Home Appliances

Home appliances make life easier, but what's really going on inside them? HowStuffWorks Home Appliances articles take a look inside common household appliances.

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Gas and electric ovens operate fairly simply, and they're usually easy to repair, mainly because the components are designed for quick disassembly. Learn how to service and repair gas and electric ovens.

By Fix-It Club

Central air and window conditioners require routine maintenance to keep them operating at peak efficiency. It's important to know how a system's main parts function. Learn to troubleshoot a central air and room conditioner system.

By Fix-It Club

Before you toss out that malfunctioning hair dryer, toaster, or other small appliance, make sure the problem isn't an easy one to fix. Learn troubleshooting tips for all types of small appliances.

By Fix-It Club

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Ribs, chicken and lots of barbecue sauce. Steaks, burgers, hot dogs and assorted veggies. Summer is prime grilling season. Ever wonder how these treats get so tasty?

By Jeff Tyson

You see fluorescent lighting all over the place -- in offices, homes, stores, dressing rooms. But there's a certain mystery to it. Find out what's going on inside these glowing tubes!

By Tom Harris

The light bulb hasn't changed a whole lot in its 120 years -- the original design was just that good. Apparently, you can throw together a filament, a glass mount, an inert gas and a bit of electricity and change the world. Learn what happens when yo

By Tom Harris

A regular light switch takes care of off and on. A dimmer switch handles off, on and everything in between. Find out what this clever switch does with electrical current.

By Tom Harris

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There's nothing worse than having your AC go on the fritz in the middle of summer. And one of the biggest reasons for air conditioning failure can be easily prevented.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Lots of people like the relaxing massage they get from the water jets in a hot tub. But some people prefer a gentler touch. How are air tubs different from whirlpools?

By Dan Fontaine

Getting your oven dirty is easy. Getting it clean again is another matter entirely. Self-cleaning ovens sound good, but do they really work as well as their makers promise?

By John Kelly