DIY Tips...
The "Do It Yourself Appliance Repair Tips" section provides valuable advice for homeowners looking to troubleshoot common appliance issues before calling professional help. We will cover the symptoms and solutions, for our most commonly ran yet easily resolved service calls, helping you to save money and quickly get your household back up and running.
DISHWASHERS
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Best Soap: Loose powder is best, pods are mediocre, and liquid should be avoided. Adjust amount to reflect the soil level of the load, more is NOT better.
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Dispenser not opening: Has liquid soap gummed the dispenser mechanism? Is your pod soap too large and pushing on the dispenser door?
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Dishes have a film, hazy or cloudy: Hard water leaving behind minerals, do you have a water softener, does it need recharging or servicing? Too much soap is being used, only use soap for soiled dishes and adjust quantity for soil level and water hardness. Clean dishwasher according to owner’s manual. White vinegar can be poured into upright coffee cups and placed in dishwasher, with no soap, and ran on a normal cycle for basic cleaning.
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Dishes not drying: Run hot water at your sink before starting dishwasher. Make sure that your dishwasher has rinse aid, it is mandatory to dry. Valleys in dishes that capture water will be unlikely to dry as there is too much to evaporate.
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Dishes not cleaning: Run hot water at your sink before starting dishwasher; Most dishwashers clean better with dirty dishes and only require that plates are scraped, consult your owner’s manual for best results.; Improperly loaded, imagine the water exiting the spray arms and what dishes are obstructing its flow, rearrange dishes for better mechanical cleaning.
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Leaking water: Clean door gasket to ensure a good seal. Check level of dishwasher, it should be level or very slightly tilted towards the back. Check for improper loading or odd sized/shaped items. Check loading to ensure spray arms are not prevent from rotating.
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Not draining: It is normal for approximately one inch of water to be left in sump. Clean sump filter if applicable. Check that dishwasher drain hose is not kinked or coiled multiple times; Check that garbage disposal knockout plug has been removed and not obstructing flow of water. Check air gap on sink or counter for obstructions.
OVENS
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Door Glass Dirty: Oven doors are not sealed nor should they be, because of this it is possible to spill inside of the door. They can be disassembled for cleaning but this is typically not user serviceable.
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Oven liner dirty: Make sure to clean any spills as soon as oven is cool enough. A lot of sauces can permanently damage the liner, and baking in food makes cleaning later difficult. Follow manufacture directions for cleaning oven, some do NOT allow oven cleaning chemicals to be used.
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Temps not accurate: Make sure oven is preheated before using for best results. If problem is noticed using a new recipe try a recipe you are familiar with before taking action. Do not use a thermometer to measure oven temps, bake some cookies or biscuits and follow your ovens calibration procedure to make incremental corrections.
REFRIGERATORS
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Ice build up: (Note: Do not ever break ice with tools!) Make sure all doors are sealing, that no bags or obstructions are getting between cabinet and door. Make sure there are no uncovered liquids. Make sure the door is closed when shutting it, gravity doesn’t always do the trick, and most refrigerators don’t have an automated door closing mechanism.
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Smelly: Baking soda can be used to absorb smells, spread on a baking sheet for more surface area and better results. Follow manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations so as not to damaged liner. In more extreme situations the refrigerator can be left turned off with the doors open to air out for a few days.
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Temps too warm: Check condenser coil to make sure it is clean. Make sure no items in refrigerator are blocking the air flow outlets. As a rule, make sure the refrigerator is at least half loaded or more, light loads cause unpredictable temp fluctuations. Ensure the refrigerator is not in direct sunlight.
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Temps too cold: Any items directly in front of airflow outlets, especially high water content items, will have a high chance of freezing. As a rule, make sure the refrigerator is at least half loaded or more, light loads cause unpredictable temp fluctuations.
FRONT LOAD WASHERS
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Smelly: Clean washer according to Owner’s Manual. With a towel/rag, dry rubber door gasket and door glass at the end of your washing routine.
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Shakes: Ensure the washer is on a firm floor and level, adjust leveling legs as necessary. Avoid unbalanced loads like a pillow, shoes, or ultra light loads with few garments.
DRYERS
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Not Drying: Check that lint filter is clean. Check that duct between dryer and wall not crushed. Check duct outside the home to make sure duct is not obstructed and has good outflow. Large items like comforters may need to be ‘flipped’ and dried multiple times.
MICROWAVES
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Odd Noises: Clean bottom of turntable, rollers, and roller track. Remove metal microwave rack if not in use, re-seat rack if being used.