How to Disassemble and Reassemble Just About Any Appliance Or Device

It's a major irritation when an appliance or gadget in your home decides to stop working. It will come in real handy and also save you a bundle if you can just disassemble it, look inside and find out what made it stop ticking.

Planning is paramount if you want to save time and effort when fixing anything. More than half the job is finished the moment you're able to pinpoint the component to fix or replace, get the required tools and parts, and settle on a working area to repair it. Repairing is actually the easy part.

Setting up the workplace

Working will be a lot easier if you have the appliance's owner's manual. These manuals usually have troubleshooting instructions with particular information about parts, serial numbers and how to get them. What's more, manuals have detailed exploded view illustrations of how the item can be taken apart.

Take note of the appliance's model and serial number as this will make finding replacement parts a lot easier. This information can be found on a plate or stamped behind or underneath the item. Electric irons usually have them on the rear end near the cord. Audio and video components almost always have them behind the box. Electric motors have model and serial number information stamped on its body. If possible, always bring the part that needs replacing to the store with you.

Do it yourself repairing will be a lot less difficult if you have the proper workplace and the right set of tools to accomplish the task. A tabletop with enough room to hold tools and the disassembled products parts will do just fine.

Taking the product apart – and putting it back together again – is the heart and soul of repair. You will want to be able to put an appliance back together with no missing or misplaced parts later in the day or maybe longer, depending on the availability of the replacement part.

Easy disassembling and reassembly tips

Here are some helpful guidelines when taking things apart for repair.

• Find a suitable area where you can leave the various disassembled parts for a certain period of time if you have to stop and look for necessary parts.

• Write down the model and replacement part numbers.

• For more complicated equipments or when replacement parts will take some time to arrive, take step-by-step photos of the disassembly to aid your memory later on.

• If you're pretty certain that you will be putting everything back together in a short time, line up the parts in sequence as they are disassemble and do the reverse, starting with the last part, for reassembly.

• Use clean coffee cans, old cupcake pans, discarded frozen TV dinner trays, or other containers to hold the disassembled parts as they come off.

Memory aids

Do not forget to jot down reminders, model numbers, and parts numbers or make rough sketches as you take things apart. Take photos if necessary. Your memory will be refreshed and you'll be ready, even after a few weeks, when you have to look for replacements and put the item back together again.

Do not be daunted when taking something apart to repair it. Many appliances or devices are made of replaceable components. All you have to do is recognize what makes the item work, which part is busted, and repairing or replacing the damaged part.