Are We Responsible for Appliance Failures?

Are We Responsible for Some Home Appliance Failures?

Appliance problems happen. We all know it. We all hate them. And we all experience them. And the truth is some problems cannot be avoided. Our precious washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, and microwaves don’t last forever. In fact, the more advanced they are, the easier they break down. And also, the brands we choose and the compromises in quality we make to save a buck also affect their performance.

But sometimes, some problems happen because we do something wrong ourselves. We hate it when we have to call a refrigerator technician once more to fix a problem. Or when the washer starts making odd noises – when the appliance is relatively new. But let’s admit it – at least to ourselves. Sometimes, we don’t treat our appliances with the respect they deserve. And even if we don’t want others to know, it’s in our best interest – money-wise, to say the least – to take better care of them. So, let us consider on which occasions we may be responsible for some home appliance failures.

How often are your home appliances serviced?

Preventive home appliance service is the best cure for most problems. But how often do we find a tech to provide dishwasher maintenance? Or inspect the freezer & fridge? Or check the washer? Take your AC, for example. If you never change its filter, it won’t work well. If the lint trap is never cleaned, your clothes dryer will stop working efficiently and the worse part is that it will become dangerous.

Many failures happen due to lack of maintenance. Don’t forget that all appliances consist of many parts, which may burn out, get rusty, become damaged, or break. When such things happen, the appliance becomes problematic. It stops working well – if it works at all. And although there’s nothing some appliance repairs cannot fix, some problems could be avoided if maintenance was done regularly, while the problem is mainly our bad.

Who fixes your appliances?

Here we have two problems.

Who is called to do the necessary appliance repair?
Do you call anyone at all to do the necessary stove, washer, or oven repair?

Sometimes, problems allow appliances to still work. Not well, not energy efficiently but they still work. The fridge still cools even if the door seal is worn. The washer still washes even if it makes noises. And as long as we can still load the dishwasher and the washer, or get ice cubes for our drinks, we don’t pay attention to problems.

We usually need help when the appliance breaks down completely. And that’s a problem. It’s always best to have small problems fixed than waiting for a worse problem to happen.

And then, it’s about our decision concerning the appliance technician. Is he a handyman or a professional freezer technician? Or we end up trying to fix the oven all on our own? The latter is never a good choice. Take microwave repairs for example. Microwaves can become dangerous and so, we may get hurt. And then, stoves, ovens, fridges, all appliances are complicated. How can we be sure about what went wrong in order to fix it? So, we or the handyman may end up making a simple problem worse. Isn’t that our fault?

Was the dryer or stove installed correctly?

Installing appliances is as difficult as fixing their problems. And an improper washer or range installation may cause the same headaches as problems due to poor maintenance or bad repairs. All appliance installations must be done as per the manufacturer’s specs and instructions. If we try to save money by installing the dishwasher ourselves, we might end up dealing with a leak and that won’t only be our fault, but it will cost us even more.

Are your appliances used properly?

Last but not least, some appliance problems happen when we don’t treat them right or abuse them. A classic example is that of using cheap detergents for the washer or the dishwasher. Or settling for poor quality appliance replacement parts. Or as simple as leaving the fridge door open for a long time.

Clearly, all the above can be avoided. We think we save money by not calling an appliance service technician to fix the fridge but we end up paying more on further repairs and on energy, perhaps on home damage as well. Isn’t it time to reconsider?