Dedicated Refrigerator Circuit: Why Yours Trips and What It Costs to Fix
A dedicated refrigerator circuit would have saved me eight hours of warm food and a $200 service call. Here is how to tell if yours has one, and what it costs if it does not.
Simple kitchen and bathroom fixes anyone can do. No plumber needed.
115 articles
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Find Your Fix by Symptom
Most renter repairs fall into 4 categories. Pick yours to see only what matters.
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General 15 min
Dedicated Refrigerator Circuit: Why Yours Trips and What It Costs to Fix
A dedicated refrigerator circuit would have saved me eight hours of warm food and a $200 service call. Here is how to tell if yours has one, and what it costs if it does not.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Repair Ice Makers: 5 Common Failures and the 60-Second Sound Test
Most ice maker repair calls resolve to one of five specific failures. Four of them are under $50 in parts with no special tools required, and the diagnostic takes about a minute.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Refrigerator Evaporator Fan: 5 Causes of a Fan That Has Stopped Running
A refrigerator evaporator fan that isn't running usually traces back to one of five things. Three are fixable without a service call, all under $50 in parts.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Burnt Outlet: 5 Causes, 60-Second Check, and When to Call an Electrician
A burnt outlet almost always traces to one of five things. The 60-second check tells you which before you replace anything, and when to stop and call an electrician.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Outlets Not Working Breaker Not Tripped: 5 Causes and the 60-Second Test
Outlets not working with the breaker not tripped is almost always one of five things. The 60-second test finds which one without an electrician, in most cases under $30.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Hot Water Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping: 5 Causes and a 60-Second Check
A hot water circuit breaker keeps tripping in most homes for one of five reasons. The trip timing tells you which one in under a minute, before you start swapping parts.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Dishwasher Drain High Loop: What It Does and 3 Install Options
The high loop on a dishwasher drain hose is the cheapest backflow preventer you already own. Three install options based on your cabinet, plus one mistake to avoid.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Rotten Eggs: 5 Causes and 3 Quick Tests
Sulfur smell from the dishwasher usually traces back to bacteria in one of three spots. Three quick tests narrow it down before you spend on a cleaner that does not work.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Dishwasher Door Leaking at the Bottom: 6 Causes, 5 Quick Checks, 1 Fix to Skip
A puddle under the dishwasher door almost always traces back to one of six things. Here is the order to check — five minutes beats thirty every time, and one fix is mostly a waste.
DIY budget Fix it → -
General 15 min
Dryer Vent Wall Box: 5 Types I Tested After My Plastic Hose Fell Off the Window
My Astoria apartment had a plastic dryer hose shoved into the window frame. It fell out twice and let a bird nest in the wall. The $22 metal wall box I installed fixed everything.
< ¥1 Fix it → -
General 15 min
Signs of Mold Under Hardwood Floors: 5 Clues I Missed Until Mom's Asthma
My Astoria apartment smelled sweet for 4 weeks before my mom's asthma kicked in and we found mold under the hardwood from a slow leak below. 5 early clues, 3 mistakes, 1 move.
< ¥1 Fix it → -
General 20 min
Gaps in Hardwood Floors: What My Neighbor Maria Taught Me About Humidity
After my landlord threatened $400 over a hardwood gap, my upstairs neighbor Maria showed me a humidity gauge and the gap closed in 14 days. Here's what I learned about the 4 types.
< ¥1 Fix it →
Repair Ice Makers: 5 Common Failures and the 60-Second Sound Test
Most ice maker repair calls resolve to one of five specific failures. Four of them are under $50 in parts with no special tools required, and the diagnostic takes about a minute.
Refrigerator Evaporator Fan: 5 Causes of a Fan That Has Stopped Running
A refrigerator evaporator fan that isn't running usually traces back to one of five things. Three are fixable without a service call, all under $50 in parts.
Burnt Outlet: 5 Causes, 60-Second Check, and When to Call an Electrician
A burnt outlet almost always traces to one of five things. The 60-second check tells you which before you replace anything, and when to stop and call an electrician.
Outlets Not Working Breaker Not Tripped: 5 Causes and the 60-Second Test
Outlets not working with the breaker not tripped is almost always one of five things. The 60-second test finds which one without an electrician, in most cases under $30.
Hot Water Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping: 5 Causes and a 60-Second Check
A hot water circuit breaker keeps tripping in most homes for one of five reasons. The trip timing tells you which one in under a minute, before you start swapping parts.
Dishwasher Drain High Loop: What It Does and 3 Install Options
The high loop on a dishwasher drain hose is the cheapest backflow preventer you already own. Three install options based on your cabinet, plus one mistake to avoid.
Why Does My Dishwasher Smell Like Rotten Eggs: 5 Causes and 3 Quick Tests
Sulfur smell from the dishwasher usually traces back to bacteria in one of three spots. Three quick tests narrow it down before you spend on a cleaner that does not work.
Featured
Dishwasher Door Leaking at the Bottom: 6 Causes, 5 Quick Checks, 1 Fix to Skip
A puddle under the dishwasher door almost always traces back to one of six things. Here is the order to check — five minutes beats thirty every time, and one fix is mostly a waste.
Dryer Vent Wall Box: 5 Types I Tested After My Plastic Hose Fell Off the Window
My Astoria apartment had a plastic dryer hose shoved into the window frame. It fell out twice and let a bird nest in the wall. The $22 metal wall box I installed fixed everything.
Featured
Signs of Mold Under Hardwood Floors: 5 Clues I Missed Until Mom's Asthma
My Astoria apartment smelled sweet for 4 weeks before my mom's asthma kicked in and we found mold under the hardwood from a slow leak below. 5 early clues, 3 mistakes, 1 move.
Featured
Gaps in Hardwood Floors: What My Neighbor Maria Taught Me About Humidity
After my landlord threatened $400 over a hardwood gap, my upstairs neighbor Maria showed me a humidity gauge and the gap closed in 14 days. Here's what I learned about the 4 types.