Before you purchase new appliances, call a reputable appliance repairman (John Gilbert 830-693-5900) and ask about the reliability and dependability of specific makes and models.
When you purchase new appliances, make sure that the point of purchase provides warranty service/repair. If they tell you that the manufacturer will provide warranty service you may want to buy your appliances elsewhere. It is very difficult to get major manufacturers to provide service in rural and/or remote areas such as the Highland Lakes Area and if they do the wait time can be extensive.
If you are in a new home and the dishwasher or disposal won’t work. Check kitchen wall switches before calling a repair person. The power to your appliances may be controlled by a light switch.
Avoid laundry on the second floor. If your washer floods, you will not only have floors and walls to deal with but ceilings as well. Dryer ducting in the walls may easily clog and may cause your dryer to work improperly and may be unsafe. Call a chimney sweep for regular dryer duct cleanings if you duct runs up the walls of your home.
Clean the lint trap in your dryer with every load. Lint build up will cause the dryer to take a longer time to heat and may become a fire hazard.
Always turn the water off to your ice maker and washer before you leave the house for more than a day or two.
When you see your ice maker, dishwasher or washer dripping water even when it is turned off, your water valve is most likely bad and will need to be replaced. Flooding may result if left uncorrected.
Rubber washer fill hoses will crack and break over time. Stainless steel fill hoses will not. It is recommended that rubber hoses be replaced with stainless steel ones whenever possible.
Run your dishwasher every week even if it is not full. This will keep your motor from sticking and will save you unnecessary repair bills.
Always run hot water in the sink before starting your dishwasher. This will enhance cleaning.
Put a cup of vinegar in your empty dishwasher and run it once a month. This will help remove lime deposits left from hard well water.
Dryers either heat or they don’t. If yours is taking a long time to dry, check the vent. It is most likely clogged or crimped and restricting air flow.
Be certain to turn both breakers off to your electric range before removing/replacing bake or broil elements in your oven. Failure to do so may cause injury and may ruin the oven thermostat causing the repair bill to increase significantly.
Do not allow an appliance repairman to remove an appliance from you home for repair unless (s)he brings you a replacement first. It is rare that an appliance needs to be removed for repair purposes and it is always best to supervise repairs whenever possible. |