https://www.foxnews.com/real-estate/5-home-appliances-using-wrongBy Amanda Lauren | Family Handyman
Are your appliances and devices on the fritz frequently, or do they need to be replaced sooner than expected? Spoiler alert: It's probably your fault.
Buying electronics and appliances can be a huge investment, and when something goes wrong with them it can also cause a huge headache. So, of course, you want to keep everything working for as long as possible.
While many of us blame the seemingly shorter lifespan of these products on the notion that things just aren’t made like they used to be, that’s not entirely true. Much of the time, the culprit is us.
Read on for the mistakes you probably don’t even realize you’re making, which can cause the early demise of everything from your laptop and phone to your stove and toaster.
Laptop
There’s nothing more frustrating than a laptop that goes from working fine to suddenly needing to be replaced. Turns out the key to keeping our laptops longer is turning them off at least once a day. This allows the operating system to install software updates and patches so everything can run smoothly and up to snuff.
Another mistake that causes the early demise of this essential and expensive device? Failing to install anti-virus and malware programs. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Smartphone
If you feel you need to replace your smartphone way before the newest one comes out, it’s probably because you’re letting it overheat. According to PCMag, a major cause of this is something most of us are guilty of: charging our devices overnight. In fact, your phone is at risk of overheating every time you keep it plugged in with a full battery.
And while many of us know it’s best to leave our phone at home when we go to the pool or beach, water damage isn’t the biggest risk. An article from Time reveals too much heat exposure from the sun can cause lots of problems, including battery leakage and loss of data.
Washer/Dryer
It may be tempting, but shoving that extra towel or T-shirt into your washer is a bad idea. Constant overloading wears out mechanisms like the central agitator.
It's quite agitating, really. (iStock)
Another culprit is using too much detergent. While you might be tempted to put in an extra pod or capful for really dirty clothes, it can increase the time of the rinse cycle. Why is this such a big problem? Washing machines have a finite life, so every wash brings it closer to the end.
If you have a high-efficiency machine, you need to use even less detergent or a detergent formulated specifically for this type of washer.
Vacuum
No one wants to empty the dirt cup after vacuuming your entire home or even before you vacuum. But an overfilled unit will not only run less efficiently, it will also ultimately shorten the life of the appliance.
While most bagless units have a line indicating it’s time to empty the cup, it’s less obvious for bag machines. A sudden decrease in suction is a good indicator. But that’s not the only problem you need to watch out for if you want to keep your vacuum running as long as possible.
But an overfilled unit will not only run less efficiently, it will also ultimately shorten the life of the appliance. (iStock)
Car
A good car doesn’t come cheap. To make yours last as long as possible, you can’t skimp on regular maintenance. One biggie: oil changes. If you wait too long to change the oil, you’re asking for trouble.
So how often are you really supposed to be doing this? According to Cars.com, it depends on the make and model of your car, so check the owner’s manual. Changing the oil keeps the corrosive material and debris out of your engine, so if you live in a city, it’s best to change the oil even a little sooner than the manufacturer recommends.
But that isn’t the only thing you’re doing that’s shortening the life of your car. Even seemingly harmless mistakes can land your car in the junkyard early.
For seven more appliances you're slowly killing, click here to read the original article at Family Handyman.
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CommonSenseTexasStyle
5 minutes ago
I preached oil changes dor there cars to my kids. I told them oil is what keeps the engine from destroying itself. They got the message after someone we knew seized a cam bearing and broke the cam in half. 120k miles and barely any oil changes.
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dasFenster
24 minutes ago
Article fails to mention the rechargeable BATTERY. Want to add tremendous life to a lithium ion battery? Don't leave it charging all night. Plug it in when it hits 20% and unplug when it hits 85%. Sure...means more attention on your part but with phones costing upwards of $1000 and a good laptop starting at $1300...hey, it's your money.
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razecs
57 minutes ago
"Failing to install anti-virus and malware programs"
That actually shortens the life of the hard drive with more reads/writes.
With oil changes, I knew someone who had a RAV4 and never changed the oil in 8 years because each spouse thought the other was doing it. When they removed the cap the oil wasn't even a liquid any more, it was chunks. But the car still ran fine! lol
The author of this article also fails to mention that you can repair most anything that goes wrong with appliances and most of the time it's cheaper to educate yourself and repair things on your own.
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CommonSenseTexasStyle
razecs
27 seconds ago
Very true. Fix it yourself. Sometimes getting parts is a pain. Finding a condenser fan motor without an HVAC license was a pain.
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rush_is_right
1 hour ago
Laptop - rebooting it helps to clear out allocated memory. Getting rid of useless programs helps. When my laptop stops working well, a reboot usually speeds things up. Malware is another problem so the virus, malware software removal really helps.
Smartphone - rebooting it helps. Getting rid of all the advertising software that infects a phone helps. I charge my phone overnight on either a wireless or USB charger. Again, good virus/malware software helps a lot.
Washer/Dryer - agree with the author.
Vacuum - I could care less.
...See more
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PghSnider
1 hour ago
These are so stupid. Phones do not overheat if you leave them on the charger and laptops download patches and security updates when its "sleeping" and never needs to be shut off.
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TheAncientAlien
2 hours ago
I am not worried about my appliances. I am worried about my country, that's why on Nov. 3rd I am going to vote straight republican.
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People2020
2 hours ago
Don't forget the Toilet if you overeat you will wear/flush it out ....LOL
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