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Washers and Dryers

Your clothes washer and dryer can save you many hours of time. However, you need to take a few minutes to inspect them, every now and then. Here are a few tips.

The hoses that supply water to your clothes washer are under constant pressure. That pressure dips and surges every time your washer fills and drains. The supply hoses are expected to last about 5 years. Some last longer, some fail earlier. Take a look at the hoses going to your washer at least once every year. Look for dry cracking rubber, or bulges where the hose is ballooning out. These are signs that the hose may break. If you see these signs, replace both hoses with NEW hoses. Hardware stores and home repair stores will sell you replacement supply hoses for your washer. For added security, you should purchase the kind of hose with a metal mesh outer jacket (stainless steel reinforced). Those hoses are more durable and burst resistant.

Also inspect your supply hoses for leaks where they connect to the faucets and to the washer. If you see evidence of a leak, replace the small rubber washers in the hoses and tighten the hoses securely. As you finish your inspection, make sure that the water supply hoses are not kinked. Kinking (sharp bends) can cause the hose to fail early.

Your clothes dryer has a hose of its own. The dryer vent hose takes the hot moist air out of your house and vents it to the outside. This hose can cause problems in two ways. First, the dryer hose can become clogged with lint, or by becoming kinked. This is very dangerous because it can cause a fire in the vent hose. It can also cause your dryer to overheat and blow a thermal breaker (service call for $75) or ruin your clothes. At least once a year, inspect your dryer hose by disconnecting one end and looking through the hose for clogs and kinks. Remove any accumulated lint, particularly around the ends. You should also inspect the outside vent to make sure that the vent is not clogged with lint, and that it closes completely when the dryer is not in use.

Second, if your dryer vent hose develops a leak, it can release hot moist lint-laden air into your home. This can cause problems with excessive dust, excessive condensation, and it can increase your air conditioning costs. You should inspect your dryer vent hose at least once a year to see if it is brittle, cracked, broken, kinked, or coming loose from either end. Most professionals today recommend the flexible aluminum type of dryer vent hose instead of the plastic kind. If you are still using a plastic dryer vent hose, consider replacing it regardless of its current condition.