Read Your Owner's Manual

You did your due diligence shopping for your new major appliance comparing and contrasting several manufacturers and models to find the appliance that perfectly suites your needs and desires. You read the online reviews, asked the Sales Associate all the questions you could think of to make an informed decision and parted ways with hundreds, if not thousands of hard earned dollars.

Having spent so much time finding the right appliance you would think people would read their Owner's Manual once they took possession? Nope. You would be flabbergasted how many people never crack open this invaluable document.

Here's a brief summary of what your Owner's Manual covers:

• Setup & Installation - Tools you will need along with detailed setup procedures and checklists.
• Warranty & Service - What IS and IS NOT covered and how to obtain service.
• Power requirements & Energy info - How to correctly connect to power, cost to run your appliance and energy saving ideas.
• Safety - What not to do with your new appliance and how to dispose of your old appliance and possible rebate information.
• Performance - How it works - Detailed usage instructions along with suggestions and ideas to help you get the most out of your new appliance.
• Special Features - Familiarize yourself with all your new appliance features and where things are located.
• Included & Optional Accessories - Confirm if all included accessories were packaged with product, and what other parts are available for purchase. 
• Care & Cleaning - How to keep service calls to a minimum, extend the life of your appliance and types of cleaning products safe to use.
• Sights & Sounds - Understand the sights and sounds your appliance will make under normal operating conditions.
• Parts List - Diagram of parts list. If not shown a link to parts list on manufacturer's website will be provided.
• Troubleshooting - Don't call a Service Technician before looking at the troubleshooting guide. You may save yourself the price of a service call (just short of $100 these days).
  

Take the time to carefully read over your Owner's Manual and store it away in a safe place. If you lose it go to the Support Section of the manufacturer's website and download a new one. Reading your Owner's Manual is key to realizing the full potential of your purchase. And these days when major appliances are built to last an average of 8 to 12 years, reading your Owners Manual will also help you squeeze all the life possible out of your appliance purchase.