Q. My laundry pipe is leaking excessive amounts of water where the drain pipe meets the floor pipe. How do I repair. My husband is too lazy so I will have to do it myself because I can't afford a plumber. Help.

A. Trying to picture this: Most washing machines have coming out the back a black drain hose with a sorta a bend at the end hooking into the house pvc plumbing. Does yours? If so is the hose Kinked? If not you may have a clog in the plumbing house end and may just need to snake the clog. Can you get excess to the basement? If so (checking for clogs still) look at the plumbing line which leads to the washing machine. Do you see a clean out anywhere? A clean out is a pc of plumbing that has a screw on cap. Make sure this is not 3” or larger as that is you toilet and heck that would be a messy job if you unscrew that. Look for about 2 “ pipe that is what most use. If you see a cap and that pipe leads to the washing machine unscrew that and be prepared for some water to drain out of it and then try snaking that towards the washing machine. Now let say that you have a broken pipe and you see where the water is coming from. Then you will need a get a small pc of the small pipe and some couplings and some pvc glue. Cut (hack saw) the broken pipe out and follow the directions on the can of glue. Glue and pipe can be purchased at your local hardware store. ======== If your washing machine fills and agitates but does not drain, something is probably wrong with the drain hose or the pump. The fact that the washer fills and agitates tells you that the motor works and the belt is fine (though some units have a separate belt for the pump, and direct-drive washing machines don’t have belts.) 1) Be sure the drain hose isn’t kinked. 2) Check the tab on the lid that strikes the lid switch; if it is broken, the washer may stop during the drain cycle. Press and release the lid switch. If it doesn’t click each time you do this, it’s probably broken. If you’re experienced at home repair, you can remove the switch, test it, and replace it if needed; otherwise, call an appliance repairperson. 3) The water pump may be broken or clogged with a small article of clothing, or the controls may be broken; call an appl guy.

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Q. We have recently had maintenance done to our water heater for the pilot light not staying lit. They replaced the the thermocoupler and said that should fix it but may not and if it goes out again it might cost us $300 next time. This is after we already paid $175 for the first repair. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A. Assuming the maintenance or repair was done properly and it is not a draft issue or burner bowing it out on shut down the culprit is probably the gas control. The control has an internal limit wired in with the thermocouple circuit that drops out the thermocouple when overheating takes place. Sediment buildup in the bottom of the tank can also cause this as it will hold more heat and affect the limit. This limit can reset itself when the temperature drops back down but like any mechanical switch it can reset but not have good contact explaining why it doesn't stay lit consistently. This is an internal part of the gas control and would have to be replaced as one unit. Not worth the repair unless it was in warranty.

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Q. I've tried Lowe's & Home Depot. Give me more suggestions, please.

A. I got one at an appliance parts dealer. It's a 4" round brush attached to a 10' flexible handle. It was $13.

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Q. US, only residents, please. What is the custom for tipping (or not tipping) contractor installers for things like refrigerators, water heaters, etc.? What about guys who deliver furniture and large TVs? Is there a custom out there I don't know about ? My husband seemed to think that no tipping is necessary (or expected). Thoughts? Thanks

A. I deliver rock,mulch,dirt and it makes my day when I get only one ten dollar tip for the day. I got a grand total of about half of our customers tipping me. In most cases the labor wont be getting paid squat to deliver or do the work.

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Q.

A. The motor you reference to is called a unit bearing motor or a 9watt ( or 6 watt or similar) motor. My cost is about 35 dollars. I would charge about 150 with labor

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Q.

A. American Home Shield They have an excellent plan for under $500/yr. Service calls are $55 each to repair or replace. Some items have a 30 day waiting period for new customers. They cover not only appliances, but electrical, and plumbing as well. I have used them for years. In one year they replaced my 38 year old (orig. to the house) hot water heater, 38 year old (orig. to the house) dishwasher, and 38 year old (org. to the house) paper duct work. Each time it only cost me the service call. All work is guaranteed by the contractor for 90 days. We recently moved, and they warranty my new house as well.

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Q. I have a modern maid gas wall oven #pko191 that is 75 degrees hotter than indicated on the control knob

A. It is hard to give a difinitive answer not knowing how old this oven is. Most likely unless you can do it yourself any repair is going to be fairly costly. ... say over $100 since you'd have to pay for someone to come out. An alternative is to get a thermometer for your oven. There is the very inexpensive kind which usually hangs off the rack and you can see through the window or have to open the door to read.d You can also get a slightly more expensive kind which reads remotely so you don't have to open the door. Then always make a note to set the oven to 50 or so degrees less than the recipe calls for. Then use the thermometers for a double check as you cook things. I had to deal with this in an old house I rented some time ago. best, cez

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Q. The appliance is a Whirpool electric range purchased in November of 2006. I live in the midwest-Indiana. Is a Whirpool tech more costly than a business which services several brands of appliances? Thanks for your replies.

A. Generally a Whirlpool tech is familiar with all brands. It just depends on who you get in to service your appliance. I've seen them charge anywhere from $80 per hour all the way up to $150.00 per hour. If you go with like Sear's they usually charge in between because they compete with the small home town appliance techs. :-)

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