INDEX V2.08 (05/25/1998)

Contents:

Table of Contents
Chapter 1) About the Author & Copyright
Chapter 2) Introduction
2.1) Where do you keep your dead appliances?
Chapter 3) Some Tidbits
Chapter 4) Basic Appliance Theory
4.1) What is inside an appliance?
4.2) Basic electrical principles
4.3) Voltage, current, and resistance
4.4) Ohm's Law
4.5) DC and AC
4.6) Series and parallel circuits
Chapter 5) Appliance Troubleshooting
5.1) SAFETY
5.2) Safety myths
5.3) Safety guidelines
5.4) Should I unplug appliances when not in use?
5.5) Troubleshooting tips
5.6) Basic hand tools
5.7) Soldering techniques
5.8) Desoldering techniques
5.9) Soldering pins in plastic connectors
5.10) Solderless connectors
5.11) Wire stripping
5.12) Attaching wires to screw terminals
5.13) Test equipment
5.14) Getting inside consumer electronic equipment
5.15) Getting built up dust and dirt out of a equipment
5.16) Lubrication of appliances and electronic equipment
5.17) Common appliance problems
Chapter 6) Types of Parts Found in Small Appliances
6.1) So many, so few
6.2) Cordsets - wire and plug
6.3) Appliance cord gets hot
6.4) Extension cords
6.5) Determining the location of a break in an extension cord
6.6) Internal wiring - cables and connectors
6.7) Switches - power, mode, or speed selection
6.8) About mercury wall switches
6.9) Relays - electrically activated switches for power or control
6.10) Contact configurations
6.11) Electrical overload protection devices - fuses and circuit breakers
6.12) Fuse postmortem
6.13) Fuse or circuit breaker replacement
6.14) Thermal protection devices - thermal fuses and thermal switches
6.15) More on thermal fuses
6.16) Controls 1 - adjustable thermostats and humidistats
6.17) What is hysteresis?
6.18) Controls 2 - rheostats and potentiometers
6.19) Interlocks - prevent operation with case or door open
6.20) Light bulbs - incandescent and fluorescent
6.21) Indicators - incandescent or neon light bulbs or LEDs
6.22) Heating elements - NiChrome coils or ribbon, Calrod, Quartz
6.23) Repair of broken heating elements
6.24) Solenoids - small and large
6.25) Small electronic components - resistors, capacitors, diodes
6.26) Motors - universal, induction, DC, timing
6.27) Fans and Blowers - bladed or centrifugal
6.28) Bearings and bushings
6.29) Mechanical controllers - timing motors and cam switches
6.30) Electronic controllers - simple delay or microprocessor based
6.31) Batteries - Alkaline, Lithium, Nickel-Cadmium, Lead-acid
6.32) AC adapters and chargers - wall 'warts' with AC or DC outputs
Chapter 7) AC Line and Battery Powered Household Appliances
7.1) Table lamps
7.2) Rebuilding a basic table lamp
7.3) Lamps with night-light bulbs in their base
7.4) High intensity lamps
7.5) Halogen lamps and fixtures
7.6) Safety guidelines for use of halogen lamps
7.7) What causes a lamp to flicker?
7.8) Touch lamp problems
7.9) Touch lamps and RF interference
7.10) Incandescent fixtures
7.11) Removing the base of a broken light bulb
7.12) Locating burnt out bulbs in series circuits
7.13) Comments on Christmas tree bulb/string repair
7.14) Controlling a fixture or outlet from multiple locations
7.15) Identifying unmarked wiring for 3-way switch
7.16) Dimmer switches and light dimmers
7.17) Typical dimmer schematics
7.18) Simplest dimmer schematic
7.19) 3-way dimmer schematics
7.20) Simple 3-way dimmer schematic 1
7.21) Simple 3-way dimmer schematic 2
7.22) True (electronic) 3-way (or more) dimmers
7.23) Independent dimming from two locations - kludge #3251
7.24) How do touch dimmers work?
7.25) Light dimmers and interference with radio or TV
7.26) Can I use a dimmer to control transformer operated low voltage lighting?
7.27) Flashlights and lanterns
7.28) Typical rechargeable flashlight schematics
7.29) First Alert Series 50 rechargeable flashlight schematic
7.30) Black & Decker Spotlighter Type 2 rechargeable flashlight
7.31) Brand Unknown (Made in China) rechargeable flashlight schematic
7.32) Makeup mirrors
7.33) Chandeliers
7.34) Portable fans and blowers
7.35) Computer power supply (and other) fans
7.36) Speed control of DC fans
7.37) Speed control of small AC fans
7.38) Ceiling fans
7.39) Lubricating ceiling fans
7.40) Variable speed ceiling fan on normal circuit
7.41) Throbbing noise from ceiling fan
7.42) Ceiling fan motor speed control and capacitor replacement
7.43) Mike's notes on ceiling fan installation
7.44) Air cleaners
7.45) Electronic air cleaner high voltage module schematic
7.46) Auto air purifier schematic
7.47) Bug zappers
7.48) Electric fences
7.49) Appliance and light timers
7.50) Warnings about using compact fluorescent lamps on electronic timers
7.51) Wall thermostats
7.52) Electric space heaters
7.53) Radiant space heaters
7.54) Convection space heaters
7.55) Oil filled electric radiators
7.56) So, what about the Pelonus Disk furnace?
7.57) Electric pencil sharpeners
7.58) Blenders
7.59) Drip coffee makers
7.60) Drop coffee maker repair
7.61) Coffee percolators
7.62) Electric kettles
7.63) Electric (motor driven) clocks
7.64) Rotisseries
7.65) Electric can openers and knife sharpeners
7.66) Electric carving knives
7.67) Electric scissors
7.68) Portable and stationary food mixers
7.69) Food processors
7.70) Steam and dry irons
7.71) Toasters
7.72) Automatic toaster will not drop bread
7.73) Toaster oven (broilers)
7.74) Convection oven noise
7.75) Hot plates, waffle irons, broilers, deep friers, rice and slow cookers, woks
7.76) Popcorn poppers (oil type)
7.77) Popcorn poppers (air type)
7.78) Sewing machines
7.79) Wiring a sewing machine speed control
7.80) Shavers
7.81) Electric toothbrushes
7.82) Braun electric toothbrush repair
7.83) Hand massagers
7.84) Hair dryers and blow dryers
7.85) Curling irons
7.86) VCR cassette rewinders
7.87) Vacuum cleaners, electric brooms. and line powered hand vacs
7.88) Vacuum cleaner mechanical problems
7.89) Vacuum cleaner electrical problems
7.90) Vacuum cleaner hose damage
7.91) High tech vacuum cleaners?
7.92) Dustbusters(tm) and other battery powered hand vacs
7.93) Dustbusters left on continuous charge and battery problems
7.94) Floor polishers
7.95) Heating pads
7.96) Electric blankets
7.97) Humidifiers
7.98) Ultrasonic humidifiers
7.99) Ultrasonic waterfalls?
7.100) Ultrasonic cleaners
7.101) Dehumidifiers
7.102) Garbage disposals
7.103) Garbage disposal pops reset button but nothing blocked
7.104) Garbage disposal is stuck - hums but does not turn
7.105) Garbage disposal seizes repeatedly
7.106) Garbage disposal replacement (or upgrade)
7.107) Sump pumps and utility pumps
7.108) Toys
7.109) Garage door operators
7.110) General garage door operator problems
7.111) Garage door operator light does not work correctly
7.112) Garage door operator loses track of where it is
7.113) Garage door remotes behave differently
7.114) Adjusting garage door operator remote unit
7.115) Improving sensitivity of garage door openers receivers
7.116) Universal remote/receiver units for garage door operators
7.117) Garage door operator doesn't work reliably in cold weather
7.118) Chamberland garage door opener repair?
7.119) Garage door operator security
7.120) Identifying unknown transformer ratings in garage door operator
7.121) Electromechanical doorbells and chimes
7.122) Adding an additional set of chimes
7.123) How to add an addition button to a door bell
7.124) Wireless doorbells or chimes
7.125) Doorbell rings on its own
7.126) Old garage door operator guts for wireless chime
7.127) TV antenna rotators
Chapter 8) Power Tools
8.1) Types of motors found in power tools
8.2) Motors in AC line operated portable tools
8.3) Motors in cordless power tools
8.4) Motors in stationary power tools
8.5) About horsepower ratings
8.6) Cords for AC line operated portable power tools
8.7) Portable drills
8.8) AC line powered drills
8.9) Upgrading the bearings on a Craftsman drill
8.10) Cordless drills
8.11) Other direct drive tools
8.12) Saber saws, reciprocating saws
8.13) Electric chain saws
8.14) Circular saws, miter, and cutoff saws
8.15) Grinding wheels
8.16) Polishers, rotary sanders
8.17) Orbital sanders and polishers
8.18) Belt sanders, power planers
8.19) Air compressors
8.20) Paint sprayers
8.21) Heat guns
8.22) Paint strippers
8.23) Soldering irons
8.24) Soldering guns
8.25) Wet-dry vacs, yard blowers/vacs
8.26) Hedge trimmers
8.27) Electric lawn mowers
Chapter 9) AC Adapters and Transformers
9.1) AC adapter basics
9.2) AC adapter testing
9.3) Pocket wall adapter tester/polarity checker
9.4) AC adapter repair
9.5) AC adapter substitution and equipment damage
9.6) Replacing batteries with an AC adapter
9.7) Converting an AC output wall adapter to DC
9.8) Adding an IC regulator to a wall adapter or battery
9.9) Testing a power transformer
9.10) Determining power (VA) ratings of unknown transformers
9.11) Determining the ratings of a fried power transformer
9.12) Determining wiring of unknown power transformer
9.13) Transformer repair
Chapter 10) Batteries
10.1) Battery technology
10.2) Battery basics
10.3) Battery chargers
10.4) Substituting NiCds for Alkalines
10.5) Can a large electrolytic capacitor be substituted for a NiCd?
10.6) Determining the actual capacity of a NiCd battery
10.7) NiCd batteries and the infamous 'memory effect'
10.8) Care and feeding of NiCds
10.9) Why there will never actually be closure on this topic
10.10) NiCd battery pack will not hold a charge
10.11) What is this thing in my NiCd battery pack?
10.12) Zapping NiCds to clear shorted cells
10.13) Tom's comments on NiCd care and feeding
10.14) Identifying technology of unmarked battery packs
10.15) Problems with battery operated equipment
10.16) Battery juice and corroded contacts
10.17) Automotive power
10.18) Exploding batteries - these things really happen
10.19) Soldering tabs onto NiCd batteries
10.20) How do those on-battery or on-the-package battery testers work?
10.21) Battery eliminator for laptop or appliance with dead NiCd
Chapter 11) Incandescent Light Bulbs, Lamps, and Lighting Fixtures
11.1) Incandescent light bulbs - single and three way
11.2) Why do my light bulbs seem to burn out at warp speed?
11.3) Halogen bulbs
11.4) Efficiency, lifetime, and failure modes of halogen bulbs
11.5) Use of dimmers with halogen bulbs
11.6) The humorous side of light bulbs
11.7) Notes on bulb savers
11.8) Can you prove that bulb savers do not work?
Chapter 12) Fluorescent Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures
12.1) Fluorescent lamp basics
12.2) Fluorescent lamp labeling
12.3) Compact fluorescent bulbs
12.4) Fluorescent fixtures
12.5) Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
12.6) Types of iron ballasts
12.7) Electronic ballasts
12.8) Wiring for preheat fluorescent fixtures
12.9) Fluorescent starter operation
12.10) Wiring for rapid start and trigger start fixtures
12.11) Wiring fluorescent lamps to remote ballasts
12.12) Problems with fluorescent lamps and fixtures
12.13) Why do fluorescent lamps buzz and what to do about it?
12.14) Fluorescent lamps cycling on and off
12.15) Replacing fluorescent lamp or fixture components
12.16) Why are those tiny tiny 4 watt fluorescent bulbs so expensive?
Chapter 13) Gas Discharge Lamps
13.1) Gas discharge lamp basics
13.2) Neon lights and signs
13.3) Power supplies for neon
13.4) Problems with neon
13.5) High intensity discharge (HID) lamp technology
13.6) Problems with high intensity discharge lamps
Chapter 14) Motors 101
14.1) Small motors in consumer electronic equipment
14.2) Identifying type of unknown motor
14.3) Universal motors
14.4) Problems with universal motors
14.5) Testing of universal motors
14.6) About commutators and brushes in universal motors
14.7) Repairing small universal motors
14.8) Single phase induction motors
14.9) Shaded pole induction motors
14.10) Problems with induction motors
14.11) Disassembling and reassembling a universal or induction motor
14.12) Determining wiring for multispeed induction motor
14.13) Small permanent magnet DC motors
14.14) Problems with small PM motors
14.15) Testing of small PM motors
14.16) Identifying voltage and current ratings small PM motors
14.17) Reviving a partially shorted or erratic PM motor
14.18) Disassembling and reassembling a miniature PM motor
14.19) DC brushless motors
14.20) Disassembling and reassembling a DC brushless fan
14.21) Synchronous timing motors
14.22) Disassembling and reassembling a small timing motor
14.23) Motor bearing problems
14.24) Motor noise
14.25) Finding a replacement motor
14.26) Is motor rebuilding economical?
14.27) Motor armature testing - or - what is a growler?
14.28) Small motor repair and replacement
Chapter 15) Large Appliances
15.1) Web sites for large appliance troubleshooting
15.2) Electric oven calibration
15.3) Heat control in electric range surface units
15.4) Electric range top element does not work properly
15.5) Improvised welding repair of heating elements
15.6) Range, oven, and furnace electronic ignition
15.7) Replacing a thermostat
15.8) Oven door seal repair
15.9) Freezer is normal but fresh food compartment isn't even cool
15.10) Refrigerator not cooling after a week
15.11) Defrost system operation and wiring
15.12) Compressor starting relays
15.13) Changing the temperature range of a small refrigerator
15.14) Washer sometimes spins
15.15) Clothes washer does not fill (cold or hot)
15.16) Window air conditioner preventive maintenance
15.17) Window air conditioner doesn't cool
15.18) Air conditions freezes up
15.19) Comments on electric clothes dryer problems and repair
15.20) Dryer shuts down after a few minutes
15.21) Why has my dryer (or other high current) plug/socket burned up?
15.22) Four year old gas dryer just started popping GFCI
15.23) Checking dishwasher solenoids
Chapter 16) Electrical Wiring Information and Problems
16.1) Safe electrical wiring
16.2) What is a GFCI?
16.3) GFCIs, overloads, and fire safety
16.4) How does a GFCI work
16.5) More on how the GFCI detects a N-G short
16.6) GFCIs and safety ground
16.7) Where are 3 wire grounded outlets required?
16.8) Why you should NOT connect H to N
16.9) Testing installed GFCIs
16.10) John's comments on the use of GFI breakers
16.11) Phantom voltage measurements of electrical wiring
16.12) Determining wiring of a 2-wire outlet
16.13) Outlet wiring screwed up?
16.14) 220 V outlet reads 0 VAC between slots
16.15) Testing for fault in branch circuit
16.16) Locating wires inside a wall
16.17) Bad Neutral connections and flickering lights or worse
16.18) Lightning storm trips GFCIs protecting remote outdoor outlets
16.19) GFCI trips when it rains (hard)
16.20) Why a GFCI should not be used with major appliances
16.21) Toasters and GFCIs
16.22) Reverse polarity outlets - safety and other issues
16.23) Comments on whole house surge suppressors
Chapter 17) All About Wire and the AWG (American Wire Gauge) Numbers
17.1) Some types of wire
17.2) So, where did AWG come from?
17.3) For the marginally mathematically inclined
17.4) American Wire Gauge (AWG) table for annealed copper wire
17.5) What about stranded wire?
17.6) Overall gauge Typical stranded wires made up of
Chapter 18) Items of Interest
18.1) Determining electricity usage
18.2) Taking equipment overseas (or vice-versa)
18.3) Controlling an inductive load with a triac
18.4) Dan's notes on low voltage outdoor lighting
18.5) Effects of brownouts and blackouts on electronic equipment and appliances
18.6) Grounding of computer equipment
18.7) Removing gummed labels (or other dried or sticky gunk)
18.8) Preventing radio frequency interference from whacking out appliances
18.9) Yard lights cycling and maintenance humor
18.10) Will a hard-wired appliance save energy over a plugged in variety?
18.11) A short history of heat
Chapter 19) Service Information
19.1) Wiring diagrams
19.2) Removing screw with stripped head
19.3) Fil's tips on improvised parts repair
19.4) Fixing stripped plastic threaded holes
19.5) Interchangeability of components
19.6) Appliance repair books
19.7) Large appliance repair manuals and Web assistance
19.8) Manufacturer support
19.9) Parts suppliers