Have you paid extra to get a good quality toaster, only to have it fail after two years?

We'll show you the typical steps for getting that layabout appliance back in action!

This Instructable documents a common request at the monthly YuKonstruct "Repair Cafe".

Step 1: Tools and Project Preparation

You will need:

a toaster that is currently under performing for some reason
a selection of screwdrivers
a tray to hold screws so they don't get misplaced (e.g. a jar lid)
a pocket knife (or a scrap of sandpaper for cleaning crud off electrical contacts)
cleaning solution (like a spray can of "Electrical Contact Cleaner", obtained from your local hardware store or automotive parts house)

Before disassembling it, clean the crumbs out of the (unplugged) toaster as well as you can.

Step 2: Remove the Cover / Housing

After unplugging the toaster and shaking out the crumbs, turn it upside down (preferably on a counter where you can easily clean up the additional crumbs that are going to fall out very shortly).

Remove the screws on the underside of the toaster chassis. Note that there may be little tabs that hook the housing onto the chassis - every toaster is different. In any case, be patient and work methodically to avoid cracking or scratching the housing.

Handles on the toast carriers and darkness control knobs will have to be removed. (Usually they just slide off, but in this case there were little plastic catches that had to be pried away first.)

In this case there were connectors on two ribbon cables running from the chassis to electronic button controls on the top of the housing. The connectors had to be disconnected before the chassis could be lifted free of the housing.

Step 3: Clean the Inside of the Toaster

Now that the cover is off, you will see there are a lot more crumbs to be removed!

Shake, scrape, and brush out all the crumbs you can - you never know how they could be interfering with the toaster operation.

Step 4: Examine Electrical Contacts and Clean Them

This toaster would not toast because one of the bread carriers would not stay down while the bread was toasting.

If it starts to toast when you force the carrier handle down and hold it down, then it may be that the electromagnet surfaces are dirty, (and when they are dirty, they are not strong enough to hold the bread carrier down).

If the heating elements don't come on even when you hold it down the handle, it may be that the springy electrical contacts are dirty, (and when they are dirty they can't pass electrical current to the electromagnet and the heating elements).

Either way, once the housing is off, now is a great time to scrape clean the surfaces of the electromagnets (and the metal plates they mate to on the bread carriers) and then spray them with Electrical Contact Cleaner (as shown in the first three photos).

Also, you should now clean the springy copper electrical contacts (as shown in the last three photos) that are activated when the bread carrier handle is forced down (and that, when activated, pass electrical current to the electromagnet. I used a pocket knife to carefully scrape the contacts and sprayed Electrical Contact Cleaner to remove any residue.