Checklist: Caring for Your Appliances
Tips from Real-Estate-Agents.com
reprinted courtesy of ServiceMagic.com
While appliances make our lives
much easier, they also pose significant risks if not maintained
properly. Use this guide to take a quick inventory of the health
and safety of the appliances in your home:
Kitchen
- If a gas appliance stops working, check to see if the pilot
light has gone out.
- Wait until you have a full load of dishes before running
the dishwasher.
- Whenever frost gets to be 1/4-inch thick in your freezer,
it's time to defrost.
- Has a burner on your electric stove stopped working? They
are easily replaced.
- Yellow flames in a gas stove are an indication of a problem.
Flames should always be blue.
Laundry Room
- If the hoses in your washing machine are old, consider replacing
them with the tougher metal hoses available at hardware stores.
- If your washing machine rattles when it runs, it may need
leveling.
- For most items, lowering the water temperature to warm wash
and cold rinse will get your clothes clean and reduce your energy
bills.
- Clean the lint trap before you use your dryer. This will
prevent a fire hazard, save you energy and make your clothes
dry faster.
- Regardless of what kind of exhaust tubing you have, clean
the outside vent once a year and make sure it opens when the
dryer is on and closes properly when the dryer is off.
- Don't let lint and debris accumulate under a dryer or it
can become a fire hazard.
Water Heater
- Lower the thermostat on the water heater to 120 degrees to
prevent scalding injuries.
- To minimize flood damage, make sure there is a clear path
from the water heater to a floor drain.
Always
- Make sure that extension cord connections are secure.
- Use an extension cord that is the appropriate size for your
needs.
- If an appliance stops working, test the outlet with a lamp
or radio.
- Never store paints, solvents and other chemicals anywhere
near an appliance with a pilot light.
-- Tips courtesy of Service Magic