On the Level

Appliance Maintenance Made Easy

by Terry F. Meany

Renting in Neanderthal times was a pretty simple affair. Landlords didn’t restrict fires inside of their cave units but might have insisted that renters sweep out the animal remains once a month or so. It isn’t known if painting on the cave walls caused a loss in damage deposits, and it’s doubtful that tenants called their landlords complaining about rodents or bugs creeping around at night. Rent control was enforced by whoever was carrying the bigger club.

Appliance maintenance was once a simpler affair as well. Stoves and refrigerators had basic functions and lasted as long as checkered taxis, that is, seemingly forever. Icemakers and water dispensers didn’t exist, along with their associated plumbing, pumps and electronics; and dishwashers were a pair of hands and a drying rack. Clearly, life changes; as a landlord you have to maintain all the appliances in your buildings and understand they can break down. Regular maintenance and tenant education both promote a longer life for your kitchen and laundry appliances.

Before doing any repairs, know the age of your appliances. Everything has a limited lifespan (except, maybe, the endlessly returning Rolling Stones). After a certain point, repairs aren’t worth your investment and your appliances are better left to the recycler. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has come up with the following longevity list for major appliances (which might also require some repairs during their lifetimes):

in-sink food disposer—12 years;
clothes dryer—13 years;
front-load washer—11 years;
top-load washer—14 years;
single-oven range—17 years;
microwave oven—9 years; and
refrigerator—14-19 years.

There are always exceptions, like the 40-year-old kitchen range that just won’t die; and if you have one of these, be grateful. Otherwise, establish a replacement schedule along with your repair budget. Do you have a fulltime maintenance worker or crew? Consider investing in an appliance repair course so one of your employees can handle the more diagnostically demanding repairs. At least one distance-learning institution, the Penn Foster Career School (www.pennfosteredu.com), offers an appliance-repair training program.

Some appliance “repairs” are as simple as flipping circuit breakers back on after a tenant has overloaded the electrical system. Others require more investigation.

Microwave Ovens
Simple directive here: if it’s broken, replace it. Microwave ovens are far too cheap to bother messing with repairs, particularly if you have inexpensive countertop models. That said, some appliance-friendly user practices are good to know. Keep the interior clean and free of built-up food deposits. Bits and pieces of spattered spaghetti sauce and Chinese takeout can eventually carbonize, resulting in arcs, sparks and interior damage. Also, too much water or spray cleaner can get inside ventilation holes, the holes for the door latch or other openings and damage the unit. Cooking a bowl of soapy water to steam the interior does wonders for loosening up sticky food.

Dishwashers
Some tenants are convinced dishwashers are evil, wasteful energy gobblers and refuse to use them. This is debatable. A study by the University of Bonn’s Department of Household Technology claimed that a modern dishwasher uses less water, energy and soap than hand washing. According to Whirlpool (who else?), “You use two times as much water by hand-washing dishes. It costs about 15 cents per load to use your dishwasher and about 2 cents per load to use the dry cycle.”

Oddly enough, if a tenant chooses not to use a previously used dishwasher, his action will cause it to smell or encourage mold to grow inside. A dishwasher without water at the bottom of its tub can end up with prematurely dried-out rubber seals, including those in the pump. Ask those tenants who do not use their dishwashers to pour one or two cups of water into the tubs every couple of months to maintain these seals.

If water shows up on the floor, check the door gasket. If the gasket is damaged or cracked, use the model number to confirm your appliance store has a replacement. Remove the gasket by gently prying it out with a screwdriver or pulling with pliers. Soak the new gasket in hot water to soften it up some before installing. Remove a jammed-up sprayer and soak it in warm white vinegar to loosen up any mineral deposits, then clean each spray hole with a small piece of wire and reinstall.

Notice any rust spots on the bottom of the racks where the dishes sit? Clean the rust with sandpaper or a metal file, wipe clean and coat with a marine-grade sealant or touch-up paint designed specifically for dishwasher racks, available at appliance stores.

If the dishwasher isn’t draining, the problem could be something as simple as a clogged drain hose. Disconnect the power to the dishwasher and remove the lower kick-plate panel, located below the door, following the manufacturer’s instructions (see the owner’s manual or go online as every model is different). The drain hose runs from the pump—under the lower spray arm—to the sink drain or air gap on top of the sink. Place a towel and a shallow pan under the drain hose, disconnect it and check for clogged food.

There are a few more maintenance tips to keep in mind. Dishwashers and new food disposers get along just fine as long as you remember to remove the plug in the connection stub for the dishwasher drain hose. If your dishwasher has a removable filter under the lower spray arm, request that your tenant clean it out regularly. This filter protects the pump and the motor seals. Most new dishwashers have self-cleaning filters. Also, be sure tenants clean out all bits of glass after a wine glass clatters around and breaks. The glass can migrate into the pump and damage it.

Ovens and Range Tops
Electric ranges are less problematic than natural gas, but both have pretty good life spans. Tenants should only clean the range tops and controls with mild liquid cleaner, nothing abrasive that can rub the numbers or lettering off (though this can make for interesting cooking experiences). Lining the drip bowls under the burners and the drip pan in the oven with aluminum foil really isn’t such a good idea as this interferes with their ability to radiate heat for more efficient cooking. Instead, keep in mind that new pans and bowls are common replacement items.

Baking and broiler elements are also common replacement items (be sure to turn off the power before messing with either of these). Remove any screws securing the element, pull the element out and unscrew the leads holding the wires in at the back. Reverse these steps when installing a new element. Stovetop heating elements simply lift up and pull out. Sometimes, when the broiler or bake function suddenly goes out of whack, someone has misadjusted the clock buttons or knobs. Be sure the clock and its controls are properly adjusted.

A common problem with gas range burners—a yellow flame appearing instead of a blue flame—is simply clogged gas outlets. Be sure these are removed and soaked, and poke the holes out with a toothpick or fine wire. Also, remember to replace the charcoal filters in the exhaust fans once a year.

Washing Machines and Dryers
The most important thing to remember about maintaining your washers and dryers is to keep the lint traps and exhaust hoses clean. Special dryer vent brushes are available from appliance stores or you can remove the end from the dryer and use an electric blower/vacuum, such as the Makita UB1101, to blast any lint out the other end. I’ve had a Makita blower for close to 20 years and it’s still running strong. I also use it for blowing dust out of empty rooms and garages as well as landscape duties.

You may also need to replace items regularly on these well-used machines. Replace any vinyl exhaust hoses with new, flexible aluminum. Install them with the fewest bends and shortest length possible. Replace any cracked, rubber water-fill hoses with tougher, longer-lasting braided steel that doesn’t burst. If you have water leaks after replacing the hoses, you might need to replace the hose bib (the hot and cold water faucets).

Refrigerators
Using the brush attachment, vacuum the condenser coils at the back of the refrigerator once or twice a year for more efficient operation and a longer work life. If you haven’t done this in a while, be prepared for some surprises. Some coils are mounted on the front of the refrigerator under the door. Unplug the refrigerator before poking around the coils.

Is your icemaker connected to the water source using plastic tubing? Replace this with either a braided-steel supply line (preferred) or soft copper.

And finally, be sure your tenants wipe the door seal clean with mild soap and water from time to time. To maintain the seal’s elasticity, rub a thin coat of automotive vinyl restorer on it, wiping off any residue after it has dried.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Terry F. Meany is a former contractor and landlord. He is a fulltime writer and the author of Working Windows: A Guide to the Repair and Restoration of Wood Windows, published by Lyons Press. He is cost-conscious but not cheap and knows deferred maintenance always costs more in the end. He can be reached at tfmeany@msn.com. Copyright � 2006 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.