What's wrong with your appliance? Find the cause.

The three most common culprits are a seized evaporator fan motor (it circulates cold air from the freezer section), a frosted-over evaporator coil from a failed defrost heater or thermostat, and a bad compressor start relay. Dirty condenser coils and a sealed-system refrigerant leak round out the top causes. Skip the ice bags — call same-day before food is lost.

Pooling water inside the fridge almost always means a clogged defrost drain — melt water has nowhere to go and overflows into the fresh-food compartment. A puddle under the unit usually points to a cracked drain pan or a weeping water inlet valve at the back. Dispenser-area drips suggest a cracked filter housing or inlet valve. Most fixes take 30 minutes in-home.

Sound location is everything: loud whirring from inside the freezer is the evaporator fan hitting ice buildup (a defrost system problem); a hum from the back is the condenser fan; rapid clicking on startup is the compressor start relay failing (cheap fix). Banging at end of a cycle is ice falling in the ice maker — usually normal. Gurgling sounds are refrigerant flow — also normal.

Replace the water filter if it's been over 6 months — a clogged filter drops line pressure below the 20 psi minimum the inlet valve needs to open. If the filter is fresh and flow is still zero, check the fill tube inside the freezer door for a frozen section. Dispenser actuator switch and the inlet valve solenoid are next on the diagnosis list — both quick in-home repairs.

Front-loaders usually fail at the door latch — if the lock doesn't confirm closure to the control board, the motor never engages. Top-loaders most often break at the lid switch, drive belt, or motor coupling. A clogged drain pump leaving water in the drum also prevents spin. We test the lock circuit before touching an expensive control board.

The culprit is almost always the coin-trap filter clogged with lint and debris — cleanable in 15 minutes at home (front-loaders: small access panel near the bottom-front). If you've cleared the filter and water still sits, the drain pump impeller is likely jammed by a coin or sock, or the pump motor has seized. A kinked drain hose is worth checking before any repair.

Front-load washer leaks almost always originate from the door boot (bellows) — the rubber gasket between the drum and door frame. Look for tears, mold buildup in the groove causing a poor seal, or debris on the sealing lip. Top-load leaks more often come from the tub-to-pump hose, a cracked tub seal around the bearing, or inlet hose connections. Stop running loads — water damage compounds quickly on DFW wood floors.

The door or lid lock is the gatekeeper — if it doesn't confirm closure to the control board, nothing starts. Listen for the click; look for visible damage to the latch. A GFCI outlet or tripped breaker is often overlooked (washers need a dedicated 20 A circuit). If power and the lock are confirmed good, the control board or user interface board has likely failed — we verify the lock circuit before recommending a board.

Electric dryers most often blow the thermal fuse — a one-time safety cutoff near the exhaust duct — because a clogged vent overheated the machine. Gas dryers typically fail at the igniter (glows red but won't open the gas valve) or the gas valve solenoid coils. We carry both parts on the truck and clean the vent so the thermal fuse doesn't blow again next week.

Squeaking comes from one of four friction points: drum support rollers worn flat (most common), the idler pulley bearing seized, the felt drum seal fraying against the front or rear panel, or a loose blower wheel rattling at speed. Catching it early costs $80–150; ignoring it seizes the drum bearing and costs 3× more.

Most overlooked cause: a dryer needs its own 240 V circuit, and if one leg trips, the display stays lit but the motor is dead. Reset the breaker fully before calling. If power is confirmed, the door switch is next — the light works but the contact is open so the interlock never releases. A blown thermal fuse is third and must be replaced (not reset).

A clogged dryer vent is the cause roughly 70% of the time — restricted exhaust makes the thermostat cycle the heater off before the load is dry. Squeeze the exhaust hose behind the dryer; if it feels stiff or doesn't flex, the duct is blocked at the wall cap. Fabric softener residue on the moisture sensor bars also causes false early shutoff. Long dry times are a lint-fire warning — don't delay.

Electric ovens usually fail at the bake element — look for a visible crack or burn mark on the coil at the oven floor. Gas ovens point to the igniter: if it glows orange for more than 90 seconds without igniting, the igniter is too weak to open the gas valve. A failed temperature sensor makes the oven cut off after 10 minutes. We carry all three parts on every truck.

The self-clean cycle is the #1 culprit — extreme heat warps hinge arms or triggers the latch to lock mid-cycle. Let the oven cool 3 hours after self-clean before forcing the door open. A door gasket that has pulled away from its channel lets heat escape and you'll feel hot air at the frame. Broken hinge springs let the door droop open at roughly 45 degrees — straightforward in-home repair.

A drifted temperature sensor is the most common cause — the sensor resistance shifts with age and the oven runs 25–50°F off from the set point. A partially failed bake element heats unevenly across its length, causing hot and cold zones. Convection fan failure removes air circulation, leaving cold pockets at corners. We meter the sensor and recalibrate or replace on-site.

Spray arm holes clogged with mineral deposits are the #1 cause — a 5-minute DIY clean with a toothpick may solve it. If arms spin freely and holes are clear, the wash pump motor is likely humming but not circulating water at pressure. Check the detergent dispenser spring too. Hard water in DFW accelerates scale buildup on the heating element, reducing wash temperature.

Start by cleaning the filter basket at the tub bottom — it clogs faster than most owners realize. Check the air gap (chrome cylinder on the sink) if you have one; a blocked air gap backs water into the tub. If both are clear, the drain pump motor or check valve has likely failed. A garbage disposal knockout plug left in after a new disposal install is a surprisingly common culprit.

A leak from the door bottom is almost always the door gasket pulling away from the tub channel — often it can be reseated without replacement. A leak from under the unit points to the circulation pump seal, a loose drain hose clamp, or a cracked pump housing. Too much regular (non-HE) detergent causes overfoaming that pushes water past the door — swap detergents before calling.

A failed defrost heater or stuck-open defrost thermostat lets ice pack the evaporator coil until airflow stops completely — the most common cause by far. Evaporator fan failure and a burnt compressor start relay are next. Sealed-system refrigerant leaks require a certified tech. Food safety risk in DFW heat; don't wait overnight.

Heavy frost coating the back wall or ceiling means the automatic defrost system has failed. The defrost heater (wraps around the evaporator coil) and the defrost thermostat (limits heater temperature) are the most-replaced components. The adaptive defrost control (ADC) board, which schedules defrost cycles, can also fail. Check the door gasket and hinge for a gap first — a sagging door is an easy DIY fix.

Check the ice maker arm or toggle switch first, then the water filter age (replace every 6 months — a clogged filter drops pressure below the inlet valve minimum). The most common repair is a failed water inlet valve solenoid: power reaches it but no water enters the mold. Samsung and LG units also commonly fail at the optical level sensor or ice maker module.

A dripping ice maker usually points to a water inlet valve that doesn't fully close — water seeps past the solenoid seat continuously between fill cycles. The plastic fill cup that channels water into the mold cracks from freeze-thaw cycling, and water misses the mold entirely. Ice mold overfill (timer duration set too long) is visible as frost rings around the outside of the mold.

Usually clogged burner ports from boilover debris or a corroded spark igniter electrode. Clean the ports with a pin and the igniter with a dry toothbrush first. If you still get no spark, the spark module (the controller box under the top) or igniter switch has failed. Continuous clicking without a flame points to a gas supply or solenoid valve issue — call a tech at that point.

Electric coil cooktops usually fail from a burned coil element or a faulty infinite switch (the control dial whose contacts arc and weld open). Induction cooktops most often point to a micro-cracked glass surface breaking sensor contact, a failed induction control board, or a pot not recognized by the unit. Smooth-top radiant elements can fail internally with no visible damage — confirmed only with a multimeter.

The high-voltage diode is the most common and least expensive fix — it converts AC to DC for the magnetron and often burns open. A failed door interlock switch (there are three; any one cuts heating) is next. The magnetron itself rarely fails on units under 10 years old. Warning: the capacitor holds 2,000 V even unplugged — this is not a safe DIY repair.

Stop using it immediately. Sparking is almost always a burned or missing waveguide cover — the mica or cardboard rectangle on the interior ceiling that costs about $15 to replace. Ignoring it lets the arc damage the magnetron, turning a $15 fix into a $200 repair. Arcing can also come from carbonized food splatter on the cavity walls or a failing stirrer motor cover.

Thermoelectric (Peltier) units rely entirely on their cooling fan — if the fan dies, the unit goes warm within hours. Compressor-based units fail for the same reasons as refrigerators: dirty condenser fins, a bad start relay, or a sealed-system leak. Both types suffer from door seal failures that let warm DFW air infiltrate continuously. Protect your collection — call same-day.

A humming disposal means the motor is running but the impeller is stuck on a bone, pit, or utensil. Insert the hex key (usually stored under the unit) into the center port underneath and manually turn both directions to clear the jam, then press the red reset button. If it still hums after clearing, the motor bearings have seized — replacement is the fix.