Appliance Not Working? What to Check Before You Call a Knoxville Shop

The safe checks to make before booking appliance repair in Knoxville: power, breakers, water valves, doors and filters, plus where the model number is and how to check for a recall.

Safety first. If you smell gas, leave the house and call KUB at 865-524-2911 or 911 from outside. If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or a breaker trips again after you reset it, stop using the appliance and leave it for the shop. Don't open panels, touch wiring, gas connections or refrigerant lines.

Then the easy things. Is the power out? KUB's Outage Center has a live outage map and a way to report an outage. Parts of the area get power from other utilities, such as LCUB in Farragut and the city electric departments in Maryville and Oak Ridge. If only one appliance is dead, check that it's plugged in, straight into a wall outlet and not an extension cord, as the US Fire Administration advises, and that its breaker hasn't tripped.

Next, the checks makers give owners: the water valves behind the washer and under the sink are fully open, the washer lid or dishwasher door is properly closed, the controls aren't locked or set to OFF, the dryer's lint filter is clean, and the dishwasher's filters are rinsed (with the power off at the breaker). The pages for each appliance have the details: refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher and oven.

Find the model and serial number before you call. Whirlpool lists the usual spots: inside the fresh food section of a refrigerator, on a side wall; on the edge of a dishwasher's tub frame; under a top-load washer's lid on the tub rim; inside the door of a front-load washer or dryer, on the rim of the opening; and on the oven or drawer frame of a range. Other brands are similar.

Check for a recall, too. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes recalls on its website; look for your brand and model, and check the maker's website as well. If the appliance is still under warranty, check the warranty before booking; some makers require their own service providers.

Common jobs

• Diagnosing a fault you can't find
• Error codes and flashing lights
• Repairs after the simple checks have been done

Have this ready when you call

• Which appliance it is, and whether it runs on gas or electricity
• The brand, model and serial number, from the label (often inside the door or lid, or on the frame)
• What it's doing, or not doing, and any error code on the display
• Roughly how old it is
• Your neighborhood or town

Common questions