Now That You’ve Purchased That New Appliance… What You Should Do Next
If you read our “Before You Buy That New Appliance” post, you no doubt did your homework, kept a level head, got a great deal, and are now the proud owner of that perfect new appliance. Congratulations! Your now legendary appliance buying prowess has made you the envy of all your friends and family, who now flock to you in droves for your sage advice.
But before you pat yourself on the back and hang out a shingle, leaving your appliance to fend for itself, there are a few things you should do right away that can save you money in the long-term and ensure that your appliance lives a happy and healthy life.
- Keep Your Proof of Purchase. File your sales receipt or credit card voucher for future reference. You’ll need it for warranty repairs or replacement, if your product isn’t working properly, turns out not to be suitable, or assembly parts are missing.
- Register Your Appliance. For your warranty to be in effect, you should take the time to register it. This can be done online, or by mail with the accompanying registration card.
- Review Product Features & Maintenance Tips. Take time to familiarize yourself with the product manual. Review what features this appliance has and how to set them up. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that it has more time-saving, energy efficiency and convenience features than you thought. You’ll also find useful information on how often to change filters and troubleshooting tips.
- Follow Your Manufacturer’s Recommendations for Appliance Maintenance. Do I REALLY need to expound on this one? Many (and you know who you are) have paid for neglect and mistreatment of their appliances in the form of costly repairs, or worse yet, having to euthanize and replace appliances before their time; when a few simple steps could have enabled said appliances to reach their true potential. With appliances, a little TLC goes a long way. Follow your manufacturer’s maintenance advice and your appliance will reward you with years of optimal performance.
- File Product Manuals & Warranty Papers. These important documents are often overlooked in the packaging and discarded. Even if you think you can safely and correctly set up your appliance without the manual, it should be kept as it contains useful information beyond set-up instructions. Add the date of purchase, location of purchase, and the warranty period on the top cover of your manual. Keep all your product manuals and receipts together. These records also come in very handy for home assets listings and insurance claims.
- “Kick the Tires”. Put your appliance through the paces and try out all special features. This will not only familiarize you with how your appliance works, it will provide an early indication of any problems; enabling resolution now rather than when the success of that epic cookout you’re planning for the 4th hangs on a properly functioning ice maker.
- Pat Yourself on the Back and Hang Out a Shingle. NOW you’ve earned it.
Kick the Tires- is a brilliant strategy. You need to know the appliance you bought.
SDN, that’s probably a good deal for most pepole. For me, probably not. I replaced both of my heat pumps at the same time (first one went out and I ran on the second unit until it died about two months later) for less than $2000. Ordered the units off the internet at about $800 each plus a couple hundred for the freight, add some freon, and pretso cold air and heat. They lasted about 15 years which is the norm. I could have gone even cheaper and just replaced the compressor, but what the hell. I also moved them from the back of the house where the new deck extension goes, to the side of the house. It would be hard for me to justify the $500 in most years since I can fix things cheaply. Most of the time my wife will wait, or one of the boys will come over and patch it up until I get home. Well, unless she just wants some new stuff, in which case the insurance aint going to help