It may be easy to overlook or forget about two very important appliances in the home when you’re caught up in day-to-day life: the washer and the dryer. These two machines need a little love and care so they can continue their service to your family for years to come. Regular maintenance can save quite a bit of money, for starters, washing machines and dryers are responsible for major devastation to homes every year. Washers and dryers cause 15,970 fires every year, 92% of these fires are caused by dryers, specifically, and nearly a third of all dryer fires are related directly to the build-up of lint. Washing machines can be just as damaging: washing machine water leaks are in the top 10 sources of water damage to homes. Homeowners in the GTA can easily avoid these disasters by taking these simple steps and scheduling regular maintenance with your local appliance repair company.
INSPECT WATER SUPPLY HOSES AND DO NOT OVERLOAD THE WASHING MACHINE
Frequently inspect the washing machine’s water supply hoses for leaks, cracks or any other types of wear and check the hoses from the wall to the machine. Carefully inspecting the supply hoses at frequent intervals, homeowners can avoid surprise leaks, which can cause expensive water damage. Another issue for washing machines is overloading: overloading can be very damaging to the machine, it can damage the drum and shorten the life of the machine, obliging you to purchase a new unit sooner, rather than later. Overloading also restricts the movement of the clothing making it tough for the detergent to move freely around each piece of clothing for an effective cleaning.
KEEP THE WASHING MACHINE AND DRYER LEVEL
Keeping the machines level prevent them from shaking and vibrating badly; if the machine is unstable it may cause damage to the internal components and objects outside of the machine. A level machine is a quiet, happy machine.
INSPECT THE DRYER VENT AND CLEAN OUT THE LINT TRAP
Be sure to inspect the dryer vent that leads to the outside of the home; these vents can become clogged and can become a fire hazard. Make sure the vent from the dryer to the outside of the home, is in good working condition with no tears or leaks. A leaking vent can cause a build-up of lint in undesirable places and can also be a fire hazard. Be sure to clean out the lint trap between every dry cycle – this is an important step to ensure proper drying and less stress on the dryer, as well.
HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
Hiring a professional might be the best option, in addition to staying up to date on tips for taking care of your appliances – washer-dryer related and otherwise. Find a reputable company in the GTA with years of experience in the industry. Hiring a company to perform regular maintenance on your washer and dryer will help you get the most out of your machines and offers the benefit of having a licensed technician on call 24/7. If your machines stop working, call your local technician, it could save you from having to buy a new machine.
