Wait until hot food has cooled down before putting it into the fridge.
Don’t keep the fridge door open any longer than necessary. Read the rest of this entry »
When washing dishes by hand, fill a bowl with warm water and a little detergent, washing the ‘cleaner‘ items first. Read the rest of this entry »
As with any other kind of solar heating, solar water heaters are at an advantage when planned for a new home, because the design can incorporate them efficiently.
In the passive house at lower right, for example, the water heater’s design benefited from the house’s design flexibility, and vice versa, to their mutual advantage. The dormer on which the collectors are mounted lifts the roofline of the house, allowing extra headroom in the second-floor family room behind it. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) Little or no water enters the washer. 2) The washer does I not complete the washing cycle. 3) The washer drive motor does not run during cycle. To find the cause of the problem, first check to be sure both the hot and cold water faucets are turned on at the wash station.
To avoid any incorrect readings when using the volt/ohmmeter, always “zero” the ohmmeter scale of the volt/ohmmeter before making any continuity checks on components. See operating instructions that came with the volt/ohmmeter. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) Washer advances through the cycle but leaves water in the tub, or 2) The washer pumps all of the water out of the tub but clothes are wet at end of the cycle.
Check to be sure the washer lid is securely closed. Most automatic washers are designed to shut OFF if the washer lid is in the “up” position. This is a safety feature designed to prevent injury if the lid is opened while the washer is running and spinning.
Check to make sure that the washer power cord has not worked loose in the wall receptacle. A faulty connection could be the cause of washer failure. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) Washer fills with water, and motor starts to run, but the washer agitator does not turn in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, or 2) At end of cycle, clothes are gritty and soapy with water.
To find the cause of the problem, first check to make sure that the washer power cord has not worked loose in the wall socket. Read the rest of this entry »
Specific failure symptoms include: 1) When the washer is turned ON, nothing happens. 2) When the washer is turned ON you hear a faint “buzz.”
To find the cause of this problem, first check to be sure that the washer is plugged in a working power source.
Make a line voltage check at the washer receptacle to determine if the problem is a faulty power receptacle or a problem within the washer. Make a voltage line check by setting the volt/ohmmeter on the 150 A/C scale and placing the probes in the holes of the wall receptacle. The meter should read 110-125 volts. Read the rest of this entry »
This valve assembly is probably the most important component of the gas burner assembly. The valve assembly controls the flow of gas to the main burner from the gas supply line.
Cycling thermostats are bi-metal devices or thermo-discs that are designed to cut the main burner OFF when a pre-determined temperature has been attained in the dryer drum. There is no adjustment of the temperature response of these thermostats. Read the rest of this entry »
This failure is normally attributed to a loss of electrical power or an electrical overload.
To find the cause of the problem, move the dryer out from the wall and unplug the dryer power cord from dryer wall receptacle. Make a voltage check with the volt/ohmmeter to determine if there is electrical power available to the dryer receptacle or to the dryer power cord.
To avoid incorrect readings when using the volt/ohmmeter, always “zero” the ohmmeter before making continuity checks. See operating instructions that came with your volt/ohmmeter. Read the rest of this entry »
Unplug the power cord or gas supply before servicing the clothes dryer. Move clothes dryer out from the wall. Exercise care when moving the dryer from its original position because the dryer legs can easily tear holes in your floor.
Remove screws to dryer top. Lift the top of the dryer by inserting a flat-blade screwdriver between the cabinet and the top of the dryer. Remove the screws that secure door switch to dryer front panel and discard the door switch. Read the rest of this entry »
