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Appliance Repair Tips for Alabama Homes
Plain care and troubleshooting advice for the laundry, cooking and freezer appliances in Alabama homes, with safe checks to try first.
For homeowners with a broken washer, dryer, oven, stove, cooktop or freezer. Not for refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, commercial appliances, parts orders or phone-only quotes.
Start with a symptom
Troubleshooting guides
Each guide starts with a short answer, then lists likely causes, safe checks and the point where a technician should take over.
Troubleshooting
Why one stove burner will not work
Gas burner will not light or electric burner stays cold.
Laundry care
Keeping a washer and dryer running
Most laundry calls start with something small that built up over months. A few habits prevent many of them. See washer and dryer repair for more.
Clean the front-load drain filter
Front-load washers have a small filter behind a panel at the bottom front. Coins, hair ties and lint collect there and cause drain errors. Check it every few months, with a towel and shallow pan ready for the water.
Replace rubber fill hoses
Rubber fill hoses harden and crack with age. Look for bulges, cracks or damp spots at the fittings, and replace worn hoses before they burst. Braided hoses are an option many owners choose.
Clear the lint path, not just the screen
Clean the lint screen before every load, and check the duct behind the dryer and the outside flap a few times a year. Restricted airflow is the most common reason drying slows down.
Use HE detergent in HE washers
High-efficiency washers need HE detergent in small amounts. Too much soap causes oversudsing, odors and drain errors, especially in soft water.
Cooking care
Ovens, ranges and cooktops
Ranges are simple machines, and many problems trace back to spills, worn igniters or elements. See stove, cooktop and oven repair.
Keep gas burner ports clear
Boil-overs block burner ports and wet the igniter. Let burners cool, lift off the caps and clean the ports with a soft brush. Make sure everything is dry and reseated before lighting.
Check oven temperature with a thermometer
An inexpensive oven thermometer on the middle rack shows whether the oven runs hot or cold. Write down the difference before calling, since it helps narrow down a sensor or igniter problem.
Use self-clean with care
Self-clean cycles run very hot and can stress door locks, fuses and control boards. Remove heavy spills first and stay home while the cycle runs.
If you smell gas
Leave the house right away. Do not use switches, phones or flames inside. Call the gas utility or propane supplier from outside, and only call about the range once they say it is safe.
Freezer care
Chest and upright freezers
A standalone freezer often holds a season's worth of food. These habits help it last. See freezer repair.
Keep it at 0 degrees Fahrenheit
The USDA recommends 0 degrees Fahrenheit for freezers. An appliance thermometer between packages gives a reliable reading after a few hours.
Check the door or lid seal
Close the lid or door on a sheet of paper. If it slides out easily, the gasket may be worn. Worn seals let humid Alabama air in, which builds frost and makes the compressor run longer.
Give garage freezers room
Leave a few inches of space around the cabinet, keep it out of direct sun and check the manual for the temperature range it is designed for. Very hot or very cold garages strain some models.
Defrost manual models on time
Manual-defrost freezers need defrosting when frost reaches about a quarter inch. Unplug the freezer first, and never chip at ice with sharp tools.
Seasons in Alabama
Seasonal reminders
Alabama weather affects appliances in predictable ways through the year.
Summer heat and humidity
Long, humid summers slow drying and push garage freezers hard. Clean lint paths and freezer coils before the hottest months.
Storm season
Storms and outages can affect electronic controls. After power returns, give appliances a few minutes, reset the breaker once if a display stays dark, and note any error codes.
Holiday cooking
The oven works hardest from Thanksgiving through New Year's. Test bake temperature in the fall so a weak element or igniter is found before a big meal.
Repair or replace
Typical service lives from the National Association of Home Builders, as cited in Fannie Mae's Becoming a Landlord (2008): automatic washer about 13 years, dryer about 14, standard freezer about 16, built-in electric range about 17 and built-in gas range about 14. An appliance well short of those ages is often worth repairing; near or past them, compare the repair with the cost of a new one.
Check the duct behind the dryer and the outside flap a few times a year, and any time drying slows down. Long or crushed ducts are a common cause of slow drying and overheating.
Do not handle gas igniters or valves yourself. Cleaning burner ports and caps on a cooktop is fine once everything is cool, but igniter and valve work should be left to a technician.
According to the USDA, a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours if the door stays closed, and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours.
Next step
Tips not enough?
Call to describe the problem and get connected with an independent provider who serves your city.