INDEX
V2.08 (05/25/1998)
Contents:
- Table of Contents
- Chapter 1) About the Author & Copyright
- Chapter 2) Introduction
- 2.1) Where do you keep your dead appliances?
- Chapter 3) Some Tidbits
- Chapter 4) Basic Appliance Theory
- 4.1) What is inside an appliance?
- 4.2) Basic electrical principles
- 4.3) Voltage, current, and resistance
- 4.4) Ohm's Law
- 4.5) DC and AC
- 4.6) Series and parallel circuits
- Chapter 5) Appliance Troubleshooting
- 5.1) SAFETY
- 5.2) Safety myths
- 5.3) Safety guidelines
- 5.4) Should I unplug appliances when not in use?
- 5.5) Troubleshooting tips
- 5.6) Basic hand tools
- 5.7) Soldering techniques
- 5.8) Desoldering techniques
- 5.9) Soldering pins in plastic connectors
- 5.10) Solderless connectors
- 5.11) Wire stripping
- 5.12) Attaching wires to screw terminals
- 5.13) Test equipment
- 5.14) Getting inside consumer electronic equipment
- 5.15) Getting built up dust and dirt out of a equipment
- 5.16) Lubrication of appliances and electronic equipment
- 5.17) Common appliance problems
- Chapter 6) Types of Parts Found in Small Appliances
- 6.1) So many, so few
- 6.2) Cordsets - wire and plug
- 6.3) Appliance cord gets hot
- 6.4) Extension cords
- 6.5) Determining the location of a break in an extension cord
- 6.6) Internal wiring - cables and connectors
- 6.7) Switches - power, mode, or speed selection
- 6.8) About mercury wall switches
- 6.9) Relays - electrically activated switches for power or control
- 6.10) Contact configurations
- 6.11) Electrical overload protection devices - fuses and circuit breakers
- 6.12) Fuse postmortem
- 6.13) Fuse or circuit breaker replacement
- 6.14) Thermal protection devices - thermal fuses and thermal switches
- 6.15) More on thermal fuses
- 6.16) Controls 1 - adjustable thermostats and humidistats
- 6.17) What is hysteresis?
- 6.18) Controls 2 - rheostats and potentiometers
- 6.19) Interlocks - prevent operation with case or door open
- 6.20) Light bulbs - incandescent and fluorescent
- 6.21) Indicators - incandescent or neon light bulbs or LEDs
- 6.22) Heating elements - NiChrome coils or ribbon, Calrod, Quartz
- 6.23) Repair of broken heating elements
- 6.24) Solenoids - small and large
- 6.25) Small electronic components - resistors, capacitors, diodes
- 6.26) Motors - universal, induction, DC, timing
- 6.27) Fans and Blowers - bladed or centrifugal
- 6.28) Bearings and bushings
- 6.29) Mechanical controllers - timing motors and cam switches
- 6.30) Electronic controllers - simple delay or microprocessor based
- 6.31) Batteries - Alkaline, Lithium, Nickel-Cadmium, Lead-acid
- 6.32) AC adapters and chargers - wall 'warts' with AC or DC outputs
- Chapter 7) AC Line and Battery Powered Household Appliances
- 7.1) Table lamps
- 7.2) Rebuilding a basic table lamp
- 7.3) Lamps with night-light bulbs in their base
- 7.4) High intensity lamps
- 7.5) Halogen lamps and fixtures
- 7.6) Safety guidelines for use of halogen lamps
- 7.7) What causes a lamp to flicker?
- 7.8) Touch lamp problems
- 7.9) Touch lamps and RF interference
- 7.10) Incandescent fixtures
- 7.11) Removing the base of a broken light bulb
- 7.12) Locating burnt out bulbs in series circuits
- 7.13) Comments on Christmas tree bulb/string repair
- 7.14) Controlling a fixture or outlet from multiple locations
- 7.15) Identifying unmarked wiring for 3-way switch
- 7.16) Dimmer switches and light dimmers
- 7.17) Typical dimmer schematics
- 7.18) Simplest dimmer schematic
- 7.19) 3-way dimmer schematics
- 7.20) Simple 3-way dimmer schematic 1
- 7.21) Simple 3-way dimmer schematic 2
- 7.22) True (electronic) 3-way (or more) dimmers
- 7.23) Independent dimming from two locations - kludge #3251
- 7.24) How do touch dimmers work?
- 7.25) Light dimmers and interference with radio or TV
- 7.26) Can I use a dimmer to control transformer operated low voltage lighting?
- 7.27) Flashlights and lanterns
- 7.28) Typical rechargeable flashlight schematics
- 7.29) First Alert Series 50 rechargeable flashlight schematic
- 7.30) Black & Decker Spotlighter Type 2 rechargeable flashlight
- 7.31) Brand Unknown (Made in China) rechargeable flashlight schematic
- 7.32) Makeup mirrors
- 7.33) Chandeliers
- 7.34) Portable fans and blowers
- 7.35) Computer power supply (and other) fans
- 7.36) Speed control of DC fans
- 7.37) Speed control of small AC fans
- 7.38) Ceiling fans
- 7.39) Lubricating ceiling fans
- 7.40) Variable speed ceiling fan on normal circuit
- 7.41) Throbbing noise from ceiling fan
- 7.42) Ceiling fan motor speed control and capacitor replacement
- 7.43) Mike's notes on ceiling fan installation
- 7.44) Air cleaners
- 7.45) Electronic air cleaner high voltage module schematic
- 7.46) Auto air purifier schematic
- 7.47) Bug zappers
- 7.48) Electric fences
- 7.49) Appliance and light timers
- 7.50) Warnings about using compact fluorescent lamps on electronic timers
- 7.51) Wall thermostats
- 7.52) Electric space heaters
- 7.53) Radiant space heaters
- 7.54) Convection space heaters
- 7.55) Oil filled electric radiators
- 7.56) So, what about the Pelonus Disk furnace?
- 7.57) Electric pencil sharpeners
- 7.58) Blenders
- 7.59) Drip coffee makers
- 7.60) Drop coffee maker repair
- 7.61) Coffee percolators
- 7.62) Electric kettles
- 7.63) Electric (motor driven) clocks
- 7.64) Rotisseries
- 7.65) Electric can openers and knife sharpeners
- 7.66) Electric carving knives
- 7.67) Electric scissors
- 7.68) Portable and stationary food mixers
- 7.69) Food processors
- 7.70) Steam and dry irons
- 7.71) Toasters
- 7.72) Automatic toaster will not drop bread
- 7.73) Toaster oven (broilers)
- 7.74) Convection oven noise
- 7.75) Hot plates, waffle irons, broilers, deep friers, rice and slow cookers, woks
- 7.76) Popcorn poppers (oil type)
- 7.77) Popcorn poppers (air type)
- 7.78) Sewing machines
- 7.79) Wiring a sewing machine speed control
- 7.80) Shavers
- 7.81) Electric toothbrushes
- 7.82) Braun electric toothbrush repair
- 7.83) Hand massagers
- 7.84) Hair dryers and blow dryers
- 7.85) Curling irons
- 7.86) VCR cassette rewinders
- 7.87) Vacuum cleaners, electric brooms. and line powered hand vacs
- 7.88) Vacuum cleaner mechanical problems
- 7.89) Vacuum cleaner electrical problems
- 7.90) Vacuum cleaner hose damage
- 7.91) High tech vacuum cleaners?
- 7.92) Dustbusters(tm) and other battery powered hand vacs
- 7.93) Dustbusters left on continuous charge and battery problems
- 7.94) Floor polishers
- 7.95) Heating pads
- 7.96) Electric blankets
- 7.97) Humidifiers
- 7.98) Ultrasonic humidifiers
- 7.99) Ultrasonic waterfalls?
- 7.100) Ultrasonic cleaners
- 7.101) Dehumidifiers
- 7.102) Garbage disposals
- 7.103) Garbage disposal pops reset button but nothing blocked
- 7.104) Garbage disposal is stuck - hums but does not turn
- 7.105) Garbage disposal seizes repeatedly
- 7.106) Garbage disposal replacement (or upgrade)
- 7.107) Sump pumps and utility pumps
- 7.108) Toys
- 7.109) Garage door operators
- 7.110) General garage door operator problems
- 7.111) Garage door operator light does not work correctly
- 7.112) Garage door operator loses track of where it is
- 7.113) Garage door remotes behave differently
- 7.114) Adjusting garage door operator remote unit
- 7.115) Improving sensitivity of garage door openers receivers
- 7.116) Universal remote/receiver units for garage door operators
- 7.117) Garage door operator doesn't work reliably in cold weather
- 7.118) Chamberland garage door opener repair?
- 7.119) Garage door operator security
- 7.120) Identifying unknown transformer ratings in garage door operator
- 7.121) Electromechanical doorbells and chimes
- 7.122) Adding an additional set of chimes
- 7.123) How to add an addition button to a door bell
- 7.124) Wireless doorbells or chimes
- 7.125) Doorbell rings on its own
- 7.126) Old garage door operator guts for wireless chime
- 7.127) TV antenna rotators
- Chapter 8) Power Tools
- 8.1) Types of motors found in power tools
- 8.2) Motors in AC line operated portable tools
- 8.3) Motors in cordless power tools
- 8.4) Motors in stationary power tools
- 8.5) About horsepower ratings
- 8.6) Cords for AC line operated portable power tools
- 8.7) Portable drills
- 8.8) AC line powered drills
- 8.9) Upgrading the bearings on a Craftsman drill
- 8.10) Cordless drills
- 8.11) Other direct drive tools
- 8.12) Saber saws, reciprocating saws
- 8.13) Electric chain saws
- 8.14) Circular saws, miter, and cutoff saws
- 8.15) Grinding wheels
- 8.16) Polishers, rotary sanders
- 8.17) Orbital sanders and polishers
- 8.18) Belt sanders, power planers
- 8.19) Air compressors
- 8.20) Paint sprayers
- 8.21) Heat guns
- 8.22) Paint strippers
- 8.23) Soldering irons
- 8.24) Soldering guns
- 8.25) Wet-dry vacs, yard blowers/vacs
- 8.26) Hedge trimmers
- 8.27) Electric lawn mowers
- Chapter 9) AC Adapters and Transformers
- 9.1) AC adapter basics
- 9.2) AC adapter testing
- 9.3) Pocket wall adapter tester/polarity checker
- 9.4) AC adapter repair
- 9.5) AC adapter substitution and equipment damage
- 9.6) Replacing batteries with an AC adapter
- 9.7) Converting an AC output wall adapter to DC
- 9.8) Adding an IC regulator to a wall adapter or battery
- 9.9) Testing a power transformer
- 9.10) Determining power (VA) ratings of unknown transformers
- 9.11) Determining the ratings of a fried power transformer
- 9.12) Determining wiring of unknown power transformer
- 9.13) Transformer repair
- Chapter 10) Batteries
- 10.1) Battery technology
- 10.2) Battery basics
- 10.3) Battery chargers
- 10.4) Substituting NiCds for Alkalines
- 10.5) Can a large electrolytic capacitor be substituted for a NiCd?
- 10.6) Determining the actual capacity of a NiCd battery
- 10.7) NiCd batteries and the infamous 'memory effect'
- 10.8) Care and feeding of NiCds
- 10.9) Why there will never actually be closure on this topic
- 10.10) NiCd battery pack will not hold a charge
- 10.11) What is this thing in my NiCd battery pack?
- 10.12) Zapping NiCds to clear shorted cells
- 10.13) Tom's comments on NiCd care and feeding
- 10.14) Identifying technology of unmarked battery packs
- 10.15) Problems with battery operated equipment
- 10.16) Battery juice and corroded contacts
- 10.17) Automotive power
- 10.18) Exploding batteries - these things really happen
- 10.19) Soldering tabs onto NiCd batteries
- 10.20) How do those on-battery or on-the-package battery testers work?
- 10.21) Battery eliminator for laptop or appliance with dead NiCd
- Chapter 11) Incandescent Light Bulbs, Lamps, and Lighting Fixtures
- 11.1) Incandescent light bulbs - single and three way
- 11.2) Why do my light bulbs seem to burn out at warp speed?
- 11.3) Halogen bulbs
- 11.4) Efficiency, lifetime, and failure modes of halogen bulbs
- 11.5) Use of dimmers with halogen bulbs
- 11.6) The humorous side of light bulbs
- 11.7) Notes on bulb savers
- 11.8) Can you prove that bulb savers do not work?
- Chapter 12) Fluorescent Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures
- 12.1) Fluorescent lamp basics
- 12.2) Fluorescent lamp labeling
- 12.3) Compact fluorescent bulbs
- 12.4) Fluorescent fixtures
- 12.5) Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
- 12.6) Types of iron ballasts
- 12.7) Electronic ballasts
- 12.8) Wiring for preheat fluorescent fixtures
- 12.9) Fluorescent starter operation
- 12.10) Wiring for rapid start and trigger start fixtures
- 12.11) Wiring fluorescent lamps to remote ballasts
- 12.12) Problems with fluorescent lamps and fixtures
- 12.13) Why do fluorescent lamps buzz and what to do about it?
- 12.14) Fluorescent lamps cycling on and off
- 12.15) Replacing fluorescent lamp or fixture components
- 12.16) Why are those tiny tiny 4 watt fluorescent bulbs so expensive?
- Chapter 13) Gas Discharge Lamps
- 13.1) Gas discharge lamp basics
- 13.2) Neon lights and signs
- 13.3) Power supplies for neon
- 13.4) Problems with neon
- 13.5) High intensity discharge (HID) lamp technology
- 13.6) Problems with high intensity discharge lamps
- Chapter 14) Motors 101
- 14.1) Small motors in consumer electronic equipment
- 14.2) Identifying type of unknown motor
- 14.3) Universal motors
- 14.4) Problems with universal motors
- 14.5) Testing of universal motors
- 14.6) About commutators and brushes in universal motors
- 14.7) Repairing small universal motors
- 14.8) Single phase induction motors
- 14.9) Shaded pole induction motors
- 14.10) Problems with induction motors
- 14.11) Disassembling and reassembling a universal or induction motor
- 14.12) Determining wiring for multispeed induction motor
- 14.13) Small permanent magnet DC motors
- 14.14) Problems with small PM motors
- 14.15) Testing of small PM motors
- 14.16) Identifying voltage and current ratings small PM motors
- 14.17) Reviving a partially shorted or erratic PM motor
- 14.18) Disassembling and reassembling a miniature PM motor
- 14.19) DC brushless motors
- 14.20) Disassembling and reassembling a DC brushless fan
- 14.21) Synchronous timing motors
- 14.22) Disassembling and reassembling a small timing motor
- 14.23) Motor bearing problems
- 14.24) Motor noise
- 14.25) Finding a replacement motor
- 14.26) Is motor rebuilding economical?
- 14.27) Motor armature testing - or - what is a growler?
- 14.28) Small motor repair and replacement
- Chapter 15) Large Appliances
- 15.1) Web sites for large appliance troubleshooting
- 15.2) Electric oven calibration
- 15.3) Heat control in electric range surface units
- 15.4) Electric range top element does not work properly
- 15.5) Improvised welding repair of heating elements
- 15.6) Range, oven, and furnace electronic ignition
- 15.7) Replacing a thermostat
- 15.8) Oven door seal repair
- 15.9) Freezer is normal but fresh food compartment isn't even cool
- 15.10) Refrigerator not cooling after a week
- 15.11) Defrost system operation and wiring
- 15.12) Compressor starting relays
- 15.13) Changing the temperature range of a small refrigerator
- 15.14) Washer sometimes spins
- 15.15) Clothes washer does not fill (cold or hot)
- 15.16) Window air conditioner preventive maintenance
- 15.17) Window air conditioner doesn't cool
- 15.18) Air conditions freezes up
- 15.19) Comments on electric clothes dryer problems and repair
- 15.20) Dryer shuts down after a few minutes
- 15.21) Why has my dryer (or other high current) plug/socket burned up?
- 15.22) Four year old gas dryer just started popping GFCI
- 15.23) Checking dishwasher solenoids
- Chapter 16) Electrical Wiring Information and Problems
- 16.1) Safe electrical wiring
- 16.2) What is a GFCI?
- 16.3) GFCIs, overloads, and fire safety
- 16.4) How does a GFCI work
- 16.5) More on how the GFCI detects a N-G short
- 16.6) GFCIs and safety ground
- 16.7) Where are 3 wire grounded outlets required?
- 16.8) Why you should NOT connect G to N
- 16.9) Testing installed GFCIs
- 16.10) John's comments on the use of GFI breakers
- 16.11) Phantom voltage measurements of electrical wiring
- 16.12) Determining wiring of a 2-wire outlet
- 16.13) Outlet wiring screwed up?
- 16.14) 220 V outlet reads 0 VAC between slots
- 16.15) Testing for fault in branch circuit
- 16.16) Locating wires inside a wall
- 16.17) Bad Neutral connections and flickering lights or worse
- 16.18) Lightning storm trips GFCIs protecting remote outdoor outlets
- 16.19) GFCI trips when it rains (hard)
- 16.20) Why a GFCI should not be used with major appliances
- 16.21) Toasters and GFCIs
- 16.22) Reverse polarity outlets - safety and other issues
- 16.23) Comments on whole house surge suppressors
- Chapter 17) All About Wire and the AWG (American Wire Gauge) Numbers
- 17.1) Some types of wire
- 17.2) So, where did AWG come from?
- 17.3) For the marginally mathematically inclined
- 17.4) American Wire Gauge (AWG) table for annealed copper wire
- 17.5) What about stranded wire?
- 17.6) Overall gauge Typical stranded wires made up of
- Chapter 18) Items of Interest
- 18.1) Determining electricity usage
- 18.2) Taking equipment overseas (or vice-versa)
- 18.3) Controlling an inductive load with a triac
- 18.4) Dan's notes on low voltage outdoor lighting
- 18.5) Effects of brownouts and blackouts on electronic equipment and appliances
- 18.6) Grounding of computer equipment
- 18.7) Removing gummed labels (or other dried or sticky gunk)
- 18.8) Preventing radio frequency interference from whacking out appliances
- 18.9) Yard lights cycling and maintenance humor
- 18.10) Will a hard-wired appliance save energy over a plugged in variety?
- 18.11) A short history of heat
- Chapter 19) Service Information
- 19.1) Wiring diagrams
- 19.2) Removing screw with stripped head
- 19.3) Fil's tips on improvised parts repair
- 19.4) Fixing stripped plastic threaded holes
- 19.5) Interchangeability of components
- 19.6) Appliance repair books
- 19.7) Large appliance repair manuals and Web assistance
- 19.8) Manufacturer support
- 19.9) Parts suppliers