How to Extend the Life of Your Appliances

These days, appliances are not exactly built to last. While some of us may still have that old fridge that has been in the family for generations, chances are that we will have to repair or replace most of our everyday appliances on a regular basis. This is why it is usually a good idea to purchase one of the best home warranty contracts, as the expenses can quickly rack up. What you can also do, however, is learn how to extend the life of your appliances on your own and minimize the costs. In this article, we will go over everything you need to know to maximize the lifespan of your appliances.

Extending the Life of your Appliances 101

In a nutshell, extending the life of your appliances is all about:

• Good maintenance
• Regular cleaning and inspections
• Proper usage
• Avoiding common mistakes
• Professional services

Of course, not every appliance may warrant extensive maintenance. Therefore, the first thing you will want to do is figure out the appliance repair cost in your area. By knowing that piece of information, you will be able to optimize your efforts.

Maintenance tips

Whether you have a home warranty contract or not, proper maintenance is always important. In fact, it is the most important factor when it comes to the longevity of your appliances.

Here are some general tips that can make your maintenance efforts much easier:

• Always follow safety precautions
• Clean refrigerator coils from time to time
• Try to keep your devices quiet when they work
• Try not to slam the appliance doors
• Watch out for appliance overload

You will also want to make sure that there are no hazardous materials near your appliances. Not only will they jeopardize your appliance, but home warranties and hazardous materials usually do not mix well together. If damage to your appliance is connected to a hazardous material in any way, your home warranty will not cover the repairs/replacements.

Regular cleaning and inspections

If regular maintenance is the best way to extend the life of your appliances, regular cleaning and inspections are a close second. Therefore, you should create a cleaning/inspection checklist and make sure that you don’t forget about it. While doing so, you might want to look up a few home inspection and maintenance tips, as that will make the entire process much easier. By cleaning and inspecting your appliances regularly, you will be able to spot issues long before they become problems.

How to use your appliances properly

When it comes to the proper use of appliances, the best thing we can give you is to fill them to capacity before using them. A dishwasher, for example, will use the same amount of energy and water regardless of whether is full or only have a few items inside. Not only that but if you wait to use your appliances until they are full, you will be using them far less. By doing so, you will considerably prolong their lifespan.

Our next tip is to try and always use the right appliance for the task. While cooking in your oven may be the way you’ve always done things, cooking some foodstuffs in the microwave can be much more energy efficient. By spreading your tasks among as many appliances as you can, you will place less strain on each one.

Lastly, you may want to “cool down” when using some of your appliances. For example, you might want to lower the temperature setting on your washer, as doing so will considerably reduce its energy intake. Furthermore, most of today’s detergents will provide the best results when the water temperature is somewhat cooler.

How to avoid common mistakes when using your appliances

The best way to avoid making common appliance mistakes is to simply be aware of them. Here are some of the most common mistakes you will want to avoid:

• Using the same electrical outlet for several power-hungry appliances
• Overloading your appliances
• Failing to keep up with regular maintenance tasks
• Not repairing your appliances when you spot an issue
• Not cleaning your appliances properly
• Ignoring loose door seals
• Ignoring rust

Furthermore, each appliance has its own optimal usage. If you want to extend the life of your appliances, it is always in your best interest to spend some time and read about how your appliance should be used. If you simply use every appliance without thinking about the proper usage, you may inadvertently shorten its lifespan.

Professional maintenance

If your home has some very expensive appliances, it may be in your best interest to utilize professional maintenance services. Of course, you should do everything in your power to keep your appliances clean and well-maintained, but you simply might not have the technical know-how to deal with some of the other maintenance issues.

How to identify and solve common appliance problems?

Learning how to troubleshoot your appliances on your own has the potential to save you a lot of money in the long run. Therefore, it might be in your best interest to learn as much as you can about common appliance problems. To help get you to a good start, here are some of the most common appliance problems and how to fix them:

• Blown microwave fuse – This can happen due to a misaligned door, broken door switches, overheating, etc. The solution to this problem is to simply replace the blown fuse with a new one.
• Clothes from the dryer feel warm but not dry – This usually happens due to a clogged dryer vent pipe or a faulty heating part. Installing a new heating part and cleaning the pipe will usually do the trick.
• Refrigerator leaks water – If this happens, disconnect the refrigerator from electricity, get some baking soda, and fill the drain with it.
• The electric cooker does not heat – This usually happens due to a bad burner. If this happens to be the case, simply replace the burner. Otherwise, you may want to swap the heating coil.
• The dishwasher will not start – This can happen due to a variety of issues, such as a faulty motor, blown circuit breaker, defective door lock, etc. While you can replace the fuse on your own, other problems usually involve a dishwasher expert.

When do you need to contact an appliance repair expert?

Today’s appliances can be extremely complicated. This is why it is usually best to contact your appliance repair expert as soon as you figure out that there’s something wrong with them. That is the absolute best way to extend the life of your appliances. However, it is also in your best interest to check if there are any problems that you can fix on your own. By doing so, you might be able to save quite a bit of money in the long run!

For more information on appliance maintenance, home warranties, and anything else that might save you money, Consumer Opinion Guide is your go-to resource! Our knowledge database holds all the answers!