We have hoarded tons of appliances in our houses. We love the way they help us do our monotonous home chores. But do we really care about their health? Not until they fail! We may get an expensive home appliance cover but we wouldn’t care about the machines. Appliance breakdown can have severe consequences and wastage of resources. For instance, a refrigerator breakdown can cause expensive foods to rot. There are some simple steps, which can help you avoid appliance breakdown. Your appliances can perform better and live longer if you take care of them.

Take advantage of the following tips and increase the health of your appliances.

Washer/Dryer

Generally, people across the globe do laundry twice a week. Or, at least twice a week. It is a good practice to service your washer and dryer at least once in five years. That’s not a lot and you can easily manage it. Servicing will make them efficient and you will get your clothes fresh just like they used to when you used your washer first time. Repeated use can lead to building up unwanted filth in the hose. This makes the machine work harder than it was made to. And this wear and tear break it down ultimately.

• Make sure you remove the old hoses and replace them with the new ones. This will allow water to move easily in the machine. You will have to do less work and your machine will last longer
• Clean up the exhaust of your dryer at least once in four to six months. Your dryer will dry your clothes faster and will consume less energy. It also reduces the risk of fire.

Refrigerator

The refrigerator is, without a doubt, the most used machine in every household. It is one of those appliances, which are used 24/7/365. Therefore, more than any other appliance, it has to be dependable. Your food has to be safe and good for consumption and the health of your refrigerator ensures that. Maintenance of a refrigerator is not difficult at all but if you avoid it will result in appliance breakdown. And if you invest some time in it, you can potentially save hundreds of bucks. Whether they are spent on repairs or replacement.

• Be careful about the temperature control settings. Middle temperatures are the best and they improve efficiency too. The refrigerator consumes lesser energy at medium temperatures and this extends it life
• Clean the condenser coils once in a while. If you don’t clean it, it will retain heat and this will make your compressor work harder. Use a stiff brush if you are doing this yourself. Make sure you unplug your refrigerator before you do this

Oven

Your oven cooks you a lot of scrumptious food. From casseroles to pies, it really does a lot to keep you full. If you want it to keep baking delicious treats for you, make sure you clean it twice a year.

• Avoid removing any cooktop knobs during the cleaning procedure. You might feel tempted to clean the area beneath them but don’t!
• If something spills while you are using your oven, make sure you clean it right away. Don’t let it cool and cling to your oven door. Because it can cause damage to your oven door hinges

Boiler

Always prepare your boiler before winter approaches to avoid boiler breakdown. This will save you both the stress and expense of replacing the machine. Make sure your boiler is inspected and cleaned by a licensed professional every fall. Otherwise, appliance breakdown would cost you and will stress you out, you can take a few simple steps.

• Don’t keep anything near the vents of the boiler. Blocked vents prevent boiler to work properly
• Inspect your boiler for the limescale. Building it up too much can affect its heating efficiency. Therefore, de-scaling is necessary

Dishwasher

The dishwasher saves you from a lot of hard work. Here is what you can do to keep it efficient.

• Bin the food scraps before you load the plates into your dishwasher. Big chunks of food can block the mechanism of your dishwasher. Small food scraps promote the growth of bacteria. The best practice would be putting some effort into slightly rinsing the dishes before you put them into the dishwasher.
• Always stick to the recommended quantity of detergent. More than required detergent can end up clinging to the dishes. You don’t want your future meals to give a soapy and unpleasant taste.

All these useful tips can make your appliances last longer. However, it is advisable to get an Appliance Insurance Cover to avoid appliance breakdown. You want to keep your house running like a well-oiled machine. Don’t you? And not always an appliance breaks down due to carelessness; it could be faulty to begin with!