Universal Repair

You open the hot tap and hear the spark, but the heater does not light or lights for a second and goes out.

Possible causes

• Weak batteries
• The gas valve is closed or the cylinder is empty
• Water pressure too low to start the heater
• The ignition electrode or flame sensor

Solution: Fit new batteries; on the Caesar, check the battery indicator on the display. Open the gas valve and the tap fully. If water is weak at every tap, the problem is the house pressure, not the heater.

The water heats up, then suddenly turns cold, and comes back when you close and reopen the tap.

Possible causes

• Pressure dropped when someone opened another tap
• Batteries running down
• Overheat protection or a blocked flue
• The flame sensor or gas valve

Solution: Try new batteries and open the tap further. If it goes out and the flue is blocked or not vented outside, keep the heater off until that is fixed; that is an important protection.

The lamp or temperature indicator works but the water is not as hot as before, or runs out quickly.

Possible causes

• The thermostat is set low
• The power-saver mode is on
• A burnt-out element
• Scale on the element

Solution: Turn the thermostat up and wait for a full heating cycle. If the water is still cold, a technician measures the element and thermostat with the power off; both can be replaced without changing the tank.

As soon as the heater switches on, the breaker or RCD trips.

Possible causes

• A cracked element letting water reach the wiring
• Moisture or water in the terminal box
• A burnt wire or thermostat

Solution: Leave the breaker off and do not try again. Electricity with water is not something to test at home, and a technician must inspect before any further use.

Drips from the safety valve on the inlet pipe, or wetness under the heater.

Possible causes

• Water expanding as it heats, which is normal
• A worn or scaled safety valve
• A loose fitting
• A leaking tank

Solution: Drips only while heating are normal, and never block the valve outlet. If it drips constantly, the valve needs replacing. If water comes from the tank body, repair is usually not worthwhile.

Check the battery indicator or how quickly it lights every month, and replace them as soon as ignition starts to lag rather than waiting until the heater stops completely.

Once a year, especially if your water is hard: switch off the power and let the water cool, close the inlet valve and open a hot tap, then drain through the drain valve. Before restoring power, refill the tank until water runs from the hot tap.

According to the warranty page on the company's website, a gas heater's internal parts are covered for one year and the outer body for 5 years. On an electric heater, the internal parts have two years.

Most digital heaters need batteries for ignition and the display. The Caesar DLCA6 is listed as also able to run on 220 volts. If you are unsure, the model's manual is the reference.

You hear the spark but the gas does not catch, or no gas comes out at all.

Possible causes

• The main gas valve is closed
• The hose is kinked or the cylinder is empty
• The igniter electrode is wet after wiping or a boil-over
• The burner head holes are blocked

Solution: Open the valve and straighten the hose. If the igniter electrode is wet, dry it and wait a while before trying again. Do not hold the knob for more than 15 seconds without a flame: turn it off and air the kitchen for a minute before the next try. If there is no spark on any burner, a technician checks the ignition unit.

The burner stays lit while you press the knob, and goes out the moment you let go.

Possible causes

• The knob was released before the sensor warmed up
• The sensor beside the burner is dirty or has moved away from the flame
• The burner cap is not seated properly
• The safety valve itself

Solution: Keep the knob pressed for about 10 seconds after lighting, and seat the burner cap properly. If only that burner goes out and the others are fine, its sensor or valve needs checking and replacing if faulty.

The flame is long and yellow instead of blue, and leaves soot on the bottom of the pan.

Possible causes

• The burner's air regulator is out of position
• Burner holes blocked by food or water
• The cooker is set for a different gas type than the one supplied

Solution: Clean the burner head with a brush and dry it well. A yellow flame means incomplete burning, which produces carbon monoxide, so ventilate the kitchen and limit use until it is adjusted. If the flame is still yellow, the air regulator or injectors need adjusting by a technician, especially after moving from a cylinder to natural gas.

The flame comes out on one side only, or all burners are weak.

Possible causes

• Water or food residue in the burner holes
• A damaged or pinched gas hose
• A nearly empty cylinder or its regulator

Solution: Clean the holes. If every burner is weak, try another cylinder. If the hose is cracked or hardened, close the valve and do not use the cooker until it is replaced with an approved gas hose, secured with clamps and leak-tested with soapy water, ideally by a technician; on natural gas, only a technician should replace it. If the problem remains, a technician measures the gas pressure.

The oven burner lit but food takes far too long, or the flame goes out after a while.

Possible causes

• The oven knob is not fully open
• The thermostat is set low
• The oven safety valve or its sensor
• The oven door not closing properly or its glass broken

Solution: Open the oven knob fully and raise the temperature. If the flame goes out on its own or the heat never builds, a technician checks the thermostat and the oven valve.

All the burners work, but the oven's electrical parts are dead.

Possible causes

• The cooker is unplugged or the socket is faulty
• A burnt-out oven bulb
• A wire disconnected at the back
• The rotisserie or fan motor

Solution: Check the plug and test the socket with another appliance. The bulb can be changed once the oven is cold and unplugged. If the plug is fine and the motor still does not turn, that is an electrical check for a technician.

After any boil-over, and let them dry completely before refitting, so the igniter and holes stay clear.

Check it every month: if it is cracked, hardened or pinched behind the cooker, close the valve and do not use the cooker until a technician replaces it and leak-tests the joints with soapy water.

On models with a safety valve, the sensor must warm up first before it keeps the gas open. Release the knob too early and the burner goes out; that is protection, not a fault.

No. Conversion means changing the injectors, adjusting the air and checking the joints for leaks, which is a technician's job.

The programme stops before spinning with water still inside.

Possible causes

• The drain hose is kinked or badly positioned
• The hose or the wall drain is blocked
• A full lint filter
• The drain pump

Solution: Straighten the hose, remove anything on top of it and clean the lint filter. If the hose is clear, the drain is open and water still does not leave, the pump needs checking.

The washer waits and no water enters the drum.

Possible causes

• The tap is closed or the pressure is low
• The mesh at the hose connection is blocked
• The water inlet valve

Solution: Close the tap and unplug the washer, then undo the hose and clean sand and scale off the mesh. If pressure is good and water still does not enter, the valve needs checking.

The washer starts spinning, then stops, or shakes hard and beeps.

Possible causes

• Clothes bunched on one side
• The washer is not level
• A load heavier than the washer's capacity
• The suspension or the motor

Solution: Spread the clothes round the drum and run the spin again, and level the washer's feet. If the knocking continues with an empty drum, the suspension needs checking.

Wetness behind or under the washer while it fills.

Possible causes

• A loose inlet hose nut
• A dried-out or missing hose washer
• A cracked hose

Solution: Close the tap and tighten the connection, and replace the washer seal if it is dry. If water comes from inside the body, that is an internal leak for a technician.

Nothing lights on the display when you press the buttons.

Possible causes

• The plug or socket
• The power button not pressed
• A fuse or a board affected by a voltage swing

Solution: Test the socket with another appliance and press the power button. If the socket works and the display is still blank, a technician checks the board and fuse.

The spin timer runs but the spin tub stays still or barely turns.

Possible causes

• The spinner lid is open, so the brake stops it
• Clothes unevenly packed in the tub
• The spin motor or its capacitor

Solution: Close the lid firmly, spread the clothes and put the inner cover on top. If it still does not turn, unplug the washer and have the motor checked.

Take it out and clean it every few washes, especially after blankets and new towels.

If your water carries sand, check it every month and clean it so the washer does not fill slowly.

After the last wash, so the drum dries and does not smell.

The code table here is for the older front-loaders and does not necessarily apply to the Crystal Wash, so its codes are explained in the manual. Until you check it, try the simple things: the tap, the drain hose and how the clothes are spread.

No. Overloading makes the spin stop and wears the suspension and motor over time.

The fridge has gone into standby and is not cooling.

Possible causes

• The voltage has dropped below 170 volts
• A weak extension lead or adaptor

Solution: This is protection, not a fault; the fridge restarts by itself when the supply recovers. Plug it straight into a wall socket, and if the voltage often drops, a suitable stabiliser can help.

The display shows SR and cooling may have dropped.

Possible causes

• One of the fridge's parts has failed
• A problem in the cooling circuit

Solution: The company says this warning needs service straight away. Move food that could spoil, and do not keep unplugging and replugging the fridge.

The fridge runs constantly and never gets cold enough.

Possible causes

• The door seal does not close
• No ventilation behind the fridge
• The freezer fan or condenser
• Low refrigerant

Solution: Test the seal with a sheet of paper: close the door on it and pull; if it slides out easily, the seal needs replacing. Make more room behind the fridge. If nothing improves, the technician measures before judging the refrigerant.

The freezer has ice on its wall or behind the cover, and the lower section is not cold.

Possible causes

• The freezer door left open or a worn seal
• The defrost heater, its sensor or the timer on No Frost models
• A blocked air duct between freezer and fridge

Solution: Defrost by unplugging with the doors open and towels underneath. If the ice returns within days, the defrost cycle needs a technician's check.

With water and mild soap, so it does not stick and tear or leave a gap for warm air.

And clear dust from the condenser at the back or underneath once a year, with the power off.

Parts such as seals, thermostats, fans and heaters have many compatible replacements. The control board and model-specific parts can be harder to find, and the technician tells you before starting.

Everything seems to work but nothing heats, sometimes with a louder hum than usual.

Possible causes

• The magnetron
• The high-voltage capacitor or diode
• One of the door switches
• The high-voltage fuse

Solution: Try a cup of water for one minute on full power. If it stays cold, unplug the microwave and leave it to a technician; these parts are in the high-voltage circuit.

Blue flashes or crackling while heating.

Possible causes

• Metal, foil or a plate with a gold rim
• Food residue on the small cover on the cavity wall
• That cover has burnt
• Peeling cavity paint

Solution: Stop the microwave at once, remove any metal, and clean the cavity and the small cover. If the cover is burnt or sparking returns, do not use it until it is replaced.

The microwave runs but the plate stays still, so food heats on one side.

Possible causes

• The roller ring underneath is out of place or dirty
• The plate is not seated on the coupler
• The turntable motor

Solution: Take out the plate and ring, wash them and refit them with the plate on the coupler. If it still does not turn, the small motor is an easy change for a technician.

No light or sound when you turn the timer or press start.

Possible causes

• The socket or plug
• The door not closing properly
• A blown microwave fuse
• The mechanical timer on dial models

Solution: Try another socket and close the door firmly. A blown fuse usually points to another fault, so the technician looks for the cause before replacing it.

Grill mode runs but the top element does not glow.

Possible causes

• The wrong mode selected on the panel
• A burnt-out grill element
• A wire or thermal cut-out

Solution: Make sure you selected grill and not microwave only. If the element does not glow at all, a technician needs to measure it.

Grease that dries on the walls and the small cover is what causes sparking later.

Running it with no food or water sends the energy back into the magnetron and shortens its life.

It depends on the appliance's age and the state of the door and cavity. The technician gives you the part price before starting; compare it with a new model of the same capacity.

A little steam round the door when heating moist food is normal. But if the door is crooked, a hinge is broken or the seal is torn, stop using it.

The indoor fan runs but the room does not cool down.

Possible causes

• Clogged filters
• A dirty outdoor unit or one in an enclosed spot
• Low voltage at peak heat
• Low refrigerant from a leak
• Capacity too small for the room

Solution: Wash the filters and clear anything round the outdoor unit. If it still does not cool, the technician measures voltage and pressure and looks for a leak before adding any refrigerant.

Drops or a trickle running down the wall below the unit.

Possible causes

• A drain hose blocked by dust or insects
• The hose kinked or running uphill
• The unit not level on the wall
• A clogged filter letting the evaporator ice up

Solution: Wash the filters and check the drain hose outlet outside. If it is blocked or the unit is tilted, clearing the hose and levelling the unit is a quick job for a technician.

The unit starts, then after a few minutes the breaker trips or the outdoor unit stops.

Possible causes

• A breaker or cable too small for the unit
• A weak compressor capacitor
• An overheated outdoor unit from poor airflow
• The compressor itself

Solution: Leave it off and do not keep restarting it. The technician first measures the current draw, the capacitor and the voltage, because most of these cases are not the compressor.

The indoor unit blows plain air, and outside there is no sound and the fan does not turn.

Possible causes

• Fan mode, or a set temperature above the room's
• Low-voltage protection
• A capacitor or contactor in the outdoor unit
• The inverter board on Empire and Villar

Solution: Set Cool mode, lower the temperature a few degrees and wait a few minutes, because the unit delays before starting the compressor. If nothing happens, that is an electrical check for a technician.

A layer of ice on the pipe joints or the fins, with cooling dropping off.

Possible causes

• Clogged filters reducing airflow
• A slow indoor fan
• Low refrigerant

Solution: Switch the unit off to let it thaw, and wash the filters. If ice returns with clean filters, it is usually low refrigerant and needs a leak check.

Every two weeks in summer, and weekly if the home is near a dusty street.

Keep boxes and laundry away from it, and clean its fins before summer.

On Empire and Villar the compressor changes speed through a board in the outdoor unit. That board is sensitive to voltage swings, so when the outdoor unit stops, the board and voltage are checked before the compressor.

No. Refrigerant runs in a sealed circuit; if it is low there is a leak that must be fixed first, then the system recharged.