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The costs of repairing and replacing appliances in your rental property can be significant if preventative maintenance practices are not employed. Protecting appliances are an integral part of good property management. A landlord runs the risk of losing significant profits by having to call an appliance technician regularly for repair. Landlords run the risk of not retaining residents due to the frustrations experienced by their residents not having their appliances in working order. The question is how to get residents to participate in a preventative maintenance plan, especially when they know that if an appliance breaks they don’t have to pay for the repair?
The most logical method for a landlord to convey the importance of their residents’ participation in such a program is to take the approach of defining the program as an energy conservation plan. It is important to demonstrate that following the program will mean a significant reduction in their power bills. Residents need to be educated under the notion that if they follow an energy saving plan, they can save hundreds of dollars a year in energy. Landlords will increase their profits by reducing repair bills and extending the life of their appliances. The following are energy saving tips that should be put into a checklist and given to the resident at the time of the signing of the lease. It is also recommended the lists be posted near or around appliances with a constant reminder of the hundreds of dollars saved by following the checklist.
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"A landlord runs the risk of losing significant profits by having to call an appliance technician regularly for repair." |
Dryers:
- The lint filter should be cleaned after every load. This will keep the dryer from working too hard by keeping the air circulating.
- Loads of laundry should be dried consecutively in order for the dryer to retain the heat from the first load.
- The vent should be checked for clogs periodically to keep from having the dryer work too hard and to prevent accidental fires. Utilize a flexible dryer vent brush to reach around corners and dislodge lint trapped in the vent.
Dishwashers:
- Residents should be encouraged to use the dishwasher because inactivity can cause the seals to dry up and crack.
- Food must be removed before loading dishes. Food filters need to be cleaned regularly to prevent clogs. Clogs can greatly reduce efficiency.
- Only run a full dishwasher.
- A heated dry cycle is not necessary to dry dishes. If they choose to run the heated drying cycle, small plastic objects like lids or plastic silverware should be secured because they sometimes come in contact with the heating element and cause the item to melt and may damage the element itself.
- Clean the water sprayer once per month by adding a cup of vinegar to the dishwasher and running it through a cycle.
Garbage Disposals:
- Landlords should make a list of items not to be put into the garbage disposal. (Popcorn kernels, silverware/plastics, bones, pasta, rice, egg shells…etc)
- Always run water while using the disposal to keep debris moving.
- Add baking soda periodically to loosen caked on food particles. This also keeps the sink area smelling clean and while the appliance run smoothly.
Oven/Range:
- When using the self-cleaning feature in the oven, only use it after baking to use the heat from cooking for cleaning. Keeping a clean oven prevents fires and can prevent gas clogs in the burner jets.
- Small toaster ovens and pressure cookers should be used to cook small dishes because they are quicker and use less energy.
- Burners and reflectors should be cleaned regularly to function more efficiently.
- Exhaust fan and hood need to be cleaned regularly to prevent clogs and keep air circulating. Dirty hoods are leading cause of kitchen fires.
- Residents should not wrap the drip pan with foil because its conductivity may short the burner if it comes in contact with it.
Refrigerator/Freezer:
- The freezer should be defrosted regularly to prevent the frost buildup that makes the appliance work harder.
- The refrigerator should be kept full. It takes less energy to cool a filled refrigerator. Conversely, residents should not pack freezer because it may restrict airflow.
- To run efficiently, set the refrigerator temperature setting to 35 degrees while keeping the freezer at 0 degrees.
- Residents should make sure that the doors stay shut to prevent the appliance from overworking. Parents should also keep their children from hanging on the handles because the handles and hinges may break beyond a simple repair
- Food must be covered and containers shut to prevent the moisture from overworking the compressor.
- Residents should be encouraged to change the icemaker water filter to keep the ice tasting great while preventing clogs to the maker.
Washing Machine:
- Residents should periodically run a wash cycle with a cup of vinegar to dislodge built up residue.
- Clothes should be washed in warm or cold water; rinse in cold. Switching the washer temperature setting from hot to warm may save a substantial amount of energy.
- Lint filters should be cleaned after every load.
- Adding too much detergent can cause the machine to work harder.
- Residents should be careful not to overload or underload the washer because they can make the machine work warder.
- Residents should close and reopen the water faucets that supply the water to the washer each month to prevent buildup from the minerals in the water.
L2L would like to thank Robert Lemal for his wisdom and contribution to the writing of this article. Mr Lemal is a partner in A Bargain Appliance Repair |
