Best local home appliances repair company!

Washer repair near Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of washers in Washington Dc and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the washer. If you have a leaking washer or the washer is not draining the water or for any other problems with your washer, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your washer back to normal working condition.  same-day washer repairs. Call Now

202-480-6270

ANALYZING A WASHER LEAK

PROBLEM:

Your washer discharges a small quantity of water on the floor after each use.

A small quantity of water on the floor indicates that the washer may need it new water-level switch. (A significant quantity of water probably would be caused by a worn-out water pump.

To find the source of the leak, do the following:

1. Disconnect the power cord from the wall outlet and move the machine away from the wall.

2. Open the control panel. Look for the part to which the hose is attached. This component is the water-level switch and overflow hose. The water-level switch is supposed to turn off the water-intake valve when the water in the basket reaches a preset level. If the water-level switch is maladjusted, and the water in the basket is going higher than it should, the excess is being expelled out of the basket to rough the overflow hose to the floor.

3. Test the water-level switch by placing a receptacle on the floor under the overflow hose that is connected to the water-level switch. Turn on the washer. If water appears in the receptacle, it confirms that the leak is coming from the overflow hose. Either replace the water-level switch or keep the receptacle in place to save yourself the cost of a new switch. Remember to empty it periodical!}.

GETTING RID OF BLACK STAINS IN THE WASHER BASKET

PROBLEM: The basket of your washer is coated with black stains.

A black coating on the surface of a washer basket indicates that your water is high in manganese. This condition affects well water in particular, since water utility usually filter objectionably high levels of minerals at the pumping station. Although manganese is not harmful  the results residue can stain your clothes. If your water comes from a well has it tested. If manganese levels are high install a filtering system to reduce the amount of the mineral in the water. In the meantime if washing the surface of the basket with soap and water doesn’t remove the stains washing it with straight vinegar. If vinegar doesn’t do the job, buy a container of acetic acid from a hardware or home supply store. Mix one part of the chemical with four parts of water. If the residue is particularly heavy, mix two parts of the acid with two parts of water. Put on rubber gloves and goggles and wash the basket with the solution. Whichever of the cleaning steps you try use only rags to apply the cleaning solution. Do not use an abrasive material, such as steel wool, which could damage the porcelain. When stains are gone, toss two tablespoons of baking soda into the appliance and run it, empty, through a complete cycle.

 professional dryer repair service near Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of dryers in Washington and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the dryer. If you have a noisy dryer or the dryer is not drying the clothes completely or for any other problems with your dryer, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your dryer back to normal working condition. You can reach us 7 days a week at our local number for same-day dryer repairs in Washington Dc

202-480-6270

REPLACING A DOOR SEAL

PROBLEM: The dryer takes an excessive amount of time to dry clothes.

Many clothes dryers have a seal around the door opening to keep the heat in. This seal can crack, causing an increase in drying time.

To make the repair, do the following:

1. Loosen the screws around the door opening. Pull off the defective seal.

2. Get a new seal of the same design at an appliance parts store. (You will need the make and model number of the dryer)

3. Spray the new seal with silicone or dip it in soapy water to make it more pliable.

4. Insert the seal into the groove at the top of the door opening. Then press it into place all around the opening using a putty knife, if necessary or a screwdriver with a dull, worn-out tip. Don’t, press down too hard.

5. Tighten loosened screws

FIXING AN ELECTRIC DRYER THAT WON’T SHUT OFF

PROBLEM: Your electric dryer won’t stop running.

An electronically controlled clothes dryer uses sensors embedded in the drum to monitor the moisture in clothes and to determine when the clothes are dry. The sensors transmit a signal to the electronic control unit (or processor), which then orders the dryer motor t3 itself off.

Fabric softeners sprayed on clothes static-electricity strips tossed in the dryer with clothes, can coat the sensors. This coat impedes their ability to monitor moisture resulting in a dryer that keeps running even if the clothes are dry. (Another reason for excessive drying time, of course, is a clogged lint screen. Make sure your lint screen is clean each time you use the dryer.)

Before calling a technician to service the unit, do the following:

1. Wash the lint screen in hot water until water flows freely through the mesh.

2. Mix dishwashing liquid detergent or washing machine detergent, with hot water the hotter the better. (Wear rubber gloves to keep from burning your hands.)

3. Dip a swatch of terry cloth in the solution and wash the baffles (the raised projections) on the drum, which usually hold the sensors. Important: Do not clean baffles with any abrasive material. This will damage the sensors. Dry a load of clothes to determine whether this treatment has had an effect. If not, the reason for the extended drying period is probably a defective electronic component, and you will have to call in a service technician.

Affordable refrigerator repair service near Washington Dc

We repair all models and brands of refrigerators in Washington and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the refrigerator. If you have a leaking refrigerator or the refrigerator is not keeping the food cold enough or for any other problems with your refrigerator, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your refrigerator back to normal working condition.

Call Now 202-480-6270

Refrigerator Repair troubleshooting and common issues

The refrigeration operation is possible because of a phenomenon known as sublimation, by which some substances can pass from a solid to a gaseous state without going through an intermediate liquid state. In this application it works this way: when the door to a freezer compartment is opened, water vapor in the air condenses upon the much colder surfaces inside, just as it does on a glass of iced tea in the summer. In the freezer compartment, this moisture freezes to the inner door panels, compartment liner, and even food packages, forming a thin film or coating each time the door is opened. Through sublimation this moisture will migrate to the coldest surface within the compartment, the evaporator coil itself. The process is greatly speeded up by the constant flow of air across the packages and surfaces of the compartment. This deposit of frost builds up on the evaporator until removed during the defrost cycle at regular intervals.

First care in handling and working with any refrigerator, especially when it’s necessary to move components and bend tubing. A kink or split in the refrigerant tubing can damage the refrigerator and cause an expensive repair job by a refrigeration technician. Should a leak develop in the system, there are certain precautions which should be taken. While the refrigerant itself should be nontoxic in such small concentrations, it can form phosgene, a poisonous, in the presence of an open flame. Under such conditions, the highly irritating odor will give you plenty of warning to leave the area. For sure shut off pilot lights on gas dryers or ranges, or any burning pilots on gas appliances. Open windows for ventilation. Any repairs within the refrigerator system itself require expensive and specialized equipment to do the job correctly but this is a problem you’re unlikely to encounter when a piece of refrigeration equipment fails to function. You should be able to handle other job yourself. Before attempting any refrigerator repair, unplug the refrigerator.

TEMPERATURE TESTS

When diagnosing a fault in a refrigerator or freezer, take exact temperature readings of the sections that seem too warm or too cold. Check them carefully with an accurate thermometer. A dial thermometer is easy to use. For make temperature readings, place the sensing end of the thermometer in a glass of water that has been inside the compartment for at least eight hours simply placing the thermometer on a shelf is not a good test doesn’t sense the true average temperature, and opening refrigerator door to read the thermometer call influence the reading.

• Operate at recommended control temperatures. When varying these needs or conditions, allow twenty-four hours between changes for system to comply.

• Never let frost in freezer compartment build up more than 1/4 inch.

• Clean refrigerator interior regularly with a solution of baking soda and water; clean exteriors with lukewarm sudsy water. Occasionally use wax on painted exterior surfaces.

• Vacuum the refrigerator condenser as frequently as advised in the refrigerator manual, using the crevice tool attachment of your vacuum or a long-handle brush. Clean more frequently if house has unusual dust conditions or shedding pets. Signs of dirty con-denser coils are: temperatures inside refrigerator begin to raise running time increases vibration noises increase or the refrigerator cabinet exterior becomes warm.

• Cover foods tightly to prevent drying and spreading odors,

• Refrigerate foods as soon as possible after preparation or purchase.

• Use special storage areas for their intended purpose.

• Do not overload a freezer at one time with unfrozen food. This slows the freezing process. A good guideline is never to add more than 10 percent of freezer’s capacity at a time.

• Defrost non frost free freezer models before more than ½ inch of frost forms.

SAFETY NOTE: When disposing of an old refrigerator or freezer, be sure the door or lid is removed as soon as it is taken out of service to avoid child entrapment.

Best professional oven repair near Washington Dc

We repair all models and brands of ovens in Washington DC and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the oven. If you have a dead oven or the oven is not getting hot enough or for any other problems with your oven, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your oven back to normal working condition.

Oven Repairs Summary

Oven door bangs open when the oven burner is ignited. The door flies open when a mini explosion occurs due to gas build up caused by delayed ignition. This is almost always a sure sign of a dirty ignition tube. The burner tube through which the the flame flows from the pilot has been plugged. You will find that this tube has a little end piece with a hole in it. This piece can be removed and cleaned. You will notice that the burner tube also has a slit in it which goes from one side of the tube to the other-. This slit allows the gas to burn on both sides of the, burner tube. You can clean this slit with a razor blade, allowing the gas to escape and burn evenly.

PROBLEM: The tube is clean and the oven burner still is not igniting properly.

If the oven still is not igniting properly, you may have to replace the oven safety valve. This is one of the most common failures on a gas stove. The oven safety valve is mounted inside and against the back wall in your oven. The oven safety valve contains an orifice which feeds gas to the burner tube. The burner tube leads to it and joins into it. The first thing to do is to check to see any lose electric wires attached to the safety valve. If there are no wires, you have a mercury operating valve. You will see that it contains a small tube leading from it to the pilot flame. Make certain that tube has not fallen out of its holder, and that the pilot flame engulfs the end of the tube when the pilot is turned on. If you see that the tube has fallen out of its holder, you should be able to put it back into position with no problem. To check to see if the safety valve is the problem, you will need a propane type cigarette lighter. Turn the oven thermostat up to 300° F. You will notice the pilot flame becomes larger. This additional flame and heat should expand the mercury in the small tube and open the safety valve allowing gas to flow into the burner tube. If it doesn’t, add the flame of your cigarette lighter to the extend pilot flame. This additional flame and heat should expand the Mercury in the small tube and open the safety valve allowing gas to How into burner. If the burner ignites, change the oven safety Valve.

After you have removed the safety valve, tap the open end in the palm of your hand to make the mercury beads show themselves. If you can see the beads, it is another sign the safety valve has to be replaced. You can pick up the safety valve in the parts department your favorite appliance store. Replacing the safety valve is simple.

1. Shut off the gas supply to the range.

2. Remove the fitting from the end of the valve.

3. Look for three screws. Two hold the valve in place, and one small screw holds the mercury tube in its holder. Carefully unscrew the screws and lift out the old safety valve and replace it with the new.

4. Use care when positioning the new safety valve, that you do not break the end of the small capillary tube when placing it into its holder. Make sure that it is fitted properly, so that the pilot flame engulfs it.

Don’t just throw the old safety valve into the garbage. Mercury is a very hazardous contaminant and will harm the environment. Call city hall and find out where it should be taken for proper disposal.

Top rated Local dishwasher repair in Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of dishwashers in Houston and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the dishwasher. If you have a leaking dishwasher or the dishwasher is not cleaning the dishes or for any other problems with your dishwasher, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your dishwasher back to normal working condition.

TREATING DISHWASHER RUST SPOTS

PROBLEM: Some of the interior surfaces of your dishwasher are chipped.

Utensils accidentally dropped on the porcelain enamel of a dishwasher can chip the porcelain. The unprotected spot may then become a tar-get for rust. If rust is allowed to spread, it can eventually eat its way through the dishwasher and cause leaks.

To keep this from happening, you must treat rust spots early. Do the following:

1. Using fine-grit sandpaper, rub the rust lightly until the bare underlying metal is ex-posed.

2. Wash the area and dry it thoroughly.

3. Buy a nontoxic epoxy and a jar of water-proof porcelain enamel paint from an appliance parts dealer. Carefully following the product directions, apply the epoxy to the spots and let it cure. The epoxy puts a protective coating over the bare metal. Then paint the spot with enamel. Caution: Be sure the epoxy and enamel are rated to resist temperatures up to 200 degrees.

REPAIRING THE PRONGS OF A DISHWASHER RACK

PROBLEM: The prongs of the dishwasher rack are broken off and beginning to rust.

Often when cups and glasses are placed over the prongs of a rack, the weight of the glass is on the tips of the prongs instead of oil the floor of the rack. This continued stress can cause the tips to break, off hand rust. If this advice conics too late and you see rust oil Prong tips, don’t rush out to bit), a new rack. You call purchase a prong-tip (or tine) repair kit from a dealer of appliance parts. The rubber tips in the kit fit snugly over the ends of prongs. Use the silicone sealer in the kit to secure the tips.

To put oil the rubber tips, do the following:

1. Dry the ends of the prongs.

2. Put a tiny dab of silicone sealer on the end of a prong.

3. Press a rubber tip in place.

4. Wipe off any of the sealer that oozes from around the bottom of the rubber tip. Do this before the scalier hardens.

Caution: Do not use the dishwasher for 12 hours after making the repair. This time is needed for the sealer to cure properly.

Best stove Repair service near Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of stoves in Washington DC and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the stove. If you feel smell of gas from your stove or the stove burners is not getting hot or for any other problems with your stove, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your stove back to normal working condition.

TROUBLESHOOTING CONTROL SWITCHES AND BURNER BLOCKS

PROBLEM: The cooktop element heats up in another position, but will not work when returned to its original position in the range.

If’ testing a cooktop element proves that the element is in good working order, its failure to operate lies with the control switch or the burner block into which the element is plugged. To find out which one is causing the trouble, do the following:

1. Turn off the electricity at the main electrical service panel. Don’t touch any wire until you arc certain that all current to the range is off.

2. Open the control panel.

3. To find out whether you are dealing with a bad control switch or burner block, transfer the wires of the burner block serving the nonworking element to the control switch of a comparably sized element that is working. .Although the wires are probably color coded to make them easier to identify, use self-adhering labels or strips of masking tape to mark them and their terminals so that you can distinguish one wire and its control-switch terminal from another set.

4. Restore power. Caution: As you proceed further in this test procedure, remember that the power is art. Do not touch any wire or component other than the knob of the control switch.

5. Turn on the control switch. If the non operative element now glows, the control switch should be replaced. Follow the instructions below to replace it. If the element still doesn’t glow, the burner block is defective or worn. In that case, turn off the electricity and reconnect the wires to their correct switch terminals. Close the control panel. You must have it service technician install it new burner block. The igniter keeps sparking, even when the burners are turned off. Top burner igniters are usually the snap type. They can be very sensitive to humidity or stove top spillage. When this occurs, try heating the area behind the knobs with a hair dryer. These top burner igniters are real work horses and should last the life of your stove. Improper ignition usually means dirt. Clean thoroughly and the problem should be resolved. If not, read the paragraph on Igniter Control Module replacement at the end of the oven problems section.

The range is turned on, but nothing is happening.

Look in the back and make certain that the power supply is plugged in. If it is, try the fuse box in the basement. If that’s on, look for the fuses in the stove, and take them to be tested at your local, full service hardware store. Replace if necessary.

Call Now 202 -480-6270

Best garbage disposal repair and replacement near Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of garbage disposals in Washington DC and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the garbage disposal. If you have a dead or leaking garbage disposal or for any other problems with your garbage disposal, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your garbage disposal back to normal working condition.

Installing a garbage disposal tips

While the exact plumbing assembly will vary from garbage disposal to garbage disposal, the procedure for garbage disposal installation is generally the same for all garbage disposals:

1. Remove the existing sink trap, strainer, and drain line. The trap and drain line come apart by the garbage disposal mounting consists of a mounting ring and a sleeve, which replaces the sink strainer and is held to the underside of the sink by mounting bolts. Rotating the couplings and do not be fooled by the strainer. It resides in an unthreaded whole cut in the bottom of the sink, but has a locking nut threaded around its base which must be unscrewed. The strainer was installed in a bed of putty, which may have glued the garbage disposal to the bottom of the sink. You may have to pry it, twist it, or bang the bottom of it with a hammer to get it loose. Whatever you do, be assured that it is not threaded into the sink itself, even though it may be stubborn enough to make you think it is.

2. When the old drain assembly is removed, scour the area around the drain hole on both sides of the sink bottom until the porcelain or metal is absolutely clean.

3. Remove the entire sink mounting assembly from the top of the garbage disposal. The assembly will include a snap ring, mounting screws, a mounting ring, a fiber gasket, and a sink sleeve. Dismantle the assembly by loosening the mounting screws until you can take off the snap ring.

4. Apply a ring of oil-base plumber’s putty around the top of the drain opening at the bottom of the sink and place the sink sleeve in the opening. Push down on the sleeve; an ample amount of putty should squeeze out from under the sleeve, but do not remove the excess yet.

5. From under the sink, slide the fiber gasket up around the sleeve and tighten the back-up ring against the bottom of the sink. Slide the mounting ring over the sink sleeve and insert the snap ring into its groove on the sink sleeve to hold them in place. Tighten the mounting screws in the mounting ring evenly and as tightly as you can get them to hold the mounting ring securely in place against the bottom of the sink. You will notice that the mounting ring has angled flanges around its bottom rim. These correspond to mounting lugs attached to the top of the canister, which will slide under the flanges and hold the garbage disposal in place.

6. If you intend to connect your dishwasher to the garbage disposal, you must first remove the steel and rubber knockout plugs in the side of the canister to form the garbage disposal dishwasher inlet. You do this by placing a blunt instrument against the plug at an angle and hitting it with the heel of your hand. The plug or plugs will fall inside the garbage disposal and you’ll have to reach in and retrieve them. Most manufacturer’s sell a dishwasher installation kit for their garbage disposals so that you can make your connections properly and with the least amount of effort.

7. Prepare the garbage disposal for accepting the dish-washer drain line before you install the canister under your sink. The garbage disposal drain outlet in the side of the canister must be fitted with an elbow or straight piece of pipe, which is usually supplied by the manufacturer. The pipe is flanged at one end. A gasket is placed over the flange and resides between the pipe and the drain outlet on the side of the garbage disposal. The gasket and pipe are held in place by bolting a metal plate around the flange to the canister.

8. When your garbage disposal drain connections have been installed, lift the garbage disposal up to the mounting assembly and rotate it into the mounting ring until the lugs are tight. You will most likely discover this is not as easily done as said. There are usually three mounting lugs and they have a way of catching two of the mounting flanges but not the third, which means you have to keep holding that heavy garbage disposal up under the dark sink and feel your way behind the ring to make certain all three lugs are properly engaged. You must also get the garbage disposal tight against the sink but turned to exactly the direction you want the drain lines to go. The process can take a while to accomplish.

9. Now connect the discharge tube on the side of the garbage disposal to the sink drain. Unless you have brand new plumbing it is a good idea to run an auger through the drain line to make certain it is in no way clogged. The drainpipe you attached to the garbage disposal is, most likely, plastic but by using a slip-nut connection on the trap you can also connect your existing metal drain trap. However, the canister takes up space under the sink and you will probably find you have to redesign the trap configuration to make it fit properly into your drain pipe. It’s easiest to start with all new tubular goods. The electrical work involved with a garbage disposal installation can be done either before or after the garbage disposal is hanging under the sink. There is a well in the bottom of the garbage disposal, which is covered by a plate that must be removed. About the only thing you will find in the well are black and white lead wires from the motor and a grounding screw. Connect your cable to the wires with wire nuts and the bare grounding wire to the grounding screw, and then put the cover back on the well. So far as the garbage disposal is concerned, that is all the wiring you have to do. The remainder of your electrical work involves finding a place for the switch and a junction or outlet box that you can connect the cable into.

Best Air Conditioning Repair in Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of air conditioning units in Washington and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the ac unit. If you have a leaking air conditioner or the air conditioner is too noisy or for any other problems with your air conditioning unit, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your ac back to normal working condition.

AC Repair Summary

Air conditioning has been defined as the simultaneous control of temperature, humidity, movement, and the quality of air in a given pace. The use of the conditioned space determines the temperature, humidity, air movement, and quality of the air to be maintained.

Air conditioning is able to provide widely crying atmospheric conditions: from those necessary for drying processes to those necessary for high-humidity process application. Air conditioning can maintain any atmospheric condition regardless of variations in outdoor either. Air clean is important from the standpoint of human health. Also, the walls and ceilings of the supplied with filtered air will need less frequently than those supplied unfiltered air. Considerable dust is carried in a room by an unfiltered air supply. Some called “clean rooms,” require special air filtration and should circulate freely in the room to it is delivered. This will allow it to absorb heat and moisture uniformly throughout the entire room during the cooling cycle and to deliver heat and moisture uniformly during the heating cycle. At the same time the air movement should be gentle, or it will cause objectionable draft.

Comfort can be defined as any condition which when changed will make a person un-comfortable. Though this sounds paradoxical, it just means that a person is not aware of the best air-conditioning systems when comfort-able. If a person is uncomfortably warm, then the temperature or humidity (or both) are too high. In a first-class air-conditioning system one is not really conscious of the temperature or humidity because one is comfortable. Neither is there any disturbance because of equipment noise or air movement.

Finding the best conditions for comfort and health has been the object of considerable re-search work. The ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals 1981 is probably the most up-to-date and complete source of information relating to the physiological aspects of thermal comfort. Thus, much information is available concerning factors affecting human comfort.

QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF AIR SUPPLIED

The quantity of air available remains constant though its quality does not. In a sense we breathe today the same air used and reused by countless preceding generations. Our air is continually regenerated for us by nature. But the demands of modern life and industry are so complex and urgent that it is no longer practical to depend upon nature to provide air of the precise quality required, at a specific time or in a particular place. A climate neither too cold nor too hot, not too dry not too humid, all year round is not man’s heritage. To make our immediate atmosphere more suitable to our needs, we have learned to “condition” air mechanically. The process is not without cost. Whether simple or intricate, an air-conditioning system represents a capital investment in equipment in fans, ducts, dampers, diffusers, and grilles; in boilers, compressors, tempering and cooling coils, filters, air washers, and pumps; in thermostats and regulators of all types. It represents an operating charge for electrical energy, fuel, water, and operating and maintenance labor all expended for the sole purpose of obtaining the precise quality and quantity of air desired and delivering it ,then and where required. Once air is conditioned, contrary to being *free,” it becomes a valuable commodity be-cause of the conditioning energy that has been invested in it. The protection of that investment by conserving the conditioned air becomes important. However, air becomes contaminated by “use,” and we are as much concerned about air purity and freshness as we are about its temperature and humidity. Here we may anticipate nature by resorting to mechanical and chemical purification to restore air freshness while at the same time conserving its thermal and psychometric value.

Best furnace repair service in Washington DC

We repair all models and brands of heating units or furnaces in Washington DC and the surrounding cities regardless of the age of the heating units or furnaces. If you have a noisy heating unit or furnace or the heating unit or furnace is not producing hot air or for any other problems with your heating unit or furnace, we are ready to help. Just call our local number and let us do the rest in order to bring your heating unit or furnace back to normal working condition.  same-day heating unit or furnace repairs in Washington DC.

We repair all heating unit or furnace models and brands in Washington DC:

Carrier heating units

Air temp heating units

Lennox heating units

Caloric heating units

Ruud heating units

Bryant heating units

GE heating units

Heil heating units

and more .

Testing the heater power supply

1. Turn off power to the water heater and remove both thermostat access panels. Pull the insulation away from the thermostats: you may have to cut it with a serrated kitchen knife, but save it to reuse. Clip a jump wire to each probe of a voltage tester the tape the joined clips and probes together. Clip the other ends of the jump wires onto the top terminals of the high-temperature cutoff: the tester should not light. Turn on the power. (Important: Do not touch the instruments or heater. If the tester does not glow, call an electrician.

2 Testing the lower thermostat With the power disconnected, attach a continuity tester to the thermostat terminals. If the tester does not light, replace the thermostat.

3 Testing thermostat heat response With the power disconnected remove both thermostats connect a continuity tester to the terminals on the right of the upper thermostat and hold it over a candle. After no more than 15 seconds you should hear a click, and the tester should light. (Caution: Remove the candle quickly; excess heat causes damage. Repeat the test on the lower thermostat the tester should now light at first, and go out at the click.  If either thermostat behaves differently, replace it.

Maintenance and Calibration

Cleaning an open-contact thermostat

The points of an open-contact thermostat should be cleaned at the start of each heating season. The first step in the procedure is to loosen the body screw at the bottom of the thermostat. Then pull the thermostat cover toward you and lift it upward to remove it. Now lightly blow through the contact points, standing far enough away so that you will not deposit vapor from your breath on them. Then rub remaining dirt off the contact surfaces by sliding paper between them a crisp dollar bill or an index card. Do not use sandpaper: its abrasiveness will wear down the contacts. Replace the cover and tighten the body screw.

1 Replacing an old thermostat

Shut off power to the burner. Take off the thermostat cover. Remove the thermostat body by unfastening its mounting screws. The back plate and wiring to the burner will be exposed. Commonly, there are terminals labeled “R”, “W” and “B” for red, white and blue wires to the burner.

2 Preparing the wiring

Detach the wires and tape them temporarily to the wall. Unscrew the back plate. Cover the red wire’s end with electrical tape, since you will not need it in wiring the new thermostat. Modern heating thermostats make use of only two wires.

3 Mounting the new thermostat

Mount the new back plate with the upper mounting screw. Attach the white and blue wires. Color coding can be ignored. Use a level to get the back plate cross lines exactly vertical and horizontal. Put in the lower mounting screw mount the body tightens the contact screws and snaps on the cover.

4 Calibrating a thermostat

Before calibration the thermostat’s internal temperature must be stabilized: the thermostat should be in the off position at least 10 minutes with no heat source nearby. Then set the temperature-selector dial at the room temperature. Remove the cover.

Hold the dial shaft with a wrench to make sure the shaft does not rotate. With a screwdriver, turn the calibration shaft counterclockwise until the lever arm touches the stop. Continue to turn the shaft counterclockwise until the magnet remains away from the glass enclosure when the screwdriver pressure is released. Setting the snap-action point Slowly turn the calibration shaft clockwise until the magnet snaps against the glass enclosure. The thermostat now is calibrated and, in operation the magnet will snap against the glass to close the contacts at the set temperature replace the cover