Looking after your appliances

A clean filter, a checked seal and a fridge at the right temperature make appliances safer, cheaper to run and less likely to break. Most of these jobs take ten minutes.

Fridge and freezer

• The Food Standards Agency says your fridge should be between 0 and 5C and your freezer around minus 18C. It recommends checking regularly with a fridge thermometer.
• DEWA recommends keeping the fresh food compartment at 4C, which sits inside that range, and opening the door as little as possible to save energy.
• Check the rubber door seal regularly (DEWA). If a sheet of paper slides out easily when the door is shut on it, the seal may not be closing properly; report it if the fridge belongs to the landlord.
• DEWA advises cleaning the cooling coils behind the fridge at least every six months and defrosting regularly, since frost build-up raises energy use. Unplug the fridge first.

Washing machine filter

• Siemens lists warning signs such as the machine vibrating or making a loud noise, and says cleaning the filter regularly prevents faults.
• Before you start: turn off the water tap, switch off the machine and pull out the plug (Siemens).
• Lay a towel down and have a shallow tray ready. Drain the leftover water using the small drain hose, then unscrew the filter slowly. The water may be hot straight after a wash, so let it cool (Siemens).
• Remove coins, buttons, hair grips and fluff, rinse the filter, screw it back in tightly and close the flap. Check your own machine's manual, because designs differ.
• Run full loads and use warm rather than hot washes where possible; DEWA says this can cut washing energy use considerably.

Tumble dryer and iron

• Clean the lint trap after every use: Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service warns that a build-up of fluff can cause fire.
• Do not run a tumble dryer while you are out or asleep (Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service).
• DEWA also advises drying only as long as needed and wringing clothes out well first.
• Choose an iron with auto shut-off if you are buying one (DEWA).

Oven, hob and kettle

• Wipe spills on the hob and in the oven once they are cool, before they bake on. Built-up grease is harder to clean and can smoke.
• Use lids on pans and avoid opening the oven door repeatedly; use a timer instead (DEWA).
• Keep the kettle free of limescale (DEWA), especially in areas with hard water.
• Use the oven's self-cleaning function only when necessary (DEWA), and never leave cooking unattended (see Kitchen Skills).

Air conditioning in the GCC

• DEWA recommends setting the thermostat to 24C in summer, keeping doors and windows closed while it runs, and switching units off in empty rooms.
• DEWA advises cleaning AC filters at regular intervals; ENERGY STAR suggests checking filters every month, because a dirty filter slows air flow and wastes energy.
• For a wall-mounted split unit, the filters usually lift out from behind the front panel: switch the unit off, remove them as the manual shows, rinse or vacuum the dust off, let them dry fully and refit.
• Leave deep cleaning, gas top-ups and drain problems to building maintenance or a technician. ENERGY STAR recommends a professional service once a year.
• If the AC shows unusual performance, odd smells or smoke, DEWA says to switch it off straight away and call DEWA on 991 (in Dubai; the UAE Government portal lists 991 for electricity failures in most emirates and 800 2332 in Abu Dhabi).

Safety and recalls

• Register your white goods with the manufacturer or the UK Register My Appliance service so you can be contacted if a product is recalled (London Fire Brigade; Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service).
• Try to keep to one plug per socket, especially for high-power appliances such as washing machines, and do not overload extension leads (London Fire Brigade).
• Look out for scorch marks, flickering lights, hot plugs or sockets, and a breaker that trips for no obvious reason, and report them (London Fire Brigade; see Running a Home, basic fixes).