From Dryers to Blenders: An Appliance Blog

Common Sources Of Appliance Problems

Issues with your appliances can create major disruptions and other problems for your home. While appliance problems are a fairly routine aspect of owning a home, a lack of awareness about the more common threats can cause homeowners to inadvertently place their appliances at a much higher risk of suffering malfunctions. Being able to identify these issues leads to quicker appliance repair. Find out the basics about the more routine threats to your appliances to help you avoid these serious issues.

Hard Water

For appliances that rely on a steady source of water, excess minerals in the water can cause deposits to form in the appliance. Over time, the deposits from the hard water can severely restrict the flow of water through the appliance, which can lead to performance deterioration or a complete failure of the appliance.

Preventing hard water from having this effect on your appliances will require the installation of a water softening system. With one of these systems, you can effectively remove the excess minerals from the water in your home so that your appliances do not fall victim to this source of problems.

Electrical Surges

If a powerful electrical surge strikes your home during severe weather or when there is an issue with the local electrical grid, your appliances can suffer irreparable damage. This damage will occur due to the intense heat and energy from the electricity causing the internal wiring, computer chips, and other electrical components of the device to melt. In situations where the electrical surge was particularly powerful, you may notice sparks or small flames coming from the appliance.

Sadly, you may be under the impression that a basic surge protector will prevent this damage. Yet these tools are only suitable for intercepting a single power surge, and these devices can be overwhelmed by particularly strong surges.

A more robust system for protecting your appliances may be to have a surge suppression system added to the home's wiring. These systems monitor for dangerous surges, and they automatically divert any dangerous surges away from the home before appliances or other devices can be damaged.

Improper Ventilation

Many appliances will generate an intense amount of heat during the course of their operation. Preventing heat from building up in the interior of the appliance can be essential for preventing serious damage from occurring to the device. However, many people will fail to care for the vents of their appliances, which can lead to this problem. You should periodically check the vents of your major appliances so that any dust can be removed and objects blocking the flow of air can be moved.


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