Appliance Repair and Maintenance
Home Appliance Repair and Maintenance
Home appliance maintenance keeps appliances running smoothly and reduces the risk of costly appliance repair. Your clothes dryer vents, air conditioning unit, furnace filters and smoke detectors are examples of devices that require regular attention if you wish to increase their efficiency and prolong their service life.
Home Appliance Maintenance Schedules
Home appliance maintenance seems to be one of those household chores that’s all too easy to forget about until you suddenly need to call an appliance repairman. Consider creating a maintenance schedule to help you remember when to attend to your home appliances.
Most home appliances come with instruction manuals that explain how often maintenance is required and how to safely care for these appliances. Read these manuals, as the information provided may reduce the need for expensive appliance repair.
Some appliances, such as air conditioning units or furnaces, see seasonal use. Schedule home appliance maintenance for a month or two before you start using them. Follow instructions in your owner’s manual to check that filters are clean, motors are in good repair and electrical cords are sound.
Home Appliance Maintenance Tips
While some home appliance maintenance tasks require professional assistance, you can complete others on your own, such as:
- Adjusting clothes washing machine legs to keep the appliance level and prevent "walking" during operation
- Checking air conditioning filters once a month and replacing them as necessary
- Checking clothes dryer exhaust outlets for blockages and keeping them free of snow
- Checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly and replacing batteries when necessary
- Cleaning the lint out of clothes dryer lint traps after each use
- Defrosting freezers on a regular basis, as ice buildup interferes with the appliance’s efficiency
- Following directions on the door of a self-cleaning oven. (Use this feature regularly.)
- Inspecting heating systems for leaky ducts
- Not plugging multiple home appliances into the same electric circuit
- Periodically cleaning garbage disposal units by running cold water and an ice cube tray worth of ice through it.
Professional Home Appliance Repair Jobs
On the other hand, some home appliance repair and maintenance jobs require professional assistance. As a general rule, repairs not covered in the troubleshooting section of instruction manuals are best left to professionals.
The electronic circuits and substances found in today’s large home appliances are complicated and can be dangerous. For instance, refrigerators contain Freon and other elements that require safe handling and appropriate disposal. Professionals should handle these home appliance repair projects.