There are many minor things that you can do to extend the life of any appliance. You may think that all you have to do is to occasionally wipe off or vacuum your coils or clean off the stove top, however, here are some simple steps that may save you expensive repairs or replacement of your major appliances.

Know your warranty

If your appliance is still under warranty do not attempt repairing it yourself. Doing so can void your warranty. Check to see what you can do prior to taking anything apart! So, if your warranty is still valid, follow the procedures recommended. There are troubleshooting steps to take prior to calling for repair. Those are located in your service manual. The service department can walk you through troubleshooting should you not understand the steps.  Call the service number listed in your manual prior to calling for outside repair should you still have issues.

Remember, you can void your warranty if you do not follow recommended operating and maintenance recommendations.

Cleaning

This may seem redundant, however, you may be surprised by the number of people who do not do routine cleaning of their appliances. Your dishwasher and washing machine need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Try using one cup of white vinegar and run the machine. This will help keep odors away and keep the unit clean.

Vacuuming your dryer vent and refrigerator coils help to keep your appliances running efficiently.

Routine maintenance

I’ve discussed this in many of my blogs. Checking seals, gaskets, and hoses are normal maintenance items. Don’t wait too long to replace them if they are cracked or leaking.

One of the routine things that I like to suggest is to use your appliances. If you don’t use them over a long period of time, the appliance may have some problems when you do use it. This often happens people who want to save money by not running their dishwashers. For them, it is often just as easy to hand wash dishes, however, dishwashers not used over a long period of time may suffer from parts becoming brittle.

Detergents

This may seem like a simple issue, but in fact, using the wrong, or too much detergent in your washing machine or dishwasher can cause damage. With the new energy efficient machines, the proper detergent is critical. Just a reminder, never use liquid dish soap in your dishwasher! Yes, this still happens. Not only does it cause a mess in your kitchen, it can cause harm to your machine.

Protect your appliances and give them a longer life by doing these simple things. Remember, if you have issues with any appliance, call me at Katie’s Appliance Repair. My job it to help you keep your appliances. We are here to help you with any questions that you have with your appliances.

Contact me via email at fixit@katiesappliancerepair.com or message me on Facebook on my Katie’s Appliance Repair page.