Q. My laundry pipe is leaking excessive amounts of water where the drain pipe meets the floor pipe. How do I repair. My husband is too lazy so I will have to do it myself because I can't afford a plumber. Help.

A. Trying to picture this: Most washing machines have coming out the back a black drain hose with a sorta a bend at the end hooking into the house pvc plumbing. Does yours? If so is the hose Kinked? If not you may have a clog in the plumbing house end and may just need to snake the clog. Can you get excess to the basement? If so (checking for clogs still) look at the plumbing line which leads to the washing machine. Do you see a clean out anywhere? A clean out is a pc of plumbing that has a screw on cap. Make sure this is not 3” or larger as that is you toilet and heck that would be a messy job if you unscrew that. Look for about 2 “ pipe that is what most use. If you see a cap and that pipe leads to the washing machine unscrew that and be prepared for some water to drain out of it and then try snaking that towards the washing machine. Now let say that you have a broken pipe and you see where the water is coming from. Then you will need a get a small pc of the small pipe and some couplings and some pvc glue. Cut (hack saw) the broken pipe out and follow the directions on the can of glue. Glue and pipe can be purchased at your local hardware store. ======== If your washing machine fills and agitates but does not drain, something is probably wrong with the drain hose or the pump. The fact that the washer fills and agitates tells you that the motor works and the belt is fine (though some units have a separate belt for the pump, and direct-drive washing machines don’t have belts.) 1) Be sure the drain hose isn’t kinked. 2) Check the tab on the lid that strikes the lid switch; if it is broken, the washer may stop during the drain cycle. Press and release the lid switch. If it doesn’t click each time you do this, it’s probably broken. If you’re experienced at home repair, you can remove the switch, test it, and replace it if needed; otherwise, call an appliance repairperson. 3) The water pump may be broken or clogged with a small article of clothing, or the controls may be broken; call an appl guy.

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Q. Our stove stopped working. Appliance man came out and said the circuit breaker needed to be changed (wrong size, loose fitting). About how much should I expect to pay electrician?

A. Slippery slope. First Appliance repair means they don't know enough to get a real job. Leading a trade will sometimes get you paying more, ie you phone a plumber and tell him your hot water tank is gone, he will show up with a hot water tank, and sometimes even if it isnt gone, to save the time of returning it he will install it and charge you. I suggest you check the stove, is your start stop bake timer engaged, is your stove old, is the breaker in the panel old or new. If your breaker is newer, and if it is the first time it has gone off, chances are its the stove. If the breaker is the wrong size, which is probably bs, your breaker going off should be a somewhat regular occurence. 20 min on google should sort that out most stove breakers are the same size amperage wise. Loose fitting? I doubt you could fit an innapropriate( not made for it) breaker in the wrong panel. The amperage rating on the breaker is usually right on the individual breaker. If you do phone an electrician dont lead him or her just tell them the stove breaker popped and leave them alone, if they know what they are doing itll be quicker, and possibly less expensive than if they have to listen to the customer for twenty minutes

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Q. Our washing machine broke and service is covered under warranty. Would you tip the repair person? If so, how much? We are in a tough financial situation.

A. As a rule of thumb, and this is only in my house, I always tip anyone who comes in and repairs something for me. I understand that money is tight, so as an alternate, why not ask the technician, when they are working, if they would like a glass of water, soda or anything cold that you might have on hand. Most people appreciate this. Have a lovely rest of the day. Happiness!

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Q.

A. American Home Shield They have an excellent plan for under $500/yr. Service calls are $55 each to repair or replace. Some items have a 30 day waiting period for new customers. They cover not only appliances, but electrical, and plumbing as well. I have used them for years. In one year they replaced my 38 year old (orig. to the house) hot water heater, 38 year old (orig. to the house) dishwasher, and 38 year old (org. to the house) paper duct work. Each time it only cost me the service call. All work is guaranteed by the contractor for 90 days. We recently moved, and they warranty my new house as well.

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Q. I have a modern maid gas wall oven #pko191 that is 75 degrees hotter than indicated on the control knob

A. It is hard to give a difinitive answer not knowing how old this oven is. Most likely unless you can do it yourself any repair is going to be fairly costly. ... say over $100 since you'd have to pay for someone to come out. An alternative is to get a thermometer for your oven. There is the very inexpensive kind which usually hangs off the rack and you can see through the window or have to open the door to read.d You can also get a slightly more expensive kind which reads remotely so you don't have to open the door. Then always make a note to set the oven to 50 or so degrees less than the recipe calls for. Then use the thermometers for a double check as you cook things. I had to deal with this in an old house I rented some time ago. best, cez

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Q. The appliance is a Whirpool electric range purchased in November of 2006. I live in the midwest-Indiana. Is a Whirpool tech more costly than a business which services several brands of appliances? Thanks for your replies.

A. Generally a Whirlpool tech is familiar with all brands. It just depends on who you get in to service your appliance. I've seen them charge anywhere from $80 per hour all the way up to $150.00 per hour. If you go with like Sear's they usually charge in between because they compete with the small home town appliance techs. :-)

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Q. Hi there, Looking for any good web pages that can help with learning of Appliance Repair (fridges, wash machines ect....). Any will be much appreciated although if you know of sites that also provide pics showing the parts they are talking about that would be most helpful. Thanks in adavance I have tried looking on the net but most sites just give me the run around and try to sell me their product.

A. Try www.repairclinic.com. Yes they sell parts but they also offer advice and have good pictorials.

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Q. Looking for the most dependable and affordable appliance repair in Long Beach?

A. Have you try http://www.appliancerepairlosangeles.com they service Long Beach.

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