Ranges, Stoves, and Ovens - Self-Clean Cycles

Trust me on this: Don't use the self clean cycle for your oven.  Clients constantly end up baffled when they call me and tell me that their oven door is locked and I immediately ask if they used a self clean cycle.  The answer is always yes.

These cycles seem to cause more problems than the solve with the oven door remaining locked after completing the cycle, melting wires and electrical components, and other similar issues.  The amount of time that you will save by not cleaning the oven manually will very likely be offset by trying to get the oven open again afterwards or by needing to call for a repairman.  Cleaning manually might be a pain but calling for service is worse.


Try to keep your oven clean to begin with by placing another sheet below the one you have your goods baking in and keep the "catch pan" about the same size as the other pan to promote good air flow.

Summer Refrigerator Overloads

It might be a good idea to invest in a bag or two of ice!

This past week has seen more refrigerators stop working in the GTA than we've seen for the past several months.  While the heat certainly makes it more difficult for a fridge to keep it's cool do what you can to help it out.  If it's dead in the water call for an appliance repair technician ASAP.  The sooner the better since this is popular vacation time so a lot of techs are out of town and it might be more than a day before you can set an appointment.  Which isn't very nice when your food is spoiling.


Do what you can to keep your fridge from breaking:

• Make sure the fridge is clean, inside, out and underneath!  
• Keep the door closed as much as possible so the compressor does not need to turn on as frequently and save it some stress.
• Fridges actually regulate temperature better when they are mostly full instead of empty. Don't go buy more things if it's stopped cooling, but don't try to have as few things as possible either; it's not actually going to help.
• Did I mention clean it?  Yes clean it! (and make sure you vacuum)
• Make sure your door seals are good and if not get them replaced.
• Don't cover the air vents in the freezer

It is always cheaper to maintain something than fix it so ensure you keep your fridge in the best shape that you can.

Other Dryer Vent Tips

In addition to cleaning out your dryer vents here are a few other tips.

Your dryer should be absolutely no further than 10 feet away from an outside wall.  The further a dryer is from the area that it is going to be venting to, the longer the vent needs to be.  While this sounds rather obvious any turns or bends in the vent will be catch points for lint and other debris to build up, increasing the risk of a fire.  The more direct the path is the better.  If the dryer does need to be buried inside of the home or you are in a condo where a vent is not available you should be looking a condenser dryers instead.  Condenser dryers do not use vents and thus can be placed anywhere.

Check the hose that connects between the dryer and the vent, while this is also technically part of the vent it is a very important one.  This part of the vent tends to be a soft flexible hose and that flexibility is where you can run into trouble.  The hose should be as short as possible; the longer it is the bigger the chances are that it is going to be coiled up or bent at an awkward angle. You can also get this soft hose replaced with a hard tube that looks more like the rest of the venting system; it's a bit more expensive and you'll need to be very certain that that is exactly where you want the dryer to stay but it's typically worth it.

Dryer in the basement?  If the vent goes up to the main floor before going outside you might want to invest in an air booster which in simple terms is just a fan that goes inside of the vent to help promote air flow.  Just as with kinks and bends if the dryer is not using enough force to get the air out lint is going to get stuck at the bend and you can end up with a serious problem quickly.

Are you Cleaning your Dryer Vents?

Even if you are extremely careful about cleaning lint out of your dryer catch there is still some lint that will get through that and end up in the machine and the vent.  If you are lucky your vent will have a secondary catch that acts very similarly to the catch inside of the dryer itself.  If you don't you might want to look into getting one installed, they are relatively inexpensive and can make vent cleaning an easier and less frequent task.


Regular dryer and dryer vent maintenance is an absolute must to keep your home safe against fires.  On top of being safe it will also allow your dryer to work more easily since air flow will not be blocked by any debris.

It doesn't matter if it is summer or winter, dryer maintenance can be performed at any time of year.  It is more important for you to pick a month, or a specific date every year where you will have your vents cleaned.

Reasons to Never Leave your Appliances Running Unsupervised Part 4 - Legalese

Ever read through your user manual for your appliances? Unfortunately you really should and you might want to find your Legalese to English dictionary while your at it because there are most certainly going to be annoying and convoluted legal terms worked into your warranties.

Most user manuals go over the not only the length, but the conditions surrounding any warranties you do and don't have on your appliances. Typically, it will be mentioned somewhere that you should only run your machines while they are supervised (by an adult no less) or it will void any warranties. To be clear on this: it may void ALL of the warranties the manufacturer has placed on the machine, leaving you completely at fault for any damage to the appliance, your home, your person, and anything else!

While your digging through the user manual, which I hope you haven't thrown out as it's "useless", read through the areas on maintenance and proper care as well. There is probably some annoying legal mumbo jumbo in there as well about how improper or infrequent maintenance will also void your warranty or extended warranty.

These are all the tips I have for not leaving your appliances home alone when they are working for now. When I think of anything else to cover I'll make another post!

Next up: How to find your user manual if you threw it out since I'm sure at least a couple of you have...

Reasons to Never Leave your Appliances Running Unsupervised Part 3 - Halt!

This situation certainly is not as serious as any of the others but it is annoying nevertheless. Sometimes appliances simply stop in the middle of doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Imagine that you have clothes in the washing machine or dishwasher; it starts the load and fills with water no problem but partway through the cycle or when you hit the drain cycle it just never does it. Your poor clothes and dishes will be sitting with a tub full of water and food and dirt! No matter what temperature you start the cycle at it will eventually return to room temperature and become a petri dish for bacteria.

This kind of situation is well... ripe, for mold to start growing and there is also a possibility that water will start leaking from any small imperfections or damage in the system.

Keep your things smelling fresh!  Don't trust that your appliances will work perfectly every time just because they normally do.  Next week we'll include important details on why, legally, you should not run your appliances when they are unsupervised.

Reasons to Never Leave your Appliances Running Unsupervised Part 2 - Damage

There is always the possibility that a machine may damage itself when it is running either because something has gone wrong or because it has been loaded improperly.  One example that I'm sure everyone has shared is with a washing machine.  

Ever overloaded your washer or put something too heavy on one side and it started banging around on the spin cycle like an old western shootout?  It's a terrible racket and even if you were sleeping you would probably hear it and wake up but the unfortunate truth is: every bump and bang is the washer drum hitting the outside panels and other parts in the machine and each one is a possibility for the drum to get damaged.

Dents in a drum might be able to get hammered out but any cracks in the drum and you will need to replace the entire thing!  Since most models have the drum attached to the motor assembly at the bottom and panels and supports surrounding it removing the drum to replace it essentially calls for a complete and utter disassembly of the washer.  A lot of technicians won't even bother doing this type of repair because the drum is an expensive part and the labour is as well since it's a hard job.  Often it is cheaper to purchase an entirely new washing machine than replace the drum.

If you've gone out (or are a very heavy sleeper) and don't stop the washer while it's banging around there are other things that can happen as well!  The machine will start moving around on the floor from the force of the motion possibly causing scratches on your floor and the drain or water hose leading to the washer may become disconnected and cause a flood!

Keep your home and you appliances safe and only run your machines when you are home!  Part 3 will be up later this week with more tips of things to watch out for.

Reasons to Never Leave your Appliances Running Unsupervised Part 1 - Fires

This time we're going to do several articles covering reasons why you should never run your appliances when you are not home or awake to watch, or listen, to them working. While this is something that just about everyone has done at some point this is actually a terrible thing to do. Ignore those that say it is a great energy and money saver and here is why:

Fire Hazards:

Dirt, lint, grease and other things can build up within your appliance and nearly all appliances get hot while they are running. This can be because it is necessary for them to work properly such as a dryer or a dishwasher or as a simple side effect of moving parts and electricity.

If the appliance has not been properly maintained and cleaned there is a risk that the debris can get hot enough to catch on fire. Even with proper maintenance however there is always the risk that wires have not been insulated properly; whether as a manufacturer defect or due to work that was done on it later.

Any money you may save while running an appliance at night is not worth the risk of it catching on fire while you and your family are asleep. At best the machine will be damaged, possibly beyond repair, or you could be looking for a new place to live if it goes badly.

A few Cautions about Ordering Parts Yourself

Ordering the parts you need for your appliances yourself might save you some money since you will only need to pay someone else for installation but it can also be tricky to get the proper parts.  Here are a few things to look out for.

Ordering from Online-only Companies

Yes I'm talking about sellers on E-bay and Amazon and other sites like those or those without a physical address. While there is nothing wrong with the sites themselves, the problem lies with the sellers.  A lot of the parts that you find here, especially if the parts for your appliance are discontinued, will either be refurbished, non-OEM (aka: knock-off brand), or simply not as advertised.

It may be more expensive somewhere else, but you will be in far better hands ordering from an actual part supplier; preferably one that is local so you can see the parts in person before purchasing them.

Buying parts without your model number

A model number tells a supplier exactly what type of stove you have and approximately what years it was manufactured in.  A serial number will be more specific about when it was made but most manufacturers will use the same parts for all the models in the series and other models produced in similar years; so it is typically not needed.

If you go to order from someone and their only questions are what brand and type and not what model it is; it is extremely likely you're getting the most generic non-OEM part imaginable. They tend to be cheaper because they are made from worse materials, and they can even void your warranties. You want to avoid super cheap parts; they are cheap for a reason.


As one final warning: if your appliances are 2 years old or less you should avoid working on them at all or hiring 3rd party companies.  Most manufacturers have included a clause in their warranties that says if any "non-authorized" individuals work on a machine it will void all the warranties on it.  Check your user manual to see if you have that clause before reaching out for assistance.

The Importance of Balanced Appliances

Having all of your appliances properly balanced may solve some problems you have had with your machine and will save on wear and tear if you haven't noticed anything odd yet.  Before checking any of your machines it would be best to first dig out the user manuals to read over the steps on how to balance them and information on any maintenance that should be performed. Finally before doing anything with your machines turn them off and turn off the breakers as well, safety first!


Refrigerators need to be balanced to regulate temperature properly, keep their doors and shelves properly aligned and without stress, and to allow moisture to evaporate properly.  If you are noticing that your doors are not staying closed or small amounts of moisture around your fridge about once a week you may have a balancing issue.  Consult your user manual and adjust the leveling screws until it is even.

Washing Machines move around a lot when they are running a load to clean everything properly.  If the washer is unbalanced you may end up with damage to the drum and possibly even to your home if it is very unbalanced.  To balance your washer properly you will need to adjust the leveling screws but first check to ensure that your intake and drain hoses have slack so you can pull the machine out a little, if they have no slack you may damage the hoses and have a much larger problem than you did before. Check your user manual to see how many leveling screws you have and how to adjust them.

Drying Machines move around a lot less than washing machines but you still need to take some care with them, particularly if your dryer is stacked on top of the washer.  It's possible your washer balance problem is being caused by your dryer. If your unit is a combo machine where the dryer is actually part of the washer you will need to balance the whole unit carefully and you may want a friend to help as it will weigh more than a single unit.

Dishwashers can also be imbalanced but you normally won't notice unless you develop a leak. Try to check the cupboards surrounding your dishwasher and the floor near it frequently to ensure there is no water damage.  Some dishwashers should actually be tilted slightly back instead of completely flat and even, consult your user manual for exact measurements and adjust the leveling screws appropriately.

Lost your user manual?  Find your model number and search online for it; ignore sites that ask for payment as you can find nearly any manual with enough searching. If you cannot find it online try calling the manufacturer and see if they can mail or email you a new copy, they will likely charge for this service however.

Don't Overload Your Washing Machine

Loading a washing machine with a lot of items can be a rather risky move that should never be done on purpose. When you overload your washer the weight of the items inside of it can exceed the capacity that it is designed to run at. What this means is that the weights inside of the unit that affect how the drum spins will not function properly and there is a good chance it will damage itself while running.

Most people have overloaded their washing machine or not balanced items inside of it properly at least once. When this happens there is usually a mad dash towards the machine to stop it while it bangs around loudly like a live band. Those bangs are the drum inside of your machine actually hitting the surrounding panels and the frame inside of it and each and every hit can damage the drum.

If a crack forms in the drum it will need to be replaced and replacing the drum is typically a very expensive repair.  It depends a little on what model of machine you have but typically the machine will need to be almost completely disassembled and then reassembled.  Cracks and dents to the drum are considered to be atypical use of the machine and your warranty, even if it is still in effect, will not cover the cost of repairs.

Be cautious of how you use your appliances to get the most out of them!

The Importance of Clean Dryer Vents

The vents used by the dryer allow for hot air to be cycled out of the house and lowers the amount of time needed to dry items.  While there are no hazards from having a dryer vent air inside of the house, newer models of dryers are actually designed to not use one, there is a potential fire hazard with the vent itself.

While it is very common to have the laundry set up in the basement this can cause problems with the venting system.  Dryer vents should have as few turns and vertical lifts as possible before they exit the home so they should be installed against a wall that goes directly outside.  While the lint catch that is part of your dryer normally does a good job at catching most of the lint, even the most avid of cleaners will have lint build up inside of the dryer and the dryer vent.

Your dryer vent should be cleaned out every single year if not more often.  There are a number of inventions on the market that will allow you to do this yourself with just a drill or another tool or it can be done by a professional.  Look through your user manual to see how often you should be cleaning the inside of the dryer and put a note on the calendar to have your vents serviced yearly. A bit of maintenance can prevent a lot of trouble down the road.

Appliance Do's and Don'ts - Running Hours

You should never run any of your appliances when you are not home, or awake, to supervise them while they run. Any money that might be saved by running them at night when power consumption is lower is not worth the risk of a fire, a flood, or the damage that might occur to your machine while it is working.

Dryers are a potential fire hazard as lint builds up within the machine and in the ducts. Even the most conscientious of users who cleans the lint trap after every use will still have lint get past the trap.

Dishwashers and Washing machines both have the risk of leaking or overflowing while running and can cause mild to severe property damage.

Washing Machines can also damage themselves while running the spin cycle if their load is unevenly distributed.

Even hood fans, be they over the range microwaves or a dedicated hood fan will have grease build up in their filters over time and become a fire hazard.

Be careful and be aware, for the things that you can control only let them run when you are there to make sure there are no issues. Appliances are expensive machines and if you can avoid damaging them you will be saving money.

If you need assistance with maintenance or you have any concerns you can always contact us for help.