Home appliances are often taken for granted, despite how much we rely on them in our daily lives. Just think about it. Could you imagine your life without a fridge or a washing machine? We for sure cannot, especially with two kids. That is why it is important to keep your household well maintained so they would not surprise you with a breakdown.
Luckily, there are ways to prevent home appliances from breaking unexpectedly. Our appliances give us warning signs to recognize an arriving problem. Together with our experienced repair technicians, we have learned how to listen to our household appliances. We want to share these tips to help you avoid any trouble.
10 signs your home appliance needs repair
Here are some of the most common warning signs that your household appliance needs repair:
1 – The appliance won’t start
Let’s start with the most obvious one. You do not need a clearer sign than an appliance not turning on. Before you blame the appliance, make sure it is plugged in. The problem may also lie in the cord. Once you rule out that the cord is not faulty, it is clear that your appliance needs some repair.
2 – Noise
Noise is another easy way to recognize that your beloved household appliance is not doing well. When it gets loud, it is trying to tell you something. For example, if a dishwasher is making a loud grinding noise, something may have gotten into the machine’s pump. Nevertheless, be aware that it may not always get noisy and sometimes it is just an odd sound that hints that repair is needed.
3 – Unusual smells
Ensuring the safety of your house is a top priority, and recognizing an unusual odour from a home appliance can help you avoid hazardous situations. Gas leaks can be very dangerous and require immediate action. Smelling gas from your gas-powered appliance, like a stove or a water heater, is a big red flag and could cause fire or even an explosion. The burning smell from a dryer may indicate that the dryer exhaust vent needs cleaning. Other unpleasant smells may indicate mould. Household appliances that constantly come in contact with water need regular maintenance to avoid mould.
4 – Leaks
Water leaks can be a bad surprise. Luckily they are often visible. First, when you notice a leak, turn off the power supply of the machine to avoid an electric shock. Next, you need to determine if the leak is serious or a minor leak that you may be able to handle yourself. If the leak is coming from a hose, it is easier to repair when it is just a small hole. If the leak is coming from a closed or difficult-to-reach area, a professional needs to take a look at it. Water leaks can damage your floor or cause mould.
If the home appliance leaks gas or other substances, a professional needs to be called in immediately. Some leaks can also be incredibly harmful to the environment, not only causing trouble in your home. Refrigerators and air conditioners can contain refrigerants, and chemical compounds, that damage the ozone layer when leaked. They are so harmful that if only 1 kg of a refrigerant is released into the atmosphere it has the same impact as when you drive your car for 90,000 kilometres.
5 – High utility bills
An unusually high utility bill is as unpleasant of a surprise as a broken home appliance. Before you call your water, gas or electricity supplier, consider if any of your appliances have contributed to the bill. A household appliance that is not working properly will use more energy. A dirty filter of an air conditioner can cause the machine longer to cool and will result in higher electricity bills.
6 – Overheating
When you touch your household appliance, and it is strangely hot, like you could fry eggs on it, before you take any other action, it is best to turn it off or unplug it from a power source. Now let’s see what could have turned your home appliance into a frying pan. Microwaves and ovens can overheat, but even cooler appliances like a fridge or air conditioners can become hot. The causes for overheating can be a fan that needs replacing in a fridge or a damaged thermostat knob in the oven.
7 – Poor performance
Sometimes you do not need smoke and fire to realise that there is an issue. You may notice that your home appliance is not doing a good job any longer. For instance, if your washing machine becomes lazy and does not properly wash your clothes, it needs a boost. If your oven is taking an oddly long time to cook, it too needs some care.
8 – Error codes
Some modern machines provide extra help in figuring out if the appliance needs some repair or maintenance. You may receive an error code on a Samsung refrigerator or AEG dishwasher. At times you may know what the code means and how to deal with it, but you also may stumble upon an unknown code. A professional repair technician can help you figure out what is wrong and what to do.
9 – Power issues
When your lights at home start flickering like in a scary movie, maybe your home appliance is behind this trick. Every time you turn the oven on and the power goes out, the oven is the real culprit. It is time to stop the oven from messing around with your power. This issue can also turn into a dangerous situation if ignored. The plug-in appliance can spark and cause a fire.
10 – Age
The last sign no one wants to admit is that your appliance is just getting old. The older it gets, the more likely it needs repair and regular maintenance. The average lifespan of a household appliance is five and a half years. Washing machines and dishwashers can last about ten years. Fridges can stay functional for about 11-12 years. An oven can even last a few years longer than a fridge. It all depends, though, on how the appliance is used. The good thing is that a regular inspection by a professional technician can prolong the lifespan of your home appliance and can make it look new again.
When should you call a repair technician?
There is no need to call an expert after receiving every sign. It is important to notice when it is a small problem or something that can turn into a big issue. Of course, when the appliance breaks down, then you are left with no choice but to get it repaired. Nevertheless, you may already want to pick up your phone before this happens to avoid inconveniences for you and your family.
But when to call a technician for help and get your home appliance repaired or replaced? That depends on the warning signs. You need to be most cautious when your home appliance gives warning signs that may indicate a potential safety hazard. Such as the gas leak we spoke about earlier or an electrical problem. In these cases, it is best to call someone immediately.
In some other cases, you may be able to wait a bit longer before calling a technician. This can be a relief if you do not have much time to deal with it. For instance, If you have some family events planned or are going on a vacation. When your refrigerator is ageing and not keeping your food as cold as it used to, you can still wait a few days before calling a professional.
How can Fix’It help you prevent any breakage?
Whenever you receive any of these warning signs, you can call us, and one of our experienced technicians will be fast at your home to solve the problem. Moreover, our subscription service for household appliance repair and maintenance includes an annual inspection by a professional to make sure that even these warning signs will not arrive.
We can even help you out when it is no longer possible to repair your home appliance. Our subscription method includes an option that we will buy your broken home appliance back.
Reach out if you have any questions or have noticed some of these signs already.
