Making A Brighter Christmas; 5 Fixes When Your Dryer Quits; 4 Steps to Flawless Touch-ups and More!

On Today's Episode:Making Christmas Brighter [00:00 - 05:13]Christmas is rapidly approaching! And while that fills many of us with excitement and anticipation, there are many families in our community who will struggle! Angel Tree is a ministry run by the Salvation Army that allows us to help make Christmas just a bit brighter for kids in our area. It's a great opportunity for us to get involved and help someone in a very tangible way. Find an Angel Tree donation site, grab a tag from the tree, buy an appropriate gift and return it unwrapped! The Salvation Army will make sure it gets delivered to a child or teen in need before Christmas!We've got Angel Trees at 4 different RepcoLite locations:473 W. 17th Street in Holland860 84th Street SW, Suite 2 in Byron Center2840 Broadmoor Ave SE in Grand Rapids912 Fulton St SE in Grand RapidsYou can find other locations as well as gift ideas here!The 5 Most Common Reasons Your Dryer Isn't Working! [05:14 - 18:59]When an appliance quits working, it's frustrating. It's concerning. It's inconvenient. And it's usually expensive. Happily as DIYers, there are a number of appliance fixes we can implement on our own--for very little money. Today we talk about dryers and 5 of the main reasons yours may not be working right now.Start Troubleshooting with the Simple StuffIs it plugged in?Did the breaker trip?Is it just overloaded with clothes?Is an obstruction preventing the drum from spinning?Is the door closed firmly?Common Problem 1: Is the Door Switch Working?Once you know the simple stuff isn't the problem, you need to dig deeper. One place to look that could be a cause of the problem is the door switch. Every dryer has one--it's a little lever or button that's visible when you open the door.Is it physically broken? Sometimes the tab/lever breaks off and will no longer catch when the door closes. Replacing it is easy!If it's not physically broken, it still could be faulty or defective. Look online and determine how to access your door switch and test with a multi-meter. **IMPORTANT: If the door switch isn't physically broken, before I took the dryer apart to test the switch, I'd instead pop the bottom access panel off and check for a broken belt (Common Problem 2 below). Common Problem 2: Is the Drive Belt Broken?Another common problem is the drive belt. You access this by removing the lower access panel on the dryer and finding the belt that loops over the drum, around an idler pulley and then to the motor.In many dryers, the idler pulley is on a lever switch.When the belt is in place and taut, the switch is engaged and the machine works. When the belt is broken, the switch is disengaged and nothing happens. Common Problem 3: Is the Thermal Fuse Tripped?Another common problem is the thermal fuse. Since the 80's, these are installed on dryers as a safety mechanisms to prevent fires. If the dryer is overheating, the thermal fuse trips and shuts off power. It's not a device that can be reset--it needs to be replaced. Happily, it's inexpensive.Consult your owner's manual or search for your model online to find the location of the thermal fuse.With the machine unplugged, remove the two wire leads and test the fuse with a multi-meter.If it's not working, it has to be replaced.Common Problem 4: Is the On/Off Button Defective?A last common (and simple) reason your dryer could quit working is a faulty or defective switch. Consult your owner's manual or search your model online to determine how to access the on/off switch With the machine unplugged, check the switch for continuity with a multi-meterCommon Problem 5: The Motor? Is it the Motor?Finally, if none of those problems seem to be the reason your dryer isn't working, it definitely could be the motor. Usually this is a job for a service tech!RepcoLite's Biggest News Ever! [19:00 - 32:48]We're joined by Dan Altena, president of RepcoLite to talk about some huge news! RepcoLite has just acquired the 5 Teknicolor Paint stores in the Metro Detroit area, making RepcoLite West Michigan's largest (and favorite) Benjamin Moore dealer!4 Steps to Flawless Touch-ups [32:48 - 39:29]We're heading into Christmas and we know that many folks aren't thinking about tackling big repaints right now. However, you may be looking at some spots that need touch-ups. Here are four steps to ensure you get great results!