Maintenance Tips

For your convenience we’ve added some tips for some common problems to keep your appliances well-maintained and running for years to come.
**Please Note: All of the information within these tips are clearly suggestive, based on general experience, and may not work for all circumstances. Mooney Appliance Repair is not responsible or liable for any suggestions in these maintenance tips.**

Refrigeration Tips

• At least annually remove the toe grill from the bottom front of your refrigerator and vacuum the condenser coils. Be extremely cautious not to damage a coil. Clean coils will ensure the refrigerator runs efficiently and lasts longer. If you have animals that shed, clean the condenser coils more often.
• Have at least a 1/2″ clearance on the sides of the unit and 1″ clearance at the top to allow proper airflow.
• It is not recommended to have a refrigerator in an unheated garage due to the way the thermostats run in a refrigerator. The low winter temperatures can cause the freezer to thaw.

Cooking Tips

• Glass Top Electric Range – use cookware that has a flat bottom. If pans wobble, crown, or have a concave bottom heat will be distributed unevenly and your cooking will not be precise.
• Scrape any spills or boil-overs when cool and use a glass top range cleaner. Apply several drops of cleaner to the cook top and clean the area with a soft cloth. Let dry to a haze and buff off the cleaner with a dry cloth.
• When using the self-clean feature of your oven, be sure to remove the racks and pans to avoid damaging their finish. Also remember to open a window or run your fan hood as some odor is caused by running the self clean.
• When pre-heating an oven, wait 15 minutes after the preheat signal has gone off to use the oven to allow the internal temp and oven to stabilize for better results.

Washer Tips

• Sort clothes by color as well as fabric weight to keep an even spin and avoid an unbalanced load.
• We recommend using the warmest water safe for the fabrics being washed to allow the detergents to activate and keep soil suspended in water to obtain better cleaning results and rinsing. Most damage to fine washables actually occurs in drying the fine washables.
• Liquid detergents contain animal and vegetable bi-products which causes build-up in your washer with excessive usage so use a minimal amount.
• It is also best to dilute liquid fabric softener with water to avoid build up in your washer.
• If you notice excess suds in your washer reduce your amount of detergent by ¼ or more and utilize the extra-rinse feature to flush detergent from the affected loads.
• When a cycle’s finished, remove the load promptly to prevent a musty smell from developing in the washtub and then being transferred to your clothes and linens. Running a “monthly cleaning cycle” can eliminate any odors that do develop.

Dryer Tips

• If your dryer takes too long to dry, clean the lint screen with every load and check the outside dryer vent. Plugged vents can cause fire hazards.
• High Efficiency washers spin clothes faster, thus reducing the drying time needed. Selecting lower drying temperatures reduces fabric damage, wrinkles and wear on your clothes.
• Stained dryer drums – Use a mixture of soft scrub and elbow grease to remove these stains.
• When using fabric softener sheets, use one per load so as not to cause a buildup of residue that can clog lint filters.

Dishwasher Tips

• Remember, run hot water before you start the cycle.
• To keep the dishwasher residue free, run a half gallon of distilled white vinegar through the machine or use a product such as Lemi Shine periodically.
• If your dishwasher isn’t level, it could leak. To check, open the door, and place a level along the edge inside the dishwasher.
• Using too much rinse-aid in soft water can cause a milky cloudy film on glassware.
• When not in use, unlatch the door to keep pressure off of the door seals to increase door seal life.
• Water conditions and PH levels vary from home to home. Experiment with different settings and detergents to find out what works best for your dishwasher.