According to washer repair professionals, the primary reason homeowners damage their washing machines is due to improper use. Have you been having issues with your appliance? Here are washing machine dos and don’ts:

Do read the tags

It’s no secret washing machines have come a long way, but despite all the technological advancements, they can’t read tags and tell the right settings. It’s up to you to do it.

You should note that failure to read the tags results in color bleeding, fabric shrinking, and even damage to your priced attire.

 Don’t use extra detergent.

You might have the impression using extra laundry detergent will get the clothes cleaner, but this isn’t the case. You are better off washing your load twice in a row with a normal amount of detergent than use extra detergent.

If your clothes are too dirty, use the prewash setting that you can use to remove the extra dirt. The reason you shouldn’t use extra detergent is because extra soap won’t rinse away properly, so you will have your clothes still with soap by the time you are removing them from the washing machine.

Extra detergent also means water will remain in your clothes and wind up deposited on the interior of your washing machine, where it risks gunking up the appliance components.

Do balance the machine.

An unbalanced washing machine is not only noisy, but it also works harder, so you end up with a huge electricity bill at the end of the month. The overworking appliance also tends to have a shorter lifespan.

To solve this, balance your washing machine. Thankfully, the process is simple as it involves adjusting the machine on the bottom corners, which takes a few minutes, and you don’t need to involve a professional.

Don’t leave wet clothes inside.

When you are multitasking, it’s normal to forget you have clothes in your appliance, and they sit there for a long time. This is wrong as the clothes tend to grow mildew and smell, which is bad for you, your washing machine, and your clothes.

To avoid this, set a timer on your phone to know when the cleaning cycle is complete. Don’t let the clothes sit here for long. Switch them immediately to avoid a smelly, damaged load.

Do clean the washing machine.

Since you use the washing machine to clean the clothes, it remains clean, so you don’t need to clean it, right? Wrong. Like any other appliance, you should clean your washing machine regularly.

Set the machine to a hot cycle and add a cup of vinegar to it. This will sanitize it and remove the off-putting smells. You don’t need to involve a technician but if you aren’t handy, let them help you out.

Don’t overload the machine.

Cramming the entire load in one go won’t save water or energy. You also won’t complete your work fast. Clothes crammed in the washing machine don’t move around enough to get a proper clean, so you are forced to rewash them.

For best results, put just enough clothes in the washing machine.

In the same way, you shouldn’t overload the machine, you shouldn’t wash small loads using a large load cycle as the machine will consume a lot of water and energy. Use the right cycle for your load size.

Do empty your pockets.

Before you put the clothes in the washing machine, check whether there are tissues, coins, keys, or any other item in your pockets. Remember, even a small item such as a coin or metallic button can damage the washing machine. Items such as tissues can cover the entire load in white fluff, forcing you to repeat the cleaning.

Do let expert professionals handle complex faults.

Even with the best care, it’s common for the washing machine to develop problems. For example, the water pipe can get blocked. When such issues come about, unless you have the skills, let a certified and experienced commercial appliance repair Alexandria technician handle them.

You don’t want to attempt fixing the appliance and cause more problems than were initially there, do you? When hiring the repair technician, ensure they are experienced enough. They also should be insured so you are safe in the event of an accident.

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You move to a new home and find there is no dishwasher, and you don’t want to wash the dishes with your hands. Is it hard to install a dishwasher? You wonder.

Dishwasher installation involves electrical, plumbing, and carpentry work. If there was already a dishwasher in place before, it’s plug and play, but if you are installing the appliance for the first time, there is a lot of work to be done and I wouldn’t recommend it to a newbie who has never done similar work before. Hire a dishwasher repair expert to help with the installation instead.

If you are a DIY ninja and don’t mind handling the dirty work, you should go ahead and do the work. To attain perfect results, follow these steps:

Turn off the water and electricity in the kitchen.

To avoid accidents, turn off water and electricity in your kitchen. Find the location of your home’s breaker box and turn off the electricity in your kitchen. You also should find the location of your home’s shutoff valve and turn it off too.

Determine how the dishwasher will drain

Even if you are installing the appliance in your home, you need to ensure it adheres to the local building codes and ordinances. Begin with figuring out how your dishwasher will drain. The common way the appliance drains is by plugging directly into the waste disposal system. The appliance can also drain directly to the water supply pipe under the sink.

If the house is old, contact a professional plumber and ask them to come out and ensure your setup adheres to your state’s requirements.

Evaluate your current setup

You should connect dishwashers to a grounded branch circuit. This means they should be permanently grounded, or they should come with a grounding power cord. You can sometimes wire the dishwasher directly to the wall instead of plugging into an outlet. While in other cases, you can’t.

Before you install the appliance, you need to know how to connect it according to the state’s ordinances.

Working with electrical wires is no walk in the park, so if you aren’t confident in your electrical skills, let an experienced and certified electrician handle the work.

Read the instruction manual.

If everything is still okay, now it’s time to read the instruction manual. The manual will tell you everything you need to know to set up the dishwasher and get it going properly. After reading the instructions, lay the dishwasher on its side, then connect the drain hose to the drain port and secure it with a hose clamp.

You should then connect the water supply line to the water inlet and tighten the connection with an adjustable wrench and locking pliers. Once you are done, connect the power cord on the electrical terminus then tighten all the lugs.

Move the dishwasher into position.

To place the appliance into the alcove, you need to turn the dishwasher upright and slide it towards the alcove while you feed the drain hose, water line, and power cord. You should pull the hoses and cords through as you gradually slide the dishwasher fully into the alcove. If the dishwasher is large, you might need someone to help you put it into place.

Once the appliance is in place, open the door, place a level on the floor and adjust the front feet to level your appliance. Once level, screw it to the underside of your countertop.

Connect the drain hose

Here you need to fit a hose onto the inlet port and secure it with a hose clamp. If your dishwasher doesn’t have an air gap, secure the drain hose to the underside of the countertop with a hose bracket before connecting it to the disposal or tailpiece.

Hook up the water and connect the power

Once everything is in place, screw the water hose to the free port and tighten the connection with an adjustable wrench or locking pliers. You should then turn on the shutoff valve and check for leaks.

You should then connect the circuit wire to the wires inside the dishwasher’s electrical box following the manufacturer’s wiring diagram. Make the connections with wire nuts.

It’s up to you

As you can see, it’s not an easy feat to properly install a dishwasher. If you feel you can handle all the work, hire a reputable appliance repair Northern VA expert to do the work.

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While homeowners know they have to replace their refrigerator at a particular time, most of them don’t know the exact time to do it. So you will find them trying to salvage a dying horse. They will keep contacting a refrigerator repair professional, not realizing they are pouring money down the drain that they could have put to better use by simply buying a new appliance.

Do you have a hunch your refrigerator is on its deathbed? Here are signs your refrigerator is dying:

You can hear the motor.

Refrigerators are loud, but if you have never noticed its sound, but now you start hearing the motor, you have a problem. The temperature control board supplies voltage to the fan motors and compressors. If this part is malfunctioning, it could send continuous power making the fridge too cold. As a result, the motor runs continuously.

A motor that runs unnecessarily not only makes a lot of noise, it also increases your energy bills.

Your electricity bill keeps going up.

If your appliance has faulty components, you are bound to see your electricity bills go up. For example, if your fridge has a defective gasket, other components such as evaporator, fans, condenser, and thermostat have to work harder to compensate for it, which translates to high energy use.

If you haven’t installed a new appliance in your home and you have noticed your electricity bills going up, you should check whether you have a faulty part or there is food that has built up in the appliance. While it seems harmless, sticky food buildup can lead to tearing up of gaskets. To prevent the buildup, regularly clean your refrigerator with warm, soapy water.

It’s common for older appliances to consume more energy than newer models, but the consumption shouldn’t be too much that it doubles your energy bills.

Your refrigerator is sweating.

Your fridge will look like its sweating as a result of excess condensation, which is an indication of insufficient cooling capabilities. Carefully inspect the refrigerator. If the moisture is appearing on the exterior, check the door seal, and if faulty, replace it.

If the seal looks in good condition or the condensation is coming from the inside of the appliance, the appliance’s internal temperature isn’t cold enough to keep the food from spoiling, and it’s time to replace it.

The freezer is too cold.

Yes, the freezer can be too cold. The freezer is supposed to be precisely zero degrees, so if yours feels like it’s more than freezing, you have a problem. If you have an older appliance, this problem might be brought about by a cracked door seal that is allowing warm, moist air to enter.

If you do an inspection and find that’s not the reason for the low temperatures, you must be having a problem with the refrigerator defrost sensor, or your appliance might be on its way out.

Food keeps getting spoilt.

Does your food keep getting bad much faster than usual? It’s an indication your fridge might be faulty. Before you run into conclusions, check the temperature settings. A properly functioning appliance should have a temperature of between 37 and 41 degrees.

If the temperature is within a normal range, but you are still having this problem, check whether the door seals are tight and clean. Door seals keep cool air in the fridge and prevent warm air from getting in.

Cleaning the seals can keep the fridge working optimally and prevent it from getting spoilt. If you do your inspection and find out everything is in top working condition, but the food is still getting spoilt, chances are your appliance is too old, and it’s time to replace it.

The back of the fridge is too hot.

The back of the fridge should always feel warmer than the front as this is where the motor is located, but if it’s too hot to the touch, it’s a sign the fridge is overheating. The overheating can be brought about by plenty of factors such as: dirty condenser, coil problem, and ventilation system problems.

Appliance Repair Springfield experts recommend you clean the coils, and the fridge will start running more efficiently, which decreases the operating costs. If you do this and still the appliance is malfunctioning, it’s time to get a new unit.

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