How to Fix an Electric Juicer

Electric juicers shred vegetables and fruits apart and separate the juice from the pulp. Juicers work by using a centrifugal force created by a permanent-magnet DC motor and a perforated filter basket to extract the juice. If your unit is not fully assembled properly, it won't work at all because of an internal interlock switch. A main reason a juicer stops working is because of broken parts or jams. Read on to learn how to fix an electric juicer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Volt-ohm meter

1. Unplug your juicer and remove the strainer and pulp assemblies. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws on the baseplate of your juicer.

2. Check the blades and other parts of the juicer to make sure they appear to be the proper shapes and forms. If the blades are bent, the juicer won't work properly. Bend the blades back in shape or replace the blades.

3. Check the interlock switch and other parts of the motor to make sure nothing appears to be jammed. Everything should move freely. If the pins in the interlock switch is jammed, clean the pins and remove all debris.

4. Test the DC motor on your electric juicer with a volt-ohm meter set on RX1. Clip the probes to each of the brush terminals. Turn the rotor slowly and watch the meter. You should get a reading of some sort. If the readings are steady, your motor is fine. If your readings tend to fluctuate, your rotor windings are bad and you should replace the bad motor.

5. Check the brushes and springs in the DC motor. The brushes and springs are held together with flexible metal terminals. Pry the terminal wings outward with a screwdriver to remove the brushes. Check the brushes to make sure they aren't damaged at all. Replace them if they are damaged.

6. Spray the rotor and the brushing housing with contact cleaner and replace the brush assembly if it appears to be worn.

Tips & Warnings

• If your filter basket is damaged or bent, don't use it. Replace it, so you won't cause permanent damage to the juicer.