Helpful tips for maintaining washers and dryers

These handy tips will help you keep your washer and dryer in good working condition.

• If your dryer doesn't start after you close the door, the button switch that turns the motor on may have worn down.
• Taping a thick piece of cardboard to the inside of your dryer's door will fill the gap and activate the button until you can have a new switch installed.

• If your dryer drum turns but the air inside it doesn't seem to be heating up, your machine's thermostat may need replacing.
• Turn your dryer off for a while and then try it again.
• If the air inside still won't heat, call a service technician to check the thermostat; you may need to replace it.

• Use only approved, non-flammable ducts if your attaching an air duct to your dryer.
• Avoid crushing the ducts, or including any dips or elbows in its path.
• Lint is likely to collect in a duct's dips and elbows and block airflow. Blocked airflow and a pile of lint will create a fire hazard.
• Your duct should be less than 6 metres (20 feet) long.

• Either before or after each time you do laundry you should remove the lint and fluff from where it's likely to collect and where you can reach.
• These places include the back, air vents, around the mouth of the lint filter and around the door.
• Calling a service technician in to give your dryer a professional clean every year can help keep your dryer running at top efficiency.

• Dryers need fresh air flow to work properly.
• If your dryer is in a closet or other tight area, keep the door to that area open while your dryer is running to keep it from overheating.
• Or, if you don't want to keep the door to where your dryer is open while it's running, you could install a louvered door to allow air circulation even when the door is closed.

• Always direct your dryer's air vent outside, using a duct if necessary.
• A vent directed to somewhere in your house can bring enough moisture inside to warp panelling, flake ceilings, and seed mould patches.

• The residue from antistatic sheets and fabric softeners can coat your dryer's drum and keep your dryer's sensors from shutting off when clothes are dry.
• If you use antistatic sheets or fabric softeners, regularly wash the inside of your dryer's drum with hot water and dishwashing detergent to protect your dryer from residue build up.

• Wall-mounted dryers should always be level and plumb.
• Mounting a dryer at even a slight angle will contribute to the dryer's bearings and motor brushes quickly wearing out.

• An unlevel washing machine makes a huge racket during its spin cycle and will quickly wear down the appliance's components
• Follow this process to balance your washer's legs and help solve the problem:

• Spirit level
• Scrap of wood
• Adjustable wrench

• Place your spirit level on the washing machine on both sides and then on the front and back to find out how much the legs must be adjusted.
• Most washing machines only have adjustable front legs.
• On these models the rear legs are self-adjusting.

• Tilt your washing machine back and slide your piece of wood underneath its front.
• Use your adjustable wrench to loosen the lock nuts on your washing machine's front legs.
• Raise or lower the feet as needed by turning the legs clockwise or counterclockwise by hand.

• Remove your piece of wood, and use your spirit level to check if the washing machine is level.
• If it is, use your wrench to tighten the lock nuts.
• If your washing machine's rear legs won't adjust, tilt the machine forward just over 2.5 centimetres (one inch) and let it drop gently.
• As it drops back, the rear legs should automatically adjust.
• Repeat these steps with your dryer if it needs to be levelled.