Steps to Take to Protect Your Home’s Appliances

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Household appliances continue to increase in price. Advances in technology play a large role in the cost of these devices today, and homeowners want to ensure they protect their investment in these units. However, many people don’t know how to do so properly. They overlook simple steps that will help every appliance in the home last longer. What steps should a person take when they wish to achieve this goal?

When it comes to protecting your home’s appliances, you need to know what causes mechanical failures or early breakdown of the different units. Issues may affect the entire household, one device, or all items on a particular circuit. By understanding the different causes of mechanical failure of household appliances, you can put a plan into place that ensures every appliance in the home receives the optimal level of protection.

Brownouts

Men and women recognize the dangers of a blackout when it comes to their home appliances. However, they may not understand the damage a brownout can do and how to prevent this damage. Electrical brownouts occur when lights dim in the home as a result of a reduction in voltage. The system remains up but the lights aren’t as bright. This may occur as the result of damage to a portion of the electrical system or it may be an action taken by the power company to lessen the burden on the electrical grid. However, the loss of voltage can harm sensitive electronics in the home.

Appliances that rely on electric motors remain vulnerable to damage from a brownout. When there is a decrease in voltage, the electric motor draws additional power, and this could result in the motor overheating. Sophisticated electronic devices can sustain damage when they don’t receive enough power. Once the full voltage is restored to the system, the resulting power spike can harm the device. Brownout protection strategies become of great help in preventing damage resulting from either of these situations.

Protect vulnerable devices by purchasing uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) that provide the devices with emergency power when a loss of voltage is detected. The UPS starts automatically and provides the owner with time to shut the devices off or provide generator power to keep them running.

Surge protectors serve as another option to protect sensitive devices. However, these devices won’t be of aid when the voltage goes down. They only become of benefit when the brownout ends and the power surges as it is restored.

Energy storage systems combine a battery with an inverter and provide the user with several sockets. The user can connect one of these systems to the home electrical system and integrate a gas-powered generator. The energy storage system takes over if the grid goes down to prevent damage to appliances in the home.

When a brownout does occur, homeowners should unplug sensitive devices. This prevents damage to the appliances when full power is restored and a power surge occurs. Furthermore, the homeowner should avoid plugging these devices back in immediately following the end of the brownout. It’s best to wait a minimum of ten minutes to allow the power to stabilize once again.

Countless devices throughout the home could be damaged during a brownout. These steps help to prevent that damage from occurring. In the event it does happen, however, a home warranty may protect the owner. Learn whether this is the case when comparing different home warranty options to ensure you get the one that best meets your needs.

Power Surges

Power surges present another danger to home appliances. Countless individuals have made the move to working from home as a result of the global pandemic. They now realize the importance of having their electrical system up and running at all times to ensure their work is not interrupted. Sadly, a power surge can damage multiple items in the home in a matter of seconds, leaving the homeowner with a costly repair bill and time lost from work. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. Men and women find they have options when it comes to protecting sensitive devices in their residence from this type of damage.

Power surges occur for a variety of reasons. For example, when lightning is present in the area, it may send excessive voltage through the electrical system. This voltage is enough to do significant harm to sensitive circuit boards, hard drives, and more. However, simply because the skies are clear doesn’t mean a homeowner can relax. Downed power lines or a power outage can do similar harm. Sadly, even a sudden change in electricity use can bring about a power surge. In fact, more surges happen quickly and without warning as a result of a change in power usage within the home.

For example, the motor in an air conditioning unit can suddenly draw more power and lead to a power surge throughout the residence. While this power fluctuation appears minor, it can cause damage, and this damage may not be apparent immediately. Men and women often assume using power strips throughout the home is enough to safeguard them from this situation, but it isn’t.

A whole-home surge protector serves as a great option to protect appliances throughout the residence. Approximately 80 percent of power surges originate in the home, and these surges can harm the appliance. After multiple surges, the device may fail. The whole-house surge protector reduces the risk of this type of damage. When layered with other protection devices, the whole-house surge protector ensures expensive equipment, such as a home theater setup, isn’t damaged as a result of the surge.

The internal surge may appear to affect only one outlet, but it actually impacts all outlets on that circuit. Therefore, the refrigerator plugged into an outlet in the kitchen may be on the same circuit as the gaming computer in the den. If the refrigerator suddenly draws more power, the computer may be negatively affected. The whole-house surge protector combined with the dedicated power strip minimizes any damage to this computer, saving the homeowner the cost of repairing the device or possibly needing to replace it before gaming can begin anew.

Improper Maintenance

A failure to maintain appliances in the home or doing so improperly can lead to costly repairs. Maintaining your appliances involves keeping them in good condition which can be done by deep cleaning them with degreasers and other household products regularly. For example, a person might know to change the filters in their heating and cooling system regularly to prevent a breakdown. However, they don’t know that they need to ensure adequate airflow in their refrigerator to prevent the early failure of the appliance.

Cramming food into the appliance interferes with normal compressor operation and can lead to the appliance breaking. A person can also reduce wear and tear on this appliance on hot summer days by placing cool drinks and snacks in a cooler where kids can easily access them. Doing so ensures the refrigerator door won’t be opened and closed countless times as the kids try to keep cool.

Clean refrigerator coils regularly to increase the efficiency of the unit while preventing the early failure of the appliance. The coils are found on the back of the refrigerator or at the bottom and allow hot air to escape the unit. Dust accumulates on the coils with time and can easily be removed with a brush or vacuum cleaner. Carry out this task every time you clean the refrigerator.

Do laundry when temperatures drop outside. By doing so, you reduce the strain put on the HVAC system. If the laundry is done during the hottest part of the day, the system has to work harder to keep the home at the desired temperature. Do the same with the dishwasher to keep the interior of the home at a comfortable temperature without stressing the HVAC system. Furthermore, run the dishwasher at least once a week. This helps to prevent the internal parts from drying out and breaking.

Leave the air conditioner running when you go on vacation. It might be tempting to shut it off and save money, but doing so could actually cost you more in the long run. When the temperature in the home increases, all appliances with a compressor must work harder. Keeping the interior of the home at a reasonable temperature ensures the appliances last longer, which is a nice trade-off for higher energy bills. Also, Maintaining your AC unit will allow technicians to identify the type of AC unit repairs needed and fix minor problems quickly, ensuring optimal performance. If your air conditioner is not maintained correctly, you may also have to replace it in the future, which can be costly.

Finally, try to avoid cooking in the oven on the hottest days of summer. Use a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker to prepare meals. They generate less heat, which means the HVAC system won’t work as hard to keep the interior of the home cool.

Learn how to protect the appliances in your home from preventable damage. The abovementioned methods are only a few of several that can be used to achieve this goal. Furthermore, consider purchasing a home warranty to help cover the cost of repairs or replacement of one or more appliances. The more you do to protect these devices, the more money you will save in the long run. Keep this in mind when researching warranty options, as you are sure to find one that will protect the appliances in your home without decimating your budget in the process.