What's going on
Appliances in an empty apartment often sit unused for weeks between tenants or owners. Gaskets dry out, drains lose the water in their traps, and a fridge left off with the doors shut can grow mold. Problems are easy to miss when you're busy unpacking. Once a few months go by, it's harder to tell whether something was already broken when you moved in.
A planned check takes less than an hour and covers the basics: cooling, heating, water and drainage. You're not diagnosing anything. You're simply confirming each appliance turns on, does its job and doesn't leak. Do it before the boxes fill the kitchen, while you can still see the floor in front of the dishwasher and reach the back of the fridge. If something fails, a clear note with a photo and the date is far more useful to the building than a memory from three months later.
What you can check in five minutes
Five minutes per appliance, that is:
- Fridge: Check that it's on, set to a middle setting and cold, and that the freezer is freezing. Put a thermometer inside and read it the next day. Look for a musty smell and torn gaskets.
- Stovetop: Light each burner and look for a steady blue flame. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 or the gas utility from outside.
- Oven: Set it to 350°F with an oven thermometer inside and check that it reaches temperature.
- Range hood or microwave vent: Run the fan at each speed and switch on the light.
- Microwave: Heat a cup of water for a minute. It should come out hot, and the turntable should turn.
- Dishwasher: Run a short cycle empty, then look under the sink and at the floor in front for water. Check the filter for leftover debris.
- Washer and dryer, if in-unit: Run a rinse cycle and a short dry cycle, pull out the lint screen, and check that the dryer vent hose is connected.
- Paperwork: Photograph each model and serial label and find the manuals online.
- Shutoffs: Find the water valves for each appliance, and ask the super where the gas shutoff for the range is so you know in an emergency. Turning gas back on or relighting anything stays with the building or the utility.
Rent, own or co-op: who handles it?
Renters should report problems to the landlord or managing agent in writing, with photos and the date. If you're buying a co-op or condo, check whether the purchase documents mention appliances and what condition they were promised in, and talk with your attorney or agent. Check your lease or ask your building how they want repair requests sent.
What a technician will look at
- •Any appliance that failed a basic test
- •Refrigerator temperatures and door seals
- •Burner and oven ignition on gas ranges
- •Dishwasher and washer connections, drains and hoses
- •Dryer vent connection and airflow
Andre's field note: The move-in calls I like best are the ones where the tenant tested everything on day one. Clear photos and dates make the conversation with the building easy, and they tell me whether a problem is new or has been there a while. Keep the list somewhere you can find it, along with the model numbers, because it saves time on the first call. If the fridge is new to the apartment, read about a fridge that isn't cold after a move before you worry. If it still isn't cold after that, book refrigerator repair.
Found something on move-in day? Call ProFix NYC at (929) 699-8358.