083010-mixer.jpgThis morning, a total kitchen tragedy occurred. My professional Kitchenaid mixer wouldn't turn on. It has seen me through countless recipes — cakes, cupcakes, icings, breakfast treats and more — but today it decided that enough is enough.

Not being one to take things lying down, I put the internet to work and rounded up some links to help all of us get our mixers back up and running when they give us the proverbial appliance finger (you know, if they had fingers, that is).

Common Problems

There seem to be three common problems when it comes to KitchenAid mixers. The first is like ours, where the machine simply won't turn on.

The next is having the beaters hit the bottom of the bowl, and the last is having a worm gear break inside.

That isn't to say, however, that there aren't other problems that can occur. We read about one man who has oil leaking from the attachment head down into the bowl and others who can't get their head to lock open or closed and some whose mixers are sluggish and can't even whip cream. But for the most part, the three above are the most common issues.

Here are a few resources we found to help remedy the problems yourself. Yes, this means you'll have to take it apart. Many of the sites have step by step pictures to help guide you through so don't worry. Even if you can't fix it, you'll still be paying the same amount in labor for someone else to get the job done, so you might as well have tried first!

Resources for KitchenAid Stand Mixer Repair

• How To Repair A Kitchenaid Mixer Yourself: This is hands down the best link we have in our arsenal (though it doesn't fix our current problem). Tammy from Food on Food shows you step by step how to replace a worm gear, which is the number one problem with mixers when something goes awry. It's a part that's intended to break down before your motor burns out and many who use their mixer for dough will experience this once or twice during the life of their mixer!

• Fix Ya: This is a good starting place for those with electrical issues, or when your appliance won't turn on. There's a great list of things to check before sending it out. They also have a listing of all the different mixers made over the years and many have specific answers only for that model.

• How To Troubleshoot Kitchenaid Mixers: Over at How To there's a list of things to go through to help define the problem you might be having.

• Need New Parts? Here's a great listing of parts that may need to replacing. Most are under $20, which is far less than having someone else do it. Remember if a part was greasy coming out, it needs to be going back in as well, so don't forget to pick up some machine grease too!

• Adjusting The Beater/Bowl Height: This gives you a specific set of screws to adjust. This will help keep the beater from hitting the bowl or having your whisk attachment fly around a little crazy.

Have you ever fixed your own KitchenAid stand mixer, or sent one in for repair? How did it go?

Related: Should I Buy a Tilt-Head or Bowl-Lift KitchenAid Mixer?

(Image: Sarah Rae Trover, Too-Hectic)