Appliances are expensive and you want to purchase the one that fits your needs and of course doesnt cost you a fortune in costs to repair it. Many times you are replacing that appliance because its already to expensive to repair. We discuss the most reliable brands this last year and of course what you can do to keep them at their best the longest with some maintenance tips for you. A special Thank you to Yale Appliances for the information on appliance reliability from their service department.

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[00:00:20] Eric Goranson: For maintaining 'em. Now, here's some of the things that I want you to keep an eye out on, and this is stuff that you should be doing probably, well, it depends on which appliance, so we'll start out here with your dishwasher. Now your dishwasher is one that doesn't take a lot of maintenance, but you should be paying attention to a couple, couple things.

[00:00:56] Eric Goranson: Welcome to the round the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your [00:01:00] home through information education. Thanks for joining us today. Wow. I can't believe we're in the holiday season. Uh, Thanksgiving is behind us and we're heading towards the end of the year. And I thought this episode here, we talk about something important for all of us.

[00:01:34] Eric Goranson: And I wanted to start out first year before we get into that and talk about ways to get ahold of me. You can head over to around the house online. com where you can catch, uh, everything here about the show. We've also got a link over there to the television show where you can watch. It airs here in the Portland, Oregon market, and, uh, it is also streaming across the country and you can catch that on Hulu and or, um, geez, Amazon prime, so you can catch it there.[00:02:00]

[00:02:19] Eric Goranson: And these are things that get interesting because. There's a lot of people out there that think, wow, I'm going to buy this, uh, made in America brand. It's going to be super reliable. And that's not always the case anymore. And there's a lot of things that have changed with appliances. So let's start out here with the most reliable appliances.

[00:03:03] Eric Goranson: So they can really look at it from a great point of view. And they do a great customer service out there to everybody. With, uh, you know, just under four 40, 000 service calls logged by their service team each year. These guys really have a good idea of what's going on. So LG 4. 4%, which is kind of interesting, you know, when you look at it, because.

[00:03:52] Eric Goranson: Or I'm icing up. There's a lot of different issues with them. So LG is the number one right now in the service rate, which is pretty good. [00:04:00] So 4. 4 percent is really low compared to other people. And, um, so they're number one in reliability, number two, GE profile. Now pay attention to these brands a lot because there are different.

[00:04:40] Eric Goranson: Uh, they have GE profile cafe appliances. Those are kind of the brands that they have in the GE line out there. So that's where it is pretty good. LG studio, which is a sub brand of LG at 7. 4%. Now, LG studios, a sub brand, as I said, but they have kind of a better build [00:05:00] quality, more features. And many times you get into this and when you get into more features, it's just like a car, if you've got a hundred features.

[00:05:33] Eric Goranson: 6%. So, um, you know, that's pretty cool that that's going on. So, um, they've actually fixed a bunch of their issues, you know, the, in the, in the, like, 2022 and before. They had a bunch of issues with the laundry set with the soap dispensers and stuff, but it looks like they've got that figured out. Bosch is number 5 at 10%, so pretty good right there.[00:06:00]

[00:06:23] Eric Goranson: Queen is a commercial grade washer and dryer set, whether it's a top load. Or a front load they make in front loads now, but those top load machines are like what you saw in your grandma's basement or a commercial type unit. These things are heavy duty. They have an 8. 9 percent service rate, you know, and a lot of people will sit there and say, hey, they, they don't make them like they used to except for speed queen because they make them just.

[00:07:19] Eric Goranson: So they're very sophisticated, you know, um, they now have 110 volt heat pump dryers. They have advanced washing machines, dishwashers, they have a lot of smart stuff in there. And so you're going to see that, you know, uh, traditionally a higher rate with all those different options. But the cool thing is Miele does, you know, they're very German and they build most of their components for their units where a lot of other companies and many other companies actually farm out those parts and buy these parts.

[00:08:05] Eric Goranson: Miele is really good at building their own and manufacturing their own parts. So Signature Kitchen Suite, which is SKS, 9. 3%. And they're a sub brand under LG. This is their high end. So this is kind of, they built this to compete with the, with the Wolves, you know, and the Sub Zeroes and all of those different brands out there.

[00:08:55] Eric Goranson: It's kind of what that is. So, um, they've got a lot of different [00:09:00] things like their coffee makers and stuff and with the high tech 9. 4 percent is really good. GE Appliances, uh, 10. 2 percent service rate. So, GE Appliances, they've got them dialed in there. Um, they've gone a little south on it. Last, uh, actually 2021, they're at 8.

[00:09:35] Eric Goranson: We'll do that just as soon as around the house returns. Don't go anywhere. Faces. I would be

[00:10:14] Eric Goranson: Back to the around the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. If you're just joining us on the radio out there on the talk media network, thanks for tuning into the show today. We've been talking about appliances and kind of my appliance tips.

[00:10:52] Eric Goranson: Uh, the best one LG with a 4. 4%. Second up is GE profile with 6. 8 percent [00:11:00] service rate LG studio at third Maytag, fourth Bosch, fifth six speed queen seven Mila. Eight signature kitchen suite, which is, uh, the high end version of LG. And then we talked about Gaggenau, which is the exclusive cooking line from Bosch.

[00:11:52] Eric Goranson: 5%. Service rate on a high end appliance is really good because when you've got things that are very detailed, very specific, [00:12:00] very high optioned, and, uh, well, get really hot, there are things that, uh, can go wrong. So, 10. 5 percent is not bad for a high end appliance. Number 12 is KitchenAid, an 11. 2 percent service rate.

[00:12:37] Eric Goranson: And so that's really kind of our top 12 right there of those. And you notice there's some brands that aren't on their list in there. So there's a lot of brands we didn't talk about right there, and you know something, that's okay. Those are the ones that are not on the Yale appliance list of reliable.

[00:13:14] Eric Goranson: That are, that are kind of handy, you know, it's just good to know what is, uh, going to give you the best chances to have something nice and something you're not gonna have to call for service on. So that's something to think about now. Here's 1 thing I wanted to talk about. We're starting to see here with smart home tech and appliances.

[00:14:06] Eric Goranson: You want them to be able to communicate together. And the nice thing is, is that, um, you know, there could be options. You are seeing over the air updates for these things. Like I think it was GE that had it. A year or two ago, if my memory serves me correctly, that one day people woke up and their convection oven had a, um, another added feature that they added in an over the air update that gave them an air fryer.

[00:14:55] Eric Goranson: So I think the electronics part of this is really good, you [00:15:00] know, and I think that's something that's going to make for for easily. You'll be able to easily tell what's going on with them, kind of like how cars these days, you can hook a scanner and it tells you exactly what's going on. Appliances are kind of that same way where we're starting to see more and more of that.

[00:15:29] Eric Goranson: So I've got a, uh, my new appliances that I put in. I have a LG, um, French door refrigerator with the interview door and the craft ice. I have the styler and I have their stack. Uh, all in one laundry, which is cool. Now I went Z line for my appliances in the kitchen and in my 48 inch range, I have had to put in a few little things in there.

[00:16:15] Eric Goranson: So really one service call and it was on a luxury appliance. That's not a bad bet. And so that's pretty cool right there And so really when you're talking about smart home tech, I think it's a good thing for it It just needs to be something that everybody's gonna use and so the more you can have these appliances talking to each other I think the better off you are So that's kind of important.

[00:16:58] Eric Goranson: And I'm talking about the [00:17:00] electronics or wires is that self cleaning feature. So be careful running the self cleaning feature gets that oven really hot, which works out well, but if it can also reveal problems that you have coming up where things were failing and all of a sudden it gets too hot and you've pushed it over the limit.

[00:17:43] Eric Goranson: And then make sure that you dust out the bottom of that oven of anything that's baked on or, or that has fallen down to the bottom. Clean that off before you do it. And afterwards, just get all the loose stuff out of there. And then, uh, you know, that gives you time in case you do burn something up in it, that you have to get a replacement part.

[00:18:17] Eric Goranson: That you're good. Now, when we come back here, we're going to be going out to break here in just a second, but we're going to be talking about my maintenance tips to make these appliances last longer. We'll do that just as soon as around the house.[00:19:00]

[00:19:26] Eric Goranson: Well, we've been talking about appliances here of what's, uh, what's hot and what's not basically. And we're going to be talking now in this segment, we talked about what the reliable ones were here in the last couple of segments, but here we're going to be talking about my tricks for maintaining them.

[00:20:00] Eric Goranson: One, if it has a screen or a strain or down on the bottom, make sure that you're checking that weekly and cleaning it out. Second of all, every six months to a year, pop the toe kick off. And take a look and see if there's any water underneath there. When that pump seal starts to leak, it will drop water out of the tub on the ground, and this is one of the biggest causes of water damage in the kitchen.

[00:20:44] Eric Goranson: And not just a plastic or a rubber hose. Some people do copper. That's great. It's a little harder putting those in and out when you have to pull them out and due to maintenance replacing, but, uh, those flex line hoses work well. Just make sure that you're checking that and the drain [00:21:00] hose, just make sure you got the right loop, you know, per.

[00:21:42] Eric Goranson: And then you got a problem. So you don't want to put things that expand in there like rice. Um, and there's a lot of different, you know, bones, anything hard like that. You know, a garbage disposal is 1 of those things that, um, when they're working, yeah. They work great, but when they're not, they keep the plumbers and business out there [00:22:00] and if you're on a septic tank, I just don't recommend them at all because you're putting material down there that you're going to have to pump out later.

[00:22:24] Eric Goranson: Cause it's just going to be more problems that you put stuff down in there. You no need to have to clean that thing out sooner because you have a garbage disposal. Now, one of the biggest ones for maintenance is a front load washing machine and a couple of things with front load washing machines. First off.

[00:23:02] Eric Goranson: That means that is plugged up. So that means you get to change that. And it's not a filter that you go buy at the store. It's just a screen basically, or a little catch basin in there that keeps those things from going there. But once you get a couple of coins, once you get a Bobby pin or two in there. It really starts to grab hair and other things.

[00:23:39] Eric Goranson: You flip the, the, the door down. There's a drain tube there that you can drain into a pan, as well as there's a tube there to make sure that you've got it all dialed in. So just drain it down. And then unscrew that and make sure you got some towels around if it's on a hardwood floor or a floor that can be damaged.

[00:24:11] Eric Goranson: And it's going to save you money because you don't have to depend on the dryer doing too much. Now, the next thing is, as many dryers, I mean, many washing machines. You know, when it goes to the dryer like that, the clothes are clean, but then they sit around and they get damp. So older front load washing machines had kind of a mildew mold problem.

[00:24:46] Eric Goranson: Either way, it works really well. But you'll want to do that every once in a while. Mine automatically tells me when to do it. And I just buy, I think it's the tide brand dishwasher. Uh, sorry, clothes washer detergent. That's [00:25:00] just for cleaning the machine, not your clothes. So it's a little pack. You pour it in there, hit the start button off.

[00:25:24] Eric Goranson: And what happens is, is all the oils, suds, soap, all that gunk gets on the inside drum, or the outside drum technically. The inside drum is what you see. It's got all the little holes in it. There's a drum on the other side of that. That you don't see, that gets really nasty with oil and scum and soap buildup.

[00:26:01] Eric Goranson: So that's 1 thing and speak out of cold water. That's another tip. I want to go back on the garbage disposal. Don't put grease down there. But if you do end up getting a little bit of grease because you're doing pans. Use cold water. That way if it congeals, it congeals there and it won't congeal down the line.

[00:26:51] Eric Goranson: That is a great way to clean them out that way. And then, um, you know, you can run some hot water through it a little bit later and that will release any greases or build up on the inside of that. [00:27:00] It's a good way to clean that up. Now, back to the washing machine. Make sure that you're inspecting the hoses on the back.

[00:27:25] Eric Goranson: It's like a stop gate So it's just like they they they lock the brakes up and the water comes Piling into that valve the thing that expands is that hose and so it just it keeps expanding keeps expanding And then you'll get the bubbles on the side as the as the as it breaks down So make sure that you're inspecting those hoses back there because if they're just rubber and not a braided line They will fail early and that can save you a six figure remodel on your house trying to get the water Out of it and get all that water damage taken care of.

[00:28:17] Eric Goranson: But, uh, most regular refrigerators, there's that little toe kick panel comes off and get all the dust bunnies out of there. That'll save you on your refrigerator because I tell you what, that gets really built up down there and that's going to cost you some money and it's hard on the compressor. So let's see if we can make that refrigerator long.

[00:29:05] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the around the house show. We hope you get the most out of your home through information and education. We've been talking appliances today. And one of the things I want to talk about here is we've been talking about my tricks for maintaining them and get the most out of them. So we were just talking about washing machine leaks and making sure that that, you know, hose is working well.

[00:29:46] Eric Goranson: And so we'll talk about that. That is the exception to this rule. But really, if you've got a dryer, you should be coming in there every year. You can buy the brushes at a home improvement store and just get in there. I put it, I put the dryer on air only [00:30:00] on just the air dry, and then I will run that brush from the outside in and make sure that that duct is super clean.

[00:30:25] Eric Goranson: And that will save you money in the long run and your clothes will dry faster. So that's another good one right there. Now, um, you know, be very careful if you've got electric range, the smooth top range, keeping those clean, the glass top ranges. They make the glass cleaner out there to do that. And the 1 thing too is when you're working on the oven, be very careful with the glass doors.

[00:31:01] Eric Goranson: It's very easy to break them. So don't be shocked if it happened. Now, 1 thing I wanted to talk about here real quick. If It's a new technology out there. You're seeing inverter technology, like LG does this with the refrigerator said they have more, uh, efficient compressors, which, um, these digital motors.

[00:31:36] Eric Goranson: Those are really the latest and greatest, and they can save you a ton of money. On your electricity or gas bill, so anytime that you can do something like that, where it's not putting the air out, it's capturing the moisture and doing all that. It's not a bad deal. So take a look at these. I think they're the wave of the future.

[00:32:09] Eric Goranson: So this heat pump is a way to go. If you can get something that works for you. Now next up here, I wanted to talk about, uh, gas versus induction. And, you know, I want to say a couple of things here. 1st, I have no problem with gas ranges, personally, um, gas cooktops, gas ranges, that kind of stuff. I mean, a gas oven to me, um, in my opinion, I like electric ovens better.

[00:33:02] Eric Goranson: So you're not going to have any really big issues there if you're using your gas. If you turn the gas range on, your hood should be on. And that's the case. Because that's going to be putting off chemicals either way. So you should have your hood on. And that hood should be on whether you've got an induction range or a gas.

[00:33:35] Eric Goranson: Absolutely. Instead of, uh, uh, you know, 50 percent of the, uh, the heat going around the outside of the pan and up into your airspace or up into your vent hood, this takes all the energy and puts it in the pan. And so how induction cooking works is that it, uh, accelerates the iron particles in the pan. So the pan heats up.

[00:34:16] Eric Goranson: It's going to get hot because it's up against a. You know, a very hot pan, but it's not heating the paper up. Like if it was a electric element glass top, cause you'd catch on fire doing that. You'd have a fire going. So that's really where the key is with that. Do I get more control out of a induction cooktop?

[00:35:15] Eric Goranson: I'm just not going to, you know, there's, it reminds me when you had some, some courts companies out there. That were leaking into the press that there was radon coming out of, you know, granite slabs coming out of China. No, there really wasn't. But you know something? They were trying to sell their product and so they were doing a smear campaign in my opinion.

[00:36:02] Eric Goranson: So it's just more efficient cooking because you don't have that hot spot on the bottom of the pan where the flame is, it has to radiate out over the pan. So you have less burning on the inside. Now you have an even temperature of the pan cooking. So all the bottom and the sides are cooking. So you've got more contact there as well.

[00:36:48] Eric Goranson: Now, if you've got carbon monoxide in your home or, or carbon dioxide, because you're using it, you're not turning the fan on. Just make sure you use your fan from now on use that and that way you're getting that air vented out [00:37:00] If you installed a massive fan like a 1200 CFM fan, you know with your appliances make sure that you've got makeup air That's the air that's gonna come and replace that because anytime you've got a tight house Mixed up with a big amount of CFM coming out that can actually pull in carbon monoxide from maybe a a gas, you know, a gas, uh, water heater or a gas, you know, a furnace, that kind of thing.

[00:37:48] Eric Goranson: And so you get what you pay for. You want a dishwasher, for instance, And it comes down to getting the right appliances. You want a dishwasher that's got the stainless steel interior, the plastic ones don't reflect the heat well, [00:38:00] they get smelly, they're cheap. I'm not a fan of those. All right. And there's one little secret I want to talk about here real quick before we go out to break and wrap up this subject for the hour.

[00:38:33] Eric Goranson: They don't put that out there, but you'll look across, you go, why is everybody the same price? It's because they're all selling it at that minimum advertised price. Now, how they get around that is you'll see like the big stores will have special buys, which means they get a special model number made that nobody else can price match.

[00:39:05] Eric Goranson: So really take a look right now. When you see those special buys, that's really where the numbers are, but that's why it's hard to find a really good deal unless you find a display or floor model. That's where the savings are going to be. Stick around. We've got a whole new episode coming up right after this.