subject: Before You Trash That Broken Blender See If These Quick Fixes Can Help [print this page] Before You Trash That Broken Blender See If These Quick Fixes Can Help
As time passes even the most sturdy of blenders will start to wear down. If you like your daily smoothie and use your blender each day, then this is really true. In years past, people would always try to fix something before just throwing it away, but that's not the case today. Most of the time, taking a small kitchen appliance to get repaired is not worth it. But before you resign your blender to the landfill and buy a new one, there are several quick and easy repairs you can do yourself. Taking the time to do these checks to see if you can get your blender working again is certainly worth it.
Container Leaks
A leaking blender is very common as blenders age and are used frequently. Even top rated blenders from blender reviews will start to have this problem eventually. The likely cause of this is the gasket or o-ring that resides in the bottom of the blender jar, attached to the blade assembly. As time passes, the rubber gasket starts to break down. However, if you find your blender leaking from an area other than the bottom, then there's probably a crack in the container. If that's the case it will need to be replaced. It's most likely the gasket though if there's bottom leaking. To check, simply unscrew the blade assembly from the container and remove the rubber gasket. Then simply look for tears and damage. This part is easily replaceable and only costs a few dollars. You can buy one at any online retailer or home appliance store.
Faulty Blades
The blades is another area where you'll see problems start to pop up. Typically the engine will run just fine, but the blades will spin to slow. Usually this happens because the blade assembly is clogged or blocked. You need to disassemble the blade components and clean all the parts with a scrub brush. Food and drink remains have most likely been accumulating in the assembly and slowing the blades. Soaking everything for a few hours in detergent will also help to dissolve any food particles or gunk that has built up over time. Just to be safe though, check you owner's manual to make sure this is OK for your blender. Adding some white grease to the bottom of the blade assembly can also help. Just be sure to keep it away from areas where food will be. If all of this fails to work, then you'll probably have to replace the whole assembly, which can also be purchased online or at most home appliance retailers.
Busted Buttons
The control panel and the buttons will also see their share of problems in kitchen blenders. Often buttons will get stuck. This is probably caused by food and drink getting down into the button area and causing them to jam up. Even the most thoroughly cleaned blenders will have some food accumulation over time. Removing the control panel or sticker will let you clean the buttons more thoroughly. You can use a toothbrush here to help you get down into all the crevices. You can also get to the buttons easier by taking off the bottom of the blender unit and pulling out the control panel component. Before doing this, check with your owner's manual. Often all your blender needs is a good cleaning to get the buttons working again.
This information should help solve most common minor blender problems. Remember that a simply replacement or repair is much cheaper than having to get a new blender. It's also much better for the environment to repair something rather than to just throw it away.
