It’s no secret that home appliances are expensive, and most of us don’t feel like we have the expertise to do the job or the time to learn how to repair them. But the cost of hiring a repairman to come out and fix it seems a little steep for your budget. Thankfully there is a simple fix for this dilemma: DIY repairs! You can save money by using Part Select and YouTube videos to perform easy fixes on your appliances, which will help extend their life span even more! PartSelect will help you diagnose the issue and YouTube videos will show you how to fix it, step-by-step with tools you probably have lying around the house already. 

Step 1: Use PartSelect.com to diagnose the problem.

Visit PartSelect.com and enter your appliance’s model number in the search bar to find detailed instructions specific to its parts or accessories. When you enter in the problem you’re having (i.e.  “dryer won’t start” or “ice maker is leaking,”) Part select will return a list of all the parts that might be at fault, AND the likelihood that each part is the actually at fault “dryer thermostat – 85%, heat sensor – 12%,” and so on.

Step-by-step instructions and visual diagrams will be displayed on the screen. You can then order any necessary replacement parts or accessories directly from PartSelect.com.

Step 2: Search YouTube for videos on replacing the faulty part in your model appliance.

The best part is, if the problem you’re having is specific to your model appliance (like “ice maker won’t dispense ice” or “dryer runs for 20 minutes without tumbling”) there will probably be a video on YouTube about how to replace that particular piece. You can then follow along with the video on your own appliance. Typically, the first step is to use a multimeter to identify the part that is actually at fault.

Step 3: Get the replacement part at PartSelect or at a local vendor

.Once you’ve identified the faulty part, go to PartSelect.com and place your order. When the replacement part arrives at your doorstep, open it up and perform a quick test with a multimeter to make sure that this is actually going to fix the problem before you install it into its original position. If there’s still an issue, repeat steps one and two until you’ve identified the faulty piece.

You can also often get the parts locally from an appliance repair supplier, which can be found through a quick Google Search. The price is usually comparable, and most parts to common appliances (even older models) are often in stock.

Step 4: Follow the YouTube Video And Complete Your Repair

Once you have the new part, follow the video you used to diagnose the problem and replace it with your new part. Most of these repairs can be done with basic hand tools.

Step 5: Enjoy The Time and Money You Saved, And The Satisfaction of a Job Well Done!

You can save both money and time by doing these repairs on your own. You’re basically paying wholesale cost for parts, and you’re not paying anything for labor, which is often the biggest expense for repairs. You also don’t have to spend half a day waiting for the technician to arrive.

And you’re picking up new skills to boot! At the end of the day, you can look at your working dryer or you’re perfectly functional ice maker and think “hey, I did that!”