With homeowners using their major appliances more than ever, avoidable breakdowns are on the horizon. Today, we’ll give you some easy kitchen home maintenance tips that will help you keep your kitchen humming.
Refrigerator tips: Resist grazing, clean your coils, and don’t overfill
Refrigerator use has skyrocketed since 2020. More people working and learning from home has meant more fridge door opening, more dust and hair around the house, and occasional stockpiling. All of these factors could lead to refrigerator breakdowns.
Here are a few kitchen home maintenance tips you can use to fend off refrigerator breakdowns.
Resist grazing
Grazing is when you open the fridge door just to see if you’re in the mood for eating anything. Each time you open the refrigerator door, it makes work for your fridge’s compressor, which is an important component for keeping the inside cool. The harder and more often the compressor works, the more likely it is to break down. Fridge breakdowns tend to be expensive to pay for out of pocket.
You can reduce the work your compressor does by avoiding grazing. A clever way to do this is by taking a picture of what’s in your fridge. Then, when you get the urge to graze, you can check the picture to see what you may have a craving for. This is an easy home maintenance tip that can save you money in the long run.
Clean your condenser coils
Your condenser coils are another important part of keeping your fridge cool. When they get dirty or covered in hair over time, they don’t work as well as they should.
Cleaning your condenser coils is easy.
- Unplug the fridge or turn off the fridge’s circuit to prevent the risk of electrical shock.
- Locate the condenser coils. They’ll either be underneath, on the back, or on top of the fridge.
- Use a vacuum to remove dust and pet hair.
- Plug your fridge back in or flip the circuit to On.
If you have pets, you may want to do this two or three times a year.
Don’t overload your fridge
When there’s too much stuff in your fridge, it makes it hard for cool air to circulate. This can force your fridge to work harder than it needs to. Check that your food isn’t blocking air vents. And if some spots are cold while others are warm, it’s a sign that you’ve overloaded your fridge.
Oven tip: Keep it clean to extend its life
Whether you have a gas or electric oven, the best way to extend its life is by keeping it clean. Don’t be tempted to clean it at some unset point in the future. That’s the easiest way for grease and other buildup to affect its efficiency.
Be sure to clean both the stovetop and inside of the oven regularly. Clean up big spills and grease splatters as soon as it’s cool enough. Consider doing a deep clean of your oven once a week. Keeping appliances clean is a useful home maintenance tip that’ll make you feel good, too.
For more detailed oven-care tips, read our article, “How to Extend Your Oven’s Life Span With Proper Care.”
Garbage disposal and sink tip: Be picky about what you pour down there
If you have a garbage disposal, it can be tempting to dump as much waste down there as possible. As you clean, make sure you know which things you should never put down your garbage disposal, such as grease and shells. This can help you avoid problems with your garbage disposal itself. It can also help you avoid bigger and more expensive plumbing problems.
Consider a Home Warranty Service Agreement from 2-10 HBW
Home maintenance and taking care of your appliances, especially with increased use, are great ways to reduce the likelihood of breakdowns. Another smart move to make is purchasing a Home Warranty Service Agreement from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10 HBW).
A Home Warranty Service Agreement from 2-10 HBW protects your budgets against breakdowns to systems and appliances. When you choose us, we help set you up with a licensed, approved, local technician. That means less frustration trying to find, research, vet, and schedule an appointment.
It also helps you budget more accurately. If a covered system or appliance breaks down from routine use, your Home Warranty Service Agreement covers the cost to repair or replace the item (up to any clearly stated limits). That means less wondering about cost and more time spending money how you want, rather than how you must.
And 2-10 HBW has perks and programs—along with helpful customer service and home maintenance tips—to help you live your best life as a homeowner.
2-10 HBW offers the most comprehensive home warranty coverage for homeowners. Let us help you protect your home.
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