Kitchen Makeover

8 Common Kitchen Problems to Fix Right Away

Common Kitchen Problems to Fix Right Away
Written by Shiyamala

Kitchens are full of appliances and fixtures that can easily malfunction. And, depending on how long it’s been since those items were installed, some of them might be telling you that they need to be replaced. Here are some of the most common kitchen problems that you’ll encounter and should fix right away.

List of The Common Kitchen Problems to Fix Right Away on Your Own

1. Dripping Sink/Faucet

A dripping sink or faucet can be a real hassle. Not only can it cause your water bill to spike, but it’s just annoying to hear a constant dripping of water throughout all hours of the day and night. You should check to make sure the faucet filter doesn’t need to be cleaned, and you should also check under your kitchen cabinets to see if there are any loose pipes. Sometimes, storing items under the sink can accidentally bump one of the pipes and cause it to leak. You also might need to tighten the faucet or the knobs on the sink itself.

2. Warm Fridge/Freezer

No one wants warm food – that’s what the refrigerator and freezer are for! But, sometimes they can malfunction. If you’re noticing that your fridge and freezer are warm, there are a couple of reasons that might be occurring. Make sure the doors are shutting all the way and that you haven’t overstuffed your appliances. If that doesn’t help, then you should check to be sure there aren’t any warning lights on in your appliance and that nothing is dripping or leaking.

3. Garbage Disposal not Working Properly

Your garbage disposal can handle quite a bit of food scraps, but there are some things that you shouldn’t be putting down your garbage disposal. Corn husks, grease and even eggshells are all items that you shouldn’t be placing down your garbage disposal. If your disposal isn’t working properly, check to see if you or anyone in your household has put any of the items on the “no” list in the garbage disposal recently. It could be causing a block or buildup. Otherwise, try grinding an ice cube to push out anything that might be stuck in the grinder. Then, hit the reset button. If all else fails, consider calling in a professional to check on the pipes and the disposal itself to see if you need to replace any gaskets.

Common Kitchen Problems to Fix

4. Dishwasher Leaving Soapy Residue

Dishwashers are truly life savers, especially if you feed a lot of mouths in one day. They make life so much more convenient. While the dishwasher is running, you can hand-wash your other items and kill two birds with one stone! But, what do you do when your dishes don’t seem to be getting clean in the dishwasher? For starters, check your manual. It should give you some guidance on troubleshooting, especially if any warning lights come on your dishwasher. If you’re noticing food particles left on your dishes, you should either change your main washing agent or you should clean all the removable parts of your dishwasher, such as the spray arm. If it’s leaving a soapy residue on your dishes, then you should change your detergent.

5. Microwave not Heating Food

Depending on the age of your microwave, you might need to replace it. The sole purpose of a microwave is to reheat food faster than cooking it, so not having a microwave that heats is counterproductive. There are lots of reasons that your microwave might not be heating food, but if you’ve ever turned the microwave on when there wasn’t food in it, you’ve probably burnt out the magnetron (the thing that makes the microwave work). That’s why you’ll need to replace the entire microwave, unless a professional is able to fix it for you. But, that can sometimes cost more than just getting a new unit.

6. Cabinet Doors Unhinging

Kitchen cabinets are arguably one of the best features of a kitchen. They store so many items and keep cookware safe. But, when they break or malfunction, it can throw a real wrench into your day. If your cabinet doors keep unhinging, you might need to get them reassembled – especially if you purchased RTA cabinets and installed them yourself. Unfortunately, many inexperienced homeowners believe they can install cabinets without the guidance of a professional in order to save money. And, while some are successful, there are plenty of times that going solo while installing cabinets can turn out to be detrimental – such as when your cabinet doors keep unhinging. Improperly assembled cabinets can also lead to shelves dropping or countertops breaking. If you’ve found that your cabinets aren’t staying as put together as you’d like, bring in a professional contractor to reinstall them.

Common Kitchen Problems to Fix

7. Fridge/Freezer Has Odor

There are lots of reasons your fridge or freezer could have an odor, with bad food being the most common. If there are opened packages of meat, leftovers you haven’t touched in weeks or produce that you left in the bins to rot just hanging out in your fridge or freezer, that’s probably the cause of the odor. Instead of throwing out your whole appliance, make sure you ditch the smelly food and thoroughly clean all the bins and shelves in your unit. You should also clean the evaporator, too, and let everything air out. Additionally, you should check the temperature ranges. Make sure your fridge is set between 33 and 40 degrees, and that your freezer is set between 0 and 31 degrees. Date all your items after you open them so you can throw them out when their expiration date – or the “use by after opening” date – has passed.

8. Stovetop not Working

Depending on how your stovetop is set up, there are different reasons and fixes to your stovetop not working. For electric stovetops, typically a fuse is shorted or a power surge causes the issue. You’ll need a professional for that. For gas stovetops, sometimes relighting the pilot light or replacing spark igniters can fix the issue. If that still doesn’t help your gas burners, then contact the gas company to see if they can come take a look.

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