What to know about do-it-yourself appliance repair

When our home appliances work, they're our best friends: keeping our food chilled, our clothes clean, our rooms cool. But when they break down, they can be our expensive worst enemy. Before you get rid of that appliance, check out these tips to see if you can fix it yourself.

Some small appliances are easy to fix yourself, like a toaster. The great thing about a small appliance is that if you mess it up by trying to fix it yourself, a replacement probably isn’t going to bankrupt you.

• You can find some great resources online for do-it-yourself fixes. Not only can you find your original owners’ manual, but you can probably find a video that can help identify and fix the appliance problem.

These big bad boys can be a little trickier to fix on your own.

• Check the owner’s manual for troubleshooting advice and follow the instructions carefully.

Before you try to diagnose a problem, much less  repairing a problem on a major appliance, be sure that the power and gas supply is disconnected.

Check to see if the appliance is held together with screws, bolts, or anything that can be taken apart — it’s possible that you can fix it yourself.

• However, if the appliance is welded together, you likely need to call a professional.

As with small appliances, the Internet can be your helper.

• Check online for instructional videos and search for websites that will help you with your specific appliance and problem.

If you are ever in doubt of your abilities to fix an appliance, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

• Call a professional and get a quote on fixing or replacing the unit.