Dishwasher Repair and Care
Tips for Lowering Your Oven/Range Energy Usage
Manual-defrost refrigerators/freezers
Self-defrosting refrigerator/freezers
Refrigerator Maintenance Keeps Costs Cool
Washer Preventive Maintenance
Clothes dryer maintenance

 

Dishwasher Repair and Care

Load properly following manual suggestions. Use only dishwasher detergent in recommended amounts. Do not put any other cleaning compound inside dishwasher, as it may suds and interfere with dish washing action. Store detergent in a dry, cool place, and do not keep extra packages on hand for a long time as it takes up moisture from the air and then loses cleaning ability.

A dishwasher should always be plugged into a grounded outlet; do not use an extension cord. If hot water has not been used in house for 2 weeks or longer, open all hot water faucets and let them run several minutes before using the dishwasher or any other electrical appliance connected to hot water. Do not smoke or light any flame while the faucets are running; hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive may build up in water heater and hot water pipes if hot water is not used for a long time. If seasonal home is to be closed without heat for winter, winterize dishwasher.

Dishwasher interiors are self-cleaning. If a stain does occur, clean with dishwasher detergent and water, wearing rubber gloves to protect hands from very alkaline detergent. A heavy film buildup from hard water minerals may be removed by adding vinegar or citric acid crystals (buy at drugstore) to dishwasher without any dishes in it, after it fills with water at start of first cycle. Do this only if appliance manual suggests this is OK, and if the buildup bothers the owner (as it does no harm). However, very hard water can deposit mineral film on dishes, glasses, and flatware, and on dishwasher pump and moving parts; it is wise if water if very hard to install a water softener before installing a dishwasher. If iron in water causes rust stains inside dishwasher, buy a commercial soluble rust remover (grocery or hardware), checking label to be sure it can be used to dishwasher. Start empty dishwasher on rinse cycle. As it fills, open and add 1/2 cup rust remover. Let dishwasher complete cycle. If iron problem continues so that another treatment is required, it is better to install an iron filter in your home water system to remove iron as this will affect dishes, laundry, and all fixtures.

Tips for Lowering Your Oven/Range Energy Usage

Preheat ovens only when necessary. With conventional ovens, keep the preheating time to a minimum. Unless you're baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat the oven at all.
Food cooks more quickly and efficiently in ovens when air can circulate freely. Don't lay foils on racks. If possible, stagger pans on upper and lower racks to improve air flow.
Use glass or ceramic pans in ovens. You can turn down the temperature about 25°F and cook foods just as quickly.
Do not open the oven door often to preview the food. Each time you open the door the oven temperature drops by 25°F. Watch the clock or use a timer instead.
Full-size ovens are not very efficient for cooking small- to medium-sized meals, it generally pays to use toaster ovens or microwave ovens.
Check to be sure the oven door gasket is tight. Adjust or replace gaskets as required.
If you have a self-cleaning oven, consider using the self-cleaning feature immediately after regular baking when the oven is still hot. Less energy will be required to reach the cleaning temperature. Try not to use the self-cleaning feature too often.
Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean; they will reflect the heat better and save energy.
Match the size of the pan to the heating element; more heat will get to the pan and less will be lost to the surrounding air. A 6-inch pan on a 8-inch burner will waste over 40% of the energy.
On electric stove-tops, use only flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with the element. A warped or rounded pan will waste most of the heat.
When cooking with a gas range-top burner, use moderate flame settings to conserve gas. Also make sure the pilot light is burning efficiently, with a blue flame. A yellowish flame indicates an adjustment is needed because the gas is burning inefficiently.
Whenever possible, use a pressure cooker. By cooking food at a higher temperature and pressure, cooking time is reduced dramatically and energy use is cut by 50-75%.

Manual-defrost refrigerator/freezers

Manual defrost refrigerator/freezers require very little maintenance.

When frost has accumulated on the inside walls of the freezer to a thickness of ½ inch or so, remove the food from the refrigerator/freezer, turn off the thermostat or unplug the unit, and allow all of the frost to melt.

Once the frost has melted completely, turn the unit back on, wait for it to reach its operating temperature, and restock it with food.


Self-defrosting refrigerator/freezers

You don't need to manually defrost your self-defrosting refrigerator/freezer. Every 6 to 8 hours, it heats up its cooling coils slightly and melts any frost accumulation on the coils. The resulting water drains into a shallow pan at the bottom of the refrigerator/freezer.

There's no need to empty the pan. The water in it will evaporate. But it may begin to smell bad over time. You may be able to remove it for periodic cleaning by detaching the lower grill and sliding the pan out the front of the refrigerator/freezer.

Note… When mold grows in the drain pan, it is sometimes considered to be a health concern. If your drain pan is removable, and if you're sensitive to mold, consider cleaning the drain pan periodically.

Under your refrigerator/freezer is a set of coils and a cooling fan that you need to clean at least once a year. The coils may look like a grate or like a wide radiator. Unplug the refrigerator/freezer and use a Refrigerator Condenser Brush (available in the accessories section of our website), and your vacuum cleaner to clean any lint, pet hair, and so on from the coils.

If the gasket or interior of the refrigerator/freezer needs cleaning, try Refrigerator Cleaner to clean the surfaces. You can find this useful product in our accessories section.

For odors in the refrigerator/freezer try baking soda or, for tougher odors, try Fridge Aid deodorizer.
 

Refrigerator Maintenance Keeps Costs Cool

One of the largest consumers of energy in a home is the refrigerator. Even the most efficient brands use about 700 kWh per year and most homes do not have a top of the line model. Improve a refrigerator's overall efficiency while saving money and energy at the same time with these tips.

Keep it Clean
It's a good idea to clean the refrigerator about once a month with a vacuum or broom. Behind and underneath the refrigerator are metal coils. These heat-condenser coils transfer heat from inside the unit to the outside air. Because dust acts as an insulator, dusty heat exchange coils cannot get rid of heat as easily and the refrigerator has to work harder to keep the inside cool.

Thermostat Settings
If the unit has an energy-saver setting, use it. If it doesn't, try keeping the thermostat between 37 and 42 degrees F in the refrigerator and at 0 degrees F in the freezer. If the temperature dial only has numbers on it, consult the owner's manual, or use a thermometer to determine the temperature of each setting.

It is also important to consider the effect of outside temperatures on the unit. Don't place the unit in direct sunlight or near any heat source, such as an oven or a heat register. The cooler the surrounding temperature, the easier it is for the refrigerator to maintain a cold temperature inside.

Good Habits
Good habits will also save money. For example, don't stand in front of an open refrigerator and window shop. It wastes energy. Decide what you want before you open the door. The interior temperature of the unit can shoot up 10-20 degrees F each time the door is open. Also, get into the habit of checking the door to make sure it is completely closed after opening.

Check for Leaks
Over time, the vinyl or rubber seals on refrigerator doors tend to harden or become twisted. Check the door gasket periodically and replace it if it's worn or leaking. To find air leaks, pass the back of your hand around the closed door to detect escaping cool air. Or insert a piece of paper at various points between the seal and the edge of the door when its closed. If the paper can be easily pulled out, it's time to replace the seal. Replacement seals are inexpensive and are sold at hardware and appliance stores.

One vs. Two
Finally, many families have a refrigerator and a freezer. Simply said, it is more efficient to use a single larger refrigerator then operate two or more small ones. If another unit is desired, keep it in the basement where its cooler and where it won't contribute its waste heat to the living space.

Washer Preventive Maintenance

The following are a few tips for maintaining your washer:

Closing and reopening the water faucets that supply the washer each month is a good idea, especially if you have hard water. Otherwise they may bind up and not be able to be closed when needed, or leak at intermediate positions. Also, while I have never had a problem or run into one with fill hoses bursting, it is a good idea to inspect your fill hoses for weak spots or bubbles.  It is also a good idea to replace the washers inside the hose ends every year or two. An even better idea, though rarely done, is to use braided high-pressure hoses as fill hoses. Also when you have the hoses off for washer replacement check for buildup on the screens in the fill valves onto which the hoses attach and clean the screens as necessary.

Inspecting the belt on belt-driven machines, either through a rear access panel as on older GE/Hotpoint and Kenmore/Whirlpool machines, or by removing the front panel on many other brands, can allow you to replace the belt at a convenient time instead of at the time the belt decides to break (on a holiday as you are washing the urgently needed holiday finery). Also on most belt-driven brands other than GE/Hotpoint you won't have to work on a machine possibly full of water if you change the belt BEFORE it breaks. (GE has the pump directly coupled to the motor and will pump out, though not spin or agitate, without the belt.

On belt-driven Whirlpool/Kenmore lightly greasing the cam slide-bars on top of the transmission will greatly increase their trouble-free life. Also checking for worn snubbers will eliminate most chronic out-of-balance problems. Checking any brand for traces of minor water leaks before they become major is also a good idea--especially at the pumps. And where rubber hoses such as bleach hoses are attached to the outer tub. Any trace of water tracking/deposits may be indicative of seepage and a possibly larger future leak.

If your machine has variable water level/temp settings, especially if they are push-buttons rather than rotary knobs, you should change the settings through all positions once in a while- or they tend to function only in the setting you always use and freeze up there. Maytag's and some Whirlpools are particularly prone to this.

If you move the machine for these inspections, or for any reason, check that you haven't kinked the drain hose which will slow the pumping and may accelerate wear of the pump internal vanes due to excessive back-pressure. For the same reason NEVER hook your drain hose up to a long small-diameter hose to bring your used wash water to your garden, for instance. If you decide to do that (and most building codes/health regulations frown on grey water usage) empty the regular drain hose into a large drum, like a 55 gallon one, and drain using gravity and a hose from the drum, or create a large black-plastic pipe drain system to get your water where desired with gravity, and just place the smaller diameter regular drain hose loosely into the top of the new drain pipe. All drain systems need to be about 36" high where the drain hose hooks on to prevent siphoning problems.  

Clothes dryer maintenance


You are in a hurry and put the clothes in the dryer early while getting ready to go to work. That favorite blouse or shirt will be dry by the time you are? Well good luck, because your dryer has a problem. "Someone" and we won’t name names, has ignored this pathetic piece of machinery for way to long, and it is rebelling. When you pull that item out at the critical hour it is still damp! Off you go to pick out another piece of clothing that is not what you really wanted to wear at all. The whole day is less than perfect because the blouse or shirt you are wearing, embarrassingly, does not match. And so goes your day!

New Dryer Setup

When you purchase your clothes dryer there are a few important steps you will need to take. A more rigid venting hose is more desirable because they last longer and are less likely to “kink.” Vent hoods opening at least 4 inches are more efficient than smaller openings. Make sure the length is appropriate, no more than 20 ft to the outside vent hood. If it is too long the drying time will be longer. Remember to vent your dryer to the outside, the lint that will blow out is very combustible

Notice the placement of the exhaust opening on the new dryer. This is important to check because you may not be able to run the venting hose to your existing vent hole, outdoors. Place your dryer in an area that is reasonably warm. Your dryer will work more efficiently in an area that stays no lower than 50 degrees.

Good Working Order

“My dryer is not working well it takes forever to dry.” Check a few of the possible problems listed below.

* Moisture sensors located just in side the door or drum baffles need cleaning, they may be coated with fabric softener.

* A door seal could be a problem, and is not sealing well. These can be removed easily and another one glued on. Ask your dealer for the special nonflammable glue adhesive. If the seal in your dryer is mounted between the cabinet and drum you will need to have it serviced by a professional.

* Your venting system may be clogged with lint and this is keeping wet items from drying successfully. You can check by placing your hand over the outside vent. You should feel a strong surge of warm air. Use a clothes hanger and push it up the vent (carefully) to remove packed lint. Do with caution as you may puncture a plastic vent hose. You may also want to remove the hose from the back of the dryer and shake out the accumulated lint. This should be done at least one time each year.

* Is your vent hose crooked? Kinks collect water and lint and will obstruct the flow of air

* Do you hear a thumping sound? A slow thump probably indicates the need for a new drive belt. Many thumps repeated quickly are probably a worn support roller.

To run your dryer efficiently

1. Dry one load immediately after another, this takes advantage of the heat retained in your dryer.

2. Do not place wet clothes on ones that are already dry.

3. Do not waste energy by under loading or over loading your machine.

4. Separate your clothes to be dried heavy together, and light together.

5. Clean the lint filter after each use!

These are a few simple things you may do to save time and stress, and keep your expensive dryer running as long as possible. It takes a little extra time in our busy life, but in the long run will pay.

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