4 Ways to Make Your Home Appliances Live Longer

Have you noticed that modern appliances tend to break down faster than the ones our grandparents had back in the day? You’re not alone in thinking that.

However, built-in obsolescence is not the only reason why our appliances need to be repaired so often these days. In most cases, the real causes are negligence and lack of proper maintenance. If you want to learn how to avoid some of the common mistakes, check out the following 4 ways to make your home appliances live longer.

1. Make Cleanliness a Priority

Not cleaning your appliances thoroughly and regularly is one of the most common causes of breakdowns. Not only is cleaning the surest way to keep germs at bay, but it can actually prolong the life of your appliances.

So how often should you clean your appliances? A washing machine is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that could actually make you sick, such as E.coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus. To get rid of these pesky germs, clean your washing machine at least once a month by running a cycle with a mixture of hot water and bleach.

For your dishwasher, you can use cleaning tablets and wash the filter in warm water and dish soap. Wipe any stains and spill from the inside of your fridge as soon as you notice them, once a week check for any mouldy leftovers, and change the water filter twice a year.

2. Leave Repairs to Professionals

In case one of your appliances breaks down, it’s best to call a professional to get it fixed instead of trying to be your own handyman and risk doing even more damage. Why throw away a broken appliance when you can give it a new lease of life by hiring an appliance service in Sydney that offers the best service at affordable prices and no hidden costs? New appliances are expensive and given the rising cost of living in Australia, there’s no need for you to spend money on a new appliance that can be easily repaired with the help of a professional.

A licensed repair technician has the right skills and tools to identify the problem area right away, which saves you the time and money that you’d probably have to spend on additional repairs if you tried to fix the problem yourself. Plus, DIY repairs of electrical appliances can be dangerous so hiring a professional is in your best interest.

3. Prevent Circuit Overload

Not only can electrical circuit overloads cause irreparable damage to your household appliances, in some cases, but they can also cause a fire in your home. Every electrical circuit is designed to operate at a specified maximum load. For the majority of modern household circuits, this is either 1800 watts or 2400 watts. Having too many appliances plugged into one circuit is never a good idea as this causes the wires to overheat, damaging your appliances and increasing the risk of electrical fire.

To prevent circuit overloads, keep track of the number of appliances plugged in one power circuit and add up the total wattage written on the back of the appliance. If you’ve overloaded the circuit, unplug some of the appliances until the wattage is below the maximum limit.

4. Use a Surge Protector

A surge protector is a useful little device used for keeping the voltage supplied to an electric appliance below a safe threshold. Using a surge protector is one of the best ways to prevent permanent damage to your appliances and increase their lifespan.

Surge protectors are especially useful if you have an off-grid or stand-alone power system as they protect your appliances from natural causes of power surges such as lightning.

To sum up, if you want to extend the life of your appliances make sure you clean them regularly, call professionals when a breakdown happens, avoid overloading electrical circuits, and use a surge protector for extra safety.