Appliance Repair Glossary


AERATOR
A device used to infuse air into a liquid , An example is the aerator on the tip of a water faucet , This feature may also be found on some dishwasher faucet adaptors ,

AGITATOR
A device that is used to stir or shake up a mixture , Typically used to move clothing through water containing detergent , Sometimes called a GYRATOR ,

AIR CONDITIONER
Appliance used to control air temperature and as a byproduct also reduces humidity ,

BAKE/BROIL VALVE
An electrically operated valve, that opens and closes by means of a bimetal, to control the flow of gas to a gas oven burner , Sometimes referred to as a oven safety valve ,

BIMETAL
A device that is composed of two dissimilar metals bonded together to form a single metal strip , Each metal will expand differently to a change in temperature and cause the single metal strip to bend when heated or cooled , This movement can act as an actuator in various types of switches ,

BRITSH THERMAL UNIT (BTU)
The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit ,

CHILL-PLATE
An evaporator that is in the refrigerator compartment which defrosts each time the thermostat cycles off ,

COLD CONTROL
A switch that controls an electric current in response to changing temperature , More properly called a THERMOSTAT ,

COLD
The absence of heat , A refrigeration product does not add cold, but merely removes the heat ,

COMPRESSOR
An electro-mechanical device used to circulate refrigerant through a refrigeration system for the purpose of transferring heat ,

CONDENSATE
Moisture which is recovered from humidity when warm air is cooled ,

CONDENSER FAN
An electro-mechanical device used to force air through a condenser to aid in the transfer of heat ,

CONDENSER
The part of a refrigeration system where high pressure, heat latent gas is condensed into a liquid by means of heat transfer to the surrounding air ,

CYCLE-DEFROST REFRIGERATOR
A style of refrigeration appliance where a portion of the evaporator, usually the chill-plate, defrosts whenever the thermostat switches off ,

CYCLE
A series of events which have a tendency to repeat in the same order ,

DEFROST TERMINATION THERMOSTAT
A bimetal switch used to open the electric circuit to the defrost heater once a set temperature is reached , The defrost cycle will continue until the timer advances into the cooling cycle, however the heater will no longer be energized , This thermostat will reset to a closed position once a set colder temperature is again reached , May also be called a DEFROST LIMIT SWITCH ,

DEFROST TIMER
An electro-mechanical clock device that periodically switches from cooling to defrost to remove the buildup of frost from the evaporator , A possible compressor run time of 6 - 12 hrs , with defrost duration time of 20 - 30 minutes is common ,

DEHUMIDIFIER
An appliance designed to extract moisture from the ambient air by means of a refrigeration system , Warm moist air is drawn by a fan across the cold evaporator which causes the water vapor to condense onto the coil and drop into a container , The cooled air is then passed over the condenser where it is warmed before being passed back into the surrounding area ,

DOOR SEAL
A resilient or flexible material used between mating surfaces to provide a leak-proof seal , May also be called a DOOR GASKET ,

DRAIN PAN
A pan-shaped panel used to collect condensate from the evaporator during a defrost cycle , It is usually located above a condenser coil or atop the compressor , May also be called CONDENSATE PAN ,

DRAIN TROUGH
A trough-shaped panel used to funnel defrost condensate, from the evaporator coil, to the drain tube leading eventually to the drain pan ,

DRIP PAN/TRAY
A pan-shaped panel used to collect drips, spillage or condensate ,

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL
A term used to describe any device that turns electrical power into mechanical work or vise versa , One example is a automobile generator that turns mechanical rotation into electrical power ,

ENERGY SAVER SWITCH
REFRIGERATOR-A switch that when activated opens a circuit to an electric cabinet perimeter heater, to turn it off, to save electricity ,
AIR CONDITIONER-A switch that when activated allows the thermostat to cycle the fan motor on and off at the same time as it cycles the compressor ,

EVAPORATOR
That part of the refrigeration system in which the refrigerant evaporates, absorbing heat from the surrounding area , Sometime mistakenly thought to be that point where the drain pan evaporates the condensate water ,

FAUCET ADAPTOR
A male connector that attaches to a water faucet to allow a female connector (dishwasher unicouple) to attach to it , This device sometimes includes an aerator and is often called a TAP ADAPTOR ,

FILL VALVE
An electro-mechanical device that opens a valve to allow water to flow , The electric current causes a magnetic field to develop in the solenoid coil which in turn then moves a metallic plunger , The plunger is attached to a diaphragm which opens the valve , May also be called a WATER VALVE or WATER FILL VALVE ,

FILTER DRYER
A device containing screens and absorbent material through which refrigerant gas is passed in order to remove moisture that would be detrimental to other components and the functioning of a refrigeration system ,

FILTER
A device containing a porous material or a material itself, through which a liquid or gas is passed in order to separate suspended particulate matter , Common filter materials are activated charcoal, polypropylene and HEPA (high efficiency particulate air [filter]) ,

FREON
Trade name for a family of synthetic chemical refrigerants manufactured by DuPont , Sometime mistakenly called FreeZone ,

FROST-FREE REFRIGERATOR
A type of appliance that automatically defrosts by means of a timing device ,

FSP®
An abbreviation for Factory Specification Parts , Used by Whirlpool to differentiate genuine factory replacement parts from those of after market or universal replacement parts ,

FUSE
A safety device that protects an electric circuit from excessive current , It consists of or contains a metal filament that melts when current exceeds a specific amperage, thereby opening the circuit ,

GASKET
A resilient or flexible material used between mating surfaces to provide a leak-proof seal , May also be called a SEAL ,

GYRATE
To revolve around a fixed point or axis ,

GYRATOR
See Agitator ,

HEAT
A form of energy, the addition of which causes substances to increase in temperature ,

IDLER PULLEY
A free wheeling (unpowered) pulley used to put tension on the belt of a dryer or washing machine ,

IGNITOR
A solid state semiconductor, usually made of Carborundum that produces heat when a current is applied , Typically used to ignite natural gas or propane in heating appliances such as ranges, dryers and water heaters ,

INFINITE HEAT SWITCH
A switch that controls the amount of heat generated by an electric range surface burner , It accomplishes this by quickly cycling the voltage on and off to achieve an intermediate range (e ,g , at medium it may supply 100% voltage for only 50% of the time it is switched on) , It does not act like a rheostat and reduce the voltage, to lessen the heat generated, as sometime mistakenly thought ,

LATENT HEAT
The heat energy absorbed in the process of changing the state of a substance (e ,g , from solid to liquid, from liquid to gas, or vice versa) without changing the temperature or pressure ,

LIMIT SWITCH
A bimetal switch used to open the electric circuit once a set temperature is reached , This thermostat will usually reset to a closed position once a set colder temperature is again reached , May also be called a LIMIT DISC , Also see DEFROST TERMINATION THERMOSTAT ,

MANUAL-DEFROST REFRIGERATOR
A type of refrigerator that does not have a mechanical defrosting system and must be defrosted manually , This type of appliance usually has one main outer door with a small door inside, covering the evaporator box ,

MICROWAVE OVEN
An appliance that uses microwaves (radio waves in the microwave spectrum) to create friction at the molecular level, to generate heat in food ,

MICROWAVE
A high-frequency electromagnetic radio wave, in the spectrum between infrared light and short-wave radio wavelengths ,

MOULDING
A piece of plastic used to cover the joint between the inner and outer cabinet of a refrigerator or freezer , May also be called a BREAKER STRIP ,

MULLION HEATER
An electric heater mounted inside the mullion to prevent moisture from forming in humid weather ,

MULLION
The stationary part of a structure between two doors ,

OEM
An abbreviation for Original Equipment Manufacturer , Usually used to differentiate replacement parts supplied by the appliance manufacturer and those of after market or universal replacement parts (e ,g , FSP® is used to denote genuine Whirlpool OEM replacement parts) ,

OVERLOAD PROTECTOR
An electric switch that senses temperature or current (amperage) to stop operation of a unit if a dangerous condition arises ,

OZONE
A form of oxygen (O 3) usually obtained by the discharge of electricity in air ,

PRESSURE SWITCH
An electric switch activated by air pressure , This device detects air pressure exerted on it through a flexible tube connecting it to part of a water tub , When activated, this switch then opens an electrical circuit stopping further filling of the machine , May also be called a WATER PRESSURE SWITCH, WATER LEVEL CONTROL ,

PUMP
A machine or device for moving or compressing fluids or gases ,

REFRIGERANT TYPES
R12 (dichlorodifluoromethane) is typically used in household refrigerators, freezers and older car air conditioners ,
R22 (monochlorodifluoromethane) is used in window air conditioners ,
R134a (tetrafluoroethane) is now used in many domestic refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers and car air conditioners ,

REFRIGERANT
A substance used in a refrigeration system to absorb heat in the evaporator coil, by means of a change of state from liquid to a gas, and to release its heat in the condenser as the substance returns from the gaseous state back into a liquid , Also see Freon ,

REFRIGERATOR
An appliance designed to transfer heat from the interior of the cabinet to the exterior ,

RELAY
An electro-mechanical switch that diverts the current when the flow is changed or when an external current is applied ,

SILFOSS
A silver-alloy solder containing 5-15% silver , It is used to weld copper to copper joints in refrigeration systems and able to withstand high pressures ,

SILVER SOLDER
A silver-alloy solder with 35% or higher silver content , Used to withstand high refrigerant pressures in joints made between copper and steel tubing ,

SOLENOID
An electro-mechanical device that produces a magnetic field, to move an internal metallic plunger, when power is supplied , When power to the electromagnet is discontinued, the plunger is free again to move by other forces , This plunger can be attached to other devices (levers, seals, etc ,) to do mechanical work ,

SOLID STATE RELAY
An electronic switch that diverts the current when the flow is changed or when an external current is applied , May also be called a TRIAC ,

TAP ADAPTOR
A male connector that attaches to a water faucet to allow a female connector (dishwasher unicouple) to attach to it , This device sometimes includes an aerator and is more properly called a dishwasher FAUCET ADAPTOR ,

Therm-O-Disc, Inc ,
Therm-O-Disc is a manufacturer of temperature sensors, temperature controls and electrical switches for the appliance, HVAC, automotive and commercial industries and is a subsidiary of Emerson Electric Co , Probably most notably associated with their bimetal disc thermostats ,

THERMODISC
A mechanical electric switch that is responsive to changing temperature by means of a bimetal actuator ,

THERMOSTAT
A switch that controls an electric current or the flow of a liquid or gas in response to changing temperature ,

TIMER
A mechanism used to control the on and off times of an electric circuit , Also see DEFROST TIMER ,

TRIAC
An electronic relay that diverts the current when the flow is changed or when an external current is applied ,

UNICOUPLE
Device used to attach the fill and drain hose of a portable dishwasher or washing machine to a faucet (tap) adaptor mounted on a sink faucet - Unicoupler

WATER LEVEL CONTROL
An electric switch activated by air pressure , This device detects air pressure exerted on it through a flexible tube connecting it to part of a water tub , When activated, this switch then opens an electrical circuit stopping further filling of the machine , May also be called a PRESSURE SWITCH ,

WATER VALVE
An electro-mechanical device that opens a valve to allow water to flow , The electric current causes a magnetic field to develop, in the solenoid coil, which then moves a metallic plunger , The plunger in turn opens the valve , May also be called a FILL VALVE ,

YODER HEATER
A heater (either electric or part of a refrigeration system's condenser tubing) typically mounted around the front perimeter of a refrigerator cabinet to keep it warm and prevent condensation from forming ,

This appliance glossary courtesy of Appliance411 ,com , All rights reserved ,