When you think of memorable dates July 1^st isn’t one which normally springs to mind. But the date does have its own connotations. For example, July 1^st 2015 was the hottest day of the year (to date) and the hottest day for nine years. Due to the heat a heat-health alert was issued for all of England – and we did our bit, by posting tips via our “Keep Cool During This Week’s Heat Wave” post.

Aside from being a record breaking day in 2015, July 1^st according to Direct Line, is the day of the year when home insurance claims rise by as much as 60% – leading to them labelling the day, the “clumsiest day of the year”.

According to the insurance company, although claims increase on July 1^st 23% of women and 17% of men still hide the broken items and opt for purchasing a new one, due to the break being caused by clumsiness.

But at BuySpares, we don’t think clumsiness is an excuse for faulty appliances, particularly when it’s possible to repair them yourself, relatively easily – with the help of our team.

Knowing how to fix your appliances yourself when they develop a fault is particularly important as home insurance won’t cover you for general wear and tear or appliances failing due to not being properly maintained – and with these being the two primary reasons for your appliances failing.

Maintenance:

Providing your household appliances – whether your vacuum cleaner, washing machine or cooker – with regular maintenance is key to keeping them working to their full potential and for longer, and key to the maintenance is cleaning your appliances.

This involves, but is not limited to:

• Cleaning / replacing filters on your cooker hood, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher and tumble dryer. Keeping your filters clean and replacing them when necessary will help the appliances perform to the best of their ability whilst allowing air to circulate through them correctly.

• Keeping the coils on your fridge and tumble dryers free from dust and other dirt. The dirt if left to build up will result in the motor on your appliance having to work harder, increasing the risk of appliance breakdowns.

• Cleaning the interior of your appliances, particularly your washing machine’s dispenser drawer. Dirt can build up in the internal components of your appliance, resulting in reduced performance and risk of future faults.For example, if your dispenser drawer isn’t cleaned regularly mould will build up causing your appliance to smell. It also runs the risk of the jets becoming blocked, leading to leaks.

• Checking for frayed wires, particularly on your lawnmower where the cable is likely to be dragged across the floor and come into contact with sharp edges. The wires on your vacuum cleaner can also become frayed if they are caught under the agitator bar.

Repair Rather Than Replace:

Whether your washing machine is leaking, your lawnmower isn’t cutting correctly or your dishwasher’s spray arm has become damaged – YOU CAN repair it, rather than replace the appliance. And more times than not, repairing the appliance is cheaper.

At BuySpares we stock an extensive selection of genuine and compatible appliance spare parts for all manner of models and appliances, many of which are available for next day delivery. We also have a dedicated advice centre where you’ll find an assortment of easy-to-follow “How To” videos and guides, and all of these things combined will provide you with the knowledge required to repair the appliance yourself, whatever your existing DIY skill.

So whether you’ve “accidentally” ignored your appliances and haven’t provided them with the care and cleaning they require, or you’ve accidentally broken a component on your appliance, instead of going out to buy a new one, find the spare part(s) you require on our website, follow our advice and repair it.

And in those instances where the appliance is beyond repairing, recycle it by following some of the ideas outlined within our other blog posts.

Tags: Appliance Spare Parts, Cooker Hood Filters, Washing Machine Dispenser Drawer