A new appliance that misbehaves in its first week is frustrating, and the natural conclusion is that it arrived defective. Often it did not. Delivery teams work quickly, and the difference between a working install and a marginal one is small.
The checks that resolve most of these calls
Is it level?
Put a spirit level on the top panel, front to back and side to side. A washer that is not level walks, vibrates and eventually damages its own bearing. A refrigerator that is not level may not close its doors properly and can drain badly. A dishwasher out of level does not fill or drain to the right point.
Most machines have adjustable feet. All four must be firm on the floor — a machine resting on three feet rocks under load.
Are the shipping bolts out?
Front-loading washers ship with transit bolts through the rear panel that lock the drum for transport. If they are not removed, the machine shakes violently on its first spin. This is the single most common "faulty new washer" call there is, and the fix is five minutes with a spanner.
Are both taps on and the hoses clear?
Both hot and cold need to be fully open. New inlet hoses sometimes retain a plastic plug or a shipping cap, and screens can be blocked from the moment of install.
Is the drain hose right?
It needs a high loop before it falls, and it must not be pushed so far down the standpipe that it siphons. Both faults cause the same symptom: a machine that seems to drain and refill endlessly.
Is there clearance?
A refrigerator pushed hard against the wall cannot reject heat and will run continuously without ever quite reaching temperature. Manufacturers specify clearance at the back and sides; delivery teams often push units flush to look tidy.
Is the dryer vent connected and clear?
A new dryer on an old blocked vent line performs exactly like a broken dryer. This is one of the most common post-delivery calls we take.
Things that are normal in the first weeks
- A smell on first use of an oven. Manufacturing residue burning off. Run it empty at high heat for an hour with the room ventilated.
- Cloudy or odd-tasting first ice. Air and residue in the new water line. Discard the first two or three batches.
- A refrigerator running constantly for the first day. It is pulling a warm cabinet down to temperature. It should settle within 24 hours.
- New noises. Modern appliances are busier than older ones. Give it a week before judging.
- Longer cycle times than the old machine. Efficient appliances use less water and heat, and take longer to compensate. This is by design.
When it genuinely is a defect
Some things are not install issues and should go straight back to the retailer or manufacturer under warranty:
- Visible damage — dents, cracked glass, a door that does not align
- Error codes from the first cycle
- A burning or electrical smell that is not the oven's first-use burn-off
- Water leaking from the body of the machine rather than a connection
- Nothing powers on at all with confirmed power at the outlet
Report these promptly. Most retailers have a short window in which they will simply exchange the unit rather than send it for repair, and that window is worth using.
Common questions
Should I pay for professional installation?
For a gas appliance or anything built in, yes. For a freestanding washer or dryer with existing connections, it is optional — but the checks above then become yours to do.
The delivery team took the old one away and left the new one crooked.
Levelling is usually part of the delivery contract. Ask them to come back; failing that it is a ten-minute job with a spirit level and a spanner.
My new dishwasher does not dry as well as the old one.
Many current models use condensation drying rather than a heating element. They depend entirely on a hot final rinse and rinse aid. Fill the rinse aid reservoir — on those machines it is not optional.
Who do I call, you or the manufacturer?
Within the manufacturer warranty, call them first — the work should cost you nothing. If it turns out to be an installation issue rather than a defect, that is where we can help.
Book a visit or call (832) 615-1079 and we will tell you what the fault is before any part is ordered.