5 Tips for Home Appliance Repairs

Nobody loves their home appliances getting spoiled. Asides from the inconvenience caused, home appliance repairs cost a lot of money especially if you are dealing with large and sophisticated appliances like refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, ovens, dishwashers and washing machines.

The DIY option is not totally feasible except you have the requisite experience of repairing appliances over time. One of the most effective ways of making appliances last longer and perform optimally is creating and following a timely maintenance schedule.

Most people do not even bother to read the operating manual of their appliances, instead they buy, plug and use. Manuals are only read when a fault develops in which case it is already too late for maintenance measures.

To save yourself the repair costs and stress involved in getting a home appliance fixed, there are a number of important tips you can follow;

Tip 1: Operate your appliances according to specifications

One of the major reasons why appliances spoil is overuse. Household appliances are made of different materials that are subjected to wear and tear over time. One of the quickest ways of accelerating wear and tear is using your appliance in a way or at a capacity that is not specified by the manufacturer.

For example, if you have a washing machine, there is a high possibility that you like washing very large loads instead of the small loads specified by the manufacturer. You may think you are actually conserving water but your washing machine wears out much quicker.

Also, it is very likely that you wash your mats, rugs and heavy carpets in the washing machine. This destroys the drum and leads to frequent spoilage. If you have a microwave oven putting in metal containers, utensils or items with metal lids leads to breakdowns.

Breakdowns will also happen if aluminum foil, stains and spills are left in the oven or if heating instructions are not followed.

Tip 2: Have a routine maintenance schedule for each appliance and keep maintenance records

The more you maintain your home appliances correctly, the longer they last and the smaller the amount of money you spend on repairs and replacement parts. You will, like most homeowners, consider maintenance to be very stressful and time demanding but the alternative is more expensive.

Aside from operating specifications, home appliances have instructions about maintenance which are designed by the manufacturers. These include how to clean and what type of substances should be used for cleaning. Following these instructions means that you care about your appliances.

For appliances like washing machines and ovens, there are often clear instructions about cleaning the machine after use, how to handle and return parts to their appropriate positions after use and how to care for accessories like oven plates, dryers and water inlet and outlet hoses.

For appliances in constant contact with water and air, there is a possibility that rust will develop over time leading to a weakening of the structural parts of these appliances. You have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on using anti- rust.

It is also important to keep maintenance records. In this way, you can easily track the maintenance expenses for an appliance and make a decision about whether you need to replace it.

Getting a professional for your refrigerator repair

The refrigerator is one of the most important home appliances. Most times you need to store food while at the same time keeping it fresh and edible. The optimal functioning of the refrigerator depends on the condenser coils and the compressor.

These and other parts of the refrigerator are very fragile and it is necessary to hire a professional for your refrigerator repairs. Because the refrigerator is used to store edible produce when it needs repairs, you run a high risk of losing some of the items in the fridge, especially those that cannot be kept at room temperature.

The refrigerator is often an expensive piece of home appliance and as such you do not want just anyone poking into its parts. It is best to hire a professional with ample experience and demonstrated competence.

If you are searching online, you should choose a professional with a high number of recommendations and positive reviews.

Tip 3: Do DIY repairs only if you are competent

DIY repairs save you money especially if the fault is minor but you need to have a high level of competence before attempting to repair home appliances on your own.

Appliances are complex pieces of machinery and faults can be increased if you do not really know about repairs. DIY repairs may lead to more expenses in the long run because of the personal injury, electrical, plumbing and damages’ risks involved.

Tip 4: Contract a reliable and experienced home appliance repair service

One of the best decisions you can make in terms of managing your home appliances and ensuring that they last long is to engage the services of a professional. Professionals are very experienced in various types of repairs and can make objective judgements about whether you need to replace a part or not.

Speaking in an interview, Mawulom Peku who is a home apliance repair expert said “although hiring a professional home appliance repair service is often pricey compared to when you are doing the repairs yourself. However, this price includes the costs of the reliability and warranty being offered”. Basically, a professional repair service will also record maintenance logs which are handy in case you find yourself in the position of being the seller of a home.

Tip 5: Educate family members on proper use and maintenance of home appliances

This tip will save you a lot of money in the long run. It does not matter if you are concerned about the appropriate operation of home appliances and maintenance and other users or family members are not so concerned. When a home appliance is used by many people, there is a high risk of wear and tear.

As such, you need to educate other users and especially other members of your family about how to use home appliances according to specifications and the maintenance routines to be followed for each appliance.

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