9 Must-Have Tools for Appliance Repair – DIY For Beginners

Are you tired of spending a fortune on appliance repair services? What if we told you that with just a few essential tools, you could handle most common appliance repairs yourself? Dive into our comprehensive guide below, complete with a how-to video, and discover the must-have tools that will empower you to tackle those pesky appliance issues head-on!

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Thinking about getting started on some do-it-yourself home appliance repairs and maintenance? Great! Today, we’re taking a look at how to build your foundation: the must have tools needed for appliance repair. Having what you need already on hand can shave minutes and even hours off of a job, making the choice between calling a repair technician and doing it yourself even easier!

In this beginner’s guide to building an appliance repair toolkit, we’ve rounded up all the tools you’ll need for the most common appliance and lawn equipment repairs. Let’s get started!

Why Should You Fix Your Appliance Yourself?

There are a ton of benefits to fixing and maintaining your lawn equipment and appliances yourself:

• It’s almost always much cheaper than replacing an entire appliance, and usually cheaper than calling appliance repair technicians.
• You can extend the life of your appliance by fixing smaller parts as they break, preventing other components from weakening.
• It’s more eco-friendly. Repairing your own appliances instead of tossing them reduces waste in a big way.
• Familiarizing yourself with your equipment and appliances can help you to make more efficient purchases in the future. You’ll learn what’s great quality and what isn’t, and can buy with greater confidence in the future.
• Fixing stuff yourself is just satisfying.

Must Have Common Tools

Everyone needs a solid toolkit at home for everyday use, but today we’re looking specifically at the list of tools you’ll be using to fix issues on washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerators, and other appliances. Truth be told a lot of appliance repairs can be handled with nothing more than a simple set of basic tools, but let’s go over the absolute most common tools in appliance repair.

1. Screwdrivers

You’re almost always going to need at least one screwdriver for any repair job more complicated than “take the old one off, slide the new one into place.” Almost all major appliances have access panels, brackets, clips, and other parts that are held in place by a few screws. Often, the most work intensive part of appliance repair is just taking everything apart at the start of a job.

When it comes to appliance repairs, you’ll want at least one Phillips head screwdriver, a flathead screwdriver, anda 1/4-inch nut driver. Most appliances use either Phillips screws or nuts to secure things, but you can’t really beat a flathead screwdriver for popping clips and tabs out of place or prying off caps and other components. Invest in a set of durable screwdrivers, opting for something that gives you a few different sizes to choose from. A longer reach or smaller size will help you in a variety of cramped spaces, while having a number of different drive sizes will ensure you always have the right nut driver for a job.

2. Putty Knife

You’re not going to be doing a lot of spackling or scraping in appliance repairs, but you’ll still find you need a putty knife more than almost any other tool. The thin metal blade can be safely slid between the seams in appliances to release the locking tabs that hold appliance components together. You’ll use it to free up the control consoles on certain models of washers, dryers, and stoves, pop rear panels off of smaller appliances, and to pry gaskets out of refrigerator and dishwasher doors.

3. Needle-Nose Pliers

A sturdy pair of needle-nose or channel lock pliers is another handy multi-tool to have in your appliance repair toolkit. You’re most often going to be using them to grip and steady or remove small components, but they can also be used to shape wires and open clasps and clamps.

4. Socket Set, Wrenches, and Extension

When you’re fixing a problem on your washer or dryer, unless it’s the door switch, you often have to almost completely disassemble the appliance to get at the part you need. Don’t worry! It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Just time consuming. Complete disassemblies like this are where your socket set, wrenches, and ratchet come in.

While an adjustable wrench is tempting, having a full rack of basic wrenches ensures that you won’t run into the issue of the wrench itself being too big to fit into a given space. Also get yourself a socket/nut driver set. ¼-inch, 7/16-inch, and 10mm (or ⅜-inch) sockets are all used fairly frequently in appliance repair. For that tiny ¼-inch socket, you can use a nut driver, which is a type of screwdriver, but for the others, you’ll need a socket and wrench set.

We also recommend purchasing an extension for your ratchet wrench – about 10 inches long should be enough. With this, you’ll be able to remove bolts in difficult to reach areas. For example, you’ll almost certainly need an extension when trying to remove the agitator from a top-loading washing machine.

5. Wire Cutters

By now you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that wire cutters are useful for more than just cutting and stripping wires, though you will be doing a bit of that in certain appliance repairs. With your wire cutters nearby, you’ll have a quick way to cut the zip ties that often hold bundles of tubes or wires together or trim the excess material off of new water lines.

6. Multimeter

If you’ve got a problem with a powered component, a multimeter is the ultimate diagnostic tool. With a multimeter, you can test individual components within your appliances for continuity and more quickly track down exactly which part is broken. If you’re doing repairs on ranges, refrigerators, or microwaves, a multimeter can massively cut down on the time it takes to identify the malfunctioning part.

7. Work Gloves

Trust us, you should be doing all of your appliance repairs in a good set of work gloves. There are plenty of sharp edges and sharp materials in appliance repair, and those gloves will protect you from cuts and scratches. You’ll also benefit from the added gripping power gloves provide.

8. Towels & Rags

Just like most of the other items on this list, towels and rags are another great appliance repair multitool. A big, sturdy towel can be used as an appliance mat, allowing you to protect your floor when you’re moving a big appliance. Whenever you’re working on your washer, or on the water lines or ice maker in your refrigerator, you should lay down a towel or rag to catch any spills. There are also plenty of times where you’ll need to apply WD-40 or wipe off excess grease. Just make sure your towels and rags are sturdy, and that you don’t mind them getting grimy quick.

9. A Bit of Wood

Okay, it sounds weird, but a 2×4 or other bit of wood can be used for things like holding the washer’s lid open or blocking your lawnmower blades when you’re trying to switch them out.

Other Handy Tools To Have

If you’ve got the above items, you can disassemble and reassemble most major appliances, but there are a few other tools that are handy to have around for appliance repairs:

Hammer and Mallet

You likely won’t be using that hammer for much actual hammering. Instead, you’ll most often use your hammer to pry certain components off of large appliances or to gently tap parts into or out of place. A decent rubber mallet will let you whack things into or out of place with less risk of denting or otherwise damaging delicate metal parts. Use a mallet to snug fittings and bearings instead of a hammer to avoid breaking them.

A Cordless Drill

Not a necessity, but a drill will make disassembly and reassembly a whole lot faster. When you’ve got eight mounting screws you need to remove and then reinstall later, you’ll thank us.

Vise Grips

A vise grip is a plier that locks firmly into place. They can be used as pliers, wrenches, and clamps, making them a versatile tool, and you’ll find they come in handy often enough in appliance repair that investing in a pair is probably a good idea.

Appliance Cleaning Brushes

Sometimes, your problem is that things are just clogged and dirty! Appliance cleaning brushes usually feature long, flexible shafts to more easily clean those hard-to-reach spaces. Cleaning your fridge’s condenser coils a few times a year will help it to run much more efficiently, and using a brush on your dryer’s vent will get rid of any lint built up.

A Shop Vac

Another handy cleaning tool, small shop vacuums can be used to clean dust from your appliances to help them run more efficiently or to pick up messes once a job is done.

Lubricants

Be sure to do your research before applying any old grease to a component, but white lithium grease is often used to keep parts moving smoothly. When doing appliance repairs, if you need to apply grease, make sure to research which type you need before applying any, and be sure you’re applying the correct type in proper amounts.

Extra Wire Nuts

Those colorful cone-shaped plastic caps are wire nuts, and they’re used to bind raw wires together. Usually, when you buy a replacement part that needs wire nuts, it will come with a few, but it can’t help to have some extras around.

Step Ladder

When dealing with larger appliances like refrigerators or getting deep into a top-loading washing machine, it’s handy to have a step ladder around just in case.

What About Specialized Tools?

There are certain specialized tools, like bearing tools and spanner nut wrenches, that you may need for specific jobs. Many of these tools are just familiar tools in a specific shape or size. However, some of them, like those needed to work on a refrigerator compressor, require specialized training and even certifications to use. If you are not properly trained or certified in the use of a specialty tool, you should contact a professional to have the work done for you. Utilizing a specialty tool without proper training could result in serious damage to your appliance or injury to yourself and your family.

Wrapping Up

Appliance repair isn’t nearly as complicated as you might think. As you can see, a few basics fill multiple roles, and are great for almost all home repairs. Once you’ve got your toolbox filled, why not come back to see how else AppliancePartsPros.com can help? You can get repair help, tutorials, and genuine OEM replacement parts to help you fix your appliances yourself!

If you need any replacement parts for your appliances, you can enter your model number at AppliancePartsPros.com to locate and order them quickly. Most orders arrive in just two business days, and we have tons of great information in our repair help section and YouTube videos to help you troubleshoot.

Stay connected with the latest DIY tips, tutorial videos, and repair guides by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We love hearing about your repair stories and successes. If you need more help or want personalized guidance, feel free to contact or call us at 877-477-7278. We’re ready to help you take on your next project with confidence!

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