Appliance Maintenance Tips You Should Follow in 2020

So you have just moved into your new home and you are feeling pride in owning it for the first time. This means a lot of things: mowing the lawn, removing manure from gutters, but more importantly, cleaning kitchen appliances more often than the day you vacate your apartment!

Now when your dishwasher breaks down, it's no longer enough to just call the landlord and wait for them to fix the problem for you.

You may be dealing for the first time with a range of complicated and downright scary looking appliance parts. But keeping everything running smoothly isn't as daunting as it sounds.

Maybe you are a longtime homeowner, hear strange noises from your dishwasher, or experience a hot refrigerator for the first time.

Whatever your situation, these easy maintenance tips mostly consist of keeping your appliances clean, with a little minor troubleshooting to fix the root issues.

Instead of shelling out $ 1,000 for a new kitchen appliance, invest in keeping what you have in perfect condition.

Fridge

The refrigerator is the Bunny Energizer of the appliances, it never stops working. It would be a drawback if your washer or dryer doesn't work properly and interrupt your weekly wash cycle, but the refrigerator has a lot more at stake.

Keeping your refrigerator in good working order is crucial to avoid a breakdown that could cost you all your refrigerated food. Avoid having a "business closing" feast by following these regular refrigerator maintenance tips.

Keep your refrigerator joints. The vinyl strip that forms a seal between the cabinet and doors will keep the appliance running efficiently and help extend its life.

Damaged door gaskets can allow room temperature air to enter the refrigerator cabinet and create excess moisture and frost problems that could prevent your refrigerator from cooling properly.

Any tear or loosening means you must replace the door gasket, and this can be one of the most difficult parts to change.

You can extend the life of your joints by applying a vinyl conditioner or a thin film of petroleum jelly to help them stay flexible and form a better seal. (Also, wipe up spills before they stick to the joints and you won't have to replace them.)

Proper airflow through the condenser is essential to the efficient and long-lasting performance of your refrigerator. Household dust and pet hair that collects on the condenser coils or condenser fans can restrict air flow, which could lead to overheating and failure of the compressor or associated sealed system components.

These repairs can be expensive and often end with scrapping the refrigerator. Remove the back panel from the refrigerator and clean the coils with a handheld vacuum and soft brush.

There may also be condenser coils under the bottom compartment of your refrigerator. Make sure the condenser fan is clean and working properly too.

Make sure the hinge components of your refrigerator are in good condition and properly lubricated. The doors of your refrigerator open wide and wear of these components is to be expected.

Check the top hinges for wear and proper lubrication. The lower hinges should also be inspected periodically for damage or lack of lubrication. Always use a food grade lubricant on kitchen
appliances.

Replace any broken or cracked door bins, shelf end caps, or retention bars as soon as the defect is noted so as not to cause further damage. Glass shelves, fruit and vegetable drawers, and drawer slides should also be replaced as soon as any defects become apparent.

Listen for any unusual sounds that may emanate from the condenser fan or from the evaporator fan motors, such as rattle, screech, screech, or hum. These can be a sign of impending failure and should be addressed as soon as possible, before the cooling system stops working.