Appliance parts, explained

The belt wraps the drum and the motor pulley. It breaks with age or when the drum is overloaded, and the symptom is a motor that runs with a drum that does not turn.

The idler keeps tension on the belt. A worn pulley bearing produces a chirp or squeal that changes with drum speed, and a seized pulley will shred a new belt.

The thermal fuse is a one-shot safety device on the exhaust path. It opens when the dryer overheats, which is why replacing it without clearing the lint blockage leads to a repeat failure.

Electric dryer elements are coiled resistance wire in a metal frame. They break with age or heat cycling, and a broken coil is often visible as a gap or a blistered section.

The igniter is a ceramic element that glows to light the gas burner. It is fragile, and a cracked igniter will glow weakly or not at all while the dryer tumbles without heat.

The blower moves air through the drum and out the vent. A cracked hub or stripped center lets the wheel spin on the shaft, so the dryer runs quietly but airflow drops and clothes stay damp.

The gasket seals the door against the cabinet. A hardened or torn seal lets warm, humid air in, which causes frost, constant running and condensation.

The defrost heater melts frost off the evaporator during the defrost cycle. If it fails, ice builds up, airflow stops and the freezer warms.

The evaporator fan moves cold air from the coil into the cabinet. A failed motor leaves the compressor running but the cabinet warm, and it often makes a bearing noise before it stops.

The start relay gives the compressor a momentary boost to start. When it fails, the compressor clicks, hums briefly and trips, and the cabinet warms.

The ice maker fills, freezes and dumps cubes on a timer. Failures show up as no ice, small or hollow cubes, or a maker that overflows.

The bake element is the main heat source in an electric oven. It fails open, often with a visible break or blister, and the oven stops heating while the stovetop keeps working.

The broil element sits at the top of the cavity and provides high heat for broiling. A failed broil element leaves the oven usable for baking but unable to broil, and it is tested the same way as the bake element.

The sensor reports cavity temperature to the control board. A drifting sensor causes over- or under-baking, uneven results and temperature error codes even though the elements still work.

Hinges hold the door against the gasket and control how it opens. A worn hinge lets the door sag, which breaks the seal and causes uneven baking, or makes the door spring shut.

The igniter both sparks the burner and, on many gas ovens, proves the flame to the safety valve. A weak oven igniter glows but draws too little current, so the valve never opens and the oven never lights.

The spark module sends high voltage to each igniter. When it fails, burners stop clicking or click continuously, and the fault is often shared across all burners rather than one.

Coil elements plug into a receptacle under the drip pan. They fail open or shorted, and a burned receptacle can take a new element out with it, so inspect both before replacing.

The infinite switch cycles power to an electric element to hold a heat setting. A failed switch can leave the burner on full, dead at every setting, or stuck on when the knob is off.

The drain pump empties the tub before the spin cycle. A blocked pump or a failed motor leaves standing water and stops the cycle, and the machine will not spin while water remains.

The inlet valve controls hot and cold fill. A clogged screen slows the fill; a failed solenoid lets the washer overfill or not fill at all.

The lid switch tells the control the lid is closed before a spin. A failed switch stops the spin and drain on top-loaders even though the machine fills and agitates normally.

The boot seals the door to the tub on a front-loader. Tears and mould cause leaks and odour, and a boot that is not seated correctly will leak on every spin.

Suspension rods hold the tub and absorb spin vibration on top-loaders. Worn rods let the tub bang against the cabinet, and the machine walks during spin.

Many top-load washers use a belt between the motor and transmission. A glazed, stretched or broken belt causes a drum that will not agitate or spin while the motor runs.

The control board runs the cycle and switches the loads. It is the most over-diagnosed part in appliance repair: failed elements, sensors, switches and pumps cause most 'board' symptoms.

Rigid or semi-rigid duct, clamps and an exterior hood. Replacing crushed flex duct with smooth rigid pipe is often the real fix for long dry times — before any part is changed.

The thermostat or thermistor tells the compressor when to run. A failed sensor makes the freezer run constantly or not at all, and the part is inexpensive compared with the compressor it protects.