Tag Archives: washing machine repair

Tips to Keeping Your Appliances in Tip Top Shape

With everyone looking for ways to save money and make the most of their appliances, having an appliance breakdown is something you don’t want.

Fortunately, you can do several things to ensure your appliance is always in tip-top shape. To help you out, here are ways to ensure that your washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, and other appliances are in great working order.

Washing machine

When you don’t clean your laundry efficiently, it results in stains and stinky garments.

This is likely due to overloading the appliance, which makes it harder for the water and detergent to work effectively. Using too much detergent can also cause the machine to clog, reducing lifespan.

To ensure that your appliance is in tip-top shape, fill it to around 80% capacity; your hand should be able to fit in the drum on top of your garments.

To avoid the washing machine from becoming unbalanced during the spin cycle, washer repair experts recommend that you distribute the clothes evenly in the drum. Remember that an imbalanced load might cause the machine to shake excessively, causing damage to the machine.

You also should reduce the quantity of detergent you use and clean your washing machine deep every few months to remove any residue from detergent or garments.

You should follow the detergent manufacturer’s instructions. Too much detergent might result in excessive suds and residue buildup, while using too little may leave your clothes unclean.

A “cleaning” or “maintenance” cycle is available on many washing machines. Run this cycle according to your machine’s directions, using hot water, a washing machine cleanser, or a vinegar and baking soda mixture. This aids in the removal of deposits and odors from the machine’s drum and other components.

Dishwasher

If your dishwasher isn’t washing pots and pans properly, it may be tempting to hand-wash them first – but this might waste a lot of water, which can be expensive.

Instead, keep your dishwasher in good working order to guarantee that your dishes come out shining. You also should be on the lookout for foul odors and gurgling noises that could signal a clogged filter.

To clean the filter, take it from the appliance, empty it, rinse it out, and scrape it with an old toothbrush. This will help it capture food residue and clean your plates all the time.

Oven

Most of us use our ovens daily, so seeing smoke billowing from them is frightening. Most of the time, this is due to food and grease residue, which has to be cleaned.

If you recently cleaned the oven, the smoke could be from excess cleaner left in the oven. In this scenario, the best thing to do is to remove the extra cleaner using a vinegar and water solution.

After fully cleaning your oven and stopping smoking, leave at least 3 inches of distance between food and heating elements.

Also, don’t put food directly on the oven racks because it shortens the time between deep cleans.

Microwave

Despite their small size, microwaves require more frequent cleaning than other appliances due to the possibility of tenacious stains and foul odors.

After using your microwave, wipe it clean with a microfibre towel to avoid any splashes or spillages from drying and becoming more difficult to remove

You can also use small amounts of vinegar to assist in removing food spills.

Using baking soda to remove odors from your microwave is also an excellent way to go about it. Combine water and baking soda in a big microwave-safe basin and heat on high for 5 minutes, being careful not to boil the solution.

Tumble dryer

Tumble dryers sometimes struggle to get hot enough or fail to heat up over time. This may not always imply that it needs to be repaired but rather that it needs to be cleaned out.

Poor circulation can lead tumble dryers not to heat up effectively. This is commonly caused by a buildup of soggy lint from fluff and fibers that fall off your clothing when flung around inside the appliance’s drum.

To keep your appliance in top working shape, make sure that you clean your filter after each cycle to allow the air to circulate properly within the dryer and effectively dry your clothes.

You also must clean the condenser box if you have a condenser dryer. You remove the box and empty the water into your sink.

Fridge freezer

Fridge freezers have a lengthy lifespan, but if yours is suddenly warmer than it should be, there could be an issue.

This could be due to something preventing the door from closing correctly, such as food lodged in the seal or a fridge freezer that is too full.

To keep your appliance in top working shape, avoid overfilling the device, as this can limit circulation in the fridge freezer, resulting in temperature changes.

You also should 0rganize your food products properly. Keep the necessary products together in labeled containers. This lowers the time the door is open, which helps keep the temperature stable.

Also, defrost the appliance twice yearly to maintain routine maintenance and eliminate the need for repairs.

If possible, have an appliance repair Springfield professional perform an annual maintenance check. They may find problems you overlooked and do more in-depth maintenance activities.

When hiring repair professionals, don’t hire just any professional. Hire an experienced one that knows what they are doing.

As a rule of thumb, you should interview the various technicians and ensure they have the necessary experience to diagnose and fix the appliance.

Many homeowners try to save money by hiring the cheapest contractors. This is wrong because most cheap contractors are inexperienced and often end up causing more problems than were there.

The best way to do it is to take your time and find a moderately priced contractor who will give your appliance the service it deserves.

Tricks to Get the Most from Your Dishwasher

Since dishwashers have been around for a long time, you might think you know everything about them, but this isn’t the case. According to appliance repair professionals, there are plenty of things you can do to your appliance to get the most from them. These things include:

Use the dishwasher to clean more dishes

You need to change how you think about your dishwasher to get more out of it. If you only use it to load dishes, you only use a small part of what it can do.

Your dishwasher can clean many things around the house, like makeup, plastic hair, nail clippers, razors, toothbrush holders, and soap dishes.

You can also use it to clean fake plants, flowers, and plastic toys for kids. With a quick cycle, it’s easy to clean dog leashes, plastic pet toys, and tools from the garage that are dirty or greasy.

The dishwasher can also clean many things in your closet, like baseball caps, flip-flops, and rubber rain boots.

Many things in your kitchen, like sponges and silicone oven mitts, could use a good cleaning. Even the plate from your microwave and the knobs from your stove can go in the dishwasher.

As you clean the various items, remember that whatever you put in the dishwasher will get wet and that whatever you put on the bottom rack will be closer to the heating element.

If you’re worried about fragile items, you can choose to run your dishwasher without soap or heated drying.

If you have small or light things like Legos or pacifiers that could fly away when hit by the water jets, put them in a mesh bag from your laundry room.

Understand the chemical reactions going on inside the dishwasher

Chemical reactions are happening in your dishwasher; if you understand how they work, you can get more out of them.

One reason is that modern detergent is made to react with food. Because of this, you shouldn’t rinse the plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Instead, you should leave the food on the plates.

When you put stainless steel and silver-plated flatware in the same bag, a chemical reaction can happen. Silver ions can leave pits and marks on your silver when they react with detergent and moisture. Even when washing silver by itself, use a detergent, rinse aid that doesn’t contain acid or phosphates, and a low heat setting.

Do you want your dishes to be clean and shiny? You can go with rinse aids, which speed up evaporation by changing the surface tension of water droplets. There are fewer spots and lines on the glass when there is less water.

Plastic takes longer to dry than glass, even with rinse aid, because it repels water. If you want a natural alternative to rinse aid, you might want to know what vinegar can do.

It can help dry dishes better and get rid of hard water spots. You need to pour a little in before you turn on the machine, fill the rinse aid compartment with it, or put a bowl of vinegar on the top rack.

You can also roll some aluminum foil into a ball and put it on the top rack of your dishwasher. It will cause an oxidizing reaction, letting your glasses and silverware dry to a sparkling shine.

Unload the dishes on autopilot.

Dishwashers make it easier to wash dishes, but every time you need to empty them, you have to jump through hoops.

Did you know you can set up your dishwasher to empty itself? The beauty of doing this is that you don’t have to think about it.

Start by emptying the section for flatware, then the bottom shelf, and finally, the top shelf. If you empty the top rack first, drips might fall on the dishes below, which is not good.

Dishwasher repair Alexandria advises that you make room above the dishwasher on the counter. You should spread out a dish towel and then spread the dishes there in piles that go together

With this method, you don’t have to move around your kitchen as much, and any dishes that are still wet can dry.

Which Clothes Should you Not Wash In Washing Machine?

As much as you would want to make your work easy and throw all your clothes in the washing machine, it’s often impossible as some clothes might get damaged. In other cases, these clothes might damage the washing machine, forcing you to hire a washer repair professional to fix the machine.

Are you wondering which clothes you shouldn’t wash in the washing machine? Here they are:

Delicate fabrics

Delicate fabrics such as silk, lace, and wool are prone to damage when you wash them in the machine.

When you wash the fabric in the washing machine, the mechanical action of the machine can stretch, snag, or even tear the fabric, and you don’t want this, do you?

Delicate fabrics are also prone to shrinkage and color bleeding when you wash them in a washing machine using hot water, which can ruin the garment’s appearance.

The harsh detergents and chemicals used in the washing machine can also strip the fabric of its natural oils and cause it to become dry and brittle. Consequently, you have ugly clothes that you aren’t proud to wear.

To avoid damaging your delicate fabrics, instead of washing them using the washing machine, hand wash them. When you hand wash the outfits, you have control of the agitation and the temperature of the water, which protects the fabric from damage.

If you don’t want to hand wash the clothes, you can always dry clean them. Here you use a chemical solvent to clean the garment, rather than water and detergent that have been shown to damage the outfits.

Clothes with embellishments

You shouldn’t machine wash clothing pieces with embellishments such as beads, sequins, or buttons, as the mechanical action of the machine can cause the decorative elements to get loose or fall off.

The heat and water of the wash cycle can also cause the embellishment to become discolored or tarnished, which ruins the garment’s appearance.

Like the delicate fabrics, don’t use a washing machine to clean the clothes with embellishment. Instead, hand wash or dry-clean them to preserve the integrity of the decorations and maintain the overall appearance of the garment.

Leather and suede

As much as leather and suede appear tough, they aren’t. Both materials are delicate and can easily get damaged by machine washing. The harsh detergents and high water temperatures used in the machine-washing process can strip away the natural oils and finish of the leather or suede, causing it to become dry and brittle.

The agitator in the washing machine can also cause abrasions and scuffing on the surface of the leather or suede, giving the materials an ugly look.

The best way to clean leather and suede is by wiping them down with a damp cloth and a gentle cleaner designed to clean them. If the leather or suede is too dirty or needs a deeper cleaning, take it to a professional cleaner experienced in cleaning these materials.

Clothes with metal hardware

There are plenty of reasons you shouldn’t clean clothes with metal hardware using a washing machine. For one, the zippers, buttons, and snaps can damage the clothing during the washing process. This happens when the metal in the clothes rubs against the fabric, creating holes and tears.

The metal pieces can also get caught in the agitator or the pump, causing damage to the machine. In some cases, the metal can cause the machine to break down.

When exposed to water and detergents, some metal hardware can corrode or rust, discoloring the clothing and even leaving unsightly stains.

Finally, the noise comes about as the metal hardware bounces around inside the washing machine. The noise is not only disruptive but also annoying.

Hand wash the outfits to avoid the issues with machine washing the clothes with metal hardware. If you have to machine wash them, always place them in a mesh laundry bag before placing them in the washing machine.

According to appliance repair Fairfax professionals, when you do this, you protect the clothing and machine and prevent the metal hardware from corroding or rusting.

How Do You Use Washing Machines Properly

Thanks to washing machines, we no longer worry about washing clothes with our hands. To draw the most benefits from these machines, you have to use them properly.

How do you use washing machines properly? Here is how to go about it as given by washer repair professionals:

Always prepare your clothes before putting them in the washing machine

Don’t just toss your clothes in the washing machine—prepare them for washing. A good rule of thumb is to close the zippers, unbutton shirts, secure straps, hooks, and Velcro, and inspect the pockets for any important items before putting the clothes in the machine.

The purpose of doing this is to prevent the clothes from getting damaged as you are cleaning them. For example, if you leave the clothes buttoned, you risk losing a thread around the buttonholes. Lint can also catch on the Velcro straps if you don’t close them properly.

Remove stains beforehand

While it’s possible to put bleach in the washing machine and remove stains or even whiten the clothes as you are cleaning them, it’s unwise to do this as sometimes the washing machine fails to remove the stains properly.

If you have stained clothes in your basket, remove the stains before putting the clothes in the washing machine with the other clothes. Besides having an easy time getting rid of these stains, removing the stains beforehand prevents stain transfer.

Separate light and grey clothes

The purpose of separating the clothes before putting them in the washing machine is to protect them from damage. For example, if you put lightweight clothes such as t-shirts and leggings together with jackets and other heavy clothes, it means that the clothes will stay in the washing machine for a long time so that all the dirt can come off the jackets.

As you can guess, this puts the leggings and the other lightweight clothes at the risk of getting damaged for staying in the washing machine much longer than they should.

To have an easy time sorting the clothes, have multiple hampers. You also should sort the outfits by their material. For example, put clothes made from lighter materials such as shirts and leggings in one basket and clothes made with thicker materials such as jeans and jackets in another.

You can also separate the clothes by color. Dark-colored clothes have dyes that can seep into the lighter clothes, so you should put them separately.

Turn the clothes inside out.

The point of doing this is to prevent your clothes from fading and maintain their original color. If you have fading clothes, it’s always recommended you clean them with cold water. The cold water sets the dye to the fabric, preventing it from floating away in the wash water, so you keep your clothes in their original color.

Don’t overload the washing machine.

When you have a large load to clean and minimal time, it’s tempting to load all of your clothes in one go and get done with it, but don’t. This is because you end up overloading the machine, which makes it work harder than it should and puts it at the risk of getting damaged.

All washing machines have their capacities indicated, so you can’t miss that. All you have to do is check on the indicated figures and ensure that you don’t overload your appliance.

Leave the washing machine door open.

After using the washing machine, don’t close the door. Instead, leave it open for air and light to get in. Mold and mildew thrive in damp areas, so when you close the washing machine’s door immediately after using it, you keep the insides damp, promoting mold and mildew growth.

By leaving the door open, you give the appliance time to air out and dry up, which kills the mildew and mold and prevents foul odors from occurring.

Keep the washing machine clean.

Since the washing machine cleans clothes, you don’t need to clean it, right? Wrong. According to appliance repair Springfield professionals, if you don’t regularly clean your washing machine, you don’t get rid of dust and debris that might get on your clothes, and they come out dirty.

To keep your appliance clean, clean it at least once a week.

What Should You Not Do With A Washing Machine?

Are you wondering, what should you not do with a washing machine? Well, there are plenty of things. Here are some of these things as given by appliance repair professionals:

Leaving wet clothes inside

With the hectic lives we are all leading, it’s easy to be distracted by other tasks while doing laundry, and we forget a load of clothes in the washing machine. Sometimes we are distracted or even on days that the clothes develop mildew and foul odor.

These are not only bad for your clothes, but the machine as well, which is a double tragedy.

To avoid this, set a timer or reminder on your phone to get a notification when the load is done.

Don’t overload the machine.

When you are in a hurry, it’s easy to want to load the machine with as many clothes as it can carry, so you are done fast. Don’t do this.

You should note that washing machines are designed to wash a certain weight of clothes, and when you exceed, you increase the chances of damaging the machine where the drum spins get damaged, but you also fail to clean the clothes properly.

To avoid damaging your appliance, you shouldn’t overload it. When doing the loading, ensure there is a space between the top of the load in the drum and the top of the drum itself. The space should be around the width of your palm.

Instead of cramming everything into one load to save time, use the quick washing setting for two decent-sized loads. In most modern machines, this will cut the washing time by half so you can wash many clothes without overloading the machine.

Forgetting to sort

Forgetting to sort your clothes not only damages the clothes, but the machine as well. Failing to sort your laundry leads to color bleeding, clothes shrinking and unwanted pocket items floating around during a washing cycle.

To avoid this, sort your laundry before putting it in the washing machine. It’s during sorting when you will find that you have a black permanent marker in your pocket. It’s also when you will prevent the whites from turning grey as you separate the clothes into the colored and whites, and run two loads.

Choose the wrong setting.

Although you can wash most of your clothes using the normal setting and come out perfect, there are a few clothes with special instructions you should be cautious about as they can get damaged when you wash them at the wrong temperature.

Most clothes are made from cotton that shrinks when you wash them for the first time. If the water temperature is wrong, the shrinkage worsens.

To prevent your clothes from shrinking and ensure you are cleaning them at the right temperature, read the label to find out the right temperature you should clean the clothes. You should also use the manual to find the best program to clean the clothes.

If you are worried about your clothes shrinking or losing their shape, wash them in cool water by hand, then dry them on the washing line or airer.

Failing to clean the washing machine

Many homeowners think that the washing machine is self-cleaning, so they don’t need to clean it, but this isn’t the case. Over the months and years of cleaning, the insides of the washing machine get dirty, mold builds up, and this can lead to the machine smelling bad.

To keep your appliance running in top condition and smelling fresh, make it a habit to run a service wash at 90 degrees at least once every month. You can run the wash using a detergent, a specialist washing machine cleaner, or any natural product such as vinegar.

Besides doing this, refer to your manual and see what else is recommended.

You can do the cleaning by yourself, but if you aren’t confident in your skills, you can always hire washer repair Springfield professionals to help out. The cool thing with hiring professionals is that besides running the service wash, they also inspect the appliance and fix any issues that might be present.

Of course, when hiring professionals, hire experienced technicians that know what they are doing. You don’t want someone that will damage your expensive unit, do you?

How Do You Do Laundry Like A Pro?

Although people have been doing laundry for centuries, studies show that few people properly use their washing machines. As a result, many homeowners have to keep hiring washer repair professionals to fix their appliances as they keep failing.

Improperly using the washing machine also means that the clothes don’t get clean as well as they should. Are you wondering how do you do laundry like a pro? Well, there are plenty of ways to do it. They include:

Use the proper water temperature

Different water temperatures are ideal for cleaning different fabrics, so you need to use the proper temperature for effective cleaning. Coldwater is best for delicate fabrics, items that might shrink, and sensitive dark colors that can bleed.

Besides cold water protecting your fabrics, it also saves you money as you don’t have to use electricity to heat the water.

If you have soiled clothing or human-made fabrics, these are best cleaned with warm water.

On the other hand, hot water is best used to clean towels, beddings, cotton whites, and heavily stained work clothes, especially those stained with grease or oil.

Sort your clothes before putting them in the washing machine

The last thing you want is some of the fabrics bleeding and the different colors getting on the other clothes. For example, your pink underwear or tie bleeding on your white t-shirt. You wouldn’t want this, would you?

To ensure that this doesn’t happen, sort your clothes before putting them in the washing machine.

If you aren’t sure whether the outfit is colorfast and will bleed color into the other clothes, before you put it in the washing machine, wet a cotton swab and rub it on the inside corner or seam and see if the dye transfers to the swab. If it does, hand wash it separately.

Use the suitable detergent.

The detergent you use goes a long way towards how well the outfits pan out and how long the washing machine lasts. Different detergents are ideal for different loads, so you need to know the suitable detergent to use for the load you are running.

Powdered detergents are best when you are running general loads, and the beauty with them is they are usually affordable.  Unfortunately, they don’t dissolve easily in cold water and leave white residues on the fabrics.

Liquid detergents contain enzymes, and they are best for removing stains. When buying the detergents, always pay attention to the enzymes listed in the list of ingredients. As a rule of thumb, the more the enzymes in the formula, the better the detergent hence, the better the cleaning power.

You can also clean your outfits with tablets, packs, and pods. While they are convenient and easy to use, be cautious and avoid overdosing. Remember that you can easily spend a lot of money on these, so be careful about the price per load.

If you don’t have money to invest in a quality detergent, you can always make one using one of the many formulas.

Regardless of the detergent you are using to clean your outfits, be cautious of the amount you use, as using too much of it can create suds that trap the soil and deposit it into the clothes.

For the best results, use one-half less detergent than the recommended amount. By doing this, your clothes will not only look better, but you will also save a lot of money.

Turn the clothes inside out before washing them.

Clothes are expensive, and you don’t want them to fade and look worn out, so you need to be cautious when cleaning them. As a rule of thumb, turn them inside out before washing them. The purpose of doing this is to avoid abrasion and wearing out the fabric surface.

Handle the delicates with care

Plenty of people have reported their underwear and bras getting damaged after machine washing them. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, handle them with care. Appliance repair Fairfax professionals recommend that you hand wash them, but if you have to machine wash them, toss them in a mesh lingerie bag and use a delicate cycle.

How Long Does A Washing Machine Take To Wash Clothes?

Wondering how long does a washing machine take to wash clothes? Well, according to washer repair professionals, it often depends on the type of washing machine you have. Here is the average amount of time it takes for different washing machines to clean clothes:

  • Front-loading machines: 70-120 minutes
  • High-efficiency top-loading machines: 60-85 minutes
  • Agitator top-loading machines: 35-80 minutes

If you have been following washing machines, you should have noticed that these figures are higher than years before, and there is a reason for that—washing machine manufacturers are deliberately designing slower machines.

While this might be off-putting as it means you will be spending more time waiting for the clothes to get clean, it comes with several perks:

  • The clothes don’t tear or wear out too fast as the machine isn’t too fast, and this comes in handy at ensuring that the clothes last for a long time.
  • Although the washing machine manufacturers have come up with slower machines, they have increased the tub capacities meaning that you can wash more clothes than before, which means you still save time.
  • You spend less water as the machine isn’t pulling a lot of water. When the washing machine is spinning at high speed, the machine consumes a lot of water, which increases your monthly water bill.
  • Since most modern washing machines are slower, they don’t consume a lot of water which sees you saving money as your water bill isn’t too high.

How the washing machine works

If this is your first time using the washing machine, you should know that it works in different stages that include:

Prewash: Here, the lid locks, and the tub senses the load’s weight and volume. It then fills with water and agitates the clothes lightly to distribute the detergent throughout the load. If you had selected the presoak option, this is where it will occur.

Wash: At this stage, the clothes will be agitated for some time then the machine allows them to rest so that the detergent can do its work. If you had chosen a heavy-duty wash cycle, the machine will have longer periods of agitation and soaking.

Rinse: Rinsing involves draining away the soapy water and spraying the clean water over the clothes. The washing machine adds clean water, spins the load to drain, and then adds clean water again to rinse away the detergents and soil.

If you are washing the delicates such as the underwear and brassieres, the washer doesn’t spin as fast, but if the cycles involve heavier soils, the washer might be fast and do several rinses to ensure that all the soils are completely removed.

Final spin: The final spin might include one or more rinses, then it picks up speed to wring out the clothes before they enter the dryer. It’s at this level when the washing machine spins at its highest, and if the load is unbalanced, you might have problems such as the machine making a lot of noise or moving around too much.

How to reduce your wash time

Even if most machines are now slow, you can do several things to ensure that they are efficient and clean the clothes as fast as possible. Some of the things you should do include:

Use the right detergent.

The detergent you use can significantly affect the time it takes to wash the clothes, so you need to ensure that you use the right one. As a rule of thumb, ensure that you use a detergent specifically designed for the machine model you are using.

Balance your load

According to appliance repair Springfield professionals, the load will often get unbalanced if you have overloaded it, mixed heavy and lightweight items, or using an improperly leveled machine.

Most modern machines will pause the cleaning cycle when they sense the load is imbalanced, which results in you wasting a lot of time.

To save time, take your time when loading the machine and ensure that you have loaded it properly. As a rule of thumb, ensure that you have loaded the right amount of clothes. Also, ensure that you aren’t mixing lightweight and heavyweight clothing items in the same cycle.

How to Drain a Washing Machine for Moving

You are excited. You have found a new job in a different state or you built your house and you have to move from your current rental apartment. Among the things you have to move with is the washing machine.

Unfortunately, you can’t carry it with water—you have to drain the water. Since you don’t want to have any water remaining behind that might damage your other valuables, you have to properly drain the washing machine.

How do you do this?

Here is a guide given by washer repair experts on how to drain a washing machine for moving:

Step 1: Disconnect the machine from the power

Start with switching off the power button on the machine and unplug the machine from the power source. To avoid splashing the power cord with water, duct tape it to the top of the washing machine.

Step 2: Locate the drain hose and water supply hoses

If necessary, pull the washing machine away from the wall and access the drain hose. The drain hose is often located at the back of the washer, along with hot and cold water supply hoses. And it carries wastewater away from the machine while the hot and cold water supply hoses bring clean water to the machine.

To tell them apart, the hot hose is colour-coded red while the cold one is coded blue. The drain hose is often gray.

Step 3: Drain the washing machine

Depending on how the washing machine is installed, the drain hose might be carrying water into a standpipe, a drainpipe in the wall, or a large nearby utility sink.

To drain the washing machine, place a large bucket in place and disconnect the drain hose from the pipe by simply wigging it loose. You should then hold the hose up in the air to prevent water from flowing out until you place the bucket in place.

Once the bucket is in place, lower the end of the hose below the water level and gravity will cause the water to flow out.

If the water is too much that you have to pause to empty the bucket, simply place the disconnected end of the drain hose.

Step 4: Get rid of the drain hose blockage

If you find that the water doesn’t flow out or it drains too slowly, chances are you have a blockage in the drain hose. To unclog the drain hose, release the clog using a plumber’s snake. To do it, push the tip of the coil until it reaches a blockage, then turn it manually with the handles on the opposite end until you get through the blockage.

Step 5: Remove the clog in the drain pump

If the clog isn’t in the drain hose, chances are it’s in the drain pump. Depending on your machine, the drain pump might be located behind the removable panels in the front or back of the washing machine. It’s also not uncommon to find it at the bottom of the machine, and you have to tip the machine forward to access it.

After locating the pump, remove the spring clamps by squeezing them with a pair of pliers and clear any clogs present using needle-nosed pliers. The clogging material can range from small articles of clothing to a buildup of lint or pet hair.

Once you are done, reattach the hoses.

Step 6: Inspect the machine

You are better off fixing the washing machine before you move so that when you get to your new home, you will have time to enjoy it, not start looking for an appliance repair Fairfax to fix the machine.

Inspect the washing machine’s lid switch and confirm its working properly. All you need to do is to depress the lid switch by hand and if you don’t hear a click, its most likely broken and needs replacement.

You also should take a look at the belts and if they are damaged, unscrew the access pane and replace them.

You can do the work by yourself, but if the work is above your skill level, let a professional handle it. For best results, ensure the professional is experienced and certified to work in your local area.

Is It Worth Repairing a 15-Year-Old Washing Machine?

Are you wondering, is it worth repairing a 15-year-old washing machine? Well, this depends on the broken part and the cost of repairing it. If the broken part is easy to find, so you can easily source it and not expensive to repair, it’s worth repairing the appliance, but if the part is hard to find and expensive to repair, you are better off getting a new appliance.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid repairing an appliance if the cost of repair is half the new unit’s price.

As you are making your decision, remember that most old appliances have fewer electronic widgets, so appliance repair professionals have an easy time repairing them.

While this is the case, there are situations when you shouldn’t even weigh your options and instead replace the appliance. These situations include:

Excessive leaking

A leaking washing machine comes about due to overflowing or a loose connection. If your appliance is old, it most likely uses the same amount of water for every size load. To minimize leaking, determine the load’s size that can fit in the washing machine and leave enough room for spinning, turning, and shaking.

If you do this and the appliance is still leaking, the water hose located at the back of the washing machine might be worn out or has come loose. Take a look at the hose and tighten it.

If you tighten it and the washer still leaks, you might be having a cracked tub. Tubs are expensive to replace, so you are better off buying a new appliance.

The appliance is making a lot of noise.

One of the most common washing machine noises is the appliance sounding as if it’s about to take a flight. If this is the case with your unit, you have nothing to worry about as the unit is simply unbalanced, and all you need to do is rearrange the clothes, so they are evenly distributed.

If the machine makes the noise even when empty, it means it’s sitting on an uneven surface. To fix the problem, position the washer in such a way all four feet are level.

If neither of these solves the problem, your motor mount or drum may need tightening. Contact your local appliance technician and find out how much it will cost you to do it. Depending on the amount charged, you will assess whether it’s wise to repair the unit or get a new one.

The appliance moves around.

A properly installed appliance should stay in place when cleaning, rinsing, and spinning your clothes. If your washing machine moves around that it looks as if it’s walking, you have a problem.

Begin with checking whether it’s level, and if it’s not, level it.

Even if your walking machine is functioning as well as a stationary one, you should know it’s not normal for a machine to move around. One of the issues that can come about is the appliance sloshing water outside the unit and ruining the floors and other parts of the house.

The walking machine also has high chances of pulling itself free of its connections, and it comes to an abrupt stop.

Ask an experienced professional to look into the problem, and if there is no way you can stop the appliance from walking, get a new one.

Water doesn’t fill the drum.

When your drum’s washer isn’t filling up, it means you have a delayed cycle selection, a problem with your hot and cold water faucets, and a kink in your hose. If you check all of the three and see no problem, your unit might be having a complication with the water intake valve or filter, and this needs to be looked at by a professional.

Sometimes the drum might fill with water, but it doesn’t turn as it should. If this is the case, take a look at the lid switch and belts and ensure they are working as well as they should.

Malfunctioning belts are easy to replace, but if the problem is with the lid switch, the washer repair Springfield professional needs to put in some work. Get a few quotes from different contractors and compare them. Is it worth fixing the lid switch issue or getting a new appliance? It’s up to you to make the decision.

Washer Repair: Washing Machine Dos And Don’ts

Despite washing machines being around for a long time, homeowners do things that put the machines at the risk of getting damaged. Washer repair experts recommend that you be cautious of the things you do to your washing appliance. Here are a few washing machine dos and don’ts you should be cautious about:

Do read the tags

Washing machines have technologically made great leaps over the years, and they make cleaning easy and efficient. Unfortunately, despite the advances, they still can’t read tags and choose the right settings—you have to help them.

Before you put clothes in the washing machine, check the manufacturer’s instructions on the right settings. Failing to read and follow the tag can cause the fabric colors to bleed, the fabric to shrink, or even damage your entire laundry.

Do learn how to operate the washing machine

There are all types of washing machines that have different settings and set up methods. To ensure you don’t damage your laundry, learn how to set your washing machine. This way, you will know how to choose the right settings for the specific clothes you are looking to wash.

The cool thing is that all the information is on the manufacturer’s manual. Don’t be like the other homeowners that throw away the manual as soon as they get the machine. Go through the manual and understand all the bells and whistles of the machine.

Do zip the zippers

When you are in a hurry stuffing clothes in the washing machine, it’s common to forget about the zippers on the jeans and hoodies. When you put the zipped clothes in the same load as the delicate clothing, the zip can snug on the threads and pull at them.

To avoid this, always take a double check on all the zipped clothes and leave the zippers unzipped.

While you are at it, also take a look at the pockets. Do they have coins, markers, or any other foreign objects? Remove them if present.

When the foreign objects fall out of the pockets, they end up clogging the washer’s drain. This not only brings about a lot of inconvenience, but it also requires you to hire an expensive washer appliance repair company to fix the problem.

Don’t overload the machine

It can be tempting to want to clean all the clothes in one washer cycle. While this is possible when you have a small load, you have to do two or more cycles when you have a lot of clothes to clean.

Don’t put too many clothes than the machine can handle. For the machine to optimally clean the clothes, water should get around all the clothes.

When you overload the machine, water doesn’t have enough room to get around, hence you don’t give the clothes the clean look they deserve.

Overloading also puts the machine at the risk of getting damaged. The practice makes the motor work much harder than it should, which increases its likelihood of blowing up.

To avoid this, always double-check the maximum capacity of the washing machine. You also should make a habit of weighing the laundry bag before you put the clothes in the machine. When in doubt, clean the clothes in multiple loads.

Do clean the washing machine

Since washing machines do the cleaning work they don’t need to be cleaned, right? Wrong! Just like any other appliance in your home, you need to clean the washing machine regularly to keep it functioning efficiently. The practice also ensures the machine lasts for a long time.

When cleaning the machine, you pick up even the minor issues and fix them before they get worse.

To keep the appliance in pristine shape, clean it once a month. Clean the machine thoroughly both on the inside and outside.

Do level the machine

Does your washing appliance shake and rattle, or even worse, “walk” forward while in use? It means it’s not sitting level. In addition to destroying the floor and walls, an unleveled appliance also damages the internal mechanisms.

You don’t need to hire an appliance repair Northern VA professional to level the machine for you. Simply adjust the legs until they are even with the floor. Once done, gently lean on the machine to confirm the legs aren’t shifting around.