Washing machine maintenance allows Louisville area homeowners to clean and care for each washer and dryer appliance in the home’s laundry room. These steps keep the machine running with efficient performance and reliable washing power, providing your family with cleaner clothing and protecting fabric from wear. Conventional washing machines as well as front-loading machines benefit when you inspect and service them monthly.
Jarboe’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing shares the washer maintenance steps you should follow. Keep washing machine parts clean, check and replace hoses to prevent water leaks, and clean the lint trap to avoid drain blockages. Our plumbers share how to care for washers and how to tell when they need maintenance.
It’s important to make washing machine maintenance a part of your regular home maintenance routine as the steps protect your appliance and your plumbing. If you are between maintenance times or have skipped servicing your machine lately, watch for signs that tell you that maintenance is needed immediately.
When these issues are present in washing machines, maintenance service is a must, and professional repairs could also be warranted:
Complete these washer maintenance tasks on a monthly schedule to limit wear and tear to your appliance. Inspect components and clean the machine for regular care.
Washing machines have multiple hoses. There is a supply hose for hot water, one for cold water, and a drain hose to flush out water after a load is completed. Supply hoses are made of PVC, stainless steel, or rubber. Drain hoses are made of corrugated plastics. On average, any hose on your washer should last three to five years.
Even if your washing machine hoses aren’t yet five years old, you still need to watch for hose leaks and damage. It may be necessary to replace a hose before the expected five years are up.
Every month, search along each hose looking for cracks in the rubber, kinks, bulges, fraying, and other signs of wear. Even if the hose is still in good shape, you should replace all hoses after a maximum of five years to best prevent surprise leaks and water damage.
Replace hoses on your washing machine following these steps:
It’s possible for your washing machine to move around in your laundry room. Uneven floors, footings, and vibrations from the spin cycle, when you overload the machine, can cause the appliance to shift up to several inches.
It’s important to return your washer to the proper place so hoses are less likely to kink. Keep the washer at least four inches away from walls and the dryer.
If the legs of your washer are uneven, reposition them to level the machine. Adjust legs clockwise to lengthen the leg and turn them counterclockwise to shorten them.
Fibers from fabric collect on the lint filter as washing machines drain upon completion of laundry loads. Eventually, the trap can become clogged with lint and cause washer leaks or lint may enter home plumbing drain lines and cause blockages.
Clean the lint filter or replace it monthly to protect your washing machine and plumbing pipes:
If your washing machine uses a disposable lint filter, all you have to do is remove the old one, toss it, and insert a new one each month!
If you have a high-efficiency front load washer inside your home, there isn’t a dedicated filter that catches these fabric particles. Instead, lint gathers at the machine’s self-cleaning pump. Check it regularly and remove any particle buildup if needed.
Clean the washer to keep the machine running properly and smelling fresh. Odors form due to residue from fabric softener and detergent as well as mold and mildew that can grow because of damp conditions within the washer. Proper cleanup controls odors and keeps the appliance in good working order by removing mold, mildew, mineral deposits, and residue.
Regularly clean your washing machine following this process:
Any time you run loads of clothes and linens through your washing machine, use these washing machine maintenance tips to protect your appliance and keep the machine in top condition.
Good washing machine maintenance routines protect the plumbing systems inside Louisville homes while helping homeowners keep their laundry appliances in service longer. When plumbing problems do arise, such as a clogged drain due to lint particles, call Jarboe’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing for expert drain cleaning and plumbing services in Louisville.