5 Things to Do Every Year to Keep Your Appliances Running (And Avoid a Weekend Emergency Call)

You know the feeling. The washer stops mid-cycle. The fridge starts making a noise you’ve never heard before. The dishwasher leaves a puddle on the floor. It always happens on a Saturday evening, right when you’ve got a load of laundry half-done or a houseful of guests.

I’ve been inside a lot of appliances across Denton, Little Elm, Frisco, and Lewisville. Most of the time, the problem that forced that emergency call could have been caught with a 10-minute walkthrough once a year. Not fancy maintenance. Just smart checks that tell you what’s actually going on inside the machine.

Here’s what you can do yourself. No tools required for most of it.

1. Pull the Fridge Away and Clean the Condenser Coils

The condenser coils are the radiator for your refrigerator. They sit underneath or behind the unit. When they get caked in dust, pet hair, and kitchen grime, the compressor has to work twice as hard to keep things cold. That extra strain shortens the life of the compressor — the most expensive part in the whole fridge.

What to do: Unplug the fridge. Pull it out from the wall. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to clean the coils. If you’ve got a brush from a hardware store, run it through the fins to loosen the deep stuff. Do this twice a year if you have pets.

Common Mistake: People vacuum only the visible surface. The dust packs down between the fins. You need to actually brush through the fins to break it loose, then vacuum. Skip that, and you’re just polishing the top layer.

While you’re back there: Check the drip pan. If it’s full of water, the defrost drain is probably clogged. That can cause water to leak onto the floor or ice to build up in the freezer.

What it’s telling you: If the coils are clean but the fridge still runs constantly, you might have a bad condenser fan motor, a bad start relay, or a failing compressor. That’s not a DIY fix. A fan motor or start relay is a normal repair. A failing compressor is sealed-system work, which S&W doesn’t do, and on a fridge more than five years old it usually means you’re buying a new fridge. See why a fridge runs constantly for what each of those sounds and looks like.

Where the coils are: On most Frigidaire and GE models, the coils are behind the lower front kickplate. On Whirlpool and Maytag, they’re underneath the back panel. On Samsung and LG, they’re behind the back panel. Check your model.

Item	DIY Cost	Pro Repair Cost
Condenser coil cleaning	Free (your vacuum)	$99 service fee
Compressor replacement	Not DIY (sealed system)	Sealed-system work, which S&W doesn’t do
Start relay replacement	$15–$30 part	$150–$200

2. Check the Washing Machine Drain Pump Filter

Most front-load washers and many newer top-loaders have a small door on the lower front panel. Behind it is the drain pump filter. This is where coins, socks, paper clips, and mystery lint end up. When that filter clogs, the machine won’t drain. Water sits in the drum. It smells. It can leak.

What to do: Open the little door. Put a towel down — water will come out. Unscrew the filter cap (usually a quarter turn). Pull out whatever is in there. Check the impeller inside the pump for debris. Put it back.

Common Mistake: Forgetting to put the filter cap back on tight. If it’s loose, it’ll leak during the drain cycle. Also, people shove the towel under the door but forget the water comes out with force. Put a shallow pan under it.

What it’s telling you: If the filter is clean but the washer still won’t drain, the drain pump itself may be dead or the drain hose is kinked. Replacing a pump is a simple job for a tech, but if you force the machine to keep running with a bad pump, you can burn out the control board. That’s a $300 mistake. S&W Service and Repair handles drain pump replacements on Whirlpool, Maytag, LG, and Samsung washers every week.

Item	DIY Cost	Pro Repair Cost
Drain pump filter cleaning	Free	$99 service fee
Drain pump replacement	$50–$80 part	$150–$200 installed
Control board replacement	Not recommended	$300+

While you’re at the washer: Run an empty load on the heavy-duty cycle and stand near it during the spin. Thumping or banging means the load is unbalanced or the suspension springs are worn. Grinding means the bearings are going. If the machine shakes hard enough to walk, grab the top and rock it. If it moves more than an inch, turn the leveling feet until it’s solid. On front-loaders, also pull the rubber door boot back and look for mold or small tears. A torn boot leaks onto the floor, and that water can damage the door lock and the control board.

3. Listen to the Dishwasher While It Runs

Stand in front of the dishwasher during the wash cycle. You’re listening for a grinding or rattling sound. That’s usually a broken piece of glass or a bone that’s gotten into the chopper blade or the drain pump. If you ignore it, that debris can score the pump housing or jam the impeller.

What to do: Open the door mid-cycle (pause it first). Look at the bottom of the tub. You’ll see the filter screen and the spray arm. Remove the filter. Check for anything hard lodged in the drain pump inlet. Clear it out.

Common Mistake: Running the dishwasher again after clearing debris without checking the chopper blade. If the blade is chipped, it’ll keep breaking down and eventually crack the pump housing. Also, don’t use a screwdriver to pry out debris — you’ll scratch the pump housing.

While you’re there: Check the drain hose where it connects to the garbage disposal or sink drain. If it’s kinked or has a low spot, water sits in it and gets smelly. Then pop the kickplate off the bottom front of the dishwasher and look for leaks around the drain pump and the water inlet valve. A slow drip will rot the subfloor before you ever see water on the kitchen floor. If you see any water, don’t run the dishwasher again until a tech looks at it.

What it’s telling you: If you clear the debris and the noise comes back, you’ve got a failing drain pump or a broken chopper blade. The chopper is part of the pump assembly on many KitchenAid and Bosch models. A new pump runs about $150–$200 installed. Running it with a broken chopper can crack the pump housing and flood your kitchen floor. That’s a water damage claim waiting to happen.

Item	DIY Cost	Pro Repair Cost
Debris removal	Free	$99 service fee
Drain pump replacement	$60–$100 part	$150–$200 installed
Chopper blade assembly	$30–$50 part	$150–$200

4. Test the Oven Door Seal and Hinge

The oven door gasket is the rubber seal that keeps heat inside. If it’s torn, flattened, or missing a chunk, your oven has to work harder to hold temperature. That means longer cook times and higher energy bills. The door hinge is also common — it can sag or break, which causes the door to not close tight.

What to do: Open the oven door. Run your hand along the gasket. Look for cracks or areas where the gasket is no longer making contact with the door frame. A quick test: close the door on a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out without any resistance, the seal is loose. Close the door and check for gaps. If the door itself feels loose or doesn’t stay open at the halfway point, the hinge springs are worn.

Common Mistake: Buying a universal gasket instead of the exact model number part. They rarely fit right. Also, don’t try to adjust the hinge yourself — the springs are under tension and can snap. I’ve seen people lose a fingernail.

Gas range? Look at the burner caps while you’re at it. Make sure they sit flat and the igniters are clean. If a burner clicks but won’t light, see why a gas range burner won’t light. If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call from outside.

What it’s telling you: A bad gasket is a $40 part and a 15-minute swap. A broken hinge on a range or oven door is more involved — you have to remove the door, and some models have tension springs that can snap. Getting it wrong can leave you with a door that won’t close or one that slams shut on your hand. That’s a trip to urgent care. If the hinge feels off, call a tech.

Item	DIY Cost	Pro Repair Cost
Gasket replacement	$30–$50 part	$100–$150 installed
Hinge replacement	Not recommended	$150–$250

5. Clean the Dryer Lint Trap Housing and Vent

Everyone cleans the lint trap. Most people never clean the housing behind it or the vent pipe that runs to the outside. That’s where the real fire hazard lives. Lint builds up in the vent, restricting airflow. The dryer runs hotter, takes longer, and eventually the thermal fuse blows. Or worse.

What to do: Pull the lint trap out. Wash the screen itself under hot water with a little dish soap and an old toothbrush. Dryer sheets leave a film that blocks airflow even when the screen looks clean. Then use a vacuum with a crevice tool to suck out the lint from the trap housing. Then disconnect the dryer vent from the back of the machine. Vacuum out the vent pipe. Clean the outside vent cover. Do this once a year minimum. For a full walkthrough, check out our post on dryer vent cleaning: when DIY is fine and when it’s a fire risk.

Common Mistake: Not disconnecting the vent from the back of the dryer. Just cleaning the trap housing doesn’t clear the pipe. Also, people use a leaf blower to blow lint out — that just packs it deeper. Vacuum from both ends.

What it’s telling you: If you clean the vent and the dryer still doesn’t dry well, the problem might be a failed heating element, a bad thermistor, or a broken belt. A new heating element on a Samsung or LG dryer runs about $200 installed. Ignoring the airflow issue can melt the plastic housing around the heating element and cause a fire. That’s not a repair — that’s a rebuild.

Item	DIY Cost	Pro Repair Cost
Lint trap housing cleaning	Free	$99 service fee
Vent pipe cleaning	$20 brush kit	$150–$200
Heating element replacement	$50–$80 part	$200 installed

When to Stop and Call a Pro

These five checks will catch 80 percent of the common problems I see on calls in Denton, Little Elm, Frisco, Lewisville, and the rest of North Texas. If you find something obvious — a clogged filter, a dirty coil, a broken gasket — you can handle it. If the machine still acts up after you’ve done the basics, stop poking around.

The mistake I see most often: a homeowner tries to fix a control board or a sealed system themselves, breaks a wire connector, and turns a $250 repair into a $600 one. Or they mess with refrigerant lines and end up with a dead compressor.

S&W Service and Repair works on all major brands — Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, LG, Samsung, KitchenAid, Frigidaire, Bosch, Kenmore, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Viking. We also handle Old Republic Home Protection warranty work orders, so if you’ve got a warranty, we can take care of the paperwork.

If you’ve run through these checks and your appliance still isn’t right, give us a call at 940-286-4094 or book online. We’ll have a tech out to your place in Denton, Little Elm, Frisco, Lewisville, or any of the surrounding cities. No fluff. Just a fix that works.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I clean my fridge coils in a dusty climate? In North Texas, every six months. If you have shedding pets, more often. Once a year is the minimum, but you’ll see higher electric bills and shorter compressor life if you wait that long.

Is dryer vent cleaning really necessary every year? Yes. A clogged vent is the leading cause of dryer fires. Even if you clean the lint trap after every load, lint still builds up in the duct. Once a year is the safe standard.

Can I use a store-bought drain cleaner in my dishwasher? No. Store-bought drain cleaners are too harsh for dishwasher seals, hoses, and pumps. They can eat through rubber gaskets and plastic parts. Clean the filter by hand and flush the drain hose with hot water instead. If it’s still slow, call a tech.

Need appliance repair in North Texas? Book a service appointment or contact the S&W team and we will get your appliance running again.