5 Appliance Maintenance Tips to Prevent Breakdowns

When you buy appliances for your home, you expect them to last. There’s nothing more annoying than having your refrigerator stop working or your washing machine break down mid-cycle. How you care for your appliances can make all the difference in how well they work and how long they last, and the key to keeping them humming along is home appliance maintenance.

The best kind of homeowners are ones that have a home maintenance checklist that keeps their appliances in tip-top shape. Here are five appliance maintenance tips to add to your checklist that will help you get the most out of your appliances for a long time. To make sure all the valuables in your home are protected from the unexpected, speak to a Farm Bureau agent.

Tip 1: Dust Your Refrigerator Every Six Months

It might not seem immediately obvious, but dust can be your refrigerator’s worst enemy. Your refrigerator uses a system of condenser coils and a compressor to cool its interior. When dust collects on the coils, they can’t release heat efficiently, which means the unit’s compressor has to work harder. If your compressor is strained, it’s likely to break down faster. You can keep your compressor running stronger and longer by dusting the coils every six months.

Here’s another simple appliance maintenance tip for your fridge: Clean the seal around the doors on a regular basis to ensure the cool air stays in and the warm air stays out. That will further ease the strain on your fridge’s compressor, keeping your food cool and your fridge in good health.

Tip 2: Clean Your Stovetop and Oven 

From pots that boil over to muffins that are too big for the baking tin, your stove and oven can get pretty messy over time. Make sure you regularly clean the burners (or cooktop, if you have an electric stove) and the inside of the oven, which helps the range heat up more efficiently and can lengthen its lifespan.

Be careful when you’re cleaning the knobs — getting water into the knob mechanism can damage the range’s electrical system and turn a simple cleaning job into a costly repair job. Regularly cleaning up messes, rather than leaving them to harden and burn on, will go a long way when it’s time to get out the rubber gloves.

Tip 3: Scrape Your Plates

It can be tempting to put dirty dishes straight from the table or stove into the dishwasher. But food debris left on your dishes can redistribute onto your clean dishes during the wash cycle or, worse, clog the lines. To prevent this from happening, scrape food from dishes into the trash or garbage disposal before you put them into the dishwasher.

In some dishwashers, you may need to regularly empty a filter located at the bottom of the unit that traps food and other debris. Check your dishwasher’s manual for the best way to keep your it running smoothly.

Just like your refrigerator, your dishwasher also benefits from keeping the seal clean. This will prevent leaks. So, clean the seal around the door as well as the bottom edge. 

Tip 4: Don’t Overload Your Washing Machine

It’s tempting to throw more clothes into the washing machine with the goal of saving water, energy or time. But one of the most important appliance maintenance tricks you can do to keep your washing machine in top shape is not to overload it — either with clothes or with soap.

You might think you’re saving money by running fewer loads. But what you’re saving in utilities is moot compared to the cost of repairing or replacing your washer. Make sure your laundry loads are sized appropriately for your washer’s capacity to prevent damaging the machine’s drum and wearing out its motor.

And be very careful not to use too much soap, which can damage the machine’s water level pressure switch — a costly repair that can be easily avoided. Only use the amount recommended by your machine’s manufacturer.

Tip 5: Replace the Filters Regularly

Many appliances in your home rely on filters to function properly. When filters are dirty, the appliances have to work harder to get the job done, which puts stress on the unit, decreases its efficiency and shortens its lifespan. When was the last time you changed or cleaned the filters on these frequently used appliances?

• Dryer: Your dryer has a lint trap to keep lint from collecting in the dryer vent. Wipe the lint filter clean before and after each load of laundry.
• Range hood: Your range hood or over-the-range microwave has a filter that captures grease from the stove (and, in some cases, a charcoal filter that helps reduce odors). The grease filter should be cleaned once every three months, while the charcoal filter should be replaced every six months.
• Air conditioner: Your air conditioner uses a filter to trap dust and debris as it pulls air into the unit. How often you should change the filter for your air conditioner depends on how often you use it. If you use your air conditioner frequently, you may need to change the filter as often as once a month. Changing the filter once every three months is sufficient for light use.

These aren’t the only appliances that have filters. Get to know the appliances in your home: Which have filters and how often do they need to be cleaned or replaced? Then, add these to your home maintenance checklist to ensure they’re maintained as needed.

Protect Your Investments

If it’s plugged into the wall, it can likely be protected with Residential Equipment Breakdown insurance. When you add Residential Equipment Breakdown Coverage to your Farm Bureau Member’s Choice policy, you can protect a whole range of items, from your refrigerator and freezer to your central air conditioning system, and more. Reach out to Farm Bureau to learn more about this coverage and how it can help protect the items in your home.