Repair your Home Appliances

Before you throw out that broken appliance or electrical device, consider repairing it yourself. Today there are many instructional videos on sites like YouTube with detailed steps to repair common problems with your appliance or device. First, identify the manufacture and model number of the item and start Googling it; often for very common problems you will see discussions about it. If not, do your best to describe the issue you’re having. You will eventually find more details about it and maybe a schematics or part number which you can use to search for a place to order it from.

Now that you have more details about your issue, check and see if YouTube has a video on repairing that item. You will often find that it is easier than you expected. And you will find it very rewarding to do the repair yourself. Also, with appliances with high electrical demands, such as refrigerators, you can use a Kill-a-Watt device to determine how much electricity that appliance uses and what it costs annually to operate, and compare that to a new Energy Star device to see how much you can save if you decide to upgrade, instead. The Committee for a Better Environment has some Kill-a-Watt devices that you can borrow; just ask for one at the City’s Department of Public Works office located at Davis Hall - 9217 51st Avenue, College Park, 240 487-3590, publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov.

From the City's Committee for a Better Environment.