Wizard Of All

09/21/2025

Stinky Front Load Washer? 🤑

If your front load washer smells like a wet dog laying in a pile of stinky socks with a hint of Sewer gas, you are NOT ALONE.

A good indication of a problem "aside from the smell", is a black sludge in the bottom area of the rubber boot. You can attempt to clean that sludge with a typical small mildly abrasive sponge with a safe recommended cleaning solution. The rubber ring is very difficult to clean properly without removing it and would be considered a bare minimum maintenance task for heavily soiled machines. Removal of the rubber boot is not as easy job and should not be considered a DIY project unless you are a very mechanically inclined individual.

If your machine has a "Clean Cycle", run it initially with two cleaning tablets and continue using clean cycle with a single tablet after completing your laundry or daily for a week. An indication that the "Gunk" is gone is when there are no signs of black residue gathering in on the rubber boot or stainless steel basket.

If your machine does not have a clean cycle, use hot water on a long cycle like "Heavy Duty" with spin is set to slow if possible. Once the tablets dissolve, pause the machine for about 30 min and then resume again.

If your machine is older and has never been cleaned, aside from the visible black "Funky Gunk" in the rubber ring, it may have a very think layer of "GUNK" in the drum around the stainless steel basket that you cannot see. Each time you clean your machine, it will slowly work away at cleaning out the residue, however this can take considerably longer than the cleaning tablets suggest. I would recommend using a washer safe cleaning tablet such as "Affresh" in between regular washing for at least two weeks or until the smell and signs of residue in the rubber ring are gone.

After your rubber ring has been thoroughly cleaned, you wipe between your ring gold with a paper towel after each load. When the paper towel is no longer showing signs of residue, your machine is likely clean now and just needs to be maintained.

The following illustrations are from my own 9 year old LG washer. Initial efforts of multiple attempts to clean with cleaning tablets were unsuccessful at removing the "GUNK" so I ended up removing and cleaning the rubber ring. You will notice that there are no signs of Funky Gunk remaining and all that is required now is some regular cleaning maintenance.

08/27/2025

Are you thinking about getting security cameras installed at your residence but prefer not to pay higher costs associated with commercial installations and monthly fees?
The Wizard is happy to provide you with professional installation of Camera wiring, as well as installation of customer provided Camera solutions.
The Wizard has years of experience installing concealed low voltage and camera wiring.
Reach out to the Wizard for a free site visit to determine what can done to assist with your Security Camera installation.

Wizard Of All...most anything. Fix, repair, troubleshoot

03/15/2025

Making this common mistake could cost you hundreds of dollars😟.
If you own a front load HE (High Efficiency) washer and are using too much detergent, you are causing advanced corrosion of a critical component in your washer.

The metal components used in front load washer drums are prone to corrosion that is accelerated by using too much detergent. If the (Spider Bracket) component corrodes and breaks, it may be a cost prohibitive repair.

Experts say that using only a tablespoon of HE detergent is enough to do the job and prolong your washer life expectancy.

If you find that you need to use more detergent on a regular basis to get your clothes clean, you should be running a clean cycle on your machine at least once a month to help reduce corrosion.

A clean cycle, (no clothes), uses hot water and should be used in combination with a washing machine cleaning tablet in order to assist in removing residue. You can also use dishwasher tablet if it is the hard brick type. DO NOT use the soft plastic dishwasher pucks.

The Wizard Of All has performed washing machine repairs and found the Spider bracket component to be badly corroded but the cost of repairs are often over half the cost of a new machine.

Do yourself a favour and save money on Detergent, while prolonging your washer life by minimizing use.

02/14/2025

With all the snow we have and what is coming this weekend, it is very important that everyone who has a gas furnace make sure the vent pipes outside the home are clear of snow. There are typically two pipes, one bring fresh air in and the other exhaust Carbon Monoxide.
If snow buildup around these pipes restricts or blocks the airflow, it can cause the furnace to stop operating or worse cause CO gases to rise in your home.
If you are unable to check yourself please speak to a neighbour or someone that can have a look for you. This problem is more common in townhomes where the exhaust pipes are closer to areas where snow is being pushed or thrown.

11/16/2024

Another Washing Machine repair. This LG washer was exhibiting an error code E1. The code was referencing a water inlet restriction or drain blockage.

After diagnosing, I found the problem to be bad cold water inlet valve. Ordered part and returned to install.

Problem solved at a total cost of $110.
Initial Visit $40
Return Visit $30 45 min @ $10/15 min
Part $40

10/30/2024

Halloween is a perfect time of year to remember some key Home Maintenance tasks.🧐

1) Inspect/Replace your furnace filter. Most furnace filters should be replaced every 3-6 months.😲

2) Shut off your outdoor taps and drain the water out of them. This may not be the case of you have a Frost Free tap. Frost Free taps self drain when they are turned off from the outside.🥶😱

Send a message to learn more

10/29/2024

When was you Dryer Vent last cleaned out?
How do you know if it is working efficiently?
Do you experience any of the following symptoms when using your clothes Dryer?
- Hot humid room
- Clothes take forever to dry
- Very dusty / lint accumulation behind the dryer

Here are some basic things you should check!
1) You outside vent cover should be cleared of lint a few times a year or more often depending on accumulation.
2) The vent from your dryer to wall should NOT be kinked or bent, or in any way restricting airflow and should be sealed to prevent air leaking into your room.

If your vent is clean and the pipe from the Dryer to wall is not restricted, you should have strong air blowing from the outside vent. If your airflow is poor, it could be a portion of your vent pipe in your house may be separated, allowing humid air lint to escape in your home.

The attached pictures are from a Dryer Vent that looked clear from the outside but upon removal of the flaps the inside was 75% blocked.

Call the Wizard to perform an inspection & cleaning of your Dryer and ensure that your venting is functioning optimally.

10/17/2024

Southern Ontario just issued a warning,having dipped below freezing in some regions overnight. It is time to think about shutting off the water supply to your outdoor taps.

There should be a shut off valve in the basement ceiling (bronze tap images). The valve is often located just inside where the outdoor tap is, however that is not always the case.

There is a procedure to turning off and draining the water from the tap.
1) Turn off water at inside valve.
2) Disconnect hose attachment from outside tap and verify that water is completely shut off. There may be a few drips of water.
3) Remove the drain cap from the indoor tap. This allows the water left in the pipe between the indoor shut off and the outside tap to be removed. You may need a small jug to collect the water.
4) Screw the drain cap back on as tight as you can with your fingers.

WARNING: Do not attempt to remove the drain cap when the water supply valve is still on!

NOTE 1: The drain caps are often corroded and may be difficult to remove without pliers. You may need to inspect the small rubber seal in the bottom of the cap to make sure it is in good condition.

NOTE 2: New homes often have "frost free" outdoor taps that do not require any inside taps to be shut off. These taps can usually be identified by the forward facing k**b on a straight valve body (silver tap image). It is also common for a fair bit of water to drip out of the tap after it is shut off.

If your unsure about how to shut off your outdoor tap or need assistance, call the Wizard 905-745-2425.

09/03/2024

Another Wish Granted!

There are lots of homeowners who would prefer to take on a DIY project to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Sometimes those projects do not go as planned!

This customer ended up needing assistance when kitchen sink drain was leaking. When these situations arise, it is difficult to find someone affordable to do small jobs but luckily they reached out to the Wizard.

09/03/2024

As the weather gets cooler, those cute little mice like to find a new home.

Here are some tips to help keep them out of your home!

- Check your seals around the bottom of your entrance and patio doors. You should not be able to see any daylight when closed

- Screens should be in place and not have any tears or holes

- Windows should close properly allowing latches and locks to engage, preventing any gaps. This is particularly important on basement windows

- Entrance holes such as cable, phone, gas, hydro, vents, etc.. should have voids and gaps sealed with a good quality exterior grade clear silicone

- Brick air gaps found in most modern homes are located on the bottom row of brick. They are vertical spaces where mortar is not present and they should have wire screen inside them to prevent mice from entering. If you are able to shove the large end of a pencil in more than 3", then mice can also get in. The easiest solution is to stuff an old, Steel Wool / "SOS Pad" cleaning pad into the gap. If you don't have any, pick up some small flexible wire mesh and place in gap. DO NOT seal these holes with caulking, they are intended as an air gap to prevent moisture buildup between the Brick and exterior wall surface behind it.