3 Ways To Fend Off Future Appliance Problems

On a busy Saturday morning, the last thing you want to deal with is a broken washing machine or a dishwasher that just won't scrub those dishes clean. Unfortunately, if you are like most people, you might spend hours trying to figure out what the problem is and then a few more trying to fix the issue on your own. However, you might be able to fend off appliance problems in the future by doing these three things:   

1: Invest In A Water Softener

You might not mind that hard water, but it might be killing your appliances. Common in the south-central United States, hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium that can accumulate inside of your appliances. Here are some problems that this can cause:

  • Spray Nozzles: Over time, spray nozzles can become hopelessly clogged with lime scale. You might start to notice issues with your dishwasher, washing machine, or even your refrigerator water dispenser. Once those nozzles are clogged, it can also create pressure buildup inside of your appliance, which can make motors work harder than they need to.
  • Choppers: Does your dishwasher make terrible grinding noises? When lime scale builds up, it can flake off in chunks and end up in your dishwasher's chopper system. In addition to raising a racket, those hard chunks can fly around and damage chopper blades.
  • Holding Tanks: Sediment from hard water can build up in hot water heaters too. Over time, this sediment can get so heavy that the bottom can fall right out of your heater, flooding your house.

Fortunately, you can avoid damage from hard water by installing a water softener. These devices run your water through a bed of negatively charged resin beads, which remove magnesium and calcium ions. Although water softeners can cost upwards of $2,000, they can double the life of your appliances.

2: Read The User Manual

When you bring home that shiny new appliance from the store, you might be more interested in how it makes your kitchen or laundry room look than you are about how to keep it running. Unfortunately, tossing your user manual in a drawer might lead to problems later. Your product manual contains vital information regarding the electrical requirements for the device, optimal settings, and how to troubleshoot simple problems. If you ignore this information, you might end up causing internal damage that accumulates over time.

For example, that dishwasher handle might lock shut during the cycle, which could lead you to pull the door open harder than you should. Over time, you could unintentionally destroy the entire door, even if there is a simple "door release" button you hadn't noticed before. Do yourself a favor and read through the manual before you use your appliance. You never know; you might be able to adjust the settings to fit your everyday lifestyle without damaging your product.

3: Leave Major Repairs To The Professionals

If you do come across problems with your appliances, you might be more than willing to whip out your toolbox, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. Instead of calling in a professional, you might spend a good part of your day carefully taking things apart and trying to figure out how to put them back together. Unfortunately, although you might learn a thing or two by being so proactive, attempting your own major repairs isn't the best idea.  

Unless you are a professional repair technician, you might unintentionally create more problems than you solve. Using the wrong part or attaching things incorrectly might make your appliance more likely to break in the future. Because manufacturers see home repairs as a risk, you could void your product warranty if you decide to service your own appliances.

Even if you are able to successfully fix your device, a single home repair could mean that you aren't eligible for professional repairs down the road. Fortunately, you can enjoy your weekend and keep your products safe from damage by working with an appliance repair service. In addition to ordering name-brand parts, they can also give you service documents which can help you to preserve your warranty.

Making the right decisions regarding your appliances might help you to reduce unplanned expenses and the hassle of broken devices.   


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