Home Appliance Tips and Maintenance

Refrigerator Troubleshooting

The most common refrigerator problems are: not cooling, too cold, leaks, noise, or issues with your ice/water dispenser. The possible fixes for your refrigerator issues are listed below. 

Simple DIY maintenance can be as easy as a defrost, cleaning, checking power and thermostat settings and giving your refrigerator room against the wall. Other problems require professional expertise. 

Fridge Not Cooling: Make sure your refrigerator has not been accidently unplugged and that the plug you are using is working properly. If it is getting power, double-check the thermostat settings. You can try turning the settings all the way up, and then all the way down before returning to the setting want. Listen for a click that indicates the thermostat is functioning. If none of those methods work, you may have a faulty thermostat. 

A faulty thermostat affects your compressor, evaporator fan motor, and condenser fan motor, each of which is necessary to allow your refrigerators’ system to cool food properly. 

Other culprits in refrigerator problems are dirty condenser coils that prevent the unit from cooling properly, or a malfunctioning condenser fan motor or evaporator fan motor.

You can check the coils yourself by sliding your unit away from the wall and cleaning the coils. Here’s a good how-to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qET3kktq3G4

Motors, however, are not something to DIY. Call Dylan to schedule an appointment before your food spoils!

Freezer not getting cold enough:

Thermostats and fan motors may be not working- definitely a job for the pros. You can check the door gaskets, seals and door hinges if you notice frost forming in your freezer. This is a relatively simple fix but you may not want to tackle it on your own. 

Freezer is too cold: 

Again, check the settings on your freezer thermostat. Also, there is also a damper that adjusts the amount of cold air in your freezer. Make sure it is not stuck open or closed. Otherwise, a pro can diagnose problems with control boards, or thermistors, the part that measures air temperature inside your refrigerator and communicates with the units’ control board. 

Water on the floor around your refrigerator: 

You could have a frozen or plugged up defrost drain that causes an overflow into the bottom compartment. You water inlet valve to the water dispenser and ice maker could be cracked, or the water filter itself could be cracked or have a defective seal. Or the water filter itself could be improperly fitted. 

Other causes of a leaking refrigerator include a cracked drain pan, a leaky water tank, a frozen water tube connected to the water dispenser, or problems with your home’s water pressure.

Ice build-up in your refrigerator’s freezer:

Today’s refrigerators are designed to be frost-free. An icy build-up can be caused by simple things like a bad door seal, dirty vents or a fridge placed too close to the wall. Your freezer drain may also have become clogged. 

Noisy refrigerator: 

Usually, the noise is cause by one of the fan blades in either the evaporator or condenser. A noisy ice maker may indicate mineral build-up in the inlet valve to your ice maker/water dispenser. Or the condenser itself may have begun to fail. Inlet valves and condensers must be replaced, not fixed.

Dishwasher Trouble Shooting: 

Here’s a great site if you want to do your own research on Dishwasher FAQ’s. https://dishwasherfaq.com/

I’ve also summarized common things you can check on your own. 

If your dishwasher is simply doing a bad job at getting your dishes clean, there are a few things you can check for yourself.

1. Make sure the dishwasher is clean, meaning that there is no build-up or residue. Residue at the bottom of the dishwasher can be caused by a filter or drain hose that is due to be changed. That’s a job for a professional.

2. Hard water causes scale build up. You’ve probably noticed cloudy or spotty glasses. Add two or three cups of white vinegar (no more than that)to the bottom of your dishwasher and run it on “Normal”. The vinegar smell will dissipate if you leave the door open for a while. 

3. Spray arms can be blocked by scale or “gunk”. If the vinegar treatment doesn’t do the trick , you may have to remove the spray arms. Soak them separately in vinegar and use a brush if needed to finish the job. Here’s a how-to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om1tIWsV5iM

4. The course filter is at the bottom of your dishwasher. You can remove large pieces of debris like food particles or jar labels. Depending on the manufacturer, you can also lift the filter out and clean it thoroughly, monthly if possible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBRn1mqCLkc

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6. Soap dispensers may not be working correctly. It may be clogged with food particles, in which case, a good cleaning with a small brush could be all you need. If the hinges are broken, you’ll need your appliance pro to replace the dispenser. 

7. Drains, hoses, valves, and pumps can break or wear out. Call Onpoint Appliance Repair for expert service for your dishwasher. 

Here are some washer and dryer problems you might run in to. If there’s any easy solution, you’ll find it here. Otherwise, give Onpoint Appliance Repair a call or text at (603)393-1545.

https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Washer-and-Dryer

Washing machine maintenance

• Monthly-check hoses to make sure they’re snug and not cracked or leaking
• Every 4-6 weeks, add 2 cups of white vinegar to your empty washing machine. Run it on hot and stop halfway to add ½ cup of liquid detergent
• Take a cleaning cloth soaked in vinegar and water to your drum, door, and gasket to keep odors at bay.

Washing machine tips

• Leave the washer door open slightly after removing clothes. And don’t forget to move the damp clothes to your dryer ASAP. 
• No to mega-loads of clothes. That can overwork your machine, so smaller loads of clothes are best.
• Make sure you have the proper kind of detergent for your model, and don’t use too much. More is not better when it comes to washing machine detergents

Washing Machine Troubleshooting

Washer doesn’t start: 

•  Check your breaker box and plug
•  Did your machine overheat trying to wash a load that was too heavy? It will need to cool down before you attempt to re-start it.
• Make sure the plastic lid switch is not broken and that your timer knob is lined up correctly with it’s settings

Washer does not drain

• Too much soap can interfere with drainage.
• Something is stuck in the drain or between the washing machine tub and its basket. Lots of culprits here: small toys, socks, things left in pockets. Leave this one to the repair pros. 
•  Drain pump needs replacing. Also not a DIY.

Washer not spinning

•  Make sure the clothes in the drum are not imbalanced. You may have to remove some items and redistribute the rest.
•  If that doesn’t work, there is a broken part to blame and it’s time to schedule a diagnosis/repair visit with Onpoint Appliance Repair.  Call or text at (603)393-1545.

Water is leaking from your washer

•  Again, excess detergent/suds may be the culprit, or possibly a drain hose has come loose
•  There are a number of other leak sources including the drain hose, fill hose, water inlet or the seals around your tub or dispensers. Time for a repair call!

Dancing washer

•  This one is often a DIY. Make sure the load is balanced and that your floor is level. You can add plywood or shims available at your local hardware store to stabilize your washing machine

Dryer Maintenance

• Keep an eye on build-up in your dryer’s exhaust vent, both inside your house and outside. Your repair pro can check that for you as well. Accumulated dryer lint can cause fires. 
• Smaller loads dry better in a shorter amount of time. Costs less too!
• We know you clean your lint screen after every dryer load. Give it a super clean 4 times a year by popping it in your dishwasher and that will get rid of build-up from dryer sheets. 
• Don’t forget the lint trap! A lint brush, made for the purpose, will get at the build up within the trap. 
• Do you use dryer sheets regularly? The inside of your dryer picks up residue from the sheets over time. Remove any residue with a soft cloth and some rubbing alcohol. 
• Is your exhaust vent made of plastic? It may be a fire hazard, so consider switching it out with a metal vent. 

 Dryer Troubleshooting

• Most dryer fixes need professional help. Start with checking all sources of lint like your filter, trap and exhaust. However, if your dryer won’t heat up, the tumbler doesn’t tumble or your dryer gets too hot, you are likely looking at a faulty part like coils, thermostats, thermal fuses or start switches. 
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• Here is a site for DIY’ers
• https://www.repairclinic.com/RepairHelp/Washer-Dryer-Combo-Repair-Help

Gas Stove Maintenance

You know the basics. Clean spills as you go, and check your manual for tips specific to your stove.  You'll need to remove the grates from time to time to soak them in soapy water. That's a good time to clean the area under the grates as well.

Pictures are worth 1000 words when you decide to clean your gas stovetop.  Here's a great resource to check out:

https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-a-Gas-Stove-Clean

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