Customer Resources

We want to provide our customers with some valuable resources to maximize the life of your appliances, and clear up some urban legends surrounding them.

Tips from the Tech

In this section, we will provide you with some valuable resources to maximize the life of your appliances. As always, you should consult the owner's manual for your specific appliance and follow the manufacturer's recommendation for use & care. These are generalized tips that apply to most appliances.

Ovens & Ranges

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Oven/Range- Ranges, cooktops, and ovens are very simple appliances. Other then cleaning, they don't really requite much maintenance. Our advice is to follow your manufacturer's Use & Care Guide for tips to properly clean your range. Avoid using harsh chemicals such as oven cleaners. They often leave a chalky residue behind. With modern ranges with a steam clean function, it can actually eat the finish off the interior of your oven. We find that it's generally safe to use the self-clean function on your range. you can use a scraper knife on most porcelain coated oven interiors to remove any large chunks on burned on food. Remove the oven racks and run the oven's self-clean.

Dishwashers

Proper Use Of Your Dishwasher

Pre-rinsing Your Dishes- You might be wondering, should I be pre-rinsing my dishes? The answer is "No!". You should scrape any large chunks of food off before placing dishes in the dishwasher. Anything larger than the size of a pea cannot be safely processed by the dishwasher's pump. Modern dishwasher detergent uses enzymes that are activated by the soil on your dishes. Modern dishwashers also have sensors that measure the particles in the water as it's circulated through the dishwasher. When you pre-rinse your dishes, your detergent may not work as well, and your dishwasher may shorten the length cycle, ending it before the dishes are actually clean. Aside from that, it can be a waste of water. Modern dishwashers are very efficient with their water consumption. The average dishwasher uses between 3-5 gallons of water per cycle. When you pre-rinse your dishes, you can waste up to 15 gallons of water before starting the cycle on your dishwasher. That's a lot of water!

Using the proper detergent= Once of the questions I'm often asked is "What type of detergent do you recommend?" I've owned several dishwashers and used many different types of detergent. The type of detergent you use plays a huge tole in whether or not you dishes come out clean at the end of the cycle. I recommend avoiding liquid/gel detergent. With certain brands, it can leave residue on the dishwasher's inner door panel. Cheaper powder dishwasher detergents (i.e. store brands) can also be problematic. Using too little detergent can cause poor overall performance and using too much detergent cause damage to your dishes. More specifically, it can cause micro scratches, leaving your dishes with a permanent "haze". My

Recommendation: Use a good quality pod, such as Finish Power Ball or Cascade Platinum. these are both good options. pods should always be placed in the detergent dispenser. Throwing dishwasher pods directly in the tub can cause them to dispense the detergent in the prewash stage of the cycle, leaving little-to-no detergent for the main wash portion of the cycle. It may also be a good ides to run your hot water at the sink for a few seconds, especially if your dishwasher is located far away form your water heater.

Rinse Aid- With more and more dishwashers using a hidden heating element, your dishwasher depends on the use of rinse aid to properly dry your dishes. Your dishwasher should have an adjustment to control the amount of rinse aid and you can consult your dishwasher's Use & Care Guide for recommendations on the proper adjustment.

Cleaning & Maintaining Your Dishwasher- Modern dishwashers have a filter located in the sump area (the lowest point inside of the dishwasher). This filter should be removed and cleaned periodically. You should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for this. If you notice a decrease in performance, this is the first thing you should check before initiation a call for service. It is a good idea to use a detergent compartment. If you're using a liquid solution every 6 months. The pods/tabs can be placed directly in the detergent compartment. If you're using a liquid solution, you should follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Whirlpool AquaLift oven floor damage from using Easy-Off Oven Cleaner

Refrigerators

GFCI Receptacles & Refrigerators- This is a big debate between appliance service technicians, electricians, and your local building code enforcement. Here’s our stance on it. Refrigerators & freezers should never be plugged into a GFCI receptacle. As the compressor ages, the coating on the motor’s windings can degrade and cause a very small current leakage, not enough to be dangerous by any means. GFCI receptacles are designed to monitor current and cut power to the outlet if there’s any current leakage, even in very small amounts. If the GFCI trips when you are not home, or with a refrigerator/freezer you don’t frequently use, you may not notice it until it’s too late and all your food is spoiled. I personally had this happen with our kitchen refrigerator, and luckily I was home and noticed it right away. If this is happening to you, you should plug your refrigerator into a normal outlet that is not GFCI protected using an adequate extension cord. If your refrigerator/freezer runs properly and doesn’t trip a circuit breaker, then you know the issue was with it being plugged into a GFCI outlet. The Installation Guide or Use & Care Guide for your refrigerator will likely caution you about plugging your appliance into a GFCI outlet.

Maintaining your refrigerator- We’ll start the list with the most important appliance in your house, your refrigerator. Is it running? Well then you better go catch… Just kidding, we won’t go there. I would like to ask you this question though, When was the last time you cleaned your condenser coils? Your refrigerator’s sealed system depends on these being clean and free of dust & pet hair to properly disperse heat. The condenser coil is generally located on the bottom of the refrigerator, or in the bottom rear of the refrigerator near the compressor. You may need to pull the rear cover off to access it. It’s a good idea to check this at least once every year, especially if you have pets.

Cause for concern regarding your refrigerator- No one wants to wake up to a warm refrigerator and end up losing all their food. I’m going to share some things to be aware of that could lead to problems with your refrigerator in the near future. If you notice any of these, you should call for service immediately:

Fan noise- This one is more common than you’d think. Evaporator & condenser fans can either become noisy when they fail, or they can stop working completely without warning. We define “Noisy” as a “rattling” noise, or a “squeak” or “squeal”. The evaporator fan will be located inside the refrigerator/freezer compartment and the condenser fan will be located in the back of the refrigerator near the condenser & compressor.
Excessive heat around the edges of the freezer- Your refrigerator’s condenser probably has a “Yoder” loop that routes refrigerant around the perimeter of the freezer compartment to prevent moisture from forming. When the condenser fan fails, or the condenser coils are coated in dust & pet hair, heat isn’t being properly dispersed from the condenser and will be noticeable around the perimeter of the freezer. It will feel “hot” to the touch.
Frost Buildup- If you notice frost build up on the back wall of the freezer, that is an indication that your refrigerator is not defrosting properly. This will cause the refrigerator compartment to warm up.
Intermittent “clicking” sound from the back of the refrigerator, compressor not starting- By the time you notice this, your refrigerator may already be warm. This is indicating that your compressor is failing to start. If possible, you should remove all food from your refrigerator and unplug it to prevent damage to the compressor. This requires an immediate call for service.

Dryers

Tumble dryers require three very important things to operate efficiently: heat, good air flow, and tumbling action. Proper air flow is one of the biggest factors that is often overlooked by the consumer. Dryers operate by drawing air through the heat source. The air passes through a duct, into the drum, and through the clothing inside. The hot, humid air is then drawn through the lint trap where the lint collects. It is then channeled through another duct, through the blower, and out the exhaust duct and through the home’s venting. Since lint traps are composed of tiny holes, some lint will pass through and accumulate inside the duct below the lint trap, and in the home’s venting. In some cases, it can build up enough to restrict air flow, causing long dry time and overall poor performance. [Insert photos: Whirlpool_dryer_duct_01 & 02] [Add Caption for both photos: Restriction in Whirlpool dryer duct where lint trap is seated.] In an ideal configuration, the dryer vent should be kept as short and straight as possible. Your dryer’s manufacturer will typically have venting requirements either in the Installation Manual or the Use & Care Guide, and will address the maximum venting length and number of 90-degree elbows that can be used for maximum efficiency. 4” round hard pipe is the best option for dryer venting. “Foil flex” venting can be used for short distances to connect the dryer to the vent on your wall, but it should be kept as short as possible. White vinyl flex venting should NEVER be used, because it is a fire hazard. Venting behind the dryer should be given adequate space and should never be crushed or dented due to sliding the dryer back too far.

Are you concerned that your venting may be restricted? Here are a few common signs of restricted venting:

Long dry time (1 ½ - 3 hours), or taking several cycles to dry completely
Excessive lint build up behind the dryer or in the laundry room
Dryer sounds “muffled” - This is something we pick up on right away that the homeowner may not notice
Heating elements constantly failing
Clothes burning/damaged due to excessive heat
(Electric Dryer) goes completely dead, will not start
(Gas Dryer) running but not heating
Error/fault code for restricted airflow

I mentioned above that a dryer can go completely dead or stop heating due to restricted airflow. This is because dryers have a thermal fuse or exhaust thermistor to monitor exhaust temperatures. If the heat and humidity has nowhere to go, it creates back pressure and excessive heat inside the venting. In theory, the fuse should blow and prevent the dryer from catching fire. The dryer will require service and the cause of the thermal fuse failing should be investigated and addressed.

Use of Fabric Sheets- Some customers choose to use dryer sheets, and others don't. Our stance on dryer sheets is that they’re nothing but trouble. Dryer sheets are coated in a wax-like substance, and that wax has to go somewhere. More specifically, it coats your clothing, moisture sensors, lint trap (in extreme cases, it can plug the holes), air ducts, and dryer venting. The wax in dryer sheets can cause lint to cling to the air ducts inside your dryer and your venting, and restrict air flow much faster than it normally would. If you do choose to use dryer sheets, you should have your venting cleaned every 1-2 years, especially if you have a longer vent run.

Maintaining your dryer- In addition to maintaining your venting, you should consider checking pockets for personal belongings, money, and other objects that aren’t laundry. We’ve serviced many dryers and found just about everything but the kitchen sink inside of them. We serviced a dryer a while back and found a steak knife jammed inside the blower wheel. These objects can cause damage to the dryer and lead to expensive repairs. Dryers have several moving/rotating parts inside that will degrade over time. If you notice any unusual noises such as: scraping, squeaking, or squealing, you should call for service right away. If these symptoms are not addressed right away, they can lead to larger, more expensive repairs and may even exceed the dryer’s replacement value.

Clogged duct on a Whirpool dryer

Clogged duct on a Whirpool dryer

Washers

Top Load Washing Machines

Properly loading your machine- This is key to good performance and the overall longevity of your machine. Modern washing machines have very tight restrictions on their water consumption and overall efficiency. There will often be a guide printed on the lid of the machine, or it will be referenced in the use & care guide for your specific machine. When you overload the machine, you put a lot of stress on the inner tub, gearcase, and suspension (just to name a few). This can lead to expensive repairs a few years down the road. In addition to that, you won't get anything clean.

Fabric Softener- If you use fabric softener, only one tablespoon should be used per load. If your washer has the fabric softener dispenser inside the agitator, you should top off the fabric softener with water to help it disperse properly during the first spin. This style of dispenser should be cleaned periodically to help it work effectively.

Front Load Washing Machines

Properly loading your machine- Front load washing machines operate very efficiently and generally perform better than top load washers. That being said, they also require a lot more maintenance than top load washers. When loading the machine, you should only fill the inner basket about 1/2 to 3/4 full. It is very important to check pockets for coins, pens, pencils, toys, and other objects that could damage the door seal or get caught in the pump. This same rule applies for top load washers, but I find objects caught in the pump much more frequently on front loaders. Any clothing with a zipper should be fully zipped up before placing it in the washer. This is the number one cause for tears and other damage to the door seal.

Detergent Usage- The amount of detergent you use per load can greatly effect the performance and longevity of your machine. High efficiency washing machines require very little detergent, and most consumers use way too much of it. Generally, you should use no more than 2 tablespoons. Using too much detergent can cause a buildup inside your machine and damage internal components, leading to expensive repairs down the road. If you use pods, only one pod should be used per cycle, and should be thrown directly in the inner basket. Front load washers usually have a flap or insert in the detergent compartment that needs to be flipped up/down or removed depending on the type of detergent you are using, or it won't dispense properly. You should consult your use & care guide for your machine if you are unsure.

Fabric Softener- If you use fabric softener, only one tablespoon should be used per load.

Corroded/broken hub on a GE washing machine, likely due to excessive detergent usage.

Corroded/broken hub on a Speed Queen washing machine, likely due to excessive detergent usage.