help you identify some of the more common appliance problems. Not all appliance problems are simple ones, and for the ones that are a little trickier to diagnosis, it will be necessary to refer to a repair manual.
Repair manuals
For myself, I usually refer to my Reader's Digest Fix-it-yourself manual which is an illustrated all purpose guide for fixing things around the house. The schematics are generic but close enough to help me determine what might be broken and how the repair must be made. These and other appliance repair manuals are readily available at the public library. However, for those who'd rather not leave their homes, a great on-line appliance repair resource can be found at Appliance 411. This on-line do-it-yourself site contains manuals for all brands of appliances along with easy step by step instructions for making a repair.
It's by looking at these repair instructions that a do-it-yourselfer can determine what parts are needed and if it's something that can be fixed on your own.
Sears Part list
Identifying the broken part is only half the job, looking up the cost of the part will also help you decide if that old Kenmore is worth keeping or should be hauled down to the recycling center instead.
By visiting the Sears Parts Index at this link a do-it-yourselfer can do a part search for her particular model of Kenmore appliance. This site provides blown-apart diagrams to help identify the part that is needed and lists the price of the replacement part. It also tells you the age of the appliance and if the part is even available. It is at the parts section where you can decide if the machine is worth fixing or not.
Self diagnosing a broken appliance isn't for everyone, but for those of us having to watch our spending, a little research can save the price of an unnecessary service call. By researching what parts are needed, their cost, and if it's a DIY project or one requiring an appliance repair man, you will be able to quickly determine if that old Kenmore is worth repairing or if it's finally time to buy a new one.
ValenciaHerche543@gmail.com
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