5 common appliance faults to watch out for at your school

In this article, Beckie Hatton, Product Manager at Home Appliance Care, takes a look at five essential appliances for schools and the common faults that you need to watch for.

In every school, there’s a hardworking set of appliances that ensure things run smoothly — you may not notice them immediately among the hustle and bustle, but they perform a variety of essential roles that make life much easier for staff and pupils.

As they occupy such an important role in the day-to-day running of your educational establishment, it’s vital that you take great care of them. Not only will this ensure that you don’t experience any unexpected problems, but ensuring they’re maintained will increase their lifespan and reduce the need to pay for replacement equipment.

Below, I’ve listed five appliances that feature in almost every school and a few common issues you should keep an eye out for to prevent damage and keep downtime to a minimum. It’s also worth mentioning that the problems described here are fairly basic and usually easily rectified, however, more complex difficulties should always be repaired by an expert.

Electric cookers

Whether situated in the kitchen or a home economics classroom, electric cookers are commonly found in a school environment. And, making sure your appliances are always in good condition will make sure food is prepared to schedule and lessons aren’t disrupted.

One of the most common issues you’re likely to experience with an electric cooker is when there is no power supplied to the unit. In many cases, the problem lies with a blown fuse. If it is powered through a plug and socket, you’ll need to check the fuse in the plug itself, but a cooker wired into the mains power supply requires you to check the main board for the break.

If this is the cause, simply replace the fuse and you should have power again. Remember to keep a ready supply of replacement fuses on your school premises to deal with an issue like this efficiently.

Fridges

Fridges are the best way to keep perishable items fresh for longer, which makes them essential in locations like school kitchens, home economics classrooms, staff rooms, and even science labs.

For your fridge to perform its function, you need to be able to set the exact temperature. However, this is one of the mechanisms that’s most susceptible to breakage through constant use. If your unit is regularly too warm or too cold, it’s worth testing the temperature with a thermometer to gauge accuracy. If the readings do not match up, it could be that your control is loose or broken, which can be fixed by replacing the knob. However, it may also be the case that your thermostat tube is blocked, which will require the attentions of a fridge specialist.

Washing machines

Using a washing machine is the most efficient way of keeping garments hygienic, which makes them essential appliances for schools, especially for cleaning aprons, towels, sports kits and many other items. Units that see heavy use will need regular maintenance to ensure they’re always in good condition and ready to take care of the next batch of laundry.

A common issue that a washing machine may have is problems with water supply and drainage. If your unit won’t fill for a wash, you need to check the inlet hoses at the back for any blockages, as well as the water supply itself. Should both of these check out, it may be a fault with the pressure system, something that requires the knowledge of an expert to repair.

If your machine is having trouble draining water away, the most likely cause is a fault with your drain pump. There may be an object that’s stuck in the pump and preventing it from functioning, but it could also be an issue with the pump that means it needs repairing or replacing. Should you experience this, the safest way to drain water manually is to remove the drain hose and place it into a basin, allowing the machine to empty completely.

Radiators

Radiators play a huge role in keeping schools warm and dry when the weather outside is cold. Because these appliances are so important for making a school a hospitable environment, it’s absolutely vital that the radiators on your premises are maintained.

Central heating systems that use radiators are known to make quite a bit of noise, so there’s usually nothing to worry about if you hear some clicking or clanking — it’s probably just the metal expanding and contracting with the heat. If, however, your units make noise constantly, you may need to bleed the radiator with a radiator key, which should allow any trapped air to escape. Should it be making a whistling noise, it can indicate the water flow rate is too high, so you’ll need to fully turn the valve.

Noises may not come exclusively from your radiator, however, and you may hear some that are coming from beneath the flooring. While occasional banging can just be pipes expanding and contracting, a sustained noise can mean that one is loose. This will likely require the attention of a Gas Safe Registered engineer to solve.

Dishwashers

In a busy environment like a school, a dishwasher can be a real time-saver, as well as helping to maintain good hygiene standards. No matter if your appliance is located in the staff room or the cafeteria kitchen, they require the same level of care and maintenance to ensure they stay in fully working order for daily use.

Possibly the most common complaint with a dishwasher is that it is not properly cleaning dishes, an issue that’s typically not the fault of the appliance. For instance, a poor-quality detergent might be used that does not clean thoroughly enough or the wrong cycle may be selected for the type of plates and glasses present. You also need to make sure any dishes are scraped of debris before loading and that the interior of the appliance is cleaned regularly to prevent food residue from clinging to kitchenware each cycle.

Take the advice in this article on board and you should be able keep key appliances in your school running smoothly. Remember to refer any serious or unidentified issues to Utility Rentals for repair and this should minimise the risk of damaging your equipment.

And, should you need to invest in a new model, be sure to check out the appliances for rent at Utility Rentals for an affordable and stress-free replacement option.