Insider Tips for Extending the Life of Your Home Appliances and Preventing the Need for Repair

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Home appliance repair and replacements get expensive quickly. If yours are wearing out sooner than they should, use these insider tips to extend appliance life and prevent excessive repairs.

Re-Magnetize Refrigerator Doors

When the fridge doesn’t close all the way, the motor works extra hard to keep food cold, wearing it out sooner. To test the refrigerator seal, close the door on a dollar bill. If you can easily pull it free, the door isn’t sealing tightly. You can re-magnetize the door yourself by rubbing a powerful magnet in the same direction along each door gasket about 50 times.

Keep the Washing Machine Running Like New

First, remove loose change from pockets before washing clothes to prevent denting and chipping the washer drum. Regularly clean or replace the washing machine filter, which is a thimble-like attachment located where the water supply hose meets the drum.

Clear Out the Dryer Vent

Hot air must be able to vent from the dryer to the exterior unimpeded. To ensure this is happening, do the following:

  • Clean the dryer’s lint trap after every use.
  • Have the dryer vent blown during each yearly professional maintenance visit.
  • Inspect the exterior vent opening for obstructions and clear them out with a straightened coat hanger. If the vent has louvers, clean the slats with an old toothbrush.
  • Install wire mesh if the vent lacks a hinged door to keep birds and rodents out.

Extend the Life of Your Dishwasher

To help your dishwasher work more effectively, try these tips:

  • Run hot water in the kitchen sink before starting the dishwasher. This priming method ensures your dishes are cleaned with hot water from the beginning of the cycle.
  • Run an empty dishwasher with a cup of vinegar once a week to keep the inside smelling fresh.
  • Clean the food traps regularly and wipe the dishwasher door seals after each load.

By following these tips, you not only avoid the need for home appliance repair, but you also lower your energy bills every month. For more useful tips, contact Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We’ve proudly served greater Cincinnati homeowners since 1910.

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
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"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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