Cleaning your refrigerator is important as it keeps it looking great and ensures it’s in top working condition all the time. While this is the case, the big question is, how do you clean your refrigerator? According to refrigerator repair professionals, proper refrigerator cleaning requires you to follow the right steps that include:

Step 1: Switch off the fridge.

If you can easily move the fridge and access the plug, turn off the circuit breaker serving the refrigerator. You should note that you don’t have to do this on all refrigerators. If your fridge has removable shelves and you are cautious about keeping the door closed while cleaning, leaving the fridge on makes no difference, but if your appliance doesn’t have removable shelves and you are going to have the doors open for long hours, unplug the fridge to avoid wasting electricity.

Step 2: Remove all the food.

The first thing to do is to remove all the food from the fridge. Toss any old or expired food into the trash. Remove the food that is still good and place it into a cooler to keep it cold while cleaning the remainder of the fridge.

Step 3: Remove the shelves and drawers

Does your fridge have removable drawers and shelves? Remove and set them aside. If you got any drawers and shelves made from metal or plastic, wash them with hot water and dish soap. For glass and ceramic pieces, gradually warm them up to room temperature before washing them with scalding water. This is to prevent them from cracking and breaking.

Step 4: Wipe down the interior

Using a clean cloth with hot water and mild dish soap, wash your fridge from top to bottom to prevent the water from dripping onto the surfaces you have already cleaned. If the insides have tough, stuck-on spills, use a plastic, non-abrasive scrubber to clean them.

If you got no scrubber, lay a warm wet cloth over the spilled area for a few minutes for the spilled area to get softer and easier to wipe away.

As you are cleaning the insides of the fridge, remember to clean the rags, so you don’t transfer dirt. Also, consider using multiple rags to maintain cleanliness. Once you are done with the insides of the fridge, pay attention to the interior doors.

Step 5: Clean the shelves and drawers

After removing the shelves and drawers, now it’s time to clean and dry them. Be cautious when cleaning, so you don’t break the slippery glass shelving.

Step 6: Dry the interior of the fridge

Once everything is clean and tidy, use a clean, dry cloth or towel. Wipe the interior of the refrigerator to ensure it’s completely dry. Remember to dry the interior walls as well.

Step 7: Replace the food.

Now, it’s time to put food back into the fridge. If you have jars or containers that you may need to store the food, now is a good time to clean them. Remember to use clean cloths when cleaning the jars and dry them thoroughly once you are done.

Step 8: Clean the freezer

Using the above-mentioned methods, clean the freezer. The cool thing with freezers is they often don’t get a lot of spills, so you don’t need to scrub them. You only need to check for and remove expired foods.

If there is some dirt or want to leave the freezers sparkling clean, go ahead and clean them.

Step 9: Clean the outside of the refrigerator.

Start cleaning the fridge from the top and work your way to the bottom using hot/warm water and mild dish soap. If you have a stainless steel fridge, use a soft, non-scratching rag and vinegar or window cleaner to clean the surfaces.

While at it, remember to clean the rubber gasket seal around the door edges using warm water and dish soap. By doing this, you remove dirt and grime that might have collected there, putting the seal at the risk of cracking.

Clean your fridge once a month

For an optimally functioning fridge, clean it at once every month. You don’t have to hire an appliance repair Fairfax professional to help you out, as you can do most of the work by yourself.

The post How Do You Clean Your Refrigerator? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Having a self-cleaning feature of an
oven can seem like a huge bonus, but in some cases, they are more
trouble than they are worth. If you are not sure if you should be
using the self-cleaning option on your oven, we welcome you to check
out this advice from your local
appliance repair company. If you have questions or need
assistance, contact American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934.

Understanding How the Self-Cleaning Cycle Works

First, let us cover how the
self-cleaning cycle even works. It raises the temperature within the
oven up to 1,000 degrees F. This burns away all food particles and
any debris. The temperature is kept this high for several hours, and
anything in the oven will be reduced to ash that can be simply wiped
out when the cycle is complete.

It is Effective but it Can Pose Risks

Yes, this is an effective way to clean
your oven. That said, anything you have temperatures that high and
food burning, there are potential risks. We suggest that if you are
going to use the self-cleaning option, you first lightly wipe out the
interior of your oven to get rid of any surface dirt. You should then
remain home during the entire cycle.

It is always wise to have a fire
extinguisher handy in the kitchen, but this is especially true when
you are using the self-cleaning option. Make sure your kitchen is
well-ventilated throughout the process.

The Self-Cleaning Function Can Cause Damage

It is also important to know that the
self-cleaning could actually damage your oven. The high self-cleaning
temperature can damage many American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934 for fast service.

The post Should You Be Using the Self-Cleaning Option on Your Oven? appeared first on American Appliance Repair.

With so many cheaper and efficient dishwashers in the market, it’s normal to ask yourself, is it worth fixing a dishwasher when it breaks down?

The answer to this question isn’t a yes or a no, but more of a decision-making answer. To decide whether to fix or replace the appliance, you need to consider several things such as:

The amount charged by the service provider

When your appliance breaks down, you hire a dishwasher repair professional to fix it. Different professionals charge different rates depending on their experience, location, and nature of the problem.

To decide whether to fix the appliance, compare the contractor’s fee and the cost of a new appliance. Of course, you shouldn’t pay for a repair when the fees are higher than the cost of a new appliance.

The appliance repair market is full of unscrupulous contractors, so be cautious when comparing prices.

Don’t approach one contractor and think that is the amount charged by all contractors. Get quotes from 3 to 5 contractors from different locations, then compare them.

Avoid uptown based companies as they charge higher fees. The high fees aren’t because the contractors provide the best services, rather because they pay higher rents there.

If you do your comparison and find that the average price is higher or close to the price of a new appliance, simply get a new unit.

On the flip side, if you find the repair price lower than the machine’s price, fix the dishwasher. For best results, work with an experienced technician that understands what they are doing.

Age of the appliance

How long has the appliance been around? If your appliance is 8, 9, or 10 years, don’t bother fixing it—simply replace it.

The reason for this is because most of the modern appliances are designed to last for only 10 years. This means the closer your appliance is to 10 years, the better it is to replace it.

The problem the appliance has

Minor dishwasher problems are easy and cheap to fix, so it makes sense to fix your appliance if it has a minor problem. If your appliance is missing a seal, pressure switch, latch, drain pump, fill valve, or any other easy-to-find part, simply fix it.

On the other hand, if the appliance has a serious problem such as a malfunctioning motor or circulation pump, it’s more economical to replace the dishwasher as the cost of a new part and installing it will be much higher than the cost of a new dishwasher.

Warranty

If you have had your dishwasher for 1-2 years, you most likely have a warranty. This means when the appliance breaks down, you simply take it to a factory-authorized shop and have it fixed at no cost to you.

Due to this, it’s better to have the dishwasher fixed regardless of the problem’s nature. After all, the cost isn’t transferred to you.

If you never bothered with the warranty at the time of purchase or your appliance is old, you aren’t covered by the warranty, so you have to shoulder all the costs.

If the problem is minor, you can get money from your pocket and pay for it, but you are better off replacing the unit if the issue is complex.

Buying a new dishwasher

If you don’t have a warranty, your dishwasher is old, and/or the appliance has a complex problem, you shouldn’t bother with fixing it. Instead, buy a new one.

When buying a new appliance, take your time and ensure you buy the right one. One of the things to look at when buying is the efficiency rating of the unit.

Of course, you want a highly energy-efficient dishwasher that will consume little energy and function efficiently for a long time.

The price is another factor to consider. While expensive dishwashers function better and last for a long time, avoid the luxurious ones as they have too many features that you probably won’t need.

Go for moderately priced units within your budget.

After buying the appliance, take good care of it, so it lasts for a long time, and avoid hiring appliance repair Alexandria professionals now and then.

The post Is It Worth Fixing A Dishwasher When It Breaks Down? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Any time an appliance starts to make
noises that it does not normally make, it is cause to worry. However,
not every surprising noise is a big deal. For example, if you have a
gas oven and it makes a hissing sound, it is just the gas releasing
that will be ignited.

The most concerning noises an oven can
generally make are rattling, scraping, buzzing, or grinding noises.
Learn the most common reasons for those noises and when you should
call your local
appliance repair company for oven
repairs.

You Might Have a Loose Impeller Fan

Convection ovens often make noises, and
in part, this is generally due to the way their impeller fans work.
These fans work to circulate hot air around the oven cavity, which
helps food cook faster. However, having these extra fans mean that
there can be extra problems. Warping in the fan blade can lead to
banging, or squeaking and squealing can occur if the spindle of the
fan is too dirty.

When the impeller fan is the issue, the
good news is that it is generally not actually a problem with the fan
– it just needs to be either cleaned or lubricated. Before you
start looking for replacements, make sure that it does not just need
to be cleaned.

Your Cooling Fan Might Be Faulty

If you do not have a convection oven
but are seeing and hearing the same symptoms as described above, it
could be an issue with an entirely different fan – the cooling fan.
Not all ovens have one, but these fans are designed to automatically
run when the oven is done being used in order to quickly cool it
down. If you hear screeching, grinding, or squeaking noise – but
only when you shut off the oven – it could be due to a dirty
cooling fan.

You Could Have a Loose Oven Panel

When a body panel is removed from an
oven and put back on, it might not be screwed on tightly enough, or
it could be that it was not flush. For both gas and electric ovens,
there will be small vibrations when the oven is working, but that
vibration could potentially cause the loose panel or screw to rattle
around.

If you have recently taken the door of
your oven off to make your own repair, and there is a rattling sound,
make sure that you have closely screwed in everything you took out.
If you have not recently made any repairs, then we recommend
contacting an appliance repair company to find out what your best
options are. Contact American Appliance Repair at 800-640-9934 for troubleshooting or a
repair appointment.

The post Discover the Most Common Reasons Your Oven Might Be Making Noises appeared first on American Appliance Repair.

Often at the bottom of most refrigerators, the compressor is the heart of the refrigerator’s operating system. The compressor compresses the refrigerant before sending it on to the condenser coil where it exchanges its heat with cool air.

Being an integral part of your fridge, you should pay close attention to it and fix it before the problem gets worse. How do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad? There are plenty of things you can look out for as given by refrigerator repair professionals. These things include:

Fan stops

The compressor fan is necessary to cool the system and prevent overheating. When the fan stops working, it makes the fridge start making weird noises.

If you have noticed your fridge overheating or making funny noises, chances are the fan has stopped working and you might be having a compressor problem in your hands.

Don’t fix this problem on your own. Instead, hire a fridge technician or electrician that understands how to replace fans to do the work.

You can’t hear the compressor working.

If you are at home most of the time, you must have heard the compressor kicking on and off. This is characterized by a faint humming noise from the fridge, and when you hear the hum, you know the fridge is running.

If you have been in the house for the entire day and you haven’t heard the noise, chances are the compressor is bad.

Pull the fridge away from the wall and listen carefully. Can you hear the sounds of the motor running? If it’s all silent, the compressor isn’t working.

If you hear humming sounds, but the fridge’s food is warm, the compressor is functioning improperly, or you have another problem.

Failure of the fridge to cool enough

As mentioned above, failure of the fridge to cool enough is a clear telltale sign you have a problem with your compressor. Your compressor will also be faulty if some parts of the fridge are less cool than before.

To tell what is happening, test the compressor motor. To do it, you need to access the motor from the back of the fridge.

You can do the work by yourself but if you are scared due to a capacitor’s presence, let an experienced professional do the job.

Look at the relay switch.

If you aren’t afraid of doing some sleuthing on your own, you can access the relay switch and find out whether your compressor is faulty.

To access the switch, you need to remove the panel on the side of the compressor. The relay switch resembles a small ink cartridge both in size and shape and after getting hold of it, give it a bit of a shake and if it rattles, the switch is faulty, and you need to replace it.

If you shake the switch and there is no rattle, the switch has no problem, and the problem is most likely due to a bad compressor.

The compressor is making a lot of noise.

The compressor is usually silent, so if you have noticed yours making a lot of noise, it’s most likely faulty. Before you conclude that you should replace the compressor, you should note that the compressor handles the gas and pressure inside the fridge so the noise might be associated with the high pressure and bad gas maintenance.

If you aren’t experienced in handling these issues, it’s wise you hire a professional that knows what they are doing.

The fridge keeps tripping the circuit breaker.

If your fridge intermittently trips the circuit breaker when starting up, it means your compressor is bad or is beginning to fail.

It has been shown that the electric motor draws 5-6 times its operating current when starting up. As the compressor ages, it takes longer to reach operating speed which prolongs the inrush current that causes breakers to trip intermittently.

Compressor runs continuously

Your compressor is definitely faulty if it runs continuously without the freezer and refrigerator compartments reaching their proper operating temperatures.

You should note this problem can also be brought about by low refrigerant levels in the fridge or failing compressor valves. Let an appliance repair Fairfax professional look into the unit before making your decision.

The post How Do You Know If Your Refrigerator Compressor Is Bad? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair