How to Repair a Fridge

When the Fridge Is on the Fritz

Where to go and who to call when an appliance breaks down

If your furnace is cold, your fridge is hot and your washing machine won't spin, all is not lost. You may even be able to fix them yourself – with a little help from the manufacturer. Many makers of household appliances have hot lines with technicians on hand to talk you through the repair. It could save you the $100 or so that a service call costs. For safety reasons, hot lines won't help on gas ranges and microwaves.

Before calling, be sure to jot down the appliance's model number, serial number and when you purchased it. You may also need to have an ohmmeter on hand, a little device that measures electrical resistance.

Of course, you may not be able to fix more complex problems, or you may simply find the innards of household appliances grotesque. If so, you're not alone. Consumers spent nearly $8 billion in 2018 alone for repairs to electronic equipment, according to the Department of Commerce.

Aside from small local repair shops, big retailers like Sears, Roebuck & Co., which operates the nation's largest repair service, and Montgomery Ward & Co. have expanded their repair operations in recent years. The stores will fix national name-brand electronic equipment, whether under warranty or not, even for products not bought at their stores.

Many chains repair dozens of brands of electronic equipment, from Apple to Zenith, at any of thousands of stores across the country. They will fix out-of-warranty consumer electronic equipment, including tablets, notebooks, audio equipment, and other devices. The rate: around $100 flat labor charge for any equipment, no matter what the problem. Parts are extra, but generally run about 50 percent of the labor charge.

Can we survive without a fridge nowadays? Ice Owl. Photo by Elena