At Ottawa Pro Appliance Repair, we’ve seen every washer issue under the sun. Surprisingly, many of the washer repair service calls we get could have been prevented with some “healthy habits” and maintenance effort.
If you want to save money on washer repair service, remember: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Understanding the following washer and dryer mistakes will help you get the most out of these everyday appliances, and will save you big money in the long run.
- Overdoing the detergent. This is an easy mistake to make. We assume that since one “serving” of detergent gets our clothes clean, two, three, or four will get our laundry that much cleaner. But that’s not the case. Excess suds can create bacterial buildup, both inside your washer and on your clothes.
- Filling the washer improperly. Most people approach their washer routine the same way we did decades ago: fill the washer with water, add soap, then add your clothes – right? Wrong. This protocol was used to minimize the amount of residue left on the fabric and machine, but modern detergents have changed things. Try this order instead: clothes, water, then soap. You’ll get a better clean for less work from your washer.
- Neglecting to level your washer. If your washer isn’t level, you’ve probably gotten used to the sounds of it dancing and skirting around your laundry room floor by now. Don’t tune it out; neglecting to level your washer can cost you big money in washer repair service down the line. Every judder wears away at the appliance’s shock absorbers and tub bearings. Use a level and get it where it needs to be; use some plywood shims if you have to!
- Letting the dryer cool between loads. Trying to squeeze in washer and dryer cycles can be tough when you’re balancing family obligations, career ambitions, and social commitments. We often resort to squeezing washer and dryer loads into tiny pockets of time before work, on our lunch breaks, and overnight while we sleep. This is great, especially if it means you can get into “non-peak hours” to save on energy costs. However, it can actually be more efficient to run dryer loads back-to-back. In doing so, you can take advantage of the leftover heat from the previous cycle, cutting down on energy usage that would otherwise be expended reheating cooled dryer components.
- Failing to clean the dryer. Most people know to empty their lint trap after each load to prevent house fires, but did you know that the lint trap isn’t the only place where these flammable fuzzies collect? Make sure to check the dryer duct. Neglecting to do so not only increases the risk of tragic house fires: it also forces your dryer to work harder and longer to get the job done. This means more wear and tear on internal components, and a weightier energy bill each month.
Avoiding these 5 washer mistakes can go a long way towards increasing the lifespan of your washer and dryer. If you’ve paid a lot for washer service repair in the last few years, these should come in very handy for keeping those fees at bay.
You can learn more maintenance and DIY repair tips from our dryer and washer repair service experts. Visit https://www.ottawaproappliancerepair.ca/appliance-repair/washer-repair/ or call (888) 508-8270 to learn more.
