Appliance repair & maintenance tips

General safety tips for gas appliances

• Know how to turn off the gas supply to your home.
• If you smell gas, you have a leak somewhere. Vent the area immediately and turn off the gas.
• Before working on gas appliances, turn off the gas and open a valve to clear residual gas from the lines.
• Try to avoid disconnecting brass connectors on the flexible gas line. If you do, test the connections once the gas is back on by dripping soapy water on the line and fittings. Bubbles mean a leak: retighten or replace.
• Gas connections can be dangerous. If you are not comfortable with your work, have a qualified technician check the connections. Often the gas company will do this at no charge.

Refrigerators

Maintenance

Clean the condenser coils under the refrigerator every year. The coils are needed for proper cooling, and when they get dirty the refrigerator has to work harder. That can shorten its life significantly.

Repair

Self-defrosting refrigerators seem complicated, yet most have only three functional defrost components: the defrost heater, the defrost thermostat and the defrost timer or control. These parts tend to wear out at about the same rate. When fixing a defrost problem, replacing all three at once is often cheaper than a service call, and it can prevent another repair in the near future.

Dishwashers

Maintenance

Dishwasher seals last much longer if they stay wet and are used regularly. Run your dishwasher at least once every two weeks, even if that means running a short cycle empty.

Repair

If the dishes aren't getting as clean as they used to, there may not be enough water getting into the machine. The water inlet valve often needs replacing after five or six years. A do-it-yourselfer can handle this repair with common tools.

Stoves and ranges

Maintenance

Don't line the bottom of your burner drip pans with aluminum foil. It can cause a short circuit at the burner. Replace the drip bowls with new ones instead: the range will look new again, and the burners will work more efficiently by reflecting more heat toward the pan.

Repair

Stove burners fail over time. When gas burners don't light properly, cleaning and unclogging the burner assembly usually solves the problem. An electric burner that works on and off usually has a bad connection at the element receptacle, which works much like a socket in your home. Replace the receptacle and your stove is back to full power.

Dryers

Maintenance

Clean the lint filter after every load. When the filter is full, drying time increases dramatically. Clean the duct to the outside at least once a year, too: lint builds up in it, which lengthens drying times and creates a fire hazard. Use aluminum ducting rather than white vinyl ducting.

Repair

Over time it's common for a dryer to stop heating. In an electric dryer this usually means the heating element has burned out. In a gas dryer, check the igniter first. Many do-it-yourselfers can handle both repairs.

Washing machines

Maintenance

Replace the rubber fill hoses on your washing machine at least every five years to prevent a flood from a burst hose. Braided stainless steel hoses give more peace of mind.

Repair

If the washer fills more slowly than it used to, or the water is too hot or too cold, the water inlet valve may need replacing. It's a common failure and quite easy to install.

Garbage disposers

• Always run cold water when grinding food. Cold water breaks up greasy substances instead of melting them. Melted grease hardens a short way down the pipes as it cools and eventually causes a blockage.
• Grinding small bones and coffee grounds helps keep the blades sharp and the swivels turning.
• Never pour bleach or other chemicals into the unit. They can dissolve the seals and cause motor failure.

If the unit drains slowly, try this:

1. Run the tap until the water is hot.
2. Put the stopper over the disposer opening and fill the sink with the hottest water.
3. Wearing rubber gloves, pull the stopper and turn the disposer on right away.
4. As soon as the water has run out, turn the unit off.

Tips to lower your monthly energy bill

• Is your refrigerator next to the stove, the dishwasher or a heat vent? Move it if you can. You'll save money and energy.
• Vacuum the refrigerator coils several times a year. Dust and pet hair build up and make the refrigerator work harder.
• Try the old dollar bill test: if you can easily pull a dollar bill out of the closed refrigerator door, replace the door gasket. You are losing cold air.
• Use the energy saver option on your dishwasher, and clean the filter regularly.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible.
• Clean the dryer filter after each use, don't over-dry clothes, and dry full loads. Run a few loads in a row to use the heat left in the dryer.
• Set your water heater no higher than 120°F.
• Your oven door should shut tight, too. Do the dollar bill test there and adjust or replace the gasket if needed.
• Keep oven and burner reflectors clean. Clean reflectors send more heat to the pan.

Room air conditioners

Clean or replace the filter every month

Room air conditioners have a simple filter behind the front grille. Clean or replace it once a month during the cooling season.

Watch for ice on the coils

If it gets cool outside, around 60°F or lower, check that the coils on the front of the unit aren't icing up. If they are, turn the unit off until the temperature rises, and make sure the filter is clean.

Don't short cycle it

An air conditioner has the same cooling system as a refrigerator. After turning it off, wait at least ten minutes before turning it back on so the pressure in the system can equalize. This prolongs the compressor's life.

Store it indoors

Mice like to nest in stored air conditioners and chew the wiring and insulation, and wasps and birds nest in uncovered units left in windows. Store the unit in a basement or utility room, or cover the outside part.

Clean the condenser coils every year

Dirt builds up on the inside of the coils, out of sight, so you need to remove the cover to reach them. Blow them out with compressed air or wipe them with a soft bristle brush. Also clean any dirt or lint from the bottom of the unit so the fan slinger can pick up the condensate water.