It is no secret that there’s a lot to know as a new homeowner. With all the new appliances, systems, and furniture in your home, it can be hard to keep track of when to repair and when to replace everything in your home. Luckily, there are some things in your home that can easily be repaired by calling a contractor or an industry professional. So here is a guide of everything you need to know when it comes to knowing what to do next when one of your appliances is on the fritz.

Refrigerator

While it may be one of the largest appliances you have, don’t be intimidated by fixing your refrigerator yourself. Here are some easy repairs you can do:

• Adjust the temperature controls if you are noticing that your food is frozen solid or melting. These controls can easily get knocked askew and will require almost no time to fix.
• Clean the gasket. The gasket is the seal around the door, and if it is not working properly cool air can escape. Take a warm, wet washcloth to it and scrub down any sticky debris that can hinder the seal. You can check if your seal is working by sticking a dollar bill in multiple different places and see if it falls out when the door is closed.
• Move the fridge and clean the coils of dust, pet hair, and loose food. This ensures the coils will be working properly.

How do you know when to replace your refrigerator?

• If the door is off-kilter and the gasket is not sealing completely no matter what you do.
• The electric system has broken, including the ice system.

HVAC System

It may be tricky to know exactly when you need a new HVAC system as the system is large and encompasses your entire home. Here are some things to know about your HVAC unit.

Some questions to ask yourself to determine if you need an HVAC repair are:

• Is your HVAC system making strange noises like clanking, buzzing, or beeping?
• Has your ductwork been inspected recently? You may notice certain rooms in your home feel draftier than others due to the ventilation being clogged.

You may need to replace your HVAC system when:

• You are constantly having an HVAC contractor come over and make repairs. Your system should not require major repairs every season.
• You are noticing that your furnace or air conditioner doesn’t have the same energy efficiency as it once did. As a rule of thumb, your energy bill should be about the same year after year.

Washing Machine

You may take your washer and dryer for granted until they are broken and in need of repair and/or replacement.

Some examples of do-it-yourself repairs include:

• An odor coming from a front-load washer. This may just mean there’s some laundry detergent residue or buildup and your machine could use a good washing.
• If you get an error code on the electric panel.
• You hear loud banging noises.

You should make a trip to the store if:

• You have a faulty transmission.
• There is a big leak that doesn’t seem to go away.
• Your old washer has increased in energy consumption.
• The price of your repair is more than half of the price of a new washer.

Just because you are getting a new washer doesn’t mean you don’t have to be environmentally friendly with your old machine. There are plenty of new uses for old washing machines, such as turning it into a fire pit, art installation, or storage bin.

With these tips in mind, you won’t need to fret over repairing or replacing your appliances anymore!