Appliance care guides

These are the tasks that keep appliances out of our schedule. Each one is homeowner-safe: unplug first, no tools beyond a screwdriver and a vacuum, nothing behind a sealed panel. Where a manufacturer states an interval, we quote it; where they do not, we say so rather than invent one.

Water in Ottawa and Gatineau

Hardness decides how much detergent you need and whether scale is a problem. The City of Ottawa states that its central drinking water supply is about 30 mg/L total hardness, which it describes as very soft, and that water from the Ottawa River is very soft with a natural tea colour from the forested watershed. Ottawa's municipal well systems, which serve some outlying communities, have much higher hardness from calcium and magnesium in the groundwater. Practically, on the central supply: use the low-hardness detergent dose, set dishwasher hardness or salt settings to the lowest position where the machine has one, and expect very little scale. Gatineau publishes weekly analysis reports by sector (Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau, Buckingham, Masson-Angers) and the hardness figure varies by sector; your technician can also test the supply at the appliance. Chelsea, Cantley and rural Ottawa homes on private wells should use their own well test.

Dryer

• Lint screen: clean before every load. Every few months, wash it with warm soapy water if fabric-softener film makes water bead on it, and vacuum the screen housing.
• Venting: Whirlpool's guidance is that the duct from the dryer to outdoors must be cleaned every one to two years or when drying slows, that only 4 in metal duct should be used, and that foil or plastic is not recommended because it collapses or crushes. Check the exterior hood flap opens freely with the dryer running.
• Behind the machine: when you push a dryer back, the duct is what gets crushed. Leave room, and use a periscope or short rigid elbow if the wall connection is tight.
• Signs to book: long dry times after the vent is clean, a burning smell, or the dryer shutting off mid-cycle. See dryer taking too long.

Washing machine

• Inlet hoses: Whirlpool's instructions say to replace them every 5 years. Look for bulges, rust at the fittings or a hose that feels stiff.
• Front-load gasket: wipe the fold of the door boot after washing, leave the door ajar to dry, and run the tub-clean cycle the manufacturer recommends. Mould in the gasket is the top front-load complaint and it is preventable.
• Drain pump filter: many front-loaders have a small access door at the bottom front. Put a towel and a shallow tray down, open it slowly, and remove coins, hair clips and lint. Check the manual for your model first.
• Detergent: on Ottawa's very soft water, high-efficiency machines need the smallest dose on the cap. Too much detergent causes suds errors, residue and odour.
• Levelling: a washer that walks or bangs is usually off-level or overloaded, not broken. See washer shaking.

Dishwasher

• Filter: Bosch recommends cleaning it every few months; most modern dishwashers of any brand have a twist-out filter under the lower spray arm. Rinse under the tap, brush out the mesh, and refit it fully.
• Spray arms: Bosch suggests checking them every few months for clogged holes. Toothpicks and a rinse clear them.
• Rinse aid: keep it topped up; it is what makes dishes dry on modern machines with no exposed heating element. See dishwasher not drying.
• Scale: Bosch's advice to descale a few times a year applies to hard water. On Ottawa's central supply, which the City states is about 30 mg/L, it is rarely needed. On well water it may be.
• Door gasket and bottom seal: wipe them and check for cracks; a leak at the door corner is often just debris on the seal.

Refrigerator and freezer

• Condenser coils: Whirlpool says routine cleaning is not typically needed in a normal home, but homes with pets, heavy kitchen traffic or construction dust should inspect and clean every 3 to 6 months. Unplug the fridge or switch off the breaker, remove the base grille, and use a vacuum with a soft brush or a coil brush.
• Door gaskets: wipe with warm soapy water. A gasket that no longer holds a slip of paper when the door is closed is letting warm air in; frost on the freezer wall near the door is the usual sign.
• Clearance and level: keep the clearance the manual specifies behind and above, and tilt the fridge slightly back so doors close on their own.
• Water filter: change it on the manufacturer's interval and flush a few litres through. A stale filter slows the dispenser and shrinks the ice.
• Do not: chip ice from a freezer wall or touch anything on the refrigerant circuit. Heavy frost is a symptom; see frost buildup.

Oven, range and cooktop

• Spills: clean them once the oven is cold; sugar and acid attack enamel. Use the self-clean cycle sparingly and never with the racks in unless the manual says so; the high heat is hard on door gaskets and electronics.
• Door gasket: check it is seated all the way round; a gap at the corner causes uneven baking and a hot control panel.
• Gas burners: keep the burner caps and ports clean and dry after boil-overs. Burner adjustments and anything at the gas valve are for a certified gas technician only.
• Anti-tip bracket: after pulling the range out, push it back until the rear foot engages the bracket, then check by pulling gently from the rear as GE describes.
• Induction and glass cooktops: use flat-bottomed pans, wipe sugar spills at once, and use the cooktop cleaner rather than abrasives.

Microwave and range hood

• Microwave: clean the door seal and the waveguide cover inside the cavity; a burnt cover arcs. Never run it empty. Nothing behind the cabinet is user-serviceable: the capacitor holds a charge after unplugging.
• Range hood: wash metal grease filters every month or two in hot soapy water or the dishwasher; replace charcoal filters on recirculating hoods on the manufacturer's interval. See poor extraction.

When care isn't enough

If the symptom persists after the relevant task above, the problem guides explain what it may mean and when to book. The diagnostic is $89, waived when you proceed with the repair.

Questions

Related

• Preventive maintenance
• Dryer
• Washing machine
• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator
• Oven
• Range hood
• Dryer taking too long to dry
• Dishwasher not cleaning properly