(Newswire.net — April 5, 2019) — Appliances make work a lot easier for us. If it weren’t for these refrigerators, microwaves or dishwashers, housekeeping would have been a lot harder than it is now. Though some of these are a bit expensive, but most of these appliances have found their way into many kitchens. Knowing the proper way to use and maintain these appliances can go a long way in keeping them working for a long time. That’s why we’ve come up with these appliance maintenance tips that’ll help you prolong the life of your costly appliances.
Making Your Appliances Last
If you correctly use an appliance – like only washing dishwasher-safe dishes in the dishwasher, or not overloading your washing machine, not throwing random things down the garbage disposal, the effects of general wear and tear may not appear as quickly. Besides, taking care of your appliances by scheduling regular maintenance repairs and paying attention to the performance of the appliance can greatly increase its longevity.
Here are three easy appliance maintenance tips and tricks that you can add into your appliance care tool belt to help you avoid those expensive repair bills.
Appliance Maintenance Tips
1. Check Your Oven Door Seal
If you have an oven that needs frequent maintenance, or your oven recently started to take a long time to cook food, you may have a faulty oven seal. Over time, the oven’s seal eventually wears away, and this causes nearly 20% of the oven’s heat to escape.
An oven that can’t maintain a consistent temperature might undercook food, burn baked goods, or overcook your holiday meal. Plus, losing 20% of your oven’s heat means that your electricity bill significantly increases.
If you think that your oven’s seal is damaged or loose, open the oven door and run your hands around the rubber gasket at the edges of the door. If there are any broken or torn places in the seal, or if parts of the seal are deformed, you may need to replace your oven seal.
2. Replacing Filters
Many people forget to replace or clean out the filters in their appliances. Letting lint pile up in the dryer or soap scum build up in washing machines can be detrimental to your home as well as the appliance. Dirty or worn out filters hinders your appliances’ ability to do its job.
This may appear to homeowners that the appliance frequently wears out or is faulty. However, in most cases, the real reason behind the poor performance is a dirty filter.
If you have an appliance that isn’t performing as well as it should, take out the filters and remove any dirt, grime, soap scum, or another build-up that has occurred through frequent use. In some cases – like your refrigerator’s water filter – you may need to replace the filter entirely. This may seem slightly expensive, but it will save you the expense of paying for the entire appliance.
3. Replacing Washing Machine Hoses
Washing machine floods may be your worst nightmare. Most in-home water damage comes from a leak in a washing machine hose. Homeowners should frequently check their washing machine hose at least once every year if not bi-yearly.
If you have had a washing machine for longer than a year, you should check your hose as soon as you can. To do this, remove the panel on the machine and search for cracks or leaks in the hose. If there is a crack or leak in the hose, you may need to replace it. You can find these hoses at a local appliance repair shop, or you can return to the place you purchased the appliance and acquire a new hose.