Florida Humidity Is Hard on Appliances: A First Coast Maintenance Checklist

Appliances in Jacksonville & the First Coast live a harder life than the same models in a dry climate. Our technicians see the effects every day: condensers choked by humid dust, front-load washers growing mold, dryer vents baking in attics, corroded igniters at the Beaches and control boards killed by lightning. Here is how to get ahead of it.

Refrigerators

• Clean the condenser coils twice a year. Humid air makes dust stick, and a coated condenser makes the compressor run hot and long. Garage refrigerators need it even more often.
• Check the door gaskets. Humid air that leaks in condenses and freezes on the evaporator, which leads to the classic freezer-cold, fridge-warm failure.
• Give garage units shade and clearance. A refrigerator in a 100-degree garage is working at its limit. Keep it out of direct sun with a few inches of clearance.

Washers

• Leave front-load doors open between loads. It is the single most effective way to prevent mold and odor in our climate.
• Clean the pump filter monthly and run a tub-clean cycle with a washer cleaner.
• Replace rubber supply hoses with braided stainless every five years. A burst hose can flood a house in an hour.

Dryers

• Have the vent cleaned annually. Attic and roof vent runs collect lint faster and cannot be checked from the laundry room. Lint is the leading cause of dryer fires.
• Watch the outside flap. If it does not open freely while the dryer runs, the duct is restricted.

Dishwashers

• Clean the filter monthly. Warm, humid kitchens grow biofilm quickly.
• Use rinse aid and run a cleaning cycle every couple of months.

Ranges and cooktops

• At the Beaches, keep igniters dry and clean. Salt air corrodes spark igniters and burner components faster than anywhere inland.
• Skip self-clean before holidays. The heat is what kills thermal fuses and door locks.

Lightning and power

Jacksonville is one of the lightning capitals of the country, and control boards are the casualty. A whole-house surge protector at the panel is the best defense; plug-in surge protectors on the refrigerator and laundry circuits are a cheap second layer. After a storm, if an appliance is dead or showing a code, try a full power reset at the breaker before calling.

Hurricane season

Before a storm, set the refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings and keep the doors closed if power fails; a full freezer holds for about 48 hours. If you run a generator, make sure it can handle the refrigerator's start-up load. Never run appliances on a flooded floor.

A little maintenance each season prevents most of the calls we get. When something does fail, schedule a repair or call (904) 561-4790.