ApplianceJournal.com

While you consider the maintenance of your dryer as essential because of the many factors that can lead to malfunction, the number of factors that can lead to washing machines falling out of spec may escape your worry.  To keep your washing machine going as long and strong as your dryer, you may need to review the top five factors in washing machine maintenance that can save you costly repairs and replacement.

Knobs

Some of the most essential pieces of your washing machine are the control knobs, especially the timer.  Not only can you easily strip out the screwlike connection of the knobs themselves by turning them the wrong direction, but misuse of the timer knob can also lead to literally breaking the timing mechanism.  This piece of equipment is one of the most important elements in proper washing because it controls everything from the amount of time spent washing to the amount of time spent rinsing, guaranteeing that your clothes do not come out covered in suds.  Always turn them the correct direction and treat them with care.

Capacity

Several things can happen when you overload your washing machine.  Probably the worst thing is that your clothes won’t actually get clean.  However, in terms of washing machine maintenance, you can cause the water to overflow, flooding your home (and ruining flooring and other items in the laundry room), and you can also throw the spinning drum out of alignment, which begins as an annoyance clanging loudly and ends with the complete malfunction of the unit.

Symmetry

While we’re on the topic of drums thrown out of alignment, let’s discuss the fact that there is more than one way to cause such a malfunction.  You’ve probably notice that, if you have a greater stack of clothing on one side of the drum than the other, the washing machine is off balance and makes a clunky noise.  This should be considered a warning, and you should go pause the cycle and reposition the load.  Failure to do so over and over again can lead to the drum being incorrectly aligned, stopping your washing machine from working at all.

Cleanliness of the Drum

You may think about cleaning out the lint filter of your dryer, but you probably forget that before those clothes ever reach your dryer, they often have all sorts of stuff that can clog up your washing machine, as well as simply make it dirty so that clothes don’t come clean.  At least once a month, you should wipe down the inside of your washing machine to remove human and pet hair, crumbs, and other dirt and grunge build up, and it never hurts to run an “empty” load once every three to four months to rinse it out.

Plumbing

Don’t forget that the dirty water is full of junk that can easily plug up your piping.  To prevent nasty overflows, inability to drain, and other mishaps related to clogged plumbing, perform preventative maintenance yourself or by hiring a plumber to run a snake through the pipes at least twice a year.

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