Simple Ways to Extend the Life of Your Appliances
Here are some refrigerator, dishwasher, laundry machine, and dryer maintenance advice. Each of these main appliances has an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years, so start saving for your next purchase around the nine-year mark.
There are numerous aspects that influence a machine's longevity. Regular maintenance, on the other hand, may help preserve the longevity of your appliance, allow you to prevent costly service calls, and result in lower utility bills.
Clean the plumber brunswick to keep the fridge running smoothly and cool. Refrigerators are mainly expected to keep working. But imagine waking up with a house full of holiday guests and discovering that it has stopped. Not only do you have to pay for repairs ($220 to $270 on average) or a new fridge (anything from $350 to over $2,500), but you may also have to make an expensive trip to the store to replace all of the damaged food.
Keeping the condenser coils clean is the most crucial aspect of refrigerator maintenance. A dirty coil will not release heat as well, requiring the compressor to work harder, reducing its life and perhaps costing you money in increased utility costs. Fortunately, the procedure typically takes around 15 minutes and only needs to be performed once or twice a year.
To begin, unplug your refrigerator. Units with coils beneath them will most likely have a cover that has to be removed and a condenser fan that needs to be cleaned. Other models have exposed coils on the rear. Clean up the dirt and dust using a brush or vacuum. Check for and empty or dry out the drip pan, which is frequent on units with built-in defrosters.
A dishwasher's interior must also be cleaned. While a dishwasher is not required, it is wonderful to spend time with visiting family and friends rather than washing dishes by hand. During a recent family visit, we ran our dishwasher many times per day.
It is critical to clean the inside of the dishwasher because mineral deposits and residual food scraps can accumulate, resulting in clogged or leaky components and offensive odors. Running an unloaded dishwasher through a cleaning cycle with white vinegar may suffice. You may also need to scrub the walls by hand and clean the filter, which is usually located near the bottom of the machine.
Next, gently clean and inspect the plastic gasket around the door; a crack or leak could result in a costly mess. While gaskets are roughly $10, labor charges can range between $75 and $150 per hour, and water damage can be substantially more.
Keep your washer and dryer load limits in mind. I'm constantly astounded at the mountains of laundry that accumulate when you have a full house. While extra towels, sheets, and clothes from visitors may be tempting, don't overload your machines.
Too much weight might cause things to prematurely wear out and break. Furthermore, you may end up with detergent residue on your clothes and need to rerun the cycle (a waste of time, water, and energy), or you may end up with moist clothes that need to be dried.
Close the washing and dryer doors carefully as well. Too much force could break the switch, which is a little device that tells the machine when the door is closed. The typical cost to repair common washing machine problems is $50 to $150, while dryer repair charges range from $100 to $400.
