Common Summer Appliance Breakdowns and How to Prevent Them

Common Summer Appliance Breakdowns and How to Prevent Them

Summer appliances, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and outdoor grills, are critical for maintaining indoor temperatures and enjoyment when the thermometer rises. With meteorologists and other weather experts warning of record-breaking heat waves this summer, preventing summer appliance breakdowns is more important than ever. A single failure can have a significant negative impact on your daily life.

Common Summer Appliance Breakdowns

When one of these appliances suddenly stops working as efficiently, overheats, or breaks down entirely, you're faced with hard choices about how best to keep your home and perishable foods cool. A non-working outdoor grill, for example, might seem like a small problem, but it can force you to cook indoors on hot days, which increases cooling and electricity bills.

HVAC and other professionals frequently see preventable repair problems during emergency repair calls. Indoor and outdoor A/C units experience clogged filters, frozen evaporator coils, and overheated parts from debris; blocked drain and refrigerant lines; and low refrigerant levels.  A bad or non-working refrigerator thermostat, debris buildup on coils, fans, motors, and other parts, and normal wear and tear without replacing old parts can cause overheating, further damaging parts and reducing cooling efficiency. Outdoor grills can stop heating evenly, smell like gas, and pose a health and safety hazard because of dirty surfaces and leaking damaged or old lines.

Preventive Maintenance Tips

You don't need to make a considerable effort to prevent emergencies. You merely need to perform basic cleaning and maintenance tasks between seasonal professional inspections and maintenance appointments.

Air Conditioners

Change filters, clean the condenser and evaporator coils, unit, and vents regularly, and make sure that nothing is blocking airflow. If a window unit is in the path of direct sunlight all day, invest in an awning or move it to a more shaded spot, and check that hot air isn't leaking indoors through gaps.

Refrigerators

Clean the coils and door gaskets regularly. Provide enough space around the appliance to improve ventilation and guarantee the best airflow.

Outdoor Grills

Check gas line connections and inspect each one for leaks. Cleaning around and in the lines to remove clogs and debris improves efficiency and safety and makes future inspections easier.

Signs Your Appliance Needs Repair

It's impossible to prevent every potential breakdown with maintenance alone. Yet summer appliances often exhibit early warning signs of future failure. When addressed immediately, an issue usually only requires a minor repair. It's time to call a professional when the following early warnings occur to prevent more extensive and expensive emergency repairs.

With an air conditioner, warm or hot air instead of cool air flows out of the vents, reducing airflow, or the unit makes odd noises. Refrigerators also cool inconsistently and make unusual noises. Other signs include excessive condensation inside the box, leaking water, and strange smells. Lastly, outdoor grills have weak flames or, as previously noted, produce strong gas odors.

Eco-Friendly and Cost-Effective Solutions

Keeping your summer appliances maintained doesn't have to cost you or the environment too much. In fact, you can save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. Beyond regular inspections and maintenance, you might add awnings or shades to windows to block out the sun, install a range hood above a stove to vent heat outside faster, plug appliances into wall outlets designed to turn off the power during standby, and replace older appliances with energy-saving models.

Schedule Your Service Today

As you can see, how you use and maintain your appliances impacts their lifespan and long-term costs. It's critical that you contact an HVAC professional immediately when you see, hear, or smell something that seems wrong with a summer appliance. By avoiding appliance breakdowns, you save money and time and prevent disruptions that can adversely affect your academics or work, time with loved ones, or even your health.

To beat the heat this summer and enjoy peace of mind, contact Command Service Center for professional HVAC services. We install, inspect, maintain, repair, and replace air conditioners, refrigerators, and most major appliances. For more information, call a member of our team today.

Sources

https://www.rd.com/article/when-appliances-are-most-likely-to-break-down/

https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/air-conditioners/troubleshooting-air-conditioner-problems-a5432764698/

https://womenschoiceaward.com/maintenance-tips-to-extend-the-life-of-your-home-appliances-and-systems/

https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/most-common-appliance-problems-and-repairs-a5550122416/

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/do-it-yourself-home-energy-assessments

https://www.mass.gov/doc/sum-tippdf/download