Hints and Tips from our Service Engineers
Appliance Force, from Stellisons, offer the very best in service, repair and spare parts for your domestic appliance, but the best way to keep any appliance running in good working order is to use it properly and give it the best care and maintenance.
This part of our website will give you helpful hints and tips and basic guidelines on keeping your appliances in the best working order.
Common Tumble Dryer Faults
No heatThis is the most common report we have when servicing a tumble dryer. Check if there is a button on the back on the machine to reset it before giving us a call. If not, then we would need to look at any blockages (with lint/fluff), the heater may be faulty, thermostat may be faulty, or have tripped.
Drum not turning
This will stop the dryer drying effectively. It’s fairly common, and usually easily fixed. We may have to replace a faulty belt or in other cases, look at the motor, motor capacitor or the jockey wheels.
Not starting
Whilst not a common problem, you may have a faulty door switch, or the machine isn’t vented properly.
Noisy Machine
This is usually caused by faulty bearings, jockey wheels or worn felt pads. We find if people have their washing machine and tumble dryer stacked, then the vibration can cause damage to one or both appliances.
Water leaks.
This can be a simple as the water tank (in a condenser tumble dryer) has not been emptied, or not placed back into the housing correctly.
Bad smells/Odour
This is often caused by a build up of lint/fluff. You may find a bend in the vent hose or the filters haven’t been cleaned properly.
If you experience any faults please contact one of our approved Appliance Force engineers on 01267 756 276 who’ll be more than happy to help.
General Tumble Dryer Maintenance
Change the lint filter after each use, and make sure you empty the water reservoir on a condenser dryer.
Make sure you clean all the area around the filter, as you will always find a surprising build up after every cycle. The same applies to the hose on a vented dryer.
You will need to wipe the drum regularly with a damp cloth, as well as around the door seal and (on condenser models) wash the heat exchanger bi-monthly (or more if you use your dryer a lot).
Getting the best out of your Tumble dryer
Don’t mix your laundry loads,
It’s always best to try and match the fabrics, as it will give you more efficient drying. The automatic sensor in the machine is designed to pick up the humidity levels in the laundry and stop when it is dry. By mixing the fabrics it can often lead to the sensor picking up the wrong humidity levels. This will reduce your drying time.
Different types of Tumble dryers
Vented Tumble Dryers
These are the original dryers, you’ll recognise the vent (tube/hose) that is generally hung outside a window or door to get rid of the moist air. They are the very basic type, but are good at their job if you choose a decent one.
Food storage tips
We've spoken about the importance of storing your food in prolonging your fridge, fridge freezers life, in our Using and maintaining your Fridge tips. Here are a few tips on where and how to store your food to keep it fresher and make the best use of the manufacturers guidelines.
Fit a part yourself, or call in our appliance force engineers?
As we always say to our regular clients, we'd prefer to advise and allow you to buy and replace a part rather than having to call out one of our approved engineers. That said, our prices are very reasonable, as you can see on our website, and sometime you just want the peace of mind. To have one of our approved engineers visit your home to service, repair or simply fit a part call 01267 756 276. In the meantime, here are a few basics...
Read more: Fit a part yourself, or call in our appliance force engineers?
Ovens, Hobs and Hoods
Looking after my oven
Because ovens are robust, it is seen as best practice to fix any problems you may have using an approved gas or electrical engineer rather than trading in and starting again. The only real change to the rule would be if it was a very old oven where parts may be irreplaceable or expensively hard to find.
Fridges and Fridge Freezers
Using and maintaining your Fridge/Fridge Freezer
As with all electrical appliances we recommend you read the manufacturers handbook to make sure you are running your fridge or fridge freezer correctly.
There are a few basics to make sure your fridge or fridge freezer will last for many years, without needing to replace it. Especially in the knowledge that these appliances are designed to deal with the day to day rigours of kitchen life, and are fundamentally seen as one of the most reliable of all domestic appliances.
Dishwasher Faults and Repairs 3 of 3
Got a Dishwasher Leak?
Found a dribble (or pool) of water at the foot of your dishwasher? It may be that the door is leaking (or of course simply not closed properly – so make sure you check that before charging to the phone and calling in the approved engineers!).
A couple of checks that may mean all is still well… Turn off the Dishwasher at the mains before carrying out any checks.