Recommended Online Repair and Parts Resources
Whenever I need to fix something — or break it further while trying to fix it — I go to YouTube.
— Steve Jones-D’Agostino, Repair Cafe, Bolton, Massachusetts
Repair coaches never know what kinds of damaged items will be brought through the door at any repair event. Yet they say that they enjoy the challenges that present themselves and the opportunity to collaborate with others to solve problems. And they’re not shy about looking for answers online. By this point, you may be inspired to try your hand at fixing. Or maybe you just can’t get yourself and your beloved but broken item to a repair event. To get you started on the way to repair, this section offers a curated list of online sources recommended by our teams of volunteers.
Our volunteers suggest that you start your research by reading the product’s owner’s manual to help ensure that you understand the basics of how it’s supposed to work. Ideally the manufacturer’s service manual will provide detailed drawings and describe the recommended process for replacing parts, but this has become less common. All too often, only setup information is provided. An article in the Wall Street Journal in December 2018 told part of the story: “Instructions are not what — or where — they used to be.” YouTube is the go-to site to that Repair Cafe fixperts across the country use when they’re searching for information online. Next in popularity is Google, followed by iFixit, DuckDuckGo (“Mainly because it doesn’t surveil me like Google does,” explains one repair coach), GoodSearch, and Bluprint. Those who use YouTube like to use it for troubleshooting problems. One coach recommends watching “at least three demos to avoid an idiosyncratic fixer.” Others use Google for information about a part, a component, an instructional manual, and “a method to fix.”
Websites Recommended by Repair Coaches
•iFixit: The Free Repair Manual (ifixit.com) — Teardowns, repair guides, and answer forums appear for free on this site. “A real community affair, typical of the movement.”
•Microsoft’s community forum (answers.microsoft.com) — For instruction or troubleshooting.
•Appliance Parts (applianceparts.com) — For troubleshooting, appliance repairs, lawn equipment repairs, heating and cooling repairs, parts, and more.
•DIY Network (diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair): Tips and how-to instructions for common household repairs indoors and out.
•DoItYourself.com (doityourself.com): Information on home improvement and repairs for common problems.
•eReplacementParts.com (ereplacementparts.com) — For troubleshooting, excellent how-to videos, and parts. “They’ll email documents pre-sale to help you figure out what’s wrong and what you need.”
•Family Handyman (familyhandyman.com) — Go to the site, then go to the pulldown menu and click on “How To & Repair.”
•Repair Clinic (repairclinic.com) — Find parts for appliances, lawn and garden equipment, heating and cooling equipment, and more from the top brands in the industry.
•RepairPartsPlus (repairpartsplus.com) — iPhone parts, iPad parts, and cell phone parts.
•Sears Parts Direct (searspartsdirect.com/diy/repair-help) — “Step-by-step instructions and videos for repairing kitchen and laundry appliances, small appliances, lawn and garden equipment and more.…If you’re not sure what the problem is, our descriptions of symptoms can help you pinpoint the solution.”
•See Jane Drill (youtube.com/user/seejanedrill) — “The only DIY home improvement channel where a woman provides the instruction.”
•TechNet (technet.microsoft.com) — For instruction or troubleshooting.
•Bluprint (mybluprint.com) — For sewing and crafting classes.
•So Sew Easy (so-sew-easy.com) — A sewing blog with tips and tutorials for “new and improving sewers” that intends to “inspire, guide, and learn with you.”