Clothes Washers
Dryers:
Water-fill hoses
Over time, the exterior water hoses that
were with your new washing machine may leak
or burst. It's a good preventive
maintenance practice to check these hoses
from time to time for any sign of wear or
weakness. Often there's a small blister in
the rubber of the hose, which could
rupture. Most manufacturers recommend
replacing the hoses every 5 years.
Leveling
Because your washing machine is so heavy,
when it's not level, it can vibrate
strongly during the spin cycle. If your
washing machine is not perfectly
level--with all four legs touching the
floor--it can bang and rock back and forth,
and even begin to "walk" across the room.
This isn't good for the machine and may
damage anything near the machine.
Surface cleaning
Your washer has either a painted steel or
porcelain-coated steel cabinet. It's
perfectly safe to use a little dish
detergent and a damp rag to clean all of
its surfaces. If the surface is porcelain,
you can even use a little non-abrasive
cleanser for stubborn stains
Lint disposal
Most washing machines collect lint during
the wash cycle and send it down the drain
during the drain cycle. Most washing
machines collect lint in the center tube of
the agitator. You need to lift out that
tube and clean it periodically. Other
machines have a lint filter near the top of
the tub, which you need to slide out, clean
off, and reinsert.
Vent
Your dryer vent pipe should be made of
aluminum. The white vinyl duct that was
common several years ago no longer meets
most building codes, because if your dryer
ignites it, a fire may start in your home.
Check the entire length of the vent pipe
for lint build-up at least once a year--or
more often if the dryer gets a lot of
use.
Lint filter
Check and clean the lint filter after every
drying cycle. If the lint filter has any
rips or tears, replace it. If the filter
gets clogged by fabric softener residue or
any other residue, you can easily clean it
with a soft-bristle brush and a little
detergent.
Area under lint filter
You can also clean the chute, duct, or area
that the lint filter fits into. If
necessary, use a vacuum cleaner to reach
into the duct and clean out any lint.
Note… If the lint build-up is severe,
it's important to disassemble the dryer and
clean out the lint more thoroughly. This is
often a job for a qualified appliance
repair technician, because there's a risk
of injuring yourself or damaging the
machine.
Refrigerator Maintenance
Tips:
Manual-defrost
refrigerator/freezers
Manual defrost refrigerator/freezers
require very little maintenance.
When frost has accumulated on the inside
walls of the freezer to a thickness of
½ inch or so, remove the food from the
refrigerator/freezer, turn off the
thermostat or unplug the unit, and allow
all of the frost to melt.
Once the frost has melted completely, turn
the unit back on, wait for it to reach its
operating temperature, and restock it with
food.
Self-defrosting
refrigerator/freezers
You don't need to manually defrost your
self-defrosting refrigerator/freezer. Every
6 to 8 hours, it heats up its cooling coils
slightly and melts any frost accumulation
on the coils. The resulting water drains
into a shallow pan at the bottom of the
refrigerator/freezer.
There's no need to empty the pan. The water
in it will evaporate. But it may begin to
smell bad over time. You may be able to
remove it for periodic cleaning by
detaching the lower grill and sliding the
pan out the front of the
refrigerator/freezer.
Note… When mold grows in the drain
pan, it is sometimes considered to be a
health concern. If your drain pan is
removable, and if you're sensitive to mold,
consider cleaning the drain pan
periodically.
Under your refrigerator/freezer is a set of
coils and a cooling fan that you need to
clean at least once a year. The coils may
look like a grate or like a wide radiator.
Unplug the refrigerator/freezer and use a
Refrigerator Condenser Brush (available in
the accessories section of our website),
and your vacuum cleaner to clean any lint,
pet hair, and so on from the coils.
Oven Range Maintenance
Tips:
Broiler pan
The broiler pan that comes with most
range/ovens is porcelain-coated steel.
Clean it with a non-abrasive cleanser.
Control panel
Most range/oven control panels are glass
and/or painted metal. You can safely use
non-abrasive cleaners on these surfaces.
Examples include the Range top Cleaner, from
our accessories section under "cleaners" as
well as glass cleaners and liquid
degreasers.
Note: Never spray cleaners directly onto
the control panel. Instead, put some
cleaner on a soft, damp rag, then wipe the
surface.
Cook top
You can clean any porcelain cook top with a
non-abrasive cleanser.
Note: Don't pour the cleanser directly onto
the cook top. Instead, put some cleaner on a
soft, damp rag, then wipe the surface.
Burner drip pans (bowls)
You usually need to replace the drip pans
or bowls beneath the grates on a gas
stove/range and beneath the heating element
on an electric stove/range every 2 to 3
years. That's because, once they're
stained, it's usually not possible to clean
them completely.
Glass cook tops and windows
Always clean glass and ceramic cook tops
only with products made for this
purpose--such as the Frigidaire Range top
Cleaner we carry in our accessories
section.
Knob care
You may be able to safely clean the knobs
on your range/oven with a little dish
detergent and a damp cloth. Remember to use
care while cleaning the numbers so they
wont rub off.
Oven
If your oven is self-cleaning, consult the
owner's manual for instructions on how to
use this feature. The self-cleaning feature
works by heating the interior of the oven
to a temperature so hot that it incinerates
the residue inside the oven.
Air
Conditioning Maintenance Tips:
Air conditioners are
equipped with a simple electrostatic filter
in the front grill area to filter the air
that passes through them. If your unit has
a filter you should replace/clean it once a
month during the cooling season.
Inspect cooling coils for frost or ice
build up
If the temperature outside the room where
the air conditioner is placed becomes cool,
approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit or
lower, check the coils on the front of the
air conditioner to be sure they are not
icing up. If they are icing up, turn the
air conditioner off until the temperature
rises.
Don't short cycle the cooling
system
Air conditioners have a cooling system just
like a refrigerator's. It is important not
to turn the unit off and then back on right
away. Wait at least ten minutes after
shutting the unit off to allow the pressure
in the refrigeration system to equalize
once again.
Store the unit in a basement or utility
room, not a garage
Avoid small rodents and flying insects from
nesting in your stored AC unit by using
a protective cover on the part of the
air conditioner that sticks outside.
Clean condenser coils annually
The condensing coils on all air
conditioners will accumulate dirt and dust.
It will be necessary to remove the entire
cover of the air conditioner to gain access
to the coils.
