Prevent Holiday Chaos by Properly Maintaining Your Appliances

Appliance malfunctions are never convenient, but they’re even more disruptive when they occur during the holiday season. Whether you’re throwing a festive celebration or you’re having family spend a week at your home, a defective appliance can put a huge damper on your holiday cheer. To help you avoid an unfortunate appliance breakdown, we’ve listed some simple but necessary maintenance procedures every homeowner should perform before their house is filled with family and friends for the holidays.

Refrigerator

Waking up the day of your holiday party to discover your fridge is no longer working is never a pleasant situation, which is why proper maintenance is key to averting a serious malfunction. Cleaning your refrigerator’s condenser coils is an easy but effective precautionary tactic that homeowners often overlook. To preform this task simply locate your appliance’s condenser, which is either at the bottom of your fridge, behind the kick plate or at the back of your refrigerator. Once you find the coils, use a vacuum to remove the dust that has settled on them. Doing this allows your appliance to run without running too hot and eventually burning-out.

Oven

Making all those delicious dishes during the holidays can really push your oven to its limit, however, a solid maintenance routine can keep your appliance baking without any serious hiccups. To ensure you’re not faced with a malfunction hours before your holiday dinner is due to be served, we highly recommend checking the accuracy of your oven’s temperature. Luckily, the test is easy and only requires a thermometer from your local hardware store. Simply place the thermometer into your oven, set the temperature, and wait 30 minutes. If the thermometer doesn’t match the temperature you turned your oven to, you will most need to recalibrate your appliance. You can find the directions on how to accomplish this task in your oven’s owner manual.

Washing Machine

Nothing induces panic like a flooded home, and that’s why replacing your washing machine’s hoses is a must when it comes to pre-holiday maintenance. Unfortunately, neglecting this task can lead to a cracked hose that will eventually bust. Most appliance repair professionals suggest changing the part every 3 years, however, it is crucial you at least examine the hoses every few months to ensure they are in good shape. If you haven’t taken a look at your washer’s hoses in awhile, we recommend performing an inspection a week or two before your holiday guests are due to arrive.