TECH TALK Appliance Repair 101: It's about the parts. Byline: STEVEN ROSENBERG Fixing computers is pretty easy, especially if you've got lots of spare parts. The same is true for cars and trucks - if - they were made in the 1980s or earlier.
What you may not know is that major appliances - everything from clothes washers and dryers to stoves, dishwashers and refrigerators - are pretty simple and often easily fixed by anyone with a few tools and a little time on their hands.
I did my first major-appliance repair - replacing a broken belt on my 20-year-old Maytag dishwasher - with the help of the sadly out-of-print "All Thumbs Guide to Repairing Major Home Appliances," by Robert W. Wood, as well as the guys at Authorized Appliance Parts and Service in Reseda, who have consistently helped me get the right parts and given me tips on how to install them.
It's a very lucky thing that my treasured "All Thumbs" guide is readily available used through Amazon.com and Alibris.com for less than $3 (plus the inevitable cost of shipping).
And I've recently discovered a number of Web sites that can help you both diagnose what's wrong with your appliance, figure out what parts are inside it, and purchase those parts online.