Minor Electrical Repairs To Small Appliances (1981)

[Music] sorry lady your warranty is expired be cheaper to replace it than fix it we just sell them we don't do repairs I could send it back to the factory for you there'd be a $25 basic service charge plus your part labor and postage I can get it back to you in uh say 90 days why don't you just fix this yourself why not fix it yourself indeed many people who have been frustrated by the delays costs and hassles of trying to get small household appliances repaired have found that they can often do it themselves to perform the kinds of minor appliance repairs that you'll be seeing in this film you don't need a degree in electronics or a lot of expensive complicated equipment you can get all the tools you'll need for just a few dollars at your local hardware or Discount Store you'll need a flat screwdriver with an insulated handle and a Phillips screwdriver looks like this with an insulated handle and a pair of longnose pliers with wire cutters insulated handles these are all you need but remember the metal parts of these tools will conduct electricity so get in the habit of grasping them only by the insulated handles before we begin the actual repairs there are one or two important safety precautions that you must observe first don't attempt any major repair jobs like this leave the complicated work on major appliances to the professionals you should attempt only those minor repairs on small appliances that we'll be illustrating in this film second don't ever under any circumstances work on an appliance that's plugged into a socket ordinary household voltage causes current to be deadly so always unplug any Appliance before you work on it now let's get down to trying some actual repairs if an appliance doesn't work properly often the problem is in the electrical cord rather than in the appliance itself it's a simple job to replace the cord of an electric iron for example first of course make sure the iron is unplugged and has cooled off then place the iron on a soft surface to protect its polished sole plate next use the screwdriver to remove the screw or screws holding the cover plate then remove the cover plate now you should be able to see the terminals to which the cord is attached on most models the cord cord is connected to the terminals by two screws loosen the terminal screws and disconnect the cord you can purchase new electric cords for irons and other appliances at electrical Departments of hardware and discount stores or at electrical supply stores be sure that you buy a cord of the correct type and size for your Appliance always buy replacement electrical parts that carry this label which means that they have been approved by Underwriters Laboratories an independent testing organization if you take the old cord with you the dealer can select the proper replacement cord for you the new cord is installed in just the reverse order followed in removing the old one attach the new cord to the terminals make certain that the metal cord Clips aren't touching each other and tighten the screws in place position the molded plug in the slots make sure the screws are really tight so they won't work loose finally replace the cover plate and fasten it firmly into place that should do it your iron should be ready to use again a table lamp is another item which may need occasional repairs before starting any repairs on the lamp first make certain that the problem isn't simply a burned out light bulb if the problem isn't with the bulb it may be a pulled off plug this results from yanking on the cord to unplug the lamp rather than pulling the plug itself from the socket to replace a faulty plug on a lamp cord use the wire cutters on the Longnose pliers to slice cleanly through the cord just above the plug one fast and safe safe way to attach a new plug is to purchase this style of replacement you simply slip the end of the cord into the plug and squeeze the plug together sharp metal blades pierce the insulation on the cord and make contact with the wires inside the plug is designed to lock itself into place on the cord the replacement takes only seconds and the lamp with its new new plug works like new to install a screw type plug on an appliance cord you begin the same way by snipping off the old plug remove the insulator plate from the new plug make sure you purchase a replacement plug of the same amperage rating as the old one now push a section of the cord through the bottom of the plug to attach this type of cord to the plug it's necessary to separate the insulated wires using the Longnose pliers separate the two wires now tie a knot like this into the cord this is called an underwriter's knot it will help prevent the cord from being pulled out of the plug watch again so you'll be certain you can tie this type of not yourself next pull the knot back into the plug between the prongs wrap each insulated wire around a prong and screw to determine how much insulation you will need to remove to make the connection using the wire cutters of your long noose pliers strip the insulation back from the end of each wire and trim off the excess wire the correct way to strip insulation is to cut into the insulation at a slight angle then pull the sharp edge of the plier straight back to the end of The Wire be careful not to scrape or cut the wires themselves now twist the strands of each wire lightly together with your fingertips now pull each wire clockwise around a prong and curl it clockwise under a screw any excess wires should be clipped off before tightening the screws tighten down both screws making sure that the be wires cannot touch each other finally slip the insulating plate over the prongs and push it all the way down the cord is now ready to be plugged in replacing a lamp switch is another fairly easy repair job most table lamps have either an In-N-Out switch or a turn the knob switch replacement is necessary when either type loses its crisp action and starts to slip to replace a switch first unplug the lamp then remove the lampshade and light bulb press in on the outer shell and pull the switch assembly from its base remove the outer shell and its cardboard insulator from the switch assembly now you'll see the screws connecting the cord to the switch loosen the terminal screws and disconnect the wires since new switches come in different types and sizes it may be a good idea to take the old one with you to the store so you can select the right replacement to install the new one first twist the strands of wire together then wrap each wire clockwise around a terminal screw make sure that there are no loose strands of wire to touch each other or the metal shell tighten the terminal screws down over the wires then replace the outer shell with its cardboard insulator next press the entire switch and socket assembly back into place make sure the parts fit together securely replace the light bulb and shade plug in the lamp turn it on and feel proud of your accomplishments the next time you have a minor problem with an electrical Appliance You may wish to follow the step-by-step instructions and safety procedures of this film and make your own minor electrical repairs