Worrall Domestics

12/05/2023

New dishwasher fitted. Happy customer!

11/05/2023

Do you need to load your washing machine with this week's wash load?
Don't leave it running whilst you are out shopping or overnight, washing machines present fire risks due to their high wattage and motors.
Only put your wash load on when you are at home and awake, it could save your life.

26/01/2022

07/12/2018

Christmas Safety

Christmas is a time when your home is likely to be full of people, and it's in the excitement of the season that accidents can easily happen. But one of the good things about Christmas is that there are typically more people around to supervise children and, with a little more care and forward planning, most accidents could be avoided.

1
Make sure you buy children's gifts for the correct age group and from reputable retailers, and ensure they comply to safety standards. You can find more information on our toy safety pages.

2
Remember to buy batteries for toys that need them – that way you won't be tempted to remove batteries from smoke alarms

3
Look out for small items that could pose a choking hazard to young children, including parts that have fallen off toys or from Christmas trees, button batteries, and burst balloons

4
Keep decorations and cards away from fires and other heat sources such as light fittings. Don't leave burning candles unattended – make sure you put them out before going to bed – and do not put candles on Christmas trees

5
If you have old Christmas lights, seriously consider buying new ones which will meet much higher safety standards, and don't let children play with lights (some have swallowed the bulbs).

6
Remember, Christmas novelties are not toys, even if they resemble them, and they do not have to comply with toy safety regulations. Give careful thought to where you display them – for example, place them high up on Christmas trees where they are out of the reach of young hands

7
Give yourself enough time to prepare and cook Christmas dinner to avoid hot fat, boiling water and sharp knife accidents that come from rushing, and keep anyone not helping with dinner out of the kitchen. Wipe up any spills quickly

8
Have scissors handy to open packaging, so you're not tempted to use a knife, and have screwdrivers at the ready to assemble toys

9
Beware of trailing cables and wires in the rush to connect new gadgets and appliances, and always read instruction

10
Falls are the most common accidents so try to keep clutter to a minimum. Make sure stairs are well-lit and free from obstacles, especially if you have guests

11
Plan New Year fireworks parties well in advance and follow the Firework Code

12
Do not drink and drive, and plan long journeys so you won't be driving tired.

28/07/2018

How to remove a greyish white coating in drum.

Is your washing machine’s drum covered in a greyish white coating? It might be probably caused by limescale. To remove it try adding about 20 grams of citric acid into the washing machine and wash on a 90 degree wash cycle with no laundry inside. You may need to try it more than once.

The best method is to put the washer on the 90 degree wash cycle and add the citric acid into the soap dispenser drawer whilst it is initially filling up. Let it fill for 10 seconds first because the first lot of water goes into the sump hose under the drum and is sealed off. Alternatively try buying a limescale removing product designed for washing machines.

23/06/2018

New website up and running go check it out,.

Worrall Domestics, appliance repairs in Preston and Appliance Engineers in Lancashire. Repairs for washing machines, cookers, fridge/freezers and ovens in Preston.

23/07/2017

Is your fridge a fire hazard?

It is too early to tell exactly how the Grenfell Tower fire was started – but one of the theories that's been aired over the past 24 hours is that the flames can be traced back to a household refrigerator.

Witnesses described hearing one distressed resident apparently telling neighbours his faulty fridge caused the blaze.

Fridges, when ignited, can cause fires to develop quickly, giving off toxic gases. According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB) there is an average of at least one fridge fire a week.

Why do the fires start?

Earlier this year a study revealed a number of components and flammable materials used to manufacturer domestic fridges. The study paid particularly close attention to the components that fail and then go on to act as an ignition source.

According to the LFB website, a number of fires which start in fridges begin in a component called a "capacitor". These are a "passive two-terminal electrical component that stores electrical energy in an electrical field."

Fridge covered in magnet
Plastic backed fridges are fire hazards CREDIT: JONATHAN KITCHEN/GETTY
While most modern fridges are now covered in metal, older models, and even a handful of newer ones, still use a plastic backing. The plastic is highly flammable and, if ignited, can cause fires that develop quickly and powerfully while giving off toxic gases.

The report also highlighted plastic drip trays, twin-wall backing materials and polyurethane foam insulation panels to be key causes for the escalation and spread of fire.

There is currently no regulation that requires manufacturers to use non-flammable materials to protect fridges from ignition.

In 2015, former LFB deputy commissioner Rita Dexter said: "Every home has a fridge or freezer and the chances are it will be plugged in and working safely for years but it is no exaggeration to say that they are potentially the most dangerous household appliances if they are involved in a fire.

Fridge and freezer
Plastic drip trays were also highlighted as a cause for the escalation of fire
"They contain large amounts of highly flammable foam insulation, often only protected by a thin plastic covering. This can be a recipe for disaster if a fault occurs or if a fire spreads from somewhere else to the fridge or freezer.

“They are also one of the few electrical items in your home to be always left on and these fires pose an even greater risk if they start when people are sleeping.

"Putting a simple non-combustible or fire-retardant covering at the back of appliances is a relatively simple change that manufacturers can make and one that we believe would reduce the number of injuries, and potentially deaths, caused by fires involving fridges and freezers."

In a controlled burn test conducted by the LFB, they found that a plastic backed fridge went up in flames after just 90 seconds and had to be extinguished after two and a half minutes because the fire was beginning to overwhelm the testing room.

In comparison, the fire set in the metal backed fridge didn't take hold and burned for 20 minutes before self extinguishing.

Check your appliances haven't been recalled

If you're worried that your appliances may not be safe or have been recalled by the manufacturers, the LFB has created an up-to-date list of electrical product recalls.

07/03/2017

Washing machine not spinning
Spin There are two completely different symptoms that many people confusingly report using the same language so it’s important to make sure you are looking at the right article. If when you say the washer is not spinning you mean (as many do) that the drum is not revolving on any part of the cycle then you need a different article – washing machine drum not turning. If you are investigating a washer where the drum is turning normally on wash and rinses but it’s just not doing the fast spin at the end of the cycle then continue with this article.

Not spinning at the end of cycle

The first thing to check is the wash load. Modern washing machines have built in out of balance protection and will refuse to spin out of balanced loads to protect against serious damage. The worst loads for this problem are single items which are heavy when wet, or small loads, particularly if they have a single heavy item amongst them.

Therefore there is always a possibility there isn’t an actual fault. A quick check would be to see if the washer spins with no load in, or with a totally different (fuller more balanced) load. If it does, check this article carefully to understand this problem – Washing machine wont spin just one item or very small loads

Not spinning because it can’t drain the water properly

Is it pumping out the water properly?

A washing machine will also refuse to do a fast spin if it isn't draining the water, either at all, or just not fully within the set time allowed due to a partial obstruction. However, don't start suspecting a pump problem unless it's obvious that the washing machine isn't draining the water out properly and leaving quite a lot inside. Don’t mix up the amount of water that will naturally be left inside because the washer hasn’t spun with the amount caused by not having pumped it out properly.

If you suspect a pumping out fault follow this article – Washing machine won't empty water

Not spinning due to pressure system fault

Maybe it just thinks it isn’t draining water because it’s not getting the “water has now gone” signal.

The washing machine knows water has been successfully pumped away when the pressure system tells it. A faulty pressure switch or (more commonly) a blockage, can stop the signal being sent, so the washer refuses to spin. It will often do the slow turning at the beginning where it distributes the laundry, then just click and stop.

To understand how a washing machine controls water levels and knows when the water has drained away see this article – How washing machines control water levels (there are links in the article to common pressure system faults and DIY repair help).

Not spinning because motor is faulty or belt slipping

It is possible for a worn motor (or more commonly worn carbon brushes) to cause it to struggle to get up to spin speed but manage to turn the drum on wash and rinse. Normally such a fault would also cause problems on wash and rinse so it’s not too likely. However, if when it gets to the spin cycle the motor appears to attempt a spin but makes a strange grating or crackling noise and sounds half hearted (maybe fluctuates up and down in speed) there could be a fault on the motor. If the motor is sparking a lot you can suspect the brushes but if it is not sparking excessively it could be an issue on the PCB or a connection fault – get an engineer in. The most common issue with motors is worn carbon brushes (How do I know if I need to fit new carbon brushes?).

Belt

If a drive belt is worn it could be slipping. It’s not so common these days but should be easily observed with the back panel off if this is what is happening.

Summary

If the water is being pumped out OK, and it doesn't appear to be an out of balanced load, then proper fault finding is necessary, which really needs the use of a continuity test meter and proper knowledge of washing machine repairs. If it isn’t caused by any of the faults described above it only really leaves faults on the main PCB (or module), connection faults, motor faults etc. It would be unwise to start buying parts speculatively, which could easily prove an expensive mistake.