Modern life runs on modern appliances. As I write this very article, I am surrounded by all the trappings of a comfortable life. I have an iced coffee from the fridge, which I made some hours ago with my coffee maker, full of ice from my freezer. I can hear my dryer running in the basement, and it will probably be done around the time I make the final edits to the article. My dishwasher is almost full, and I plan to run it as soon as I put my breakfast dishes into it. Those dishes will be used to eat the muffins that are currently baking in my oven. I am willing to bet that you, dear reader, are currently enjoying the fruits of your appliances’ labor as you read this! It is easy to forget just how much we rely on our appliances to make our lives more comfortable and convenient!
There is an adage that the more complex something becomes, the more things there are that can go wrong with it. I can personally attest that this is true when it comes to appliances, and I am certain that you can, too. They may make our lives easier, but it is also common for something to go wrong with them. We consulted with the experts at https://cltappliance.com/viking-repair-charlotte-nc/ to learn more about the most common ways appliances can fail and, when applicable, how to prevent those problems from happening.
Refrigerators
It is never a good day when you open your fridge only to find that your milk has spoiled, the meat you were thawing for dinner is gray, and the entirety of the food you were chilling is room temperature. Unfortunately, this is also the most common way that a refrigerator will fail. When your unit is not cooling your food and drink anymore, the most likely candidates are a blown compressor or dirty condenser coils, both of which work in tandem to make the cold happen. The compressor is the most important part of the fridge. It is a motor that serves as the device’s beating heart, compressing the coolant, and distributing it via the condenser coils.
Unfortunately, there is little that you can do to maintain the compressor on your end; you will need a professional if the compressor starts to go. The same cannot be said for the condenser coils, which you can and should perform maintenance on yourself. They are the large coils in the back of the fridge, and they work by dissipating heat from the refrigeration cycle powered by the compressor. If they are dirty, they may not dissipate heat as efficiently. Simply cleaning them once every few months should be enough to keep them in good condition.
Washing and Drying Machines
Having clean clothes is a necessity that we take for granted. Long gone are the days when we were forced to wash by hand and hang outside to dry. Now, we enjoy better living through engineering! We can accomplish in just a few hours what used to take all day. With that convenience comes reliance, however, and when our units fail, they can seriously inconvenience our ability to have freshly cleaned garments. The most common problem washers face is when they do not properly use or drain the water required to clean your clothing. This can be the result of a few issues, but almost all of them have to do with how your water lines are connected.
If your washer will not drain, the most common cause is a blockage in the hose line. This is something that you can fix at home, and the fix is fairly simple. By removing the hose and inspecting it for debris, you may be able to identify the problem and remove it yourself. You will almost certainly have to deal with the sudden draining that follows, so be prepared. Additionally, make sure that you have turned off the water valves to the machine beforehand, or you are in for a surprise! If that does not solve the problem, you need to call a professional.
Dryers are infamous for poor maintenance on the user end, and with catastrophic results. While a repair service is needed if the motor stops working and the unit stops turning the drum, that is not the most common problem they face. According to the US Fire Administration, dryer fires are among the most common causes of fire in your home. Too many people neglect to clean out the highly flammable lint from the unit and its connectors. While you may know to clean out the lint trap between every cycle when was the last time you cleaned the ducts or hoses attached to it? Lint buildup there is just as dangerous and can lead to a devastating inferno if anything were to cause a spark.
Ovens
My muffins are done! Besides refrigerators, ovens are the most used major appliance in the home. It also happens to be the most dangerous when things go wrong. While dryer fires are common, oven fires are far more common. The kind of trouble you have is going to depend on what kind of oven you have: gas range or electric. Electric ovens require electricity to heat up properly, as the name might suggest. Unfortunately, if you are not an electrician or trained repairman, there is probably very little you can do to service an electrical problem at home.
Gas ranges are even more dangerous due to the relationship between the gas and the fire. A faulty pilot light can let gas freely flow from the range, which can cause a dangerous buildup of it in your home. Breathing it in is not a great idea, but any fire source that kicks on (such as a lighter or a spark) could cause an explosion. Whether electric or gas, it is best to trust a professional appliance repair service to fix anything that goes wrong with your oven. The risk to your health and home is not worth trying to fix it on your own.