Appliance Repair in Abington, Cheltenham & Jenkintown

The townships and boroughs just north of Cheltenham Avenue have some of the oldest suburban housing in Montgomery County. Cheltenham, Elkins Park and Wyncote (19012, 19027 and 19095) include large stone and stucco homes from the early twentieth century alongside brick twins and post-war colonials. Jenkintown, in 19046, is a compact borough with twins, singles and apartment buildings within walking distance of its train station. Glenside, in 19038, and Abington, in 19001, add a wide band of mid-century homes.

Older houses here usually keep the laundry in a full basement, often in a stone foundation that stays cool and damp. Kitchens have generally been remodeled, but the gas line, water supply and electrical service behind the new appliances may be decades old.

Basements in older stone and block foundations sweat in humid summers, and moisture gets into washer and dryer controls, door switches and motor terminals. A front-load washer that develops a musty smell, or a dryer whose start switch acts up, can be partly a basement problem. A dehumidifier, a raised platform and a clear path for the dryer vent help.

Dryer vents in these basements frequently exit through a small window or a hole in the foundation wall, sometimes with a long horizontal run along the ceiling joists. Lint collects in the low spots. If drying times are climbing, the technician will check the vent before testing the heating parts. On a gas dryer, a burner that lights and then shuts off may have weak igniter or coil components, which should be tested by a technician rather than taken apart at home.

Arcadia University is in Glenside, and the SEPTA regional rail stations at Glenside and Jenkintown-Wyncote make the area popular with renters who commute into the city. Many larger old houses have been divided into apartments, and small apartment buildings are common near the stations.

For rentals, landlords and tenants often need different things from a repair visit. We can work with the owner or property manager directly, schedule around tenant access, and send the written estimate to whoever approves the work. Tell us when you book who should get the estimate.

Abington Township's post-war neighborhoods tend to have ranches, Cape Cods and colonials with one-car garages. Kitchens in these homes are often galley or L-shaped, and the space beside the refrigerator is limited. A refrigerator that was squeezed into an older opening can run hot and frost up, and a dishwasher set under an original countertop may not have the clearance its door needs to seal properly.

The technician checks the installation alongside the appliance itself. A dishwasher that leaks at the door might simply be out of level, and a refrigerator with a warm fresh-food section might have a blocked air vent inside, not a failing compressor.