I can’t open my Washing Machine door

A Stuck Washing Machine Door is the worst ever that could happen when you have the kids school uniforms in there.

Don’t you just hate that when it happens. Now your clothes are stuck inside your washing machine. Don’t be tempted to prise the door open just because Jonny’s boots are in there, it will cost you the price of a door latch mechanism, a door interlock or door handle. If the door interlock fails then this could keep you from openeing the door. Modern day washing machines have a door locks that prevent the door from opening when the motor is still turning or when water is still in the drum of the machine.

Thing to do is remove the drain hose from the outlet stand pipe and bring it down to floor level so that the water can drain from the tub. If this is not an option, then remove the stopper from the drain pump filter at the base of the washing machine and let the water drain say onto a tray or soemthing similar. Aware that there is about a gallon and a half of water or 7 litres in new money. so it will require a couple of trips.

Draining the water releases the pressure switch activating on the door interlock, then the door can be opened. Do this while you send the misses out for more larger so you get to make as much mess as you like without getting an ear bashing. This is a tried and tested method.

11:54 - 10 August 2007

How to remove an Oven Door

How do I remove the oven door? We get this asked all the time.

It’s actually quite difficult to explain this over the phone and I get asked this virtually on a daily basis. I mean, how do you explain what an hoofadoofa is and what the roundy bit on the twisty mode is. People naturally have their own interpretation of the names of the different parts are so it can get confusing, so lets have a picture.

The oven door hinge I am showing here is only an example of what a hinge might look like, this one is  a Hotpoint Cooker Door Hinge  but your door hinge might look completely different but the principle is the same.

Firstly open door fully and then place the metal clips, part B, which form part of the hinge arm, part A, onto the hook on the under side of the hinge arm, part C.
Once you have done this you have then locked the hinges in position but be aware that the hinge springs are now fully loaded.
Now you can remove the door as illustrated in the second picture. There are two movements here but you must hold the door by the sides. Do not hold the door by the handle because once the door is off the oven you will have the weight of the door on the handle, it will break off and your door will be in a thousand bits on the kitchen floor.
I have no problem in supplying you with a new door but you don’t want to part with 100 quid at this stage. While holding the door at the sides, lift it to 45 deg and then pull it towards you.

Look at the picture above and see part 'A'. There is a little notch cut out of it. This bit is sat on a lip in the recess of the hinge socket. You will need to lift the door slightly so this hinge arm can be pulled from the socket. You should now be able to safely remove the oven door.

09:44 - 10 August 2007

Replacement Elements for domestic and commercial appliances

News just in that we have a place to find heater elements for cookers ovens and dishwashers, catering for the domestic appliance spares market and the commercial sectors.

The list of all manufacturers makes and types of appliance heater elements is growing on a daily basis. The site is called www.replacement-elements.com and is hosted and maintained by yours truely.

 I have been working on this for sometime now and we hope to bring this update date on a daily. We cater for all the usual appliance manufactures like Ariston Cookers and Ariston Dishwashers, Belling Cookers and Ovens right through to Zanussi Cooker or Dishwasher.

We are open to suggestions for the new element web store and if you can’t find the element you are looking for, we have added an online request form for you to use.

03:02 - 26 July 2007