Thanksgiving. A day of family, football, and the unsettling realization that your appliances are quite possibly plotting against you. Because let’s face it, appliances, like family, can be a real pain. Here’s our guide of possible problems and a few quick fixes to help you navigate the holiday:

The Oven: The Silent Saboteur

Preheating Purgatory: You set the timer, you walk away, and then poof, it’s 20 degrees off. Or maybe it’s not heating at all! Is it a conspiracy? Probably. Not to mention, your favorite YouTube Chef may have failed to share that preheating for baked goods and fast cooking foods is essential!
- Check the Thermostat: Newer ovens take longer because, you know, they are more accurate and designed to heat up slowly. If you do indeed have recently updated to a new sexier model, you may be used to adjusting your recipe temps for your older, discarded version and need to adjust them back for the new guy. An easy and delicious way to check your temp is to pop in a can of heat and eat biscuits or cinnamon rolls, allow a long preheat and follow the directions on the can. If they are cooked properly, your oven temperatures are likely correct and you have a nice snack!
- Examine the Heating Elements: If you do discover your temps are off, visually inspect for damage or loose connections.
The Self-Cleaning Cycle of Doom: Unless you do it today, we suggest waiting until the last clean dish is put away after Thanksgiving meal before taking this cycle out for a spin. That way if anything fails, at least it will be after you’ve put the turkey to bed. But, check your User Guide before you feel the need to be proactive or save time… really, you’re just setting yourself up for a 4-hour ordeal that leaves your kitchen smelling like a crematorium. If you do suffer a malfunction, try this:
- Clean the oven: Excessive food and grease buildup can hinder the self-cleaning process. Clean the oven thoroughly before attempting the cycle.
- Consult the manual: Refer to your oven’s manual for specific troubleshooting steps and error codes.
- Don’t be shocked: The areas near and on the doors don’t get as hot, so debris may remain after the nuclear meltdown. Just swipe ‘em off after things have cooled down.
Uneven Cooking: Tired of your oven playing favorites with your food? One side’s always the golden child, while the other’s the forgotten stepchild.
- Rotate Pans: Switch the positions of pans to ensure even heat distribution.
- Calibrate the Oven: Use an oven thermometer to check accuracy and adjust accordingly. Do not use a $5 oven thermometer…would you believe your $500 built-in thermometer is more accurate? If you still can‘t stand it and insist on going out and buying one, then please make sure it is an oven-approved mercury version!
- Toss Grandma’s Pans: New cookie sheets, etc. are designed to work better with the newer ovens. We really don’t think it’s a shopping channel conspiracy, but flip over to QVC or better yet, shop local and update the pans!

The Refrigerator: The Cold, Hard Truth

The Ice Maker’s Revenge: If your ice maker is suddenly turning your freezer into a wintery wasteland, stop chanting “Winter is Coming” and let’s get it under control Jon Snow!
- Check the Water Supply: Make sure the water supply valve to the ice maker is turned on. Some of the newer valves are magic and have auto shut-off.
- Dump Old Ice: You may not know this, but if you aren’t a regular user, your cubes will start freezing together and even develop a less than pleasant taste.
- Shake Shake Shake: You can also shake your ice bin to break ice apart if it is frozen together, especially the bin in the door if you have one.
Refrigerator / Freezer Not Cooling: Your fridge / freezer can’t make up its mind… not cold enough… it’s too cold! Don’t worry, let’s try a few things.
- Check the Thermostat Setting: Your late night trip to the kitchen leaves you sad with brick hard ice cream and a bent spoon. This can usually be solved by turning the thermostat down to cool things off.
- Bin Check: If you have frozen veggies in your crisper, make sure you are using the one marked Vegetables and not the crisper specifically designed to be colder for Meat. Yes, it makes a difference!
- Inspect the Door Seals: Sometimes the kiddos hanging on the doors or opening / shutting them too hard while searching for string cheese or pudding can leave the Fresh Food area looking a bit like a rainforest. A slight twist can usually realign things. As far as the little ones… you’re on your own for that one!

The Dishwasher: A Domestic Drama

The Rinse Cycle Rebellion: It’s supposed to rinse. But instead, it just leaves a film of mystery goo on your plates or possibly a nose wrinkling smell that leaves you glancing around to check where the dog is. Let’s check a few things.
- Check the detergent dispenser: Make sure that the detergent is fully dispensed during the cycle. Sometimes, detergent can get stuck or not fully release, leading to a film on dishes. Remove any residue or buildup that might be preventing proper detergent release.
- Adjust the water temperature: Make sure the water temperature is hot enough to dissolve detergent and effectively clean dishes. Pro Tip – run hot water at the kitchen sink to confirm you have hot water before running the dishwasher.
The Mysterious Water Leak: A surprise shower for your kitchen floor. A delightful addition to your Thanksgiving festivities. Nope!
Check the door seal: Is the dishwasher door sealing properly? A loose or damaged seal can cause water to leak.
Inspect the hoses: Look for any cracks, leaks, or loose connections in the water supply and drain hoses.
Proper Loading: Make sure nothing is in the way of the spray arms rotating by spinning them prior to Start. If it sprays directly onto the door because it can’t rotate, it might leak and that’s no good!
Dishwasher Not Draining: A draining dilemma… lets get things flowing again.
- Check the Drain Hose: Look to see its not kinked or clogged. Doublecheck that you didn’t forget to knock out the drain hole on that recently purchased garbage disposal… Hey, we’ve all been there!
- Inspect the Drain Filter: A film on the mesh filter is basically the less than pleasant grease build up from food and can prevent proper drainage or water flow. Clean it out!
Dishwasher Dishonestly Cleaning Dishes: It’s supposed to be doing the dirty work, not just playing in the suds. Lets motivate your lazy appliance.

General Troubleshooting Tips for Appliance Sanity

Unplug and Replug: A simple reset can often solve minor issues.
Check Circuit Breakers: Look to see if the appliance is receiving power.
Clean Regularly: Regular cleaning can prevent many problems.
Consult the Manual: Your appliance’s manual is a valuable resource for troubleshooting. Use it!
Meditate: Find your inner peace and accept that appliances are fallible.
Food Roundup: Eat everything before it spoils.
When all else fails… Call Guinco Service Appliance at 855-4-GUINCO. We got you and will make sure you survive the holiday season and any rogue appliances. You can also book service at guincoservice.com.

Remember, Thanksgiving is about gratitude. Be grateful that your appliances are still functioning, even if they’re trying their best to ruin your day.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your appliances behave and your family be tolerable.