I'll just fix my own dryer
Are you a fix it yourself kind of person?
Dryer repairs can be expensive. Why not give it a try yourself before calling in a professional repairman?
Well, there are a number of reasons why you shouldn't attempt to fix your dryer yourself.
High Voltage
Electrical appliances, such as a clothes dryer, contain high voltage components. Even non-high voltage, as in your normal 120v house power, can kill you. Do you know which components in your dryer contain high voltages?
A home dryer typically draws 30 amps or more. If that doesn't scare you then stop reading right now and don't ever attempt to repair an electrical appliance. A current of 10 mA or 0.01 A provides a severe shock, but it wouldn't be fatal. As we approach 100 mA or 0.1 A, muscular contractions begin. It is imperative to realize that because of the heart's low resistance, a current of magnitude as small as 10 mA through it is enough to kill us. The 30 A that your dryer operates at is 300 times the lethal amount of current for a human.
What if you just unplug the dryer?
For the most part, you'll be safe to work on your dryer if it is unplugged. There are some components that have capacitors and similar parts that store power and can discharge while it's unplugged but for the most part you are safe when it's unplugged. You should never work on an appliance that is plugged in.
Most dryers have a metal body. If you don't know exactly what you are doing it is easy to create a short circuit that allows electricity to travel through the whole appliance. If you are not careful you can create a booby trap. The next person to use the dryer could receive lethal electrocution as soon as they grab the handle. The hidden danger of poor workmanship on an electrical appliance could really put your family members at risk.
Last July a news story came out about a Texas girl who was fatally electrocuted by her family dryer. We don't always consider those dangers, but unfortunately, it does happen.
Shoddy electrical work can also lead to fires. Everything might seem fine until you are at work one day and receive a call from the fire department that your dryer failed and caused your house to light on fire.
Outside of the electrical dangers, there are physical dangers in working on appliances. They are big and heavy, similar to working on your car. Getting into the parts that you need to work on can put your body in a dangerous position.
At ElectraFix we are experienced to handle all types of scenarios. Last Saturday morning we received a call from a local family that needed their dryer repaired. The woman on the phone was a mother of three kids and needed to get her laundry done on the weekend.
Our customer care representative asked the mother about the dryer and figured out what needed to be repaired. It was a Samsung front load dryer and she needed a new heating element assembly. All ElectraFix technicians carry about 80% of the parts that we need in our vans at any given time. It happened that we didn't have this specific part on hand.
We can usually get the part that we need in the same day. In this case, we were able to get the part from a different city in the lower mainland and still get to the customer in the same day. We were able to fit the customer's schedule and found a time that worked out.
When I arrived at her house the dryer was stacked on top of the washing machine. In order to work on the dryer I had to move it into a position where I could do the repair. The mother was busy with her three kids and couldn't help me. Through my training, I was able to secure the dryer in a safe way and was able to replace the heating element assembly.
The dryer was repaired in a single day and the mother was able to get back to washing her family's laundry. After I left she received the invoice within two minutes which contains a 3 months warranty on labour and parts. I let her know that she can call ElectraFix if anything happens.
Our professional appliance repair technicians have the experience and skills to fix any appliance properly the first time. We know how to deal with the risks involved and can guarantee that there will be no dangers associated with a repair. We have specialized tools and diagnostic equipment that a DIY repair person doesn't have access too. You can't substitute training and experience by watching a 15-minute repair video on youtube.
There are some things that are simple to fix such as your dryer door handle, or a broken leg adjustment. Even the door handle repair is probably more complex than you would guess. If you are considering a repair, make sure that it does not involve any electrical components or placing the dryer in an awkward or dangerous position. Even the control panel can pose serious electrical dangers.
You could actually make the problem worse
If you attempt to repair your dryer yourself you can actually make the problem worse. That would defeat the point of saving money on repairs as it would actually increase your repair bill, sometimes substantially.
Our technicians have access to warehouses and sources for parts that aren't available to the general public. That is one of the factors that allows us to work efficiently and complete your repair in the same day.
A do it yourself appliance repair that goes wrong can cost you health, money, time, and even your life. You can put your family at risk. You can't guarantee that your appliance will be safe to use, or leave running while you're not home. At ElectraFix we can confidently make that guarantee.
Don't put yourself or your family at risk. Allow our trained professionals to repair your appliances. Our technicians have seen many such appliances during their career. We can fix your dryer faster and more efficiently than you can fix it yourself. Our experience and warranty mean that you can be doing your laundry in no time and you'll be able to sleep at night knowing that you and your family are safe.