Top 5 Most Common Appliance Failures & Proactive Maintenance Tips

Any home appliance is subject to failure, but some are more liable to break down than others. Major kitchen and laundry appliances are particularly prone to malfunction, largely because of frequent use and exposure to extreme temperatures and moisture.

Fortunately, being aware of the most likely appliance failures can help you keep them at bay. In this article, we’ll run through the most common home appliance breakdowns and some effective preventive maintenance measures.

The Importance of Appliance Maintenance

Home appliances require basic upkeep to work efficiently and keep from falling into a state of premature disrepair. Standard maintenance practices include:

• Keeping the appliance free from dust, debris, and grime
• Replacing consumable components, such as filters and light bulbs
• Inspecting, cleaning, and replacing gaskets, valves, and seals as needed
• Scheduling regular service calls or check-ups
• Monitoring for leaks, noises, or other signs of damage

You can and should defer to an appliance manufacturer’s recommendations for more specific and detailed guidance. 

Ignoring routine preventive maintenance increases your risk of appliance malfunction. As a rule, neglected appliances use more energy, work less efficiently, and have shorter lifespans. 

How Appliance Failures Can Lead to Costly Repairs

Costs associated with appliance malfunctions are more expensive than first appears. There’s the immediate cost of repairing the broken appliance, which typically involves a combination of parts and labor, but hidden costs and indirect expenses can add up over time.

For example, when a piece of home equipment malfunctions the first time, there is a greater likelihood that it will fail again. A localized mechanical failure can stress and strain other component parts, so another malfunction may crop up sooner than it otherwise would have. This translates into more service calls and parts replacements over the course of an appliance’s lifetime, and you will probably need to replace the appliance entirely at an earlier date. You can see how a lack of maintenance can lead to greater cumulative appliance-related expenses over an extended period of time. 

You can mitigate costs somewhat by taking advantage of appliance breakdown insurance — policies specializing in electrical appliance breakdown cover many of the most common mechanical malfunctions — but your total expenditure over time will still be higher than if you had maintained your equipment properly.

There is also the possibility of an initial malfunction causing cascading issues throughout your home. A leaking dishwasher could cause water damage to your floors, cabinets, and baseboards. A faulty high-powered appliance can overtax your home’s electrical system. Nothing in your home exists in a vacuum — its appliances and systems are interconnected. This means that neglect in one part of your home can introduce problems elsewhere, all of which require time and money to remedy.

Most Common Appliance Failures & How to Prevent Them

While malfunctions can befall any home appliance, refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and washers and dryers tend to have the highest appliance failure rates and account for the largest share of residential service calls. This makes sense when you think about it. For one, these are the home’s primary workhorses. The fridge is running 24/7, and the average homeowner uses kitchen and laundry appliances several times per week, even multiple times per day. These machines get a lot of wear and tear.

There’s something else these appliances have in common: exposure to moisture and extreme temperatures. And while a clothes dryer, for example, might be built to withstand high heat and moisture, the humidity and temperature cycling takes a toll over time. Seals and gaskets deteriorate, parts loosen or wear down, and so on. 

Let’s take a deeper dive into the problems that can afflict these specific appliances. We’ll also share some tips on how to avoid common malfunctions and extend your home equipment’s lifespan.

Refrigerators

The problems: Most fridge malfunctions involve either an interruption in cooling or a problem with the water dispenser, ice maker, or filtration system. A lack of cooling can be due to a faulty thermostat, evaporator fan motor, or compressor. Blocked vents and dirty evaporator coils can also contribute to less efficient cooling.

Water and ice problems are often the result of clogged or kinked water lines or old water filters. If the fridge is dispensing water but not producing ice, there could be a mechanical problem with the icemaker.

Less common refrigerator malfunctions involve unresponsive or otherwise broken control panels and bad circuitry. 

How to prevent trouble:

• Keep some distance between the fridge and the wall to allow for airflow.
• Regularly clean the evaporator coils at the rear of the fridge.
• Replace any water and air filters every six months, or as often as the manufacturer recommends.
• If possible, avoid placing your fridge near a heat source, such as an oven, heat register, or even a sunny window.
• Periodically flush your fridge water lines to remove accumulated minerals and other sediment.

Dishwashers

The problems: The most commonly reported dishwasher problems are inadequate cleaning and drying. Water-related issues include leaking and poor drainage. Some dishwasher problems are electrical in nature, often presenting as control panel failure.

The accumulation of debris on sprayer nozzles, drains, and filters can contribute to many of these problems. Water leaks and ineffective drying may be due to worn gaskets that create ineffective seals and allow water and heat to escape.

How to prevent trouble:

• Wipe your dishes of food debris before loading them into the dishwasher.
• Clean the food trap or filter frequently.
• Inspect the gasket around the dishwasher door for signs of warping or deterioration.
• Gently wipe away sediment from nozzles on the internal sprayer arms.

Ranges

The problems: For gas ranges, the most common problems homeowners encounter are weak burner flames and a failure for burners to ignite. Similarly, electric ranges can suffer from weak heating elements. Ranges can also develop issues with their operating mechanisms, be they electric control panels or mechanical knobs.

Problems with electric ranges usually point to electrical problems, or perhaps the heating element is past its prime and needs to be replaced. It’s possible, though, that the contact points are dirty from food splatter and burned-on remnants of cooking. Food debris is also a likely explanation for weak flames and ignition problems on gas ranges.

How to prevent trouble: 

• After cooking, wipe down your range once it has cooled. 
• Inspect the burners and heating elements for signs of grime, soot, or other food debris and clean off as necessary with warm and soapy water.

Washing Machines

The problems: A perennial problem with washing machines is the presence of mold or mildew and an accompanying unpleasant odor. Homeowners may also encounter drainage problems, leaks, or control panel malfunctions. Mechanical snafus, such as a broken belt or faulty door switch, can result in the inability for the washer drum to spin.

As with dishwashers, leaks can be due to poor seals. Drainage problems and excessive mold or mildew may point to a clogged drain line.

How to prevent trouble: 

• Do not overload your washing machine with too many articles of clothing at once.
• To prevent mold and mildew, wipe down the interior of the machine with a dry towel after a wash cycle. Take care to gently dry gaskets inside the door, where water tends to accumulate.
• Respond promptly to any unusual noises that you notice while the machine is in use. Unusual squeaking, buzzing, and vibrating can point to issues that are easy to fix but can lead to expensive trouble if ignored.

Clothes Dryers

The problems: Dryers can suffer from mechanical issues that prevent the drum from spinning, but more often the machine is mechanically sound but fails to adequately dry clothes. Poor drying is often due to a faulty thermal fuse, malfunctioning heating element, or inadequate airflow.

How to prevent trouble: 

• Always clean out the lint trap after every cycle.
• Don’t overload the dryer or load it with sopping wet clothes.
• Periodically vacuum the exhaust duct to eliminate accumulated lint.

The Cost Savings of Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance doesn’t eliminate the possibility of appliance failure, but it decreases its likelihood and helps to ensure that the malfunctions that do eventually occur are easier — and cheaper — to manage.

An ounce of prevention, after all, is worth a pound of cure, and you will almost certainly save more money in the long run if you treat your appliances with care and adhere to basic maintenance standards.

When a small problem with an appliance arises, you can compound your savings by thoughtfully troubleshooting and sourcing affordable replacement parts online. You may also consider warranty protection to service your appliances at affordable rates. Policies that support kitchen appliance breakdown cover many of the afflictions outlined above, so you can get your dishwasher, refrigerator, or range back up and running in no time. Likewise, warranties designed for laundry appliance breakdown cover the mechanical problems that result in inoperable or inefficient washers and dryers.

Liberty Home Guard’s plans can cover all of the appliances discussed in this article and so much more. Call our team at (833)-543-9700 to learn more about the extent of our coverage options.