Every day, appliance technicians up and down
New Zealand are asked questions by you the consumer about
problems with their electrical appliances. Many of these problems
can be solved without a service call - so here a few answers
to some of those common questions. Keep an eye on this page
as we add more Helpful Hints over time.
- Oven won't heat
Many ovens - free standing, wall and under bench - have
a clock on the control panel with the option to set this
for automatic start and stop cooking times. If a knob or
button has been bumped, or the power has been off, the clock
will need to be reset back to manual mode. This will vary
with the many different makes and models of oven but your
operator instruction book will generally have quite clear
instructions
- Bottom Oven Element
Most modern ovens have the bottom bake element concealed
under the floor of the oven. This makes cleaning easier
but the oven floor must be kept clear of trays or tin foil
so that the heat can come up from the element through the
base
- Washing machine won' t fill with
water or slow to fill
You can check a couple of things yourselves before calling
in the experts. Is the water supply OK? Remove the inlet
hoses from the machine and check the flow of water out of
the hoses. Check filters in hoses and where they screw onto
the machine. Check that the cold hose is connected to the
cold inlet and the hot hose to the hot inlet - usually marked
with a H & C or Red and Blue patch. Most modern washing
machines require reasonable water pressure so gravity water
supplies can be a problem and electronic controlled machines
will shut down if it's taking too long to fill.
- Leaks or not spinning out properly
Using soap powders correctly is very important as over suds
does cause problems. Concentrated powders need to be accurately
measured per load of washing and for front- loading machines,
Low Suds detergent must be used. If it doesn't say "Suitable
for Front Loaders" on the packaging don' t use it.
- Clothes Dryer not performing
Remember, filters must be kept clean. Most dryers require
the filter to be cleaned after each load. Your instruction
book will advise you on this. Also if you use your dryer
regularly, an annual professional service to clean out lint,
etc., is a good idea.
|
