Maintaining Your Washer And Dryer

Adanelis Esther Feliz • April 28, 2025

Clean Clothes Through Determined Care - Maintaining Your Washer And Dryer

Home ownership can be an extremely exciting and rewarding achievement, but it comes with a wide variety of challenges that you may not have anticipated. When you own a home, every component of it falls under your responsibility, so it's important that you take the time to research the best practices for maintaining the items that play the most crucial roles.

Among those items are your washer and dryer. Regardless of the size of your family, keeping up with the laundry is a vital chore, and a malfunctioning laundry setup can make it impossible. Staying ahead of the curve will help you avoid long, uncomfortable nights in a laundromat wishing for better upkeep.

Below, you will find some tips for maintaining your washer and dryer. Following these suggestions can allow you to feel a real sense of accomplishment from a maintenance standpoint, and can help guarantee that you are never left scrambling for ad hoc clothing solutions.


Thorough Inspections


Perhaps the best method of noticing if something is out of whack with your washer or dryer is simply to look. Unlike other mechanical components of your home, your washer and dryer might display some early warning signs of trouble that you can count on as reliable indicators of a pending issue.

The flexible tubing that connects your dryer exhaust to your exterior vent can become bent or creased if your dryer has been jostled, and that damage might eventually cause overheating. The waterproof seals in your washer might crack as they dry out, or they might undergo chemical damage from some types of laundry detergent.

Even loose hoses may appear to be badly connected or otherwise out of order. Taking the time to look around your machines every time you use them are an excellent way to make sure you do not end up surprised by issues that may arise in the future.


A man is fixing a washing machine with a screwdriver.

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A laundry room with a washer and dryer and a basket of towels.

Common Washing Machine problems

April 28, 2025
The most common issues are that even though they basically all work the same , they are very different. They all work with water, So they all have water related problems. Problems such as, Calcium build up, and rust. The basic way a washer works are that the controls are set in your preferred wash cycle and water are injected by a water valve that fills the tub. The washer is usually stopped by a pressure switch that measures the water. When the water has been measured the machine goes into the wash cycle. This cycle mixes the detergent and moves the action for a set time. Then the clothes have to be rinsed. This happens by removing the dirty water and inserting fresh water. The next cycle is called a rinse and spin cycle. This works by draining the rinse water and spraying the clothes as they spin. The final cycle for a washing machine is known as the final spin or drying cycle. This happens by the motor turning the tub at a high rate of speed and pumping the water out of the tub until the clothes cannot hold water. Now that you see how the machine works, I hope you understand that when things break on such a simple machine, a washer repair can be very complicated for the average person.
A pile of ice cubes on a black surface.

Ice maker is not making any ice.

April 28, 2025
You are getting ready to have friends over the weekend and want to stock up on ice, Only one problem? The ice maker is not making any ice. At Affordable Appliance, this is a common service call we make and can easily visit your residence for a Ice maker repair—our service calls are only $29.95. There are a few quick tricks you can try, though, before we get there. You may Need a New Water Filter Every ice maker uses a water filter to make sure your ice is clear and pure. If it’s been sometime since you changed the filter, it has likely become clogged and the water cannot flow to the ice maker (you’ll probably notice less or smaller ice cubes before it totally clogs). The filter is generally located in the refrigerator so it doesn’t freeze. My Water Line is Frozen Go behind the fridge and feel the water line. If it has become frozen, turn off the refrigerator and find the water shut off valve under your sink or behind the fridge. Once the power is off and the water turned off, you can grab a hair dryer and run it over the line or fill a turkey baster with warm water and pour over the water line. You can also let it defrost on its own. After it has thawed, run the water line into a bucket to make sure the water is clear and translucent. Should it be any other color, contact Affordable Appliance immediately. Reconnect the line and turn the power back on. Listen for the water to run into the ice maker and give it some time to start making ice cubes. Try Adjusting the Ice Maker In-freezer ice makers can be very temperamental if they are not lined up properly. You may need to spend some extra time adjusting where the collection tray sits in the freezer or playing with the tone arm.
A kitchen with a table and chairs and a refrigerator.

Why is my Refrigerator always running?

April 28, 2025
A common reason we get refrigerator service call at Affordable Appliance is a refrigerator that seems to always be running. Beside making a whole lot of racket, a​ refrigerator that never stops means you are spending more on your electric bill. While the cause of a running refrigerator could be the result of shorted circuit and require a visit from the professionals, many times the problem is very easy to fix. You may need Give It Some Time Oftentimes a running refrigerator just needs a little time to cool off. If you just changed the temperature, spent some time loading it up, or there is been a change in the air temperature around the refrigerator—refrigerators tend to hate humidity—it may need longer than you think to get fully cool again, especially if it’s an older refrigerator. Let the refrigerator run for at least a day, and if the problem is not solved, call Affordable Appliance or keep troubleshooting. You may have a Leaky Door Seal The seal on the door of the refrigerator prevents the cold air from escaping. If there is a leak, then the refrigerator has to constantly to stay cool. Grab a piece of paper and place it between the seal. Close the refrigerator and try pulling out the paper. It should come out with a little bit of effort. Try again up and down the seal. Any place where there is no resistance means you found a leak. Many refrigerators today come with a feature that alerts you if your refrigerator doesn't seal. This is very handy to make sure you are not wasting power or overworking your refrigerator. Try Defrosting the Freezer Most freezers defrost themselves, but if yours is an older model, you may need to defrost. Regardless, take a look at the evaporator coils. The frost should be even throughout. An overabundance on one area, and a lack of frost in another, could explain why the refrigerator is working so hard.