Appliance Parts & Repair in Council Bluffs IA

Greetings. We have been getting a lot of questions on how to "hook up" a 4 wire dryer or range power cord. Let's start with the basics. It doesn't matter what brand or model of dryer or range you have or are planning to purchase. Both 3 wire and 4 wire power cords will fit any - it depends on what type of receptacle you are going to plug the cord in to. Since 1996 new homes and certain degrees of remodeling are required under Article 550.16(A)(2) of the National Electrical Code (NEC) 2008, to use the 4 wire service. What this means is, the 4 wire cord separates the neutral and ground circuits to separate leads. The "hook up" or installation is basically the same. Each type of cord will have 2 - 110 volt hot leads and 1 - neutral lead. The 4 wire cord will have a separate ground lead.

The 3 wire cord, usually grey in color and flat will have 2 - 110 volt leads on the "out side" of the cord and the neutral lead in the center. The four wire cord, usually black in color and round, will have 2 - 110 volt leads (red & black), 1 - neutral lead (white) and 1 - ground lead (green). On the appliance terminal block, if there is a grounding strap from the center terminal post or screw it must be removed, (see your appliance owners manual - 4 wire cord has separate neutral and ground leads). As in the 3 wire cord, the 2 - 110 volt leads (red & black) will attach to the two outer terminals, the neutral lead (white) will attach to the center terminal and the ground lead (green) will connect to the provided screw near the appliance terminal block or cabinet grounding screw.

Please see the illustrations below for reference and the different types of receptacles. And as always, when working with any electrical appliance, SAFETY FIRST - DISCONNECT POWER before making any repair.

3 and 4 wire range receptacles.

3 and 4 wire dryer receptacles.

Lets start with the facts. Any refrigerator with an automatic defrost system is susceptible to having an internal water leakage issue. When this occurs you will normally see water on the floor in front of your refrigerator and even water dripping on to your food items in side the lower compartment if you have a top mount freezer.

The automatic defrost system is a simple and proven way to to eliminate the need of down time and unloading the contents of your refrigerator and freezer to perform a manual melt down. It also channels the defrost run off water to a collection point where under normal conditions it will evaporate. All of these procedures happen any where between 1 to 8 times a day based on usage and model.

When you have a water leakage issue as mentioned earlier, this typically means the water is not reaching the collection point due to either a blockage in the drain trough or the drain line. The blockage could be anything from food items, spills and even the defrost drainage freezing in the drain trough. Typically if the refrigerator is leveled properly the drain system will work as designed. When the drain freezes to a point it can not direct the run off to where it needs to go, the defrost water will gravitate to the lowest point which usually means the floor and then out the bottom of the door on a side by side. And on a top mount freezer, that means it will enter your fresh food compartment via the air ducts below the freezer floor.

This type of water leak can be an annoyance, how ever it is a common problem which can be resolved, if done properly. Basically, if you are experiencing this type of leak you need to first determine why the water is not draining as it should. Is the unit leveled properly? Is there a restriction in the drain line? In either situation the water will not have drained before the defrost cycle terminates and the refrigeration cycle begins and freezes the slow draining water which will create the water leakage.

If the refrigerator is leveled properly and the drain trough and drain line is unobstructed the defrost run off water will drain completely before the freezing begins. Some models use a heat conductor which sinks heat from the defrost heater into the opening of the drain line. These are also used by servicers when making repairs. How ever, they are useless if the water can not drain properly due to a restriction or a not properly leveled refrigerator.

Make the repair the correct way with out using the "Band-Aid" method and forget about the water leaks.

Have you noticed the temperatures rising? The warm weather has been nice for a change but don't let in fool you. When it does finally warm up you will certainly want your air conditioners to work properly. Now is the time to make plans for a cleaning and service check to assure it will work when you need it to. Whether you have a central AC system or a window unit, they perform best when they are clean.

Call for details and service rates. 402-672-2858

Every dryer has one, not every body cleans them. Hello every one,  Jr Tech Andrew here to remind you to clean your lint filter after each use. A clean filter as well as clean a vent hose and hood will allow your dryer to work efficiently. And while you are at it, check the condition of your lint screen. Are there any rips or cracks in it. This will also reduce the drying efficiency of your dryer and could lead to excessive lint build up in your exhaust hose, which in extreme cases could cause a fire. Most filters are generally inexpensive and in stock. Check yours and give us a call if you need one.

Andrew, Jr Tech

Hello every one. Hope you all survived the winter. Hang on just a little longer, spring is almost here. Any way let me ask you this question. Do you have a dishwasher? Yeah, I bet alot of you do. Here's another question. Do you know how clean it is? This is not a trick question, so don't say it's clean after each time I use it. Each time you use your dishwasher it cleans your dishes with the detergent that you add and when it has finished washing, your dishes are clean. At that is what;s supposed to happen. Did you know that all of the water is not discharged from your dishwasher each time you use it? Don't worry, that is how it is supposed to be. OK, here's another question. After you have washed a load of dishes and have put them away. You and your family start using more dishes, plates, cups, glasses spoons, knives and forks. Where do you put them? Piled up in the sink? Let's hope not, my Dad says that's a crime. You rinse them and put them in the dishwasher untill it is full, then you wash another load.

Here's what I am getting at. your dishwasher spends more time not being used to clean dishes. But instead used to hold the dirty dishes and the water that had not discharged after the last use.  It will become dirty. Sometimes you can not tell by looking inside the dishwasher, but it will still become soiled. Here is a test you can do. After you unload the dishwasher of the clean dishes, take a whiff. Stick your head right down in ther and give it a good sniff. Does it smell stale, old, musty, dirty or stinky. Don't worry, that's normal. It needs to be cleaned and disinfected. And we have just what you need to do that. A product that is called Glisten. With reagular use, you can be assured your dishwasher will perform as it should, getting your dishes clean enough to eat off of. And best of all, it will not stink.

Give me a call and tell me you want a clean dishwasher, we have the cure for that. We are offering Glisten, in a double shot box for $7 a package, or you can get three doubles for $6 each. My Dad uses it, so should you, it does work. Visit our web-store to order.

Andrew, Jr. Tech

A lot of home-appliance-repairs can be done easily. A dryer not drying, a oven not baking and many more have easy fixes. And there will be repairs that may seem more difficult to do. Give us a call, for repair help or for the parts to do it your self.

Andrew   Jr Tech   402-672-2858