How to Troubleshoot the 15 Most Common Appliance Problems At Logan Master Appliance, we know that equipment failures with common household appliances happen all the time. However, as industry experts in the field of appliances, appliance repair, and appliance replacement parts, we are fully prepared to help you troubleshoot the most often seen appliance impairments encountered. This includes issues with your refrigerator, dishwasher, dryer, washer, and more. We will go over the most frequently seen appliance problems and how to identify them, and then we will cover how to troubleshoot these various impairments. Dishwasher Problems If you’ve been having trouble with your dishwasher, we’re here to help. You can identify and repair many frequently seen dishwasher issues with this troubleshooting list. Common dishwasher malfunctions include but are not limited to power impairments, faulty gaskets, water overflow, and more. Here we will go over some of the most often-seen dishwasher problems and how to troubleshoot them. 1. Leaks Your dishwasher might be leaking for various reasons. The most common reason is either damage to your drainage hoses or faulty gaskets. Damage to your drainage hoses can occur from prolonged use, as well as damaged gaskets. To check if the gasket is damaged, open the dishwasher and look at the flexible plastic seal around the edge of the door. This is the gasket. If it is damaged or dirty, it may be what is causing your leaking issue. We suggest wiping the gasket with a damp rag and making sure that it is positioned properly within the frame of the dishwasher. If this does not work, or if the malfunction is not with the gaskets, make an appointment with Logan Master Appliance to have one of our technicians take a look. 2. Won’t Drain If your dishwasher doesn’t drain, this can be a significant pain and inconvenience, particularly if it causes the dishwasher to flood. This failure must be taken seriously, as it can cause significant water damage to the room in which your dishwasher is located if not addressed. The most frequent reason for a dishwasher failing to drain is because of a faulty check valve in the dishwasher’s drain sump. If this valve malfunctions, it causes a backup of water in the dishwasher, failing to drain. If the valve is not moving properly when filled with water, then it is not working properly. A professional should replace this valve as, unfortunately, there is not much of an at-home fix available for this common glitch. 3. Overfills or Underfills When your dishwasher either overfills or underfills, it can be frustrating, and in the case of overfilling, it can be potentially damaging in case the dishwasher floods. The most seen reason for glitches with overfilling or underfilling is a problem with the dishwasher’s water inlet valve. This is the valve that regulates the flow of water into the dishwasher, and it can become worn or damaged with time. Another reason these malfunctions might occur is if there is an impairment with the float switch in the dishwasher. The float switch is the component in the dishwasher that tells it how much water is contained within it so that it can be regulated. It can malfunction when dirt or debris gets into it. It is best to call a technician to deal with this issue. 4. Dishes Dirty Dirty dishes after washing is a fairly common impairment with some dishwashers. However, fortunately, there is usually a relatively easy fix. Stacking your dishes in a way that obstructs the spray arms of the dishwasher is the most frequent reason for this failure To fix this impairment, you should try to place large dishes on their side and toward the bottom of the dishwasher. Another reason for this often-seen malfunction is that the spray arms of your dishwasher are not functioning for some reason. Simply get a damp rag and clean the spray arms thoroughly, and make sure that the holes in it through which the water flows are not occluded by some debris, and this should fix your glitch. 5. Wet Dishes Generally speaking, your dishes should be dry when the dishwasher’s cycle is over. If your dishes are not dry when the cycle is over, there may be a problem with your dishwasher. This type of issue is typically caused by a faulty heating element or high-limit thermostat. The heating element is responsible for heating the water in the dishwasher, and the high-limit thermostat is what prevents the dishwasher from overheating. When either of these is malfunctioning, your dishes may not dry properly. This is another form of glitch that, unfortunately, requires professional repair, so be sure to call Logan Master Appliance for the finest appliance technicians around. Refrigerator Cooling Problems Do you know if you need your refrigerator repaired? The most often seen refrigerator impairments you are likely to encounter are simply various reasons the fridge has stopped cooling, so we are going to focus on those failures. There are a number of issues that can plague your refrigerator that cause it to stop properly cooling, ranging from faulty condenser coils to power problems to gasket leaks, and all of them can keep your fridge from functioning properly. Our first priority at Logan Master Appliance is giving you individualized attention for your various appliance needs and fixes. Here are some of the most common refrigerator malfunctions, as well as how to troubleshoot them. 1. Electrical A frequent cause for a refrigerator to stop cooling properly is in the power source. An issue with the power source of your fridge can cause an insufficient charge to be reaching the instruments or even no charge at all. To troubleshoot, first make sure your fridge is properly plugged in and then open it. The light in your fridge not turning on can indicate a power source problem. Check that all the connections on your fridge are secure. If they are, you will likely need to call a qualified Logan Master Appliance technician to fix your electrical glitch. 2. Thermostat Your fridge and freezer will not cool properly if the thermostat isn’t set correctly. Ideally, your refrigerator should be set between 32ºF and 40ºF, and if it is not, then it will not cool properly. Depending on the thermostat’s location in the fridge, you may have accidentally knocked it off of the correct value or pressed it with food items. In order to fix this failure, simply remove the food from your fridge and make sure that the thermostat is set correctly. If your fridge still does not cool, you should call a professional to help. 3. Vents A blocked vent will prevent the proper airflow your fridge needs to operate soundly. An often-seen reason for this is simply overfilling the refrigerator with food, and in order to solve this issue all you need to do is remove the food from the fridge and then rearrange it in a way that does not obstruct the vents. Another potential glitch is if the vents have frozen over on your fridge. In order to diagnose this impairment, you need to look at your vents and notice any frost that has gathered on them. If there is frost and/or ice, remove it, and your fridge should quickly return to normal working order. 4. Condensor Coils Your fridge could be suffering from dirty or obstructed condenser coils, preventing it from cooling adequately. Over its lifetime, your fridge may accumulate dirt and debris on its condenser coils. Pet hair is particularly notorious for this, and it can cause your fridge to not cool properly. This is because blockages on your condenser coils make it more difficult for heat generated by your refrigerator to escape. The condenser coils are generally located on the back or bottom of the refrigerator. Fortunately, there is a simple fix for this issue. Just clean your condenser coils regularly, and you should avoid having this glitch. You can use a damp rag to do this, and you should regularly clean your condenser coils every three to four months if you have a lot of pets or a particularly greasy kitchen. 5. Gaskets Gaskets are the soft, flexible seal on your refrigerator doors that keep the cold inside it and seal the fridge internally. They are responsible for sealing your fridge door and preventing the cold from escaping it. If you suspect that faulty gaskets are at fault for your fridge’s problems, then you should feel all around the edge of your refrigerator door to try to notice if you feel any air escaping. If there is dirt or debris, or mispositioning affecting your gaskets, you can clean the gaskets with a damp rag or push them back into position. If the gaskets are severely damaged, you will likely need replacements, which you can get from Logan Master Appliance. Dryer Problems There are many malfunctions that can occur with a home dryer, ranging from power failures to more technical ones. If you are experiencing dryer malfunctions, you might want to consider calling Logan Master Appliance for the best repair services available. We will now go over some of the most common dryer impairments. 1. Clothes Won’t Dry If your clothes don’t dry when using your dryer, this may indicate an issue with your dryer’s heating element. A malfunctioning heating element can cause numerous impairments to your dryer’s operation, but most obviously, it can cause your clothes to not dry adequately. This is because the heating element is responsible for the warming of the dryer. If your heating element is not working properly, then you will need to call a Logan Master Appliance technician to replace the faulty part in your dryer. 2. Dryer Shuts Off This annoying issue can be caused by a faulty thermostat. What happens, in this case, is that your dryer heats up and operates relatively normally, but the thermostat malfunctions and sets higher temperatures than it should, causing a safety mechanism to activate and shut down the dryer. This can be caused by a clogged lint screen, blocked ventilation, or by consistently overloading your machine. The best way to address this glitch is to have the damaged or defective part replaced by a professional. 3. Noisy Typically caused by a broken component called a glide or by blower wheel or drum support roller malfunction, this malfunction generally requires professional inspection and repair. The glides are plastic components that spin around with the dryer, and over time they can become worn or damaged. Additionally, the blower wheel or drum support roller may become worn. These parts are responsible for the insulation and smooth operation of your dryer, and without them, your dryer is likely to make quite a lot of noise when working. 4. Clothes Still Wrinkled There are a number of causes for this problem. The most frequent one is that you are simply placing too many clothes in your dryer at once. Try to run your dryer with a half or even a quarter load, and see if it gets out the wrinkles. This may be all that is required to solve the glitch! If this does not help, then there may be an issue with your dryer’s heating element, which is the part of the dryer that is responsible for heating your clothes, and it may need to be replaced by a professional. 5. Overheating If your dryer is overheating, this can be a big problem for your clothes or even cause a catastrophe, like a fire. This typically indicates an impairment with your dryer’s thermostat, which will need to be replaced by a Logan Master Appliance technician. If your dryer is having an overheating glitch, please refrain from using it until it is repaired. The thermostat is responsible for controlling the temperature your dryer reaches, and for this reason, its malfunction can result in a severe overheating failure with your home dryer. Logan Master Appliance We have been family owned and operated for over one hundred years. Many of our employees are Logan family members, and all of our service technicians are our employees, never contract workers. For these reasons, you can be sure that our techs share your values and take the utmost pride in a job well done. Whether it’s for dryer repair, washer repair, oven repair, refrigerator repair, dishwasher repair, or any other appliance, you are guaranteed the best service. Contact us for all your appliance purchases, appliance repair, and appliance replacement parts needs, and we will be sure to give personalized attention to your wants and needs.