subject: How To Prolong The Life Of Your Appliances [print this page] There are small, but vital things every homeowner can do to mitigate the cost of replacing an appliance. Working in conjunction with a reputable appliance maintenance and repair shop, a homeowner can easily prolong the life and maintain invaluable comfort at home.
Most homes contain an average array of appliances, refrigerator, washer, dryer, garbage disposal, dishwashers, air-conditioners or heaters. Each appliance requires simple, regular maintenance to ensure that it doesn't break down on a Tuesday night and face, a busy week without heat or air, or fresh food. However, with a few simple tricks, appliance maintenance doesn't have to break the bank.
Air Conditioners are one of the most underrated of appliances. For most of us, we want to flip a switch in July and just have cool air. Most people don't consider the basic maintenance that can make the summer months much more comfortable. The first thing to consider is to run the Air Conditioner before the summer for a few minutes. If you wait until the first hot day and realize that you have no air, you are not only uncomfortable, but in a long line waiting for the air conditioner repair shop to get to you. To avoid sweltering for days on end, get a jump on the season and test your air conditioner early!
The next consideration is the change the filters regularly. Dirty filters restrict air flow, reducing efficiency and worse case, can cause the evaporator to ice up. Disposable fiberglass filters should be replaced fairly often and Electrostatic or electronic filters need to be washed regularly.
The Heater is the other side of the underrated appliance coin. It's important to test the heater before the cold sets in. In addition, dirt can cause big problems for your furnace. A build up of dirt can waste fuel and drastically lower efficiency. Dirt affects all three basic components of your furnace, the filter system, the blower and the motor, so cleaning is the most important part of regular maintenance.
For a thorough cleaning of your microwave, place a cup containing water and two tablespoons of lemon juice and heat it on high for two to three minutes. This will soften the grime enough to remove with a moist cloth. Your local appliance maintenance shop is available for issues, such as sparking, unresponsive touchpad, partial, or no heating of food.
Don't hear any turning or humming when the Garbage Disposal is turned on? Try resetting the garbage disposal. Every garbage disposal unit comes with a reset button located at the bottom of the disposal unit (beneath the unit under your sink, not inside the garbage disposal itself). Hold the button down for a couple of seconds and try turning on the unit again. For more serious issues, such as water leakage, loud, grinding noises, or a dead unit, your local appliance maintenance is only a phone call away.
For instance, Self-Cleaning Ovens should be wiped down and racks removed to shorten cleaning time. Also, if the oven has plug in burners, make sure they are fully plugged in after cleaning. Call you're your local appliance repair shop for any of the following problems: Sparking, Leaky Door Seal, Burning Food, Undercooking, Overcooking, Self-Cleaning function not working.
Regular maintenance for washers include "the rule of two", meaning Two (2) Tablespoons of High Efficiency (HE) detergent, softener or bleach. Ensure the washer is level, replace the fill hoses ever Five (5) years (factory recommended), Avoid overloading. The #1 Killer of washing machines is overloading. Call your local appliance repair shop for any of the following issues: No agitation or spin, Leaks, No Pump out, Clothes too wet at end of cycle, No Hot Water, Too Much Vibration during Spin Cycle.
Make sure the filters are regularly cleaned in dryers. Make sure the vent pipe isn't kinked if the clothes take too long to dry. Contact your local Appliance maintenance repair shop for any of the following problems: Little or No Heat, No Tumble, Noisy or if the dryer must be run twice to fully dry the clothes.
The compressor on the refrigerator should be cleaned twice a year. The water hoses should also be checked for cracks or bulges. For any other problems, such as sweating in the fresh food compartment, not cold, excessive frost in the freezer, leaning water, contact your local appliance maintenance repair shop.
Dishwasher maintenance is fairly straightforward. It is recommended to wipe all of the food off dishes prior to washing, only use a high quality detergent and rinse agent, and make sure the water is at 120 degrees. Contact your local appliance maintenance repair shop for any of the following: no water, dishwasher leaking, hums then shuts off, no water pump out, doesn't clean dishes well or cloudy glassware.
It's possible, with a little preventative maintenance, to prolong the life of costly household appliances. The tips above can help any homeowner to easily and thriftily provide continued comfort for the family. Regular maintenance, in conjunction with a reputable appliance repair specialist can keep your appliances running at full efficiency all year long.
