Have you ever had an appliance stop working, leaving you helpless in the middle of a cycle? Or worse, just after you’ve put the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven? Well, with the holidays coming up, the experts at 911 Service Today thought you might appreciate some advice on the things you can check for yourself, before placing your service call…
We know this seems obvious, but the first thing you should check is the power supply! Is it plugged in? Sometimes an appliance can become unplugged fully or partially, such as a clothes washer that has “walked away” a few times. If the plug is in place, then check the circuit breaker. Sometimes breakers can pop and the switch only jumps halfway, making it appear “on.” If everything still looks good, try plugging a radio or lamp into the outlet to see if it works. If the outlet isn’t functioning, you’ve found your problem! We recommend that you call a licensed electrician to replace your outlet, especially since some appliances run on higher voltage. Don’t risk injury to yourself!
Many appliances are on their own circuit (or at least they should be!) However, if your home is older, it may be sharing a breaker with other outlets. If it shares, make sure any other small appliances, like a toaster oven, are unplugged before you reset the breaker. It may be that you cannot run the two at the same time!
Ok, so there’s the obvious stuff that would apply to any of your appliances… Now here are some tips that are more appliance-specific:
Clothes washer not filling with water?
Check to make sure that your hot & cold water valves are “open.” Even if you always wash in cold water, some washers won’t operate unless both valves are open. No kidding! Now, if your valves are both open, the culprit could be a clogged filter in one of the hoses. If you’re going to check, remember to turn the valves off before unscrewing the hoses! After you’ve found your clog and reinstalled the hoses, make sure the hose attachments are connected snugly. The last thing you need is a puddle, ruining your floor! (Oh, and turn the water back on!)
Is your refrigerator running all the time? Or not at all?
You know that dark, dirty place behind your fridge? …That place no one ever wants to go? Well, avoiding getting back there to clean can, and usually does, make your fridge act a little screwy. Lint and dust clogging the condenser coils is a very common problem, and super easy to avoid. When airflow across the coils is blocked, your fridge may stop working, or cycle too often. This means your food will be kept either too cold or not cold enough…and your defrost system could fail! Avoid spoiling all your food (and incurring expensive repairs!) by regularly vacuuming the coils!
Dryer making funny noises?
If the clothes dryer is vibrating or shaking, even only a little, this could cause it to make noise. Good news! This is an easy fix! Either your current load is too heavy, or the unit isn’t level. You can split the current load and put a level across the top of the dryer. If the unit is not sitting on even ground, simply adjust the legs until it becomes level. (The legs usually adjust up or down by turning them left or right.)
Why won’t the dishwasher start?
You’ve already checked the power supply, right? If the power is not an issue, it could be one of a couple easy fixes. First, check for oversized dishes or utensils. If the door is obstructed, it might not be properly latched, which would prevent it from starting. Second, check to see whether the delay timer has accidentally been set (yes, this really happens!). If so, press “cancel” to reset the timer and you should be able to get your dishes washed!
Garbage disposal not working?
Assuming everything is good with the power supply…there is one thing you should check. Some units have a “reset” button on the bottom! If you’re one of the lucky ones and have such a thing on your unit, press it! Hopefully, this simple fix will allow you to get on with your afternoon.
We hope the tips above are helpful to you, and maybe even save you the cost of a service call, or two! However, if you still need a visit from one of our awesome technicians serving North Charleston, give us a call! We always love to hear from you!
