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Faulty Radiant burner Element in Glass top electric stove

Stove Repairs in Port Elizabeth

Faulty Radiant burner Element in Glass top electric stove 

 Don't you just love the visual effect you see from a Radiant burner Element in a electric Glass top stove - Not to talk about the instant surface heat, it's like having a open flame gas burner stove.
Russel Hobbs glass top stove hob

To do creative cooking on these burner element you need three components to work together in perfect harmony.

Underneath the shining glass top there are;
The switches and wires I will cover in another post but for now just the stove burner/element. When you start noticing dark spots on the element, it is indicating a pending fault. 
Other times It is difficult to always see a visual break in the system but the burner just doesn't come on. 
Then you have to do a continuity test with your multimeter (it should read 0 and 115 ohms of resistance) - No continuity means the element is broken.

Yaks! I heard that !!

 - Ok I will also cover continuity testing in another post because You don't have to be a rocket scientist to do this test but this information will save you plenty in callout and quote fee's.  
Faulty Radiant Element
Once you have removed the glass Check for burned spots like the picture above or if there is a break in the coils.  Don't try to repair the element just replace it.

Beverley I do hope this information help you to make a better informed decision for getting your stove sorted in America.

Enjoy your electrical DIY

http://www.pinepienaar.info/


Ps: should you need more information leave a comment below or shoot over to facebook










41ER Stove Switch replacing the NF1 Satchwell Switch

Stove Repairs in Port Elizabeth

41ER Switch

Instead of the old NF1 Satchwell regulator switch Defy is now using a more sturdy switch for their Stove plate (burner / element) controls.

Connecting the wire to the new switch might seems a little more complicated but that is why you have me.

41ER Stove plate switch

If you are as  lucky as I am to Live in Eastern Cape then your stove plates should also work off single phase electricity (220 Volts) and you must add a jumper wire between P1 terminal and terminal 4 (see picture)

The other wires of your stove plate should be connected in the following sequence


  • P2 - Pilot (lamp)
  • 2  -  Load ( to stove elements)
  • P1 - Live (from fuse box or main power terminal)
  • 4A - Neutral (blue wire or Negative)
I hope this information helps to make your appliance repairs more pleasurable?
Should you need more information - leave me a comment below or shoot over to our Facebook page and just ask.

Cheers!

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Operating Theater Lights

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth - Operation Lights

Surgical Lights
Livingstone Hospital Operating room
In the hey days (1800) operating rooms had big windows and they were build facing the sun. The drawback was it meant that operations could only be done at a certain time of day.
Fortunately this has all changed with the invention of electricity.
These days even greater demands are been put on getting a focus color filtered light in the operating theaters because different color lamps makes certain tissue more visible but above all it must also show the true tissue color

Lux Meter is used to measure the amount of visible light at a certain point. Lux units are then measure at 1 meter distance from the emitting light field center to get maximum Lux intensity. One of the major problems with operating theater lights centration and illumination. was heat radiation. With the the help of light emitting diodes this problem was solved and it also help to reduce energy usage.

Guidelines for Operating light requirements

  • Colour Rendering: (Ra) should be 85 to 100 (this is used to distinguish to tissue color)
  • Central Illuminance: Should be  40 000 to 160 000 lux
  • Shadow dilution:  Should be 50% using four different cross light field sections (the ability to minimize obstruction
Listen to me rattling along here but I just can't help myself - illumination is such a fascinating subject to me.

But that is enough information for one post I just don't want to risk losing you to boredom.

On the rare chance Should you need a little more information feel free to leave me a comment below.

Cheers!






PS. Heads up; One of the advantages of doing my craft is you become invisible to the average and making observation about how other people practise their craft has become a hobby of mine - that is why I can confirm that the operating theater matron is running a tight ship and even the personnel of Livingstone Hospital operating theater are just so committed to excellence.
                                                                                                    

Cleaning Washing Machine Inner Drum

Washing Machine Repairs in Port Elizabeth

Cleaning a Washing Machine

How do you know it is time to clean your washing machine inner drum? - when it starts talking to you through your nose and your washed clothing also smells.

Another noticeable sign that your washing machine inner drum is dirty is when you start seeing black spots on the clothes after it has been washed.

After you have put on washed cleaned clothes it always has that freshness smell, but after an hour or two when your body and garments heat up.. . .  a smell starts to filling the airspace around you it could mean
Reasons for smells
  • You are using an inferior washing detergent to wash your washing
  • Under dosing - (using to little cleaning agent will make clothes smell clean but it will not actually remove all the bacteria) 
  • Inner drum of Washing Machine is dirty and covered with bacteria
  • Your personal hygiene skills needs improving


Here is how you should do it

TOPLOADER WASHING MACHINE
  • Select the Heavy-load or Maximum water setting, because you want your machine to fill up right to the rim.
  • Fill washing machine with Hot water and once it stops add another liter or two which you pour in by hand. The idea is to get the water level over its usual level because just above that normal level is the "black-greasy-rim" which you want to remove.
  • Pour a cup of white vinegar and a cup of soda. Sometimes I use Dishwasher detergent instead, which also removes scum off the inner drum beautifully.
  • Then Switch on the washing machine and let it do a couple of turns  - so that the cleaning mixture can dilute and mix with water.
  • Switch off and let the washing-machine stand for at least 24 hours. Personally I like to leave it for a weekend. Friday to a Monday morning
  • After this soaking period switch the machine on and let it complete the washing cycle with the cleaning mixture
  • If you want you can run it through another wash cycle without anything in it but it not really necessary because most washing machine have about rinse cycle which they take in water and pump it out again.
FRONTLOADER WASHING MACHINE
  • Cleaning a front-loading washing machine is basically the same as a Toploader washing machine you just follow the steps as described above
  • Select hottest wash 
  • Pour Cleaning mixture or 150g Dishwashing Machine detergent directly into the drum or pour it into the soap dispenser tray
  • Switch washing machine on and let fill with water. After it has turn a couple of times it will start to heat up the water. Once it has the machines water is hot (feel the glass door). Turn machine off. then add another 4 liters hot water which you pour in through the soap dispenser.
  • Let it stand for a day or two with water/detergent mixture inside it.
  • After the soak period switch turn power on and let machine complete cycle
I recommended that you clean your washing machine every 6 months but it is entirely up to you,It also depends on what you wash on a regular basis, if it is overalls or sweaty sports clothing - then you should do it more often.

 If you feel you wanna do it every month - Go-for-it!

Cheers!







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Dirty Washing Machine Hose

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth
Dirty Washing Machine Hose

When was the last time you cleaned your washing machine?

Do you know there are Aliens living inside your Washing Machine and they are multiplying daily.

And you are wondering why you are getting sick

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Related Posts

Cleaning washing machine inner drum http://highpointappliances.blogspot.co.za/2015/10/washing-machine-inner-drum-cleaning.html

Exploded Danfoss temperature Controller

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth


ERC102D Danfoss temperature Controller Exploded Danfoss temperature Controller

Danfoss temperature controllers are some of the best electronic temperature controllers on the market and they are normally used in Staycold refrigerators. I recently had the the privilege to work on one of my clients Display refrigerator






It is unusual for the controller to explode like this but with current guys controlling of our power source in South Africa anything is possible. Sorry! I should not put all blame on these guys for everything that goes wrong.


Sometimes it is also a case that the refrigerator wasn't serviced regularly. If you look closely at the picture below you will see that some of the push-on connectors has turned brown in color.




Obviously the middle wires are the ones that carry the highest load/Amps and the more Amps flow the more electrical wires heat up.  Over time with expansion(heating) and contraction(cooling) of connectors and wires causes the whole connection to become loose. That is the time when the whole unit explode

If this refrigerator was serviced regularly the refrigerator technician would have seen that push-on connections was going bad because it has turned color and needs to be replaced.

As always if you need information, leave me a comments below or shoot over to facebook and "like" it

Cheers!
http://www.pinepienaar.info/




Dirty Defy Stove

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth
Dirty Defy Stove Four Twenty Two

The Defy model; four twenty two stove must be one of the best models Defy manufactures has ever produced for general household use. Its so simple to use and it gives the same end cooking results as the more advanced Defy models.

To insure you always achieve a tasty result with your stove there is one universal rule you must follow and that is regular cleaning.  
Its O.K to clean your stove once in a while


With most defy Stoves you are able to lift up the plates and clean under neath the plates. Some of them has two screws on the side which you should unscrew - if you need some pointer here just leave a comment below or if Facebook works better for you click hear.








Dishwasher Problems

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth
DISHWASHER PROBLEMS

 In this post you will find the most common problems that Dishwasher user's experience and also which they can sorted out themselves.

Foggy or Cloudy Glassware
  • Using a Cheap or inferior Dishwasher powder
  • This happens when dishwasher heater-element setting is too high. Just turn your thermostat to a lower setting.
  • Glassware must always be loaded on the top shelve of a Dishwasher.
  • Your glassware is not suited to be washed in a Dishwasher. (Du! why didn't the manufacture tell you this before the glasses were damaged. . .or didn't you not read the instruction pamphlet)
Sandy or Gritty Deposits
  • Using an inferior detergent 
  • When you use too little detergent (under-dosing)
  • Overloading machine and water-jets cannot spray chemicals on all articles in Dishwasher
  • Spray arms jets are blocked - Clean filter and take a paperclip to dislodge food that is stuck in the little jet-holes.
Cutlery Rusted or Discolored
  • Quality of cutlery/stainless might not be as good as you think it is.
  • Salt-acidic when too high will also cause discoloration
  • If stainless steel is left in a Damp dishwasher it will also discolor
Crockery Patterns are fading
  • Temperature setting are to high 
  • Decorative crockery are not dishwasher proof when it starts to fade or loosing patterns. (how's that for lightbulb moment). But seriously I suggest you should never wash any decorative crockery in a dishwasher. It is the same as washing a printed t-shirt in a automatic-washing-machine.
Crystal ware
  • Never-Ever! wash cristal in a dishwasher. When the manufacturer says their products are dishwasher proof/safe, then you know you are buying an inferior product which you have paid too much for because you thought it was good cristal.
Recommendation

Somethings you just don't do mechanically - Washing Cristal by hand in lukewarm soapy water is just the right thing to do and besides it just feels so good between your fingers, its almost as thrilling as the "First". 

Cheers!
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Fridge is Freezing

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth - Fridge is Freezing

When the fridge section of your refrigerator is getting too cold and food starts to freeze inside the fridge compartment It could be two things.

1. The Thermostat has gone on the blink and needs to be replaced.
2. Refrigerant (gas) is getting low and needs a top up

Replacing a thermostat is no problem but regassing or just topping-up the refrigerant has some risks to it. Before going this route please checkout the two following posts.

A. Refrigerator Gassing

B. Signs of Low Refrigerator Gas

It's not that I don't want to regas your refrigerator it's just that I want you guys to be aware of the risks.

As always if you need more . . . . shoot over to our Facebook Page "like" the page and quotes are FREE!

Cheers!
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Tumble Dryers is hot but slow to Dry clothes

Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth

Tumble Drier is hot but slow to Dry clothes

When your tumble dryer is heating but takes a long time to dry the clothes. Most of the time it is a sign that your tumble dryer has a ventilation problem but there are also a couple of other things that causes this phenomenon


Possible reasons for not Drying
  • Not sorting your clothing properly before loading into the tumble dryer
  • Blocked filters
  • Broken belt
  • Broken fan
Sorting clothing; Just like when you do washing in a washing Machine and you separated the colors, It is also very important to separate the different material in a tumble dryer (and also colors). Loading heavy cotton (like jeans, towels) and woolen clothing together in the tumble dryer will   cause the woolen article to stretch. Cotton takes much longer to dry and the woolen clothing will get heat burns from been too long in Tumble dryer.


Blocked filters; Blocked fluff filters will cause the tumble dryer to use a lot more electricity than you suppose to. I am sure you know about the fluff filter in the door or in the case of whirlpool it has slide in filter on top. Most people remember to clean this regularly but they forget about the back intake louvers or the outlet channels.

Broken Belt; You will pick this up straight away, the tumble dryer makes the usual noises but the drum does not turn. Tumble driers like Kelvinator, Speed Queen and Whirlpool has safety switches attached to the Drum Belt that will turn of the unit/heater elements. Some of the other makes make use of an overload (clickson) to turn off the heaters. By the time the sensors switch off its already too late and the clothing has been scorch.

Broken Fan; The same motor that turns the inner drum of the tumble dryer has also got a fan-blade fitted on the other end. The purpose of this fan is to cool down the motor and also push air through the heater elements. Once the air has moved over the elements it becomes very hot. The hot-air is then channeled into the tumble drum through the wet clothing and out the “otherside”.


“Otherside” is the area where cleaners seldom venture. Under and at the backside of a tumble drier is like the “Darkside of the Moon” for most cleaners. This is also the area where aliens and foreigners hangout (aliens like fluff, paper, socks and Toys)

Most tumble driers has a outlet vent or intake grill at the back of the machine. Tumble driers like Defy have their air intake at the back; Whirlpool again has an outlet vent at the back. It is very common for one of the above mentioned objects to move into or over the back grill causing the tumble driers to work ineffectively.

I hope the information here has added some value to your life and as always if you need more just shoot over to facebook ("like" the Page for a free quotation) or just leave a comment on this post  – I will try to respond to your inquiry right away.

Cheers
pine pienaar


Ps. Sorry for my phone been busy most of the time. (Whatsapp or SmS is a alternative) )83 52 52 52 2 

Signs of Low Refrigerator Gas

Signs of Low Refrigerator Gas - Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth
Russel Hobbs Refrigerator
Domestic and Industrial refrigerator give you different indicators or signs when it is low on Gas (refrigerant). In this post I am just going to cover domestic fridges/freezers and in another post I will do industrial fridges (walk in refrigerators).

Refrigerant starvation can lead to expensive repairs

Signs of Low refrigerator Gas

1. The first signs of low gas; your food starts to freeze up in the fridge section of your refrigerator. Salad leaves turning black (frostbite), tomatoes are frozen in the vegetable draw, milk and eggs are also frozen in the fridge. (This also the time when most people think it is the refrigerator-thermostat that has gone on the blink – but I will explain more about this situation in another post)
 
2. The second sign; the fridge is developing a ice buildup on the condenser plate and a faint smell is present

3. Big block of ice is forming in one corner of the refrigerator and freezer section is making too much ice. It becomes difficult to keep the freezer door close. It is about this stage you start hearing a clicking sound
.
4. At stage four your fridge is not making any ice anymore but the inside back is still sweating a lot with water dripping continuously. The moldy smell has also increased. The freezer section is now really over-icing. At this stage you also start breaking the inside-draws because they are now freezing soled and are stuck. Clicking sounds start to increase.  In another post I will explain more about that clicking sound. For now if you don’t speak Refri-lingo the "clicking" sound means "Help!"                                                        
5. At stage five your refrigerator is close to dying a horrible death, it becomes noisy and stays off for long period. The frozen food becomes soft and everything starts to defrost.

If you notice any of the above mentioned signs in your refrigerator don’t let the compressor and refrigerator suffer. Switch it off straight away then get a professional to come analyze your refrigerator.

I hope this information has added some value to your life

Cheers!

083 52 52 522








Refrigerator Gassing

Refrigerator Re-Gassing - Appliance Repairs in Port Elizabeth

Customers in the Eastern Cape ask us everyday to re-gas their fridges and freezers, which we always more than happy to oblige but recharging a refrigerator with refrigerant is one thing - repairing it is another

Kic Freezer, Defy Silver fridge, Kelvinator

 When a refrigerator unit needs gas. it means that the unit has a gas-leak because; 

  • Refrigerant (gas) never gets used up by the refrigerator
  • Refrigerant never gets old (that it needs replacing)
Reasons for gas leaks

 The refrigerator-tubing was punched by a sharp objects (like a knife) - it is repairable and also regasable.

When the refrigerator has an outside gas leak - it is also repairable. This condition normally happens when the unit was moved and during the move strain was put on the pipe joints.

Internal leaks are Not repairable.

Internal gas leak

Long - long time ago manufactures weren't only building appliances they were also building reputations. They build appliances to last, using the best materials available ie copper and aluminum.
                          Those days are gone! 

Instead of using more copper and aluminum inside their new refrigerators, manufactures are now using steel tubing that has been galvanised.

HELLO! . . .

Anybody Home? 

Even a mumpara can work this out;- Steel + Ice(moisture) = Rust

Freezing tubes exposed
 As you can see from the picture above, the ice tubes (Galvanised pipes) that cools the inside cabinet is logged between the outer and inside cabinets.The cooling tubes is fitted off centre, more towards the inside cabinet so that it can cool down the inside first.
Removing inside cabinet of freezer that protects freezing tubes

This layout (design) makes it impossible for someone to repair a refrigerator when it has a internal gas leaking. Without cutting the refrigerator cabinet open.
Multiple gas leaks in refrigerator

Most of time when a person re-gas your refrigerator you can actually hear where the leak is and if you then cut it open, you can repair that leak but the damaged (cut) can never be repair to its former glory.

As you can see from the pictures you might repair the actual gas but the rest of the refrigerators tubing are also corroded and will be developing leaks in the near future.

Badly Rusted freezing tubes

The Catch 22 Situation

Without connecting gauges there is just no way of determining before hand  if your refrigerator unit has 
  • a gas leak or 
  • if your compressor is not circulating the gas 
  • Or if the refrigerator unit has a gas blockage
What I am trying to tell you is that most of the time your refrigerator cannot be repaired and by fill your refrigerator with refrigerant You're only buying time - the snake is still there.

I hope this information will help you to make a more informed decision about having your refrigerator re-gassed or not. If you need more information you can catch me at https://www.facebook.com/Appliancesa.

Regards
083 52 52 52 2

Ps: Also check out this post http://highpointappliances.blogspot.com/2015/06/signs-of-low-refrigerator-gas.html