Table of Contents
Safety first
Appliances involve electricity, water, gas, heat and heavy moving parts. Before you touch anything inside an appliance:
- Unplug it, or switch off its circuit breaker.
- Shut off the water supply to washers, dishwashers and ice makers.
- Shut off the gas valve on gas dryers and ranges. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
- Let hot parts cool down and do not work alone on heavy appliances.
Some jobs should always be left to a licensed professional, including work on gas lines, on live electrical circuits and on sealed refrigerant systems. When a guide says to call a technician, please do.
Information only
The guides on The Fix First are general information. They are not professional repair, electrical, plumbing or safety advice, and they do not replace the owner’s manual or the instructions of the manufacturer. Appliance designs change from year to year, so a step that fits one model may not apply to yours. Always check your owner’s manual first.
Warranty
Opening an appliance or replacing parts yourself may void its warranty. Check your warranty terms before you start.
Use at your own risk
You use the information on this site at your own risk. To the extent the law allows, the site and its owner are not responsible for injury, property damage or other loss that results from following a guide or from the information on the site.
Advertising
The site shows ads from Google and other advertising partners. The site does not control which ads you see, and an ad is not an endorsement of the advertiser or its products.
Affiliate disclosure
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, the site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help pay for the site. They do not change what a guide tells you to check or fix first, and the site only links to products it considers relevant to the problem.
Brand names and trademarks
The Fix First is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any appliance manufacturer. Brand names and trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the appliances a guide applies to.
Third-party websites
The site may link to other websites. It does not control them and is not responsible for their content.
Questions
If something in a guide looks wrong or unsafe, write to hello@thefixfirst.com and it will be reviewed.