Beeping appliances need to stop. Sure the occasional beep can be helpful if a wash cycle is done for example or your microwave food is ready. But a fridge that beeps continuously if the door is open isn’t too helpful when you’re trying to pack your groceries away!
Appliances that won’t stop beeping until they’re paid some attention are far too needy in our opinion. Case in point, our very own MD purchased a dishwasher that beeped constantly through the night once it finished cleaning, to the alarm of his neighbours who thought his burglar alarm was sounding and his house was being broken into. (However, he slept soundly through the night!)
To make sure it wasn’t just us, we put out polls on Facebook and Twitter. Sure enough, 74% percent of you agreed that silence is golden or that just one beep would suffice. Even a recent Daily Mail article laments the days of quieter appliances. But it seems appliance manufacturers just haven’t got the hint yet.
So being the one-stop-shop for all appliance advice, we decided to give some on what can be done if beeping appliances are driving you barmy. Here are some alternatives to wearing earplugs around the house to escape the cacophony of beeps!
1. Consult your Appliance User Manual
On some occasions beeps can be turned off. Check the manual and you may find ways to minimise notifications or even stop them completely. If you’ve emptied out a few drawers looking for your manual and come to the conclusion you’ve lost it, don’t worry! As long as we have it in our online user manual library you can download a PDF version for free.
2. Check your Beeping Appliances Don’t Have Errors
Some appliances will make a beeping sound if they’ve gone wrong. If this is the case you’ll usually also see flashing LED lights on your appliance or an unfamiliar code on the LCD display. You may be able to clear the code with some simple cleaning or maintenance, but if not you can still fix your appliance up yourself. Take a look at our Advice Centre for help decoding fault messages.
3. Get to Know Your Appliance
Some beeps can be avoided. Your cooker may beep if it needs the time setting for example or your fridge may beep to notify you the temperature is set too high. Once again you’ll need to dig out your manual if you’re not sure why your appliance is demanding your attention, but once you’ve got to the bottom of the beeps you should be able to silence them.
4. Read reviews
Forewarned is forearmed! If you’ve been plagued by a beeping appliance in the past, you’ll no doubt be eager to avoid beeps in the future. When the time comes to buy a new machine, read customer reviews on reputable sites you trust before you buy. If an appliance has a particularly annoying beep you’ll probably find it mentioned and can get a good idea of the other areas where the appliance you’re considering falls short too.
Opinions are mixed around our office as to whether beeping appliances are helpful or bleeping annoying. In fact, things got a little, umm, heated. Where do you stand? Let us know below!
