When your appliance categories, types of home devices like ovens, water heaters, and extractor fans that serve essential daily functions. Also known as household appliances, they keep your home running—until they don’t. Most people don’t think about them until something breaks. Then you’re stuck wondering: Is it worth fixing? Who do you call? And why does replacing a control board cost half as much as a new oven?
Let’s break down the big ones. Water heaters, devices that heat and store water for showers, sinks, and laundry. Also known as hot water tanks, they often fail because of sediment, rust, or a dead anode rod. If your water is rusty or makes banging noises, it’s not just old—it’s signaling trouble. Ovens, cooking appliances with electric or gas heating elements. Also known as cookers, they commonly break because of faulty control boards, broken elements, or wiring issues. Many think an electrician can fix them, but most problems are inside the oven itself—not the power supply. And extractor fans, ventilation units in kitchens and bathrooms that remove steam, smoke, and odors. Also known as exhaust fans, they’re often ignored until mold starts growing. A noisy fan isn’t just annoying—it’s a sign the motor’s wearing out, and replacing just the motor can save you hundreds.
Boilers are another major category. They don’t just heat your home—they supply your hot water. When your boiler stops working, you lose both. Many assume it’s a simple fix, but if it’s over 10 years old, repair costs often add up fast. Same goes for dishwashers and hobs. A cracked glass hob might look fixable, but replacement panels aren’t cheap. And if your dishwasher is leaking or not cleaning, it’s rarely a filter issue—it’s the pump, the seal, or the control system failing.
What you’ll find below isn’t a list of random repair guides. It’s a real-world collection of what actually goes wrong with the appliances in your home. From how to tell if your stove element is dead, to whether a 10-year-old laptop is worth keeping, to when replacing a heat pump compressor makes no sense—you’ll see the patterns. These aren’t theoretical problems. They’re the ones Warwick homeowners call about every week. Some fixes are simple. Others mean it’s time to walk away. The goal? Help you avoid overpaying, hiring the wrong person, or replacing something that could’ve lasted another five years with a $50 part.
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