In most modern-day households, home appliances do a substantial amount of heavy lifting. From cooking to cleaning to food storage, most of us depend on appliances for essential everyday tasks. Unfortunately, many people fail to realize just how integral appliances are to their daily lives until one of them suddenly breaks down or finds itself in need of repairs. Since most appliances represent sizable investments, it’s in the best interest of every cost-conscious homeowner to keep them up and running for as long as possible. To this end, the following preventative maintenance tips are sure to come in handy.
Invest in Extended Warranties
There’s little wonder as to why so many people shrug off extended warranties. Since these warranties require consumers to spend even more money when making large purchases, it’s not hard to see why most of us pass them up. For example, if you’re already spending hundreds of dollars on a new appliance, adding an additional hundred bucks to your checkout price is liable to seem like an unappealing prospect. After all, why spend good money on something you may not ultimately need?
While it’s true that a fair number of extended warranties wind up never being used, a good home warranty plan can provide you with tremendous peace of mind and ensure that your purchase receives comprehensive long-term protection. In many respects, an extended warranty is the most effective form of preventative maintenance. Sure, it will require you to shell out some extra cash when making your purchase, but it also stands to save you a small fortune in repair costs. To ensure that you get the most for your money, take care to carefully review the terms of any extended warranty you’re thinking of purchasing. This will help prevent you from investing in something that doesn’t provide the coverage you’re looking for. With protection from a solid warranty, you’ll be able to take advantage of prompt professional maintenance the next time you’re driven to wonder, “How old is my appliance?”
Use Manufacturer Warranties
If you absolutely refuse to invest in extended warranties, you should at least take advantage of any manufacturer warranties your appliances are currently covered by. Be advised, however, that despite being free, manufacturer warranties generally aren’t as comprehensive or convenient as extended warranties. Most manufacturer warranties provide limited protection for periods that range from six months to one year. Additionally, some manufacturers require consumers to register their purchases within a specific timeframe in order to receive these warranties. While the coverage they offer often pales in comparison to extended warranties, manufacturer warranties won’t cost you anything, so if any of your products are covered by them, you may as well use them to your advantage.
Regularly Clean Appliances That Require It
When it comes to maintaining certain appliances, cleanliness can go a long way. If big-ticket appliances like stoves, ovens and refrigerators are allowed to accumulate filth in perpetuity, they’re liable to have trouble carrying out their core functions. Refrigerators, in particular, need to have numerous components cleaned on a consistent basis in order to operate at peak efficiency. Additionally, dirty stoves and ovens can present potential fire hazards. If you’re unclear on how to go about cleaning heavy-duty appliances, consider farming this task out to an experienced cleaning or appliance maintenance service.
Respond to Potential Problems in a Timely Manner
When responding to potential problems that crop up in your appliances, timeliness can be vitally important. The longer a problem goes unaddressed, the more serious that problem is liable to become – and the more expensive it will be to fix. With this in mind, make a point of calling in an expert posthaste the next time one of your appliances begins acting up. You may not like spending money on minor repair costs, but it’s preferable to shelling out a princely sum for large-scale repairs or outright replacements.
It’s easy to see why so many of us have come to take cutting-edge home appliances for granted. Since a fair number of these devices have been around for our entire lives, we have no idea how difficult daily life was without them. It isn’t until a crucial appliance requires repair or replacement that we truly consider how important such modern marvels are to our everyday existence. Fortunately, keeping our most essential appliances up and running doesn’t have to be costly, difficult or time-consuming.
