Appliance Repair in 19002 · Ambler, Fort Washington & Flourtown

Suburban water supplies vary from town to town, and many are harder than the water people are used to in the city. Hard water carries dissolved minerals that leave a cloudy, chalky film on glasses and dishes, build scale inside dishwasher spray arms and heating elements, and gradually coat the inside of washers and refrigerator water lines. Your water supplier's annual water-quality report is the best place to see what your tap water contains.

In a dishwasher, the fix often starts with the basics. Use a rinse aid, keep the filter clean, and choose a detergent that suits your water. Spray arm holes clogged with scale can be cleared, and a heating element caked with minerals may need replacing if it no longer heats properly.

Some homes go the other way and install a water softener. Softened water is easier on appliances, but it changes how detergent behaves. Glassware washed in very soft water with too much detergent can develop etching, a permanent cloudiness that will not wipe away. Unlike hard-water film, etching cannot be removed, so the answer is to use less detergent rather than more. If you are not sure which problem you have, try soaking a cloudy glass in white vinegar: film usually dissolves, while etching stays.

Note whether your home has a water softener and when its salt was last refilled. Have the dishwasher empty, and save a cloudy glass to show the technician. On the borough's narrow streets, tell us about any driveway or rear parking, and in Maple Glen leave a driveway space open.