10 Appliance Maintenance Tips You Can Do

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Many people think of cleaning as a chore, but periodic maintenance of your household appliances can potentially save you from a list of repairs. Regular upkeep, such as replacing worn appliance parts, will improve the appliance’s efficiency while also keeping more money in your wallet. Take 10 minutes out of your schedule to try one of these 10 quick and easy maintenance tips.

Verify Oven Door Has Tight Seal:

Over 20% of your oven’s heat can escape if the door is not sealed properly.

  • Open the oven door and locate the rubber gasket around the perimeter of the door.
  • Feel for any broken, torn or deformed areas on your seal. Close the door and see if you can find any leaks.
  • Replace the gasket if necessary.

 

Clean or Replace Dirty Vent Filters:

  • Metal-mesh grease filters can be washed by hand in soapy water or you can put them in your dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.
  • Don’t attempt to wash charcoal or paper filters; they need to be replaced.

 

Clean Stovetop Drip Bowls:

  • Remove drip bowls from underneath your burner elements.
  • Presoak the drip bowls in a cleaning solution for 5 minutes. Then wash, clean and replace.
  • Remember to clean drip bowls immediately after spills. If spills burn into the bowls you may need to replace them.

 

Clean Coils In Your Refrigerator:

  • Depending on your model, the coils are either behind the kickplate or at the rear of the fridge.
  • Use a shop or handheld vacuum to suck up any loose particles.
  • Vacuum every 6-12 months.

 

Change Refrigerator Water Filter:

Filters that don’t efficiently remove contaminants and impurities may expose you to harmful water.

  • Follow water filter instructions, as all water filters are different depending on model. However, most are as easy as turning the filter one quarter inch and popping it out or locking it in place.
  • Change the filter every 3-6 months depending on water condition and usage.

 

Fix Rusty Dishrack Tines:

If your tines are rusty, the rust can adhere to and ruin your dishes and silverware.

  • Purchase a tine repair kit.
  • Use a sealant to adhere the tips over any rusty or chipped tines.
  • Let dry for at least 24 hours before running your dishwasher.

 

Clean and Deodorize Garbage Disposal:

  • Make sure the unit has been turned off.
  • Look down the drain for any large, stuck items. Don’t stick your hands in the disposal. Use tongs or another tool to fish items out.
  • Prepare a mixture of ice cubes and salt (or vinegar) and pour it down the drain. Run cold water over it for 10 seconds and then turn the unit on.
  • To deodorize, place a handful of citrus peels in the disposal, run cold water and turn it on.

 

Clean Dryer Exhaust:

Lint in your dryer exhaust is a fire hazard; clean the exhaust annually.

  • Loosen the clamp and pull the exhaust off the back of the dryer.
  • Remove clumps of lint from the tubing and the hole in the back of the dryer. Use a coat hanger to carefully remove any large clumps that you can’t reach with your hands.
  • Vacuum all the small lint.
  • Reattach exhaust.

 

Inspect Washing Machine Hoses:

Most washing machine floods are caused by leaks in the hose.

  • Remove the panel on your washing machine.
  • Search for any cracks, leaks or weak spots on your hoses.
  • Replace the hose if needed.

 

Clean Your Air Conditioner Filter:

  • Pop off the front panel of your unit.
  • Replace disposable filter or vacuum re-usable filter to remove as much dirt as possible.
  • Clean your filter every 2-4 weeks.

How to Choose an Oven

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Appliances are the workhorses of your kitchen. Together, they will add up to about nine percent of your kitchen budget. This figure is surprisingly low, considering the technological advances and energy efficiencies today’s appliances offer. While features and performance are obviously the most important considerations in choosing appliances, how they’ll look in your kitchen probably matters to you, too.

How to Choose an Oven

The traditional range or stove, a single unit with cooktop above and oven below, is an affordable, space-conserving solution still chosen by most homeowners. But it’s just one of the cooking options offered today.

Some serious home cooks choose commercial-style stoves with six or eight burners instead of four, basting and grilling functions, and built-in warming ovens. (Real commercial stoves pose special challenges, such as special ventilation systems and noncombustible walls and floors, when used in the home, so commercial-style may be easier to live with.) Other people love the new modular cooktops that let you add burners, downdrafts, griddles, deep-fry and steamer units, woks, rotisseries, and grills. And these are just a few examples of what’s available!

A modular approach to overall kitchen design is a pronounced trend. Wall ovens separate from cooktops let you create several cooking work stations instead of just one. A double wall oven stacks two ovens to save space and deliver twice the baking/roasting capacity, which many people find useful for special occasions. And you can still get two-oven stoves, with one oven below the cooking surface and the other well above, at cabinet height.

The first decision in range shopping has always been gas versus electric. Many serious cooks prefer gas for its instant response, precise controllability, and lower operating cost over time. Others praise the evenness of electric heat and the lower initial cost of the appliance.

Today, you can get the best of both heating methods with “dual fuel” ranges that let you mix gas and electric heat sources; for example, gas cooktop burners and an electric convection oven/broiler. Convection ovens, most often electric, use heated air to cook up to twice as fast as conventional ovens that rely on radiant heating action. You can even get a combination microwave/convection oven.

Electric coils are the most popular kind of electric burners, and the least costly. Smooth-top surfaces are offered with one of three heat source types: radiating electric coils beneath the glass surface, halogen burners, or magnetic-induction elements. All require thick, flat-bottom cookware. If gas is your choice, sealed burners are easiest to clean, and a pilotless ignition system means no hot spot when burners are off. Commercial-style glass stoves offer high BTUs (British thermal units, the measure of cooking heat) and high style. They require heavy-duty ventilation systems.

What about controls? Controls that are located on the front or on the side of the appliance are most common and convenient, but universal access means just that: While someone in a wheelchair can reach front-situated controls easily, unfortunately, so can a curious toddler. People with young children may prefer controls located on the backsplash, out of reach of exploring fingers. Wherever they’re located, controls should be easy to understand and operate. Top-of-the-line ovens may include electronic temperature readouts and touch-pad, rather than knob or dial, controls.

While many people like to blend refrigerators and dishwashers into the cabinetry with matching fronts, the latest trend is to keep ranges visible. However, if you do want to de-emphasize your oven, the easiest way is with an under-counter model. (Make sure the oven you choose is designed for under-counter use, because not all are.) You may install a cooktop directly above the oven or locate it elsewhere in the kitchen. A cooktop directly over an under-counter oven functions much the same as a conventional range, but, with no range backsplash and with the control knobs located on the countertop, the result is a more integrated look.

Cleaning baked-on spills from the cooktop has always been a challenge, but several options make short work of them. For easiest cooktop cleaning, consider ranges with ceramic glass cooktops housing electric or halogen burners; simpler knobs and handles; and a top and backsplash constructed from a single piece of metal, so there’s no seam to collect spills. Self-cleaning ovens come in two varieties: one that uses a high-heat cycle that turns cooked-on spills into ash you can wipe away, another that offers a continuous-clean function.

Range Hoods

If you don’t have a ventilation fan above your cooktop that vents to the attic or outside, you’ll want a range hood with ventilation fan built in. Why? Even if you don’t find some cooking odors objectionable, vaporized grease can dull beautiful new kitchen surfaces, and moisture can compromise the efficiency of home insulation. The solution is an updraft range hood that funnels cooking grease and smoke into one area so that the fan can draw it through a duct to the outside.

Filters capture additional grease and odors. Look for range hoods that come in copper, stainless steel, and other good-looking, easy-care materials, or customize a standard hood with ceramic tile to create a major focal point, furthering your decorating scheme. As an alternative, down-draft ventilation, usually part of a cooktop or grill, also employs a fan and duct arrangement. Units that rise above cooktop level provide the most effective venting.

Call Absolute Appliance Repair NOW if you have any problems with your oven!

(415) 831-1259

 

A washing machine that can fit in a micro-condo and uses no electricity has won a national award

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A washing machine that can fit in a micro-condo and uses no electricity has won a national award for its Toronto designer.

The Drumi clothes washer is about the size of a water cooler bottle, weighs less than seven kilograms, and is powered with a foot pedal. It’s designed to be suitable for use in the tiny apartments in crowded urban areas and in remote areas of the developing world, without good access to electricity.

It has won a $3,600 national award from the James Dyson Foundation for its inventor, Yi Jiang, a recent graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto. He and four runners-up go on to the international competition for a chance to win a $54,000 grand prize, plus $9,000 for their university, in November.

Jiang, who invented the Drumi as his industrial design thesis project, said he was inspired by his own experience living in a Toronto high-rise apartment. He found it a pain to drag his full laundry basket down many floors to the common laundry room, find a machine, find the right change, then return to pick it up 45 minutes later.

“One day, I saw someone wash some nasty shoes in the full-size washer,” he recalled.

That motivated him to come up with an alternative laundry solution.

The Drumi can wash about a quarter load of laundry or two kilograms at a time — about three T-shirts, three pairs of socks, and three pairs of underwear at once, or a single pair of jeans. It can’t wash towels or bedsheets, so it can’t completely replace a regular washing machine.

Rather, says, Megan Savage, who handles media and communications for Yirego, it’s designed to reduce the number of trips you need to make to the laundromat.

Laundry and detergent is loaded in the top, and pumping on the pedal (the way you would pump up a ball with an foot-powered air pump) with your foot turns the drum.

Not a ‘huge workout’

“It’s not too difficult,” Savage said. “It’s not like it’s a huge workout or anything like that.”

You need to pump for two minutes for the wash cycle, then another two minutes for the rinse.

After graduating in 2013, Jiang launched a company called Yirego to commercialize Drumi, winning several awards along the way.

He has just returned from a trip to China to meet with potential manufacturers. (He is also working with some Canadian manufacturers). He received an email about the Dyson award after returning to his hotel at 1 or 2 a.m.

“It’s really exciting,” said Jiang, who couldn’t sleep after getting the news.

He plans to use the money to develop the product further with manufacturers to make mass production feasible.

At the moment, the Drumi is available on Yirego’s website to pre-order for $169. Jiang estimates delivery will take place next summer, and plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign before then.

The Canadian runners up this year include:

– CEE light, a power storage device designed by electrical engineering students at the University of Saskatchewan, with add-ons that can be used for lighting or water sterilization. It’s based on an electronic device called a capacitor that can be recharged over 500,000 times without losing power, unlike a battery, and is designed to help replace kerosene and candles in places with limited access to electricity. It’s expected to cost about $10.

– Grasp, a keyless bicycle smart lock invented by mechatronics engineering students at the University of Waterloo. Instead of a key, it relies on biometrics, allowing you to use your fingerprint. It includes an app that lets you monitor it from your phone.

– Screw cutter project, a device designed by biomedical engineering students at the University of British Columbia, that helps surgeons in the developing world create custom surgical screws for mending broken bones.

– Voltera V-One, designed by mechatronics engineering students at the University of Waterloo that allows anyone — including hobbyists — to print custom circuit boards.

The James Dyson Award, run annually in 20 countries, is open to students and recent graduates in product design, industrial design or engineering who design “something that solves a problem.”

It’s funded by the James Dyson Foundation, a charity that supports design, technology and engineering education. The charity was started by James Dyson, a British engineer and founder of the Dyson vacuum cleaner company.

The cool physics of ice makers

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You might think that making ice is a simple business: just throw water into the freezer and it turns to ice. Simple, right? That’s true if you just want to make a single tray of ice, but most of us prefer to have ice available on demand. That’s why we have ice makers, devices that can make ice consistently for the many years that you will own your fridge. That takes a bit more engineering than a simple ice tray. Let’s take a closer look at how the humble ice maker creates the ice to keep your summer drinks cool.

The basic ingredient of ice is, as you might expect, water. But you can’t just throw any old water into an ice maker: good ice needs clean, fresh water. So, the first part of the ice maker is a filter that removes all of the solids (dust and dirt particles) and most of the dissolved chemicals as well. What comes out of this filter is crisp, clean, clear water that will make crisp, clean and clear ice. Assuming that you remember to change the filter, that is…

Now that we have clean water, we can start freezing it. Most ice makers are built around a tray that has semicircular or rectangular depressions in it. A valve above this controls the flow of water, filling the tray with enough water to fill the depressions, forming the shape of the ice cube. Because this tray is inside the freezer, it gets cold, and the water begins to freeze. Nearby is a sensor which is measuring the temperature of the water, waiting for it to reach a certain temperature (usually about -12°C/10°F).

Once it reaches this temperature, the water is solidly frozen and ready to remove. Ice is tricky, though: it sticks tightly to most surfaces, so you can’t just tip it out. Instead, ice makers use heat to loosen the ice. Under the ice tray is a small electric heating element, which is triggered to heat the the tray slightly, creating a very thin layer of water between the ice and the tray. This is not enough to melt most of the ice, but the thin layer of water provides enough lubrication to allow a motorized arm to push the ice out, into the ice holding bucket.

The tray is then filled again, and the cycle continues until the ice bucket is full. On most cheap refrigerators, a wire pokes down into the bucket, and the ice piling up pushes this triggering a switch that stops the ice maker cycle. When you remove some ice, the wire falls down again, disengaging the switch and restarting the ice maker cycle. More expensive refrigerators will use infrared or other sensors that don’t need a wire, but the principle is the same: they detect the level of the ice and disable the ice maker when it reaches a certain level.

Most of you will also be familiar with the curse of the cheap ice maker: you get a big block of ice because the ice cubes have stuck together. On the lower-end models that just dump the ice into a bucket, the ice cubes will stick together over time, eventually forming a solid lump of ice. This is a phenomenon called accretion, where the moisture in the air passing over the ice cubes bumps into the ice, and joins it. It’s the same phenomenon that makes icicles on tree branches on a cold night: moisture in the air freezes and sticks together, forming ice crystals that then pick up more moisture, and so on.

Inside your ice maker, the ice cubes that are in contact will join together as they accrete new ice, forming a solid block. If you have a particularly bad refrigerator (or an old one), the ice cubes may also be melting slightly as the temperature of the freezer compartment rises. This creates a thin layer of liquid water on the surface of the ice cubes, which flows together, only to be refrozen when the freezer.

More expensive fridges deal with this problem by including a stirrer, a metal rod that is turned occasionally inside the ice bucket, separating the ice cubes. This also explains the mysterious noises that you may hear from your expensive fridge in the middle of the night: it isn’t haunted, it is just stirring the ice. These more expensive fridges also separate the freezer and ice maker compartments, limiting the flow of cold air into the ice bucket so there is less moisture in the air to be captured.

So consider this the next time you grab a chunk of ice to chill your soda: the ice that you take for granted is the result of some sophisticated engineering and some basic science.

DISHWASHER TIPS

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WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THE MOST FROM MY DISHWASHER?

Cleaning your machine about once a month will remove any grease and lime scale deposits which can build up on the inside of the machine. Special dishwasher cleaners are available which are used when the machine is empty. These cleaners will often leave a fresh smell in the dishwasher too. If you want to have that fresh smell all the time, use a dishwasher freshener. These are usually supplied as hanging tags, which should be carefully positioned away from any moving arms. A freshener is essential if you load during the day and then run the machine at night.

HOW A DISHWASHER WORKS

Put simply, the dishwasher takes in cold water and heats it to a temperature far higher than possible for hand washing – usually above 130ºF. The dishwasher does not use a great deal of water, as it does not actually fill up. The water enters through a resin-based water softener, usually in the base of the machine. The water softener uses granular salt to maintain its efficiency and will require topping up regularly. Pumps force the water at high temperature into rotating arms containing spray jets. It is the force of the water that rotates the arms and enables the water and detergent to reach all parts of the load. After the programmed cycle of washing and rinsing is complete, heating elements dry the dishes, or they are left to drain dry, dependent on the programme you’ve chosen.

LOADING

crape off as much surface food as possible and place larger and dirtier items on the bottom rack with cups, glasses and less soiled items on the top rack. Load plates and glasses so they aren’t touching and put cutlery in the special basket, handles facing downwards.

These items can be washed in a dishwasher, with the following guidelines:

Glassware – Any ordinary glassware and ovenware such as Pyrex. Do not wash lead crystal glasses unless they carry a “dishwasher safe” label.
Tableware – Most everyday crockery is safe. Bone china usually has under-glaze decoration and should be safe. Avoid antique or hand-painted and over-glaze decorated items. If in doubt, check with the manufacturer.
Cutlery – Stainless steel and silver cutlery are normally suitable for machine washing, but it pays to rinse off any acidic food before loading to prevent any corrosion and, if possible remove the cutlery immediately after the cycle, to avoid prolonged exposure in a humid atmosphere. Do not mix steel and silver cutlery in the same basket and wash bone or wooden-handled items by hand.
Plastics – Check whether they are dishwasher safe and do not place in the lower rack, where the heating element may affect the plastic during drying.
Pans – Stainless steel is ideal for dishwashers. Aluminium can be washed in the machine, but may discolour during the rinsing. If in doubt, remove aluminium pans before the rinse cycle.

Always wash cast iron and wooden handled items by hand.

WHY DOES MY MACHINE HAVE A WATER SOFTENER?

If the water is soft (i.e. does not contain calcium particles), the detergent will work more effectively and there will be less streaking on dishes. Hard water can also block the washer jets with lime scale and cause deposits on heating elements, which will reduce the cleaning efficiency, increase electricity costs and shorten the life of the machine. All dishwasher manufacturers and detergent suppliers want you to get the best results from the machine – and soft water is one of the most important factors in achieving this. The way to ensure water remains soft is to regularly top up the reservoir with granular salt.

CAN I USE ORDINARY TABLE SALT?

No. Table, cooking, rock and sea salts may contain additives that can actually increase water hardness. Also, the fine consistency of some of these salts mean they are likely to clog when wet. Always use granular dishwasher salt because it is very pure and is the right consistency for use in your machine.

Granular salt is the ONLY type of salt that should be used to regenerate the softener. Be aware that some varieties of ‘dishwasher salt’ use Dead Sea salt. This variety may contain minute insoluble organic matter that may adversely affect the resin within your softener over time. If you are in doubt about the origins of the salt, ask the retailer or manufacturer.

CLOUDY GLASSES?

You can determine the cause of cloudy glassware by soaking a glass in vinegar for 5 minutes. If the cloudiness is removed it is due to hard water deposits; make sure the salt reservoir is topped up. Do not worry about over-filling it.

If the cloudiness is not removed, it is a permanent condition known as etching. In this situation, use less detergent and stop pre-washing. Dishwashing detergent needs a bit of soil to work on, otherwise it will tend to foam up.

WHAT DETERGENT SHOULD I USE?

All modern dishwasher detergents are formulated to work specifically in dishwashers. On no occasion should ordinary washing up liquid be used, as it will cause excess foam, which can result in a leak. If it is accidentally used, sprinkle ordinary salt into the chamber to disperse the resulting suds. Then rinse away the excess salt before using.

There are 3 main types of dishwasher detergent – Powder, liquid or gel and tablets. Which one you choose will be down to personal preference, but most people find tablets very convenient, although using powder is usually more economical and liquids are less abrasive on more delicate items.

WHAT IS RINSE AID?

Rinse Aid is added to a special compartment in the machine and a very small amount is released during the final hot rinse cycle, to reduce the formation of water droplets on crockery etc and so ensures that the water dries away properly and evenly to avoid leaving smears.

Call Absolute Appliance Repair NOW if you have any problems with your dishwasher!

Phone lines

(415) 831-1259 San Francisco
(415) 388-0690 Marin County
(650) 525-0512 South SF / Daly City / Pacifica

 

LEAKING REFRIGERATOR

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Most homeowners’ first reaction to a leaking refrigerator is to call in the services of an appliance repairman. If you don’t count yourself among the legions of do-it-yourselfers out there, this is still a good idea. Your fridge isn’t going to fix itself, and any leak is a sure-fire sign of something gone wrong. If you’re game for a little fridge repair 101, however, here’s a few tricks of the trade to try before you call in the experts.

Make Sure Your Fridge is Properly Sealed
One of the most common causes of a “leaking” fridge isn’t a leak at all. It’s the direct result of your fridge not sealing properly, and as a result running overtime to keep things cool. A fridge that runs excessively will build up extra condensation on the coils, which in turn can lead to the pool of water on the floor that’s causing alarm. Check the rubber door seals on your fridge and freezer to make sure you’re getting a proper seal. If you find a problem, wash the seals with warm water and soap and apply a thin film of lubricant (petroleum jelly works best). If this doesn’t solve your problem, you may need to replace the gaskets. Also, check the adjustable legs on your fridge and make sure the fridge tilts a little to the rear. If it’s leaning even a little bit forward, a proper door seal can be compromised.

Check the Drain Pan
Your leaking refrigerator may just have a cracked or damaged drain pan. Your fridge regularly drains water into this pan to prevent water pooling in the fridge itself. Evaporation takes care of the rest. Look underneath your fridge where the drain pan sits and pull it out for inspection. If it has a crack or is otherwise damaged, contact the appropriate retailer about getting a replacement as soon as possible.

Check the Defrost Drain
If your leaking refrigerator is draining inside as opposed to onto your floor, you’re probably dealing with a clogged defrost drain. Your fridge is constantly producing condensation inside the freezer, and that condensation drips down the defrost drain into a drain pan underneath the unit. This defrost drain can become clogged with debris or, more often, it freezes shut. Look in your refrigerator manual to locate your defrost drain, and take the appropriate steps to unclog it (inundating your drain with warm water will often do the trick).

Check Your Ice Maker for Leaks

If none of these other quick fixes solve your problem, check your icemaker for leaks. It’s a bit unusual, but sometimes the water line to the icemaker fails or comes loose, letting water into your freezer. Try tightening all connections, and if necessary, replacing the line that feeds the icemaker.

When In Doubt . . .
If after performing these basic inspections you can’t find the source of your leak, or if you think you’re getting in over your head, be sure to contact an appliance repairman immediately to come fix the problem. A leaking refrigerator is usually an indication of a bigger problem, and it needs to be dealt with. Finally, if you suspect your fridge is leaking refrigerant rather than water, call an appliance repairman immediately. Refrigerant is a toxic material and you need to address this issue as quickly as possible in order to avoid subsequent health risks to you and your family.

 

Kitchen Appliances Tips

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ENERGY STAR® Refrigerators Are Cool! ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerators use 15% less energy than non-qualified models. Models with top-mounted freezers use 10%-25% less energy than side-by-side or bottom-mount units.

You can save energy in your kitchen through more efficient use of your dishwasher, refrigerator and freezer, and other common appliances.

DISHWASHERS

Most of the energy used by a dishwasher is for water heating. The EnergyGuide label estimates how much power is needed per year to run the appliance and to heat the water based on the yearly cost of natural gas and electric water heating.

DISHWASHER WATER-SAVING TIPS
  • Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer’s recommendations on water temperature; many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater in your home to a lower temperature (120° F).
  • Scrape, don’t rinse, off large food pieces and bones. Soaking or pre-washing is generally only recommended in cases of burned- or dried-on food.
  • Be sure your dishwasher is full (not overloaded) when you run it.
  • Avoid using the “rinse hold” on your machine for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3-7 gallons of hot water each use.
  • Let your dishes air dry; if you don’t have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open slightly so the dishes will dry faster.
LONG-TERM SAVINGS TIP

When shopping for a new dishwasher, look for the ENERGY STAR label to find one that uses less water and energy than required by federal standards. They are required to use 4.25 gallons of water per cycle or less — older dishwashers purchased before 1994 use more than 10 gallons of water per cycle.

REFRIGERATORS

The EnergyGuide label on new refrigerators tells you how much electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) a particular model uses in one year. The smaller the number, the less energy the refrigerator uses and the less it will cost you to operate. In addition to the EnergyGuide label, don’t forget to look for the ENERGY STAR label. A new refrigerator with an ENERGY STAR label uses at least 15% less energy than non-qualified models, 20% less energy than required by current federal standards, and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001.

REFRIGERATOR-FREEZER ENERGY TIPS
  • Don’t keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 35°-38°F for the fresh food compartment and 0° F for separate freezers for long-term storage.
  • Check the refrigerator temperature by placing an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator. Read it after 24 hours. Check the freezer temperature by placing a thermometer between frozen packages. Read it after 24 hours.
  • Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or a dollar bill so it is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment, the seal may need replacing, or you may consider buying a new unit.
  • Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
  • Regularly defrost manual-defrost freezers and refrigerators; frost buildup decreases the energy efficiency of the unit. Don’t allow frost to build up more than one-quarter of an inch.
LONG-TERM SAVINGS TIP

Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying a new refrigerator. Select a new refrigerator that is the right size for your household. Top freezer models are more energy efficient than side-by-side models. Features like icemakers and water dispensers, while convenient, do use more energy.

OTHER ENERGY-SAVING KITCHEN TIPS

  • Place the faucet lever on the kitchen sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water; placing the lever in the hot position draws hot water even though it may never reach the faucet.
  • Look for a natural gas oven or range with an automatic, electric ignition system, which saves gas since a pilot light is not burning continuously.
  • Look for blue flames in natural gas appliances; yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed. If you see yellow flames, consult the manufacturer or your local utility.
  • Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean; they will reflect the heat better, and you will save energy.
  • Use a covered kettle or pan or electric kettle to boil water; it’s faster and uses less energy.
  • Match the size of the pan to the heating element.
  • Use small electric pans, toaster ovens, or convection ovens for small meals rather than your large stove or oven. A toaster or convection oven uses one-third to one-half as much energy as a full-sized oven.

How much electricity do my home appliances use?

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This chart shows how much energy a typical appliance uses per year and its corresponding cost based on national averages. For example, a refrigerator/freezer uses almost five times the electricity the average television uses. Appliances account for about 13% of your household’s energy costs, with refrigeration, cooking, and laundry at the top of the list.

COMMON REFRIGERATOR OR FREEZER PROBLEMS

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Ice and frost build-up in the freezer – This usually means that there is a problem in the self-defrost system.

You may have damaged refrigerator or freezer door gaskets. When you open the freezer door, you also let in a blast of warm, often humid air. This moisture usually freezes onto the evaporator coils immediately.

Water is inside at the bottom of the refrigerator – This is usually caused by blocked drainage tubes.

Your refrigerator feels warm or is cycling on and off frequently – Clean the condenser coils located at the bottom of your refrigerator behind the kick plate/grill.

Call Absolute Appliance Repair NOW if you have any problems with your Refrigerator or Freezer!

Phone lines

(415) 831-1259 San Francisco
(415) 388-0690 Marin County
(650) 525-0512 South SF / Daly City / Pacifica

 

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT APPLIANCE REPAIR SERVICE

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  1. Ask your friends for a referral. The very best way to find an Appliance Repair Service is by “Referral”. When someone you know recommends a company they were completely happy with(which includes service, price, professionalism, etc.)then you already know you’re getting a good company. Just be sure you trust this person’s opinion!
  2. Look for license and insurance. The ad you’re looking at should say “Licensed & Insured” and should have the company’s state license.
  3. Check to make sure their license number is valid and their insurance is current.
  4. Check the length of time the company has been in business at the same location, under the same name. A company with a long local history is a better bet than a recent startup with no history in the area.
  5. Look to see that they are in the major business internet directories.(yellowpages.com, superpages.com, google maps, yahoo local, etc.)
  6. Be aware that companies who spend a lot of money on advertising have to get that money from somewhere... usually in the higher fees they charge you.
  7. Weigh the benefits of the personal attention you will receive from a family-owned business vs the unknown technician a larger company will send. A local person has a reputation to uphold locally. A representative of a large national chain however, may or may not be concerned about giving you the best deals or service.
  8. Ask the name of the technician they are sending and ask to speak to him/her. It’s ok to ask them how long they’ve been repairing appliances and see if they will talk to you about your problem. If they are honest, they will discuss your problem with you. If you explain the symptoms you are experiencing with your appliance, they should be able to give you some possibilities of what type of repairs you may need. If they won’t talk to you about it, you should consider that a red flag.
  9. Ask a specific question. For example: “Hello, I have a Kenmore gas dryer that was working fine until today. It still runs fine but there is no heat at all. If all I needed was a new igniter replaced, which is part number 279311, how much would the total repair cost me? I understand that you may find other things wrong and the estimate you give me over the phone could change, but all I’m asking is how much would it cost me if all you had to do was replace the 279311 igniter?” If they won’t answer that question, it should be a red flag to you.

With over 15 years of experience Absolute Appliance Repair company prides on Superior Appliance Repair Service in San Francisco Appliance Repair! Absolute Appliance Repair is your source for all of your appliance repair needs.

San Francisco Appliance Repair offers top-quality appliance repair service for business and residential appliances and refrigeration.

Our high-skilled appliance repair technicians are capable of handling any job that comes their way.

Call Absolute Appliance Repair NOW if you have any problems with your appliance!

Phone lines

(415) 831-1259 San Francisco
(415) 388-0690 Marin County
(650) 525-0512 South SF / Daly City / Pacifica