Appliance Repairs - A Homeowner's Guide

When your major home appliance needs repair, whether it be a kitchen or laundry appliance there are some basic tips which are worth remembering.

• Make a note of the full model details from the sticker on the machine itself, or preferably take a photo of the sticker and send it through to us. The model written on the user handbook is usually not sufficient detail
• If you are thinking of repairing yourself…don’t! Unless you are a suitably qualified person with the correct tools and test equipment
• Never assume the appliance is dead unless you can verify it is and do not dismantle unless you are a qualified person

Rangehoods are a good example of an appliance which often seems to be dead but is actually still connected to the mains supply. Often they are installed poorly with no wall isolator to turn them off as required by law.

While it may seem simple to replace an oven element or switch, unless you are qualified and have the correct test equipment you cannot verify that the end result is safe for you, your family or your tenants. In fact it is highly illegal for an unqualified person to work on a tenant’s appliance, even for no reward.