For Repairs, It’s the Little Things That Count

Here are some tips to make do-it-yourself appliance repair simpler:

Parts Smarts

* Keep track of small parts as you disassemble an appliance. Put the parts into prenumbered compartments of an old plastic ice cube tray. Reverse the procedure for reassembly. An egg carton works too.

* Sticky tape can also keep parts in the right order. Staple a strip of duct tape, adhesive side up, to your bench top. As you take the parts off, stick them to the tape in sequence.

* While waiting for new parts to arrive, don’t leave small parts and screws just lying around. Put them in plastic freezer bags that you can reseal so you won’t lose them. Label the bags.

* Keep your hands from getting slick when you have to grease small bearings or other parts. Just put some grease in a resealable plastic bag, add the parts, seal the bag and work them around in the grease.

* Use a metal paint tray to wash small parts. Wearing rubber gloves, fill the deep end of the tray with solvent and soak the parts in it. Use the upper end as a work area for brushing and wiping the parts after they’ve soaked.

* Dropped a part and can’t find it? Turn off the lights and close the blinds. Then turn on a flashlight, hold it close to the floor and rotate it in a circle. Like a searchlight, the beam raking across the floor causes a small object to cast a large shadow, making it easy to find.

* Need a three-speed fan switch, an electric range element or a TV tuner? Try local thrift shops. They often have appliance parts or old appliances from which you can salvage parts at a reasonable cost.

Taking Things Apart

* Have you taken out every visible screw from a small appliance and it still won’t open? Look for screws hidden under the manufacturer’s nameplate. Remove the plate’s mounting screws, or if the plate is glued on, carefully pry it off with a screwdriver.

* Sometimes an access screw is hiding under a plastic plug set flush with the surface of an appliance’s housing. Insert the tip of a small screwdriver into the seam around the plug to pry it out.

* Also look for screws hiding inside an appliance’s plastic or rubber feet, especially those that fit into holes in the housing.

* When disassembling appliances with moving elements, remember that nuts and bolts may have left-hand threads. If a part doesn’t loosen when turned in the normal counterclockwise direction, try turning it clockwise. Forcing it the wrong way will strip the threads.

* Don’t force a screw back into an item. Stop and very lightly turn the screw counterclockwise until you hear a click or feel the screw drop slightly. It should then go in easily.

Lubrication

* After you oil a small fan, put a paper bag over it and turn it on for a few minutes. Any oil the fan throws off will be trapped in the bag.

* Is the whirring of an electric clock driving you nuts? Turn it upside down for a few hours. Or unplug it and put it in a slightly warm oven (under 150 degrees) for an hour. Either action will help redistribute the lubricant in the clock, quieting it.

Cleaning Chrome

* Give the chrome trim on your appliances a quick shine with a soft cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol.

* Here’s an easy way to remove rust from kitchen chrome. Wrap aluminum foil around your finger, shiny side out, and rub the rust until it disappears. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth.