Household appliances are costly. Replacing them before the lifespan is up is an unnecessary expense that many homeowners face. But you can do something for Extending Your Appliances’ Lifespan. For example, a fridge can work for up to 10 years. However, many of them break down after just five years. Replacing your refrigerator every 5 years instead of doing it every 10 years may seem unreasonable. Unfortunately, many of them might be damaged beyond repair by then. The main causes of appliances failing earlier than they should are improper maintenance and bad usage practises.
Tips for Extending Your Appliances’ Lifespan
5 professional advice are provided by Tampa appliance repair specialists Hartman to extend the life of your home appliances and reduce avoidable costs.
1. Read the Manual
While reading the manual may seem like a waste of time, these little books contain a variety of useful information about your appliance. Even if you’ve read the manual for your old fridge or microwave, the new one may have different operational requirements and maintenance recommendations.
In the manual, the manufacturer lists all the necessary warnings, precautions, and details about the appliance to make it easier for you to use it. By avoiding this information, you could be making unfortunate mistakes and decreasing the appliance’s lifespan.
For example, did you know that you shouldn’t place your microwave against the wall? Proper ventilation from all sides can increase its lifespan. Or do you know that leaving wet clothes in your washer for as little as half an hour can promote mold growth that interferes with the machine’s operation?
Little details could lead to serious damages. Take the time to read the manual and do some research online to make sure you are using the appliance properly.
2. Schedule Timely Maintenance
While it’s possible to take care of appliances on your own, it’s easy to miss the warning signs. For example, you washer may be using more power than it should. Or perhaps the filter is damaged. You may not notice the problem before it’s too late.
By scheduling professional annual maintenance at least once a year, you are giving your appliances a chance to last way past the average lifespan. An appliance expert can evaluate the condition of your appliances and spot problems before they cause serious damage.
These experts can also give you valuable recommendations about appliance operation and share DIY maintenance tips.
3. Keep them Clean
Cleaning appliances is the key to their longevity. While you may already be keeping the surface clean, you could be missing dirt, debris, and mold inside. Be it a washer or a microwave, it’s important to check all the nukes and crannies that you can reach without professional assistance.
For example, you need to pay special attention to the fridge’s door seals. Pieces of debris that get stuck there prevent the refrigerator from closing tightly, thus forcing it to work harder to maintain the necessary temperature. Meanwhile, to make sure your washer is clean from the inside, you need to run special tub clean cycles every 30 washes or so.
Read the manual to learn your appliance cleaning information or ask professional technicians about cleaning tips.
4. Clean and Replace Filters
The majority of appliances you have at home comes with filters. These filters may need to be replaced every once in a while (usually annually) or cleaned every 3 to 6 months. The information about the filter cleaning and replacement schedule should be in the manual.
Filters serve the important purpose of protecting your appliance and the elements you put inside them. When the filter is old or clogged, the appliance starts working harder and eventually breaks down.
It’s not always possible to replace or clean the filter on your own. If you schedule annual maintenance, the appliance expert takes care of the filter. If not, you need to find out how to do something for Extending Your Appliances’ Lifespan.
5. Follow Loading Requirements
One of the main reasons why appliances break down is overloading them. This is especially true for washers, dryers, and dishwashers. In the race to save time and energy, homeowners try to load these appliances as much as possible.
As a result, these machines have to work harder to deal with the load. In many cases, they do an improper job while putting extra stress on the parts.
Just because you can fit something into the appliance, it doesn’t mean you should do it. Make sure to stick to the loading instructions to avoid damage.
The Takeaway
Appliance maintenance is simple and won’t take much time. You only need to read the manual and abide by the operating instructions. You can make sure your appliances run well and save money by arranging annual maintenance.
While taking care of your appliances without a professional’s help is possible, it’s simple to overlook little aspects.
