Expensive appliance repairs can sometimes be avoided. The first thing is not to panic and to do some troubleshooting before calling in costly appliance repair specialists.
Make sure that the appliance in question is plugged in. As silly as this sounds, many times people don’t, and they often end up having to pay a fee just to have an expert come to the house and plug it in. (The fee also covers the promise not to tell anyone they know.)
Many appliance problems you can either fix yourself or prevent. For example, a refrigerator that won’t cool could involve the simple adjustment of the cold-control setting. Keep the coils in the bottom or back of your refrigerator clean from dust and pet hair by using a coil brush or the crevice tool on your vacuum.
For a dishwasher that isn’t cleaning, make sure there is a rinse agent. Also, use powder rather than liquid soap, as the latter tends to clog the machinery. If your dishwasher has a screen or filter on the bottom, wash off all the food particles, since they can become as one with your dishes.
If your clothes dryer isn’t working properly, make sure the lint screen is clean after every load and that the vent to the outside isn’t blocked. Check to insure that you didn’t accidentally set the controls on “fluff” or “no heat.”
If you own a high efficiency, front-loading washing machine, make sure you use the soap marked HE. Repeated use of regular soap often damages the main bearings, resulting in an expensive appliance repair. Do not overload your washer or under any circumstances (even if you pass go and collect $200) put rubber-backed throw rugs into either your washer or dryer. The backing unravels into small pieces and wreaks havoc with the washer’s pump.
Check your power before calling for help about electrical dryers that run but do not heat. Electric dryers use 220-volt electrical supply and the motor will run without the heat functioning if one leg of the power supply is disrupted. If you don’t check the power, you may need an electrician and not an appliance repair specialist and may end up paying for both.
So look before you leap and check plugs and troubleshoot BEFORE you call for help.
The check you will not have to write may well be your own.
If you’ve checked for trouble spots and you appliance is still not working, give us a call at:
1-800-339-0353 or www.appliancedoctorx.com
