You know what’s never fun? Having one of your major home appliances suddenly break down. Whether it’s your A/C giving up in the middle of July or your dishwasher throwing a bubble party in your kitchen post-Thanksgiving dinner, having to deal with malfunctioning—or non-functioning—appliances can be a real hassle and a heavy blow to your wallet, especially if you weren’t expecting it at all. Luckily, there are a couple of telltale signs you can watch out for and things you can do in order to prepare for what may be a costly repair job or, in a worst-case-scenario, a replacement.
Refrigerators
With refrigerators, the main things you want to keep an eye out for are strange noises and cooling performance. I’ll ask you the age-old question Is your refrigerator running? If you can tell it is because you can actually hear it running, then your fridge may be trying to tell you something (it’s calling out for help). If you hear a continuous hum or buzz or any clanking, it might be a good idea to call a technician. As for cooling performance, there are various ways to monitor this: Do the produce, containers, and everything else you keep in the fridge look like they just came out of the sauna? This would be condensation due to inappropriate sealing (the cold air escapes). It could also mean that the temperature control on your fridge is malfunctioning. Either way, it might be the right moment to call a technician. Other factors to watch out for:
- Food spoils too quickly- This probably means the cooling system is not working properly and/or there’s a cooling disparity.
- Freezer is too “frozen”- If you see ice forming inside the freezer (like tiny icicles), this could mean the cooling system is malfunctioning and you should call a technician.
- Spike in your energy bill- If parts of your fridge start malfunctioning, your fridge has to work harder than usual, which results in more energy being consumed.
Also, keep in mind that the average lifespan of a refrigerator, according to a National Association of Home Builders study, is 13 years, which means if you’ve had your fridge for around 10 years, you should probably be trying to put some money aside for a replacement, or at the very least, for a “repairs” budget.
Air Conditioning Unit (A/C)
With A/C systems it’s easier to tell if something is wrong or about to go wrong. The first thing to watch out for is cooling. Did you notice the room just doesn’t feel as cool as it used to? This could be due to something simple like the filters needing to be cleaned (you should clean your A/C’s filters every two weeks), but it could also be a sign that a repair or replacement is on the horizon if for example, the compressor has failed. Another thing to watch out for is poor airflow, which could also be due to problems with the compressor or a blockage in the vents or ducts. As with all major appliances, you should also be wary of strange sounds and odors coming from your A/C. One more thing, if your A/C starts spraying water all over the place or if you simply notice a lot of moisture around the vents even after cleaning the filters, you should probably go ahead and call a technician.
Washing Machine and Dryer
Washing machines and dryers only have a few warning signs. The two main things to watch out for with washing machines are strange, metallic noises and leaking. If you can hear a grinding, metallic sound whenever you run the washing machine or if you notice any large leaks, call a technician right away because something is about to go wrong. Same goes for your dryer if it starts smoking. Remember to always clean the lint vent or filter. Letting lint accumulate could lead to serious damage to the appliance and could even result in a fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an accumulation of lint and failure to clean the filter and dryer are the leading causes of dryer fires.
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Dishwasher
Dishwashers usually display error codes on their control panel whenever anything is wrong, which takes out a lot of the guesswork when it comes to preparing for repairs. Two things to watch out for are water leaks and steam escaping the machine while it’s running. Both of these things could indicate there’s a problem with the door’s seal or that the door itself might have suffered warping or some other kind of damage.
Oven and Stove
If you notice your cooking is suddenly and unexplainably bad, don’t be so quick to give up on grandma’s chocolate soufflé recipe forever. This might be due to problems with your oven’s heating system or with the cooking, baking, or broiling elements. This brings me to another factor to watch out for: burnt oven elements. The cooking and broiling elements can get burnt-out. You can tell if either of these are burnt out because they will appear dark, instead of turning the normal glowing orange. Partly burnt-out elements will have dark spots or bubbles. Other indicators of future necessary repairs might be the smell of gas (if you’re working with a gas stove) and the control panel not working or malfunctioning. If the control panel fails, know that this is the most expensive part to repair and it might be worth it to just replace the machine instead if possible.
Microwave
If you notice something electrical starts to fail, immediately call a technician. Microwaves conduct high levels of electricity and could be very dangerous to work with if you are not an electrician. Factors to look out for:
- Food not heating properly or food heating unevenly
- Microwave making strange noises (clanking, buzzing, etc.)
- Burning smell when in use. This could be because electric wires or other parts inside the microwave are burning. If you smell burning coming from the microwave, unplug immediately and call a technician.
Lastly, there are some general things to watch out for when it comes to any and all appliances:
- Strange sounds- Any new sounds should be noted and looked into.
- Odd or burning smells
- Irregular functioning- Your major home appliances aren’t supposed to change behavior every day; they’re supposed to be consistent in how they work. Any kind of change in functionality or efficiency should be noted and monitored.
- Electric sparks- If there’s an electric spark any time you plug in one of your appliances, immediately unplug and contact an electrician and/or a technician.