[Food Blender]How to Repair Food Blender Food Blender Troubleshooting
How Food Blenders Work
A food blender is a small electric appliance. In other words, their function is not to heat, but to stir. Specifically, they are capable of stirring or mixing food ingredients. Obviously, the electric motor is a major component of the food blender. Of course there are also gears. The gears convert the rotation of the motor, which in turn causes the agitator to rotate in the opposite direction. The speed controller can vary the current delivered to the motor, thereby controlling the rotational speed of the agitator.
There are two types of food blenders: portable (hand-held) blenders and stationary (stand-alone) blenders. Portable mixers are lightweight and have a small motor for simpler mixing jobs. Stand mixers have larger motors and components and can perform difficult tasks, such as kneading dough or mixing a larger clump of ingredients.
How to Repair a Food Blender
Simple repairs for a food blender include servicing switches, speed controls, and gears.
Service Switch: A switch is a simple component that can easily stop a small appliance from functioning. When the blender does not run, test the switch after checking the plug and power cord. Here’s how to inspect and replace the switch:
Step 1: Gently remove the cover of the switch to expose the back of the switch.
Step 2: Check the switch terminals to make sure the wires in the appliance are well connected to the switch.
Step 3: Mark the wire termination locations, then disconnect them.
Step 4: Use a continuity tester or multimeter to determine if the switch is faulty. If yes, replace switch and rewire.
Service Speed Controller: The speed of the food mixer is controlled by changing the current sent to the motor. Smaller hand mixers use speed switches that contain many electrical contacts, each of which increases the current delivered to the motor. Larger mixers use variable resistors to control the current. Regardless of the type of speed controller, it can be checked with a continuity detector or a multimeter. Sometimes cleaning the contacts can also help improve performance. But in many cases, problems caused by the speed controller can only be solved by replacement.
Maintenance Gear: Food mixers work well because their mixers rotate in opposite directions, allowing them to mix ingredients efficiently. This opposite rotation is created by the gears. Most food mixers are connected to a worm gear on the motor shaft, and the worm gear drives two or more pinions. The pinion in turn drives the agitator to rotate. Since the gear is a physical component rather than an electrical component, the repair method is different. Here’s how to check and lubricate the gears:
Step 1: Make sure the appliance is unplugged.
Step 2: Remove the top cover to expose the gears. In most cases, you can inspect the gear causing the problem for damage and then lubricate it.
Step 3: Check and lubricate the worm gear and pinion gear, making sure not to apply excess lubricant to the motor or any electronic components.
Step 4: Before reassembly, remove any loose chips or debris from the housing.
Replace the fuse: If the food blender’s motor won’t run, the motor’s fuse may have blown. Here’s how to check and replace the fuse:
Step 1: Remove the top cover to expose the motor.
Step 2: Locate and disconnect the fuse from the motor.
Step 3: Connect the probes of a continuity tester or multimeter to both ends of the fuse to check for a path. If not present, the fuse has blown and must be replaced with a fuse of the same current rating.
Step 4: Since the fuse is there to prevent damage to the motor due to excess current, check the speed controller and other electronic components in the blender to determine what caused the fuse to blow. Otherwise, once the motor is started, the new fuse will also be blown.
Replace the electric motor: If a small appliance is properly designed, the electric motor should be the least likely component to fail. Therefore, the maintenance process is also often the last to check the motor. Unless you have the proper tools, you should replace the motor rather than attempt a repair. Alternatively, you can take the motor to a professional repairman for repairs. Here’s how to test and replace the motor:
Step 1: Test the motor for continuity as you would any other electronic component.
Step 2: If an open circuit is detected, tag and remove the wires attached to it, then remove the motor from the housing.
Step 3: Make sure the new motor is the exact same model and power rating as the failed motor to ensure it fits inside the housing and performs the same task.
