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Over the past year I’ve had a few of my appliances go bad. Some smaller ones aren’t worth the time, or expense to repair. It’s just more economical to toss a toaster and buy a new one.

I’ve had numerous larger appliances that needed repair over the years. Some, like water heaters, couldn’t be saved if they were leaking, but could be, if it was just a heating element.

Other appliances, like washing machines, ovens, and refrigerators can often be repaired without the need of a very expensive repairman coming to your home.

It wasn’t my first rodeo with replacing my water heater earlier this year, but even if it were, there is now a resource of instructional videos available on YouTube that show you how to replace both an electric water heater, or one that runs on gas. The best ones usually include safety instructions, like how to check for gas leaks when done.

Even better is the fact you don’t have to be skilled at soldering copper pipes any longer where plumbing is involved, with the Shark Bite pipe connectors and hoses available. Yes, there are videos on Shark Bite connectors, if you aren’t familiar with them.

I now have a top-of-the-line water heater installed myself for less than $550 (with my 10% military discount and including two Shark Bite hose connectors). Two plumbers I called wanted $1000 – $1200, and that was for a heater with only a 6-year guarantee.

Over the last year it seemed like my larger appliances got together and revolted.

My washing machine stopped agitating. A repairman to my home would have cost me hundreds of dollars. A simple search on YouTube gave me dozens of videos, but one provided all the possible culprits. As it turned out, my agitator dogs were either broken, or just worn down. I purchased an agitator repair kit through Amazon for under $12. It took me less than 20 minutes to fix.

My oven igniter stopped working. $18 on Amazon and an easy job to replace. A repairman would have probably charged me at least $300 for the visit and the part.

My Amana side-by-side refrigerator/freezer really conspired against me.

First, water began slowly dripping into my ice maker, overflowing the tray, and leaving me a large block of ice in the bin. A search on YouTube with “water leaking into ice tray” led me to the specific water valve (there is also one for the water dispenser) for the ice maker. The valve cost me $64, saving me $500 to have a repairman come out.

Next, my ice maker decided to crap out. A video on YouTube told me it could be the thermostat, or the motor. Being the cheap bastard I am, I ordered the thermostat from Amazon for less than $10. As it turned out, that didn’t solve the problem, so I ordered a new ice maker, since my original tray was pitted. That solved the problem for another $54, but I still saved the $500 the repairman would have cost me.

Finally, two weeks ago, I awoke to find water on my floor, dripping from the ice dispenser door. My freezer hadn’t been running all night. I followed the reset instructions and it began running again, but within a day, refused to cycle back on, after turning itself off when it reached the desired temperature. Again, the ice in the bin began melting, and dripped through the dispenser door.

Another visit to YouTube and Amazon.

I started with what I thought would be the failed components. The run capacitor and the overload capacitor, which plug into the condenser. $34 on Amazon, versus $135 buying them from the only appliance parts store in the Lehigh Valley.

I got that guess wrong, but in watching another YouTube video, slapping the temperature control box mounted in the refrigerator, started the compressor. Turns out it was the temperature control thermostat. The small part that the temperature knob mounts onto.

That part cost less than $15 on Amazon, versus $100 locally. Also, another $600 saved in not having an emergency visit by a repairman.

My point is, there are many times you can fix problems yourself, without the need for an expensive repairman.

If you have a problem with an appliance, look for a solution on YouTube. Locate the part number on the suspect component (or cross reference the appliance serial number), and then visit Amazon to see if it’s cheaper than ordering the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) part through a local parts store, or the many online OEM stores.

Be sure to unplug any appliance you decide to fix yourself. To make your repair easier, take a picture of the old part while it is still attached. Doing this will avoid confusion when you re-attach any electrical connections onto the new part.

Also know, that while I wrote about appliances here, there are videos available on everything from lawn mower problems, to car repairs, and construction projects for the home.