Month: December 2019

Gas stoves come with a variety of negatives. Bringing a gas line into a new build increases the cost by $2000 to $5000, and that’s just the beginning. Gas stoves are more dangerous, with a likelihood of gas leaks, and increased possibility of fire. Cooking on gas stoves can cause high levels of indoor air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide, and natural gas lines leak methane directly into the atmosphere.* They are much more inefficient than electric stoves as well.

Gas Stove Bans

For all these reasons, a number of cities are taking steps to decrease the number of gas stoves in homes and buildings. In fact, on July 19, 2019, the City of Berkeley passed a ban on gas stoves for all new single-family homes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings beginning January 1, 2020. And other cities in California, Washington, and Massachusetts are considering bans or limits on use of natural gas in homes and buildings.*

Benefits of Electric Stove

• Incentives. Even without actual gas stove bans, consumers can expect regulatory and financial incentives to choose electric stoves.
• Efficiency. Electric stoves are much more energy efficient than gas ones. Seventy-four percent of the energy produced on an electric range is transferred to food compared to 40% for a gas stove. With an induction range, the efficiency rises to 90%! Induction ranges transfer heat through electromagnetism into conductive cookware (any cookware that contains iron is induction capable).
• Safety. The benefits of electric stoves continue with increased safety and diminished risk of fire. No possibility of gas leaks, and no open flames to catch fire.
• Installation. Electric stoves are simple to install—just plug it in (though some may need a 240 volt outlet).
• Cleaning. They are also easy to keep clean, especially those with a glass or ceramic cooktop. With the traditional electric stove, the ring burners can be removed and the burner pans washed. Simply wipe down the glass or ceramic cooktops with a wet cloth and some dishwashing liquid once it is cool.
• Repair. Electric stove repair is often as simple as replacement of a heating element. Depending on whether it is a range element or a baking element, it may be done without even needing to call an appliance repairman. When your electric stove isn’t functioning properly, an experienced appliance repairman like those at Dave’s Appliance can quickly and easily diagnose the problem and fix it. Electric stove repairs are much less costly and the disruption to your family life is minimal.

With the benefits of electric stoves so apparent, and the trend toward banning or restricting gas stoves, consumers have a clear choice.
*KQED Science 9/24/2019

The post No More Gas Stoves?<br/> Cities are Proposing Natural Gas Bans appeared first on Dave's Appliance Service.

When you invest in a major appliance, you want to keep it in peak working condition. The best way to do that with a stove is to clean it often. In this post, we will look at how to clean your stove top, whether it is a traditional electric range or a glass or ceramic stove top. We will also explore self-cleaning ovens and how best to use them.

• Prevent stuck-on spills. The best way to clean your stove top is to avoid having to do so. Use deep saucepans so that the probability of boil over is slight. If putting a lid on the saucepan, use one with a vent, or leave it partially off so steam can escape. When the inevitable spill does occur, wipe it up quickly with a warm, soapy cloth.
• Avoid Abrasives. If it is impossible to clean a spill right away, you are confronted with a cooked on spill. Use a sponge with dishwashing liquid and warm water, or a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water to clean it. You will be tempted to use a powder abrasive; do not succumb! Abrasives will create tiny scratches in the surface of the stove top and the next spill will cling to these and make it even harder to remove them.
• Clean Stove Parts. Periodically, it is a good idea to clean the burner drip pans and knobs. If the owner’s manual says that they are dishwasher safe, use that. Otherwise, hot soapy water works just fine. If the drip pans become dingy, just replace them. They are readily available in any hardware store and are inexpensive. If your stove doesn’t have a sealed cooktop, lift it up and clean underneath. Food and grease tend to accumulate there and a 50/50 vinegar water solution can clean it easily.
• Beware of Short Circuit Possibilities. Never wash the burner element itself. That can cause a short and you could find yourself with a nonfunctional range. Also, don’t spray around the knobs; they lead to electrical controls and a squirt could cause a short. Instead, squirt a rag or paper towel and use that to wipe them down. If you have a traditional electric range, refrain from wrapping the drip pans in aluminum foil. While that may make them easier to clean, the foil could cause the heating element to short circuit.
• Self-cleaning Ovens. Maintaining the efficiency of your stove as a whole means that you should pay attention to the oven. Keeping the oven clean is the best way to do that. However, if you have a self-cleaning oven, using that feature may not be the best idea. Self-cleaning ovens are designed to incinerate food debris by increasing the temperatures in the oven to 900º to 1000º. Not only does this take a long time (from 2 to 4½ hours), it creates a nasty odor and fumes that can be toxic. It’s best to use hot, soapy water and a plastic scrub pad to clean your oven. Clean the window with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda. If it is really dingy, wipe the window with ammonia and let it stand for 30 minutes. Then scrape it off with a plastic tool.

Your oven is a major appliance that you use every single day. With proper care, it can last decades. These tips on how to clean your stove top and deal with a self-cleaning oven can extend the life of your appliance. With increased energy efficiency, it will be cheaper to run too.

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If you reach into your washer expecting to take out damp clothes and instead find sopping wet clothes, you have a problem. When your washer won’t drain properly, something needs to be done quickly. We all know how fast dirty laundry can pile up! Let’s look at some of the most common reasons why a washer won’t drain and how to deal with them.

Before doing anything to your washing machine, it is vital that you turn off the electricity to the machine, either by unplugging it or flipping the appropriate circuit breaker. Obviously, if there is standing water in the tub of the washer, you will need to bail that out as well.

Clogged Hose

The hose that carries the water from the back of the washer to the drain may be clogged. It could be as simple as a kink in the hose; sometimes when the washer is pushed too close to the wall, the exterior hose becomes jammed or kinked and the water cannot flow out freely. In that case, the solution is simple: move the washer away from the wall and make sure the water can move through the hose. If there are no apparent kinks in the hose, there may be a clog somewhere. In that case, you will need to disconnect the hose, find the obstruction, and remove it. Have a bucket handy when you disconnect the hose for excess water. Then shine a flashlight into the hose to determine where the clog is. If it is beyond easy reach, use tongs, and if it is too deep for that to work, take the hose outside and try using a garden hose. The force of the water may dislodge the obstruction. Then reconnect the hose to the machine, and run a quick cycle to determine if the problem is completely eliminated.

Clogged Drain

If the hose is not the problem, then the reason a washer won’t drain may be the drain. This would also be a relatively simple repair. The drain is the likely culprit is there is water on the floor, or remaining in the tub. Use a plumber’s snake to clean out the drain. Hopefully, that will clear any obstruction. Again, run a short cycle to see if the problem is fixed.

Damaged Pump

When a washer won’t drain, there may well be an issue with the pump. If so, that is a more difficult repair to do on your own. You may want to call one of the experts at Dave’s Appliance. Different washing machine manufacturers have different kinds of pumps located in different places in the machine. Perhaps the screen on the pump is just too full of debris. In that case, the screen can be removed, cleaned, and replaced, and that will solve the problem. It may be a problem with the fan blades, or with the casing of the pump; if so, you may need a new pump.

One of the best ways to avoid a washer that won’t drain is to be vigilant about emptying pockets before washing. Coins and other small objects can get caught in the pump or other washer components, causing draining difficulties. If you hear unusual noises during a wash cycle, it may be a forgotten item banging around in the tub. If you have a top-loading machine, interrupt the cycle and take out the object before it can create any draining problems.

The post Washer Won’t Drain? <br/> How to Fix a Washer that Won’t Drain appeared first on Dave's Appliance Service.

A garbage disposal is a wonderful addition to your kitchen appliances, and when it suddenly stops working, you want it fixed fast. A clogged garbage disposal usually has one of several common problems. In this post, we will look at some of the typical issues of clogged garbage disposals, and how you can deal with them most effectively.

Jammed Garbage Disposal

Probably the most common issue with a clogged garbage disposal is having a foreign object jamming the works. This happens easily and frequently; the spoon that you’re scraping the plate with slips down the chute or the bone from the roast has gotten stuck. If it turns on, but just makes a humming noise, it’s likely that there is something blocking the blades. The solution is simple. First, turn off the garbage disposal at the breaker box (very important!). Then, put on some work gloves (not dishwashing gloves), and dislodge the object causing the problem. If you cannot get it unstuck and you still have a clogged garbage disposal, you will need to call a repairman. The experts at Dave’s Appliance can deal with the situation quickly and easily.

Slow Draining Garbage Disposal

When working properly, the garbage disposal should grind up the. food very slowly and the water you run should not start to pool around the drain. The whole procedure should only take a few seconds. If it is taking a long time, or the water starts to accumulate and is slow to drain, this usually indicates a problem with the blades. They are almost certainly too dull to deal with the food quickly and efficiently. The other possibility would be an obstruction lower in the pipe. If this is how your clogged garbage disposal is behaving, you should contact Dave’s Appliance to have one of our repairmen come out. Whether it is sharpening the blades or finding and dealing with a clog further down the pipe, Dave’s Appliance can get your garbage disposal working again.

Foul Smelling Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal can give off unpleasant odors because of the wide variety of food stuff that it grinds up. There are some very easy ways to deal with this issue.
One of the best ways is to put some lemon or lime wedges and ice in your garbage disposal and running the cold water for 30 seconds. Another way is to put baking soda and vinegar down your disposal. These tricks should freshen up your garbage disposal. If they don’t work, it might be a good idea to call a repairman. The professionals at Dave’s Appliance can disassemble the whole unit and clean it thoroughly.

Garbage disposals are a real asset in your kitchen, so when you have a clogged garbage disposal, you want it fixed fast. With a little bit of knowledge, you should be able to deal with some basic problems yourself. And with the help of the team at Dave’s Appliance, you can be confident that any bigger issues will be dealt with right.

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