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Home appliances make our lives easier. Washing clothes in a cauldron or carrying blocks of ice to keep the milk from spoiling would be a burden. Appliances are essential elements in every home and we don’t give them a second thought unless they stop working.

Here are some tips for adding performance and longevity to your home appliances:

Washing machine: Replacing older water hoses is easy and should be done every five years on rubber hoses. Braided jacket hoses last ten years or longer. Worn or cracked hoses lose flexibility and are the culprit in many laundry room floods. After moving your washer make sure the hoses are seated and clamped properly so they do not slip out during use.

Dryer: Dryers are easy to maintain. Clean the lint off the filter before every load. Since lint gets stuck in the exhaust duct and restricts air flow, a yearly removal of the duct at the wall connection is recommended. This requires pulling out the dryer, unplugging, and doing the maintenance cleaning. Builders save money by installing the plastic duct but it makes sense to substitute with the metal duct when it needs to be replaced.

Refrigerator: Refrigerators pull air in from below to cool off the coils which heat up in the cooling process. Special brushes (long and very skinny) are made to clean lint off these coils. It will save you electricity if your refrigerator coils are clean plus your refrigerator will not work so hard day to day. You may need to remove the front bottom panel to reach your brush into the spaces above and below your refrigerator’s coils.

Your ice maker water line has a filter which should be changed more often than people change them. Once it gets dirty from filter out minerals and bacteria the water line filter isn’t good at filtering. In fact, it is unhealthy for you to drink from the water outlet in the door or to use the ice filtered through the overloaded filter. Newer refrigerators have easy to change filters. You can buy filters online once you know your refrigerator model number.

Finally, overloading your freezer makes it difficult for cold air to circulate up and down. If you have a bit of open space on most shelves it allows better circulation. The cold freezer air is used to chill the refrigerator side so both sides benefit.

Dishwasher: It doesn’t seem likely that dishwashers would get dirty since they slosh soapy water around each week. But the inside must be cleaned every few months, particularly at the door edge. Use baking powder and a wet paper towel to wipe the door bottom and the door perimeter.

For a deep clean (especially if you normally use the “Lite” cycle) sprinkle one cup of baking powder all around the bottom of your dishwasher interior then run it (no dishes) on Heavy Duty and Hot. This will clean the utensil baskets and all surfaces.

Bosch dishwashers have a waste basket that needs to be cleaned regularly. Check online or look in your manual (which you filed away for easy access, right?)

Annual cleaning could include removal of the spray arm (reverse threaded nut on top) and clean with warm, soapy water. Poke a thin wire in any clogged holes and scrub mineral deposits off the spray arm with white vinegar.

Range: Gas stoves may require periodic cleaning of clogged burners. Most burners lift out to be cleaned with hot soapy water. Older stoves have a pilot flame; newer stoves have spark ignition instead of a pilot flame. Each may be adjusted. Go online for guidance with your particular range.

Replacing the oven gasket usually requires disassembling the door which may be better handled by an appliance technician.

Most ovens have a self-cleaning cycle, which runs for two and a half to three hours at an automatic 850 degrees setting but only costs about $2. to run. After this cycle has cooled (best done overnight), wipe out the residue with a clean wet rag. Before running the self-clean cycle wipe out any crumbs and clean around the door edge first.

Microwave: No maintenance is required. Wipe up spills after cooking and clean around the door seal occasionally. Avoid plastic wrap as a covering when reheating foods and avoid plastics of all types in the microwave. The most common hazard is overcooked popcorn that can cause a fire so stay close by when cooking popcorn.

Yes, that is a swimming pool. Yes, it is dangling above our dear homeowners house. And YES, Wood Wise made it happen. Now what can we do for you?

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Each year, Wood Wise looks forward to participating in the annual STAR Awards program, a professional competition held by the Remodelers Council of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA).

The program showcases and celebrates local, active remodelers for their exceptional projects, customer service, community involvement, and dedication to professionalism within the industry.

Wood Wise has been pleased to participate in this program for many years and has been honored with 15 Star Awards along the way. Information on the remodelers and the list of winners from the 2011 STAR Awards are listed online at www.hbawake.com or www.wakeremodelers.com. Wish us luck!
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Go Green and Save Green at the Same Time

1. Replace your old toilet, pre 1995, with a new one and save hundreds of gallons of water a month. Consider a dual-flush toilet like Kohler’s Persuade toilet and save even more. New toilets are affordable and more comfortable (comfort height).

2. Have a Raleigh plumbing company, like Legacy Plumbing or Schwartz Plumbing, check for leaks at all toilets and faucets. 10% of U.S. homes lose over 90 gallons a day to leaks.

3. Purchase Energy Star appliances. Newer refrigerators are particularly efficient and can lower your monthly electricity usage.

4. Front loading washing machines use less water and much less electricity or gas for hot water. Plus, the top of the washing machine is a great area for folding clothes.

5. Change out light bulbs with CFL bulbs which last 10 times longer and use 25% less electricity every month. Buy Energy Star labeled CFL’s to avoid the delayed start.

6. Heating and cooling account for 40% – 50% of a home’s energy consumption. Install a digital, programmable thermostat and you will reduce energy while you are at work or away for the weekend. Adjusting your normal setting by 3 degrees will save $300 per year on a 3,000 square foot home.

7. Winter heating bills through the roof? Wood Wise now offers Icynene expanding spray foam that is installed in the rafters and stops significant heat loss and puts attic ductwork in a semi-conditioned space.

8. Painting your homes interior? Switch to Low-VOC paint for non-toxic, low-odor, and easy to touch up painting. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have it in stock in all the same colors as regular latex paint.

9. Get an Energy Audit by Southern Energy Management in the Triangle. They assess your home’s energy performance and recommend steps to take.

Myth: showering with a friend saves energy. Our research indicates that showering with a friend often increases the time in the shower and steams up the bathroom which requires the exhaust fan to run longer. However, we still recommend it for the relationship benefits.

Event Date & Time: September 9 – 11, 2011

Location: Downtown Convention Center, Raleigh

Visit the Raleigh Home Show to see the latest home enhancement ideas and products. Wood Wise Design & Remodeling will have new photos and new displays at our colorful booth. We have free passes and parking passes. Call our office at 919-783-9330 or email me at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there.

Event Date: April 16-17, 2011

Location: Westgate Rd., Raleigh

The “Island Life” Kitchen

Wood Wise Design & Remodeling will be showcasing the “Island Life” kitchen off Westgate Road near Carmax. Stop by and see why opening up and updating a “builder basic” kitchen appeals to so many Triangle homeowners. We’ve created a kitchen that is a natural extension of the family room and now a more useful and integral part of the home. You can find out more information by visiting http://www.wakeremodelers.com/council_tour.html. If you have questions about remodeling your home in Raleigh, Cary or Chapel Hill, please contact us.