Imagine this. You have a large load of dishes, and you don’t want to do it in two cycles. How do you fit more in a dishwasher? Are you asking this? You are in luck as there are plenty of tricks you can use to maximize the dishwasher space without overcrowding and breaking the dishwasher, and you have to hire an appliance repair professional to fix it.

Some of these tricks include:

Take out the forks, spoons, and knives

It’s recommended you clean the silverware from the bottom rack, and you can do it if you don’t have a lot of dishes to clean. But, if you have a large load like in our case, you don’t have this luxury, so you should free up space by removing the forks and knives from the bottom rack.

Luckily, the silverware is easy to clean. Put them in a sink full of warm, soapy water, and you are done in minutes.

Cleaning the bowls, salad spinners, pot liners, and other bulky items isn’t as easy, is it? So, you should let the bulkier, difficult to clean items take the space of the easier to clean items.

Hold the small items in a mesh bag.

Does your load have plenty of water bottle tops, lids, and other small items that won’t have a place in the dishwasher? You shouldn’t leave them out of the cycle. Throw them in a mesh laundry bag, then lay the bag on top of the items on the top rack and let the dishwasher do its work.

The bag keeps the small items from falling through the cracks and ensures that the dishwasher functions to its best.

Load glasses between the tines

This tip has been around for a long time, and it’s not only the best way to load your dishwasher, but also a great way to ensure that your dishwasher carries as many items as possible.

When loading the dishwasher, place glasses between the tines, and not on top of them.

By doing this, you will have a highly functioning dishwasher and get cleaner glasses and, at the same time, prevent the glasses from breaking.

Squeeze flat items around the dishwasher perimeter

Have you stocked the dishwasher to the brim, and it seems like it can’t take anymore? Not so fast. Is the perimeter full?

If it’s not, this is one of the best places to squeeze in flat items such as plastic cutting boards, sheet pans, and cooling racks.

When you put them here, you leave enough space for the bulkier items, and at the same time, you ensure they are in the spray arm’s line, so they are clean by the time you are removing them.

Place some top rack items in the bottom racks.

If you have been reading how to properly load your dishwasher, you know that each item has its place. Some items belong in the top rack and others in the bottom rack.

Most people begin with loading their top racks, so by the time they get to the bottom rack, they have fewer items.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have a few top rack items, and you have a few spaces in the bottom racks, you should go ahead and place them there. Some of the best items to put here are the mugs and cream bowls.

Since these items aren’t supposed to be cleaned here, give the racks a shake test before running the cycle.

Other valuable dishwasher loading tips

To get the most from the dishwasher, you need to load it properly. Some of the valuable dishwasher loading tips you should consider include:

Load the plates so that they face the center: The purpose of this is to ensure that they are in the spray arm’s line. Spray arms work from the middle out, so by placing the items such that they face the center, you ensure that they get the proper spray treatment they deserve.

Use a wire dish rack: Are you cleaning items that are too big for the mesh laundry bag and small that they won’t flip around during a cycle? Dishwasher repair Springfield recommend using a wire dish rack. Turn the rack upside down and use it to anchor your items down.

The post How Do You Fit More In A Dishwasher? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

My burner flames are turning orange. Should I be worried?

If you have a gas-burning stove, you probably understand a lot of the benefits this can provide, and you’re probably accustomed to seeing the bright blue flames that signify it is working well. Therefore, it can be quite jarring if you notice orange flames are coming out of your natural gas stove. Why is this the case? What does this mean for your stove? Below, we discuss some of the contributing factors to the change in color and what you can do about it.

Your Flames Turn Orange When They Become Contaminated

The most common reason why gas stoves emit orange flames is that they have become contaminated with something, usually calcium. In order for your natural gas stove to combust properly, the right amount of fuel has to mix with the correct amount of oxygen. This leads to fire and carbon dioxide. If something offsets this balance, it can lead to something called incomplete combustion. As a result, the flame color changes because the stove is not working as well.

If something contaminates this fuel and oxygen balance, such as calcium, your stove is not operating at optimal capacity. As a result, there are cooler pockets in the flames, resulting in an orange color. (Blue flames are usually the hottest flames that come out of your stove.) You need to address the buildup of this contaminant in order to ensure your gas stove is working as efficiently as possible.

A Strange Phenomenon

Something odd that we’ve noticed over the years, is that people who run humidifiers in their home will also have their flames turn orange on their gas stove. This is caused as the moisture released into the air by the humidifier combines with remnants of partially dried water droplets which contain salts, therefore causing a similar effect as the calcium we talked about. If you are experiencing orange flames and are also running a humidifier, simply try turning off the humidifier and letting the air dry out before turning on the stove. Most likely, the flame will return to blue. If not, you may be experiencing one of the other contributors we are discussing here.

Orange Flames Could Also Indicate Unsafe Carbon Monoxide Levels

There are numerous reasons why you are fuel and oxygen balanced may not be appropriate. Even though calcium is one of the most common causes, there are other issues as well, and there could be an elevated level of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious issue. This can lead to a variety of symptoms including headaches, dizziness, and nausea. In some cases, it could even render you unconscious, leading to an emergency. Remember that a gas stove is not a vented appliance. Therefore, you should only use it for cooking, not heating. If you do see orange flames, this could indicate a higher level of carbon monoxide, which is why you need to call a professional as quickly as possible.

Contact Sarah’s Appliance Repair for Help with Your Stove

If you see orange flames in your stove, this indicates it is not working as efficiently as it should. In order for you to keep your utility bills low and ensure the longevity of your stove, you need to address this issue as quickly as possible. That is where we can help you. At Sarah’s Appliance Repair, we can quickly diagnose what is wrong with your stove and get it fixed for you. If you’re concerned about your stove or any other home appliances, contact us today for personalized, friendly service!

The post Why Are My Range Burner Flames Turning Orange? appeared first on Appliance Repair New Mexico.

Are you wondering how do I get the best results from my dishwasher? There are plenty of ways on how to go about it as given by dishwasher repair professionals. Some of these ways include:

Scrape the dishes

Dish detergents work with the food residues to activate the enzymes that get the dishes clean but at the same time, they make it hard for the dishwasher that the dishwasher doesn’t get the dishes clean on the first try.

To get over this, you should scrape the dishes and get rid of most of the food residues.

Some homeowners pre-rinse the dishes which isn’t wise. While it might seem like the right thing to do, pre-rinsing the dishes wastes a lot of water than you would have spent had you run the dishwasher twice.

As you can tell, this isn’t running the dishwasher in the most effective way, is it?

Before you put the dishes in the dishwasher, scrape off the food debris into the sink or trashcan to relieve the dishwasher from too much work cleaning the dishes.

If your dishes have a lot of grease or burnt-on food on them, select the sanitize feature on your washer. The higher temperatures in the machine will help create a more thorough rinse cycle, which gives the washing machine more cleaning power.

Load the dishwasher properly

Although, all you want is for the dishwasher to clean the dishes, you need to load it properly for it to clean the dishes properly. For the best results, here are tips on how to properly load the dishwasher:

Load the utensils so that the soiled end faces up

Place the large and bulky items on the bottom rack, taking care not to block the spray arms

For the small cups, items and plastics, place them on the top rack

Avoid overfilling the dishwasher as like the refrigerator, it won’t work effectively when too full.

If necessary, place the speciality items in the appropriate dishwasher accessory. For example, for the wine glasses and chopsticks, place them in the right cleaning areas.

Regularly do a double-check and ensure that the items you are cleaning are dishwasher safe and the spray arms are free from obstruction.

Use the right detergent

As much as you only need to get the dishes clean, the detergent you use has a significant impact on the results you get.

Many homeowners have the impression that using a lot of soap with plenty of bubbles gives the best results, but this isn’t the case. In fact, when you use a lot of soap you leave a pile of foamy bubbles that can erupt from the machine and get into your kitchen floor damaging it.

The excessive detergent can also create a buildup of moisture that can take a long time to air out, which can end up damaging the washing machine.

When it comes to your detergent of choice, you should use powder as it cleans better and it doesn’t get gummy around the parts so your dishwasher is less likely to break down.

Use hot water

Hot water always cleans better so before you start cleaning the dishes, ensure that your dishwasher is receiving enough hot water. You can check the temperature of the hot water at the kitchen faucet using a meat or candy thermometer.

For the best cleaning experience, ensure that the water is at least 120 degrees.

If the temperature isn’t high enough, adjust it accordingly.

You can also ensure you have enough hot water in your dishwasher by running hot water in the kitchen sink before you start the dishwasher.

Select the right cycle

You can be using the right detergent and the right temperature but if you choose the wrong cycle, there is no way you are going to properly clean the dishes. To get the most from your dishwasher, choose the right cleaning cycle.

Most dishwashers have three cycles: regular cycle for normal cleaning, the heavy-duty cycle for deep cleaning heavy-duty materials such as pans and pots and the light cycle for cleaning china and fragile items.

Keep the dishwasher clean

The same way you should clean your car is the same way you should clean your dishwasher to remove stuck-on food particles, mineral buildup and residual detergent. You can do the cleaning by yourself or hire a professional appliance repair Alexandria professional to help out.

The post How Do I Get The Best Results From My Dishwasher? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

When you buy a refrigerator, you want it to last for as long as possible. Unfortunately, the appliance can’t just last for a long time—you have to take good care of it.

How do you take care of a refrigerator? According to refrigerator repair professionals, there are plenty of ways to do it. Some of these ways include:

Keep the door closed.

Keeping the fridge door closed prevents the cool air from leaving the fridge. This prevents the refrigerator from overworking, which keeps the energy bill low and ensures that the fridge has a long life.

To ensure that you open the fridge door only when it’s necessary, think about what you need before you open the door. This way, you go straight to what you need without holding the door open, thinking about what you want.

Other people will get what they want then fail to close the door completely. This is wrong, as it’s the same as when you don’t pick what you want fast.

After you have picked what you want, confirm that you have fully closed the door.

Keep the fridge level.

There are plenty of downsides that come with a fridge that isn’t level. For one, the doors don’t close as well as you would want them to. As you can guess, this results in the fridge overworking, and it has a short life. The motor also stains, and this also contributes to the fridge going to an early grave.

When you place the fridge in your house, take time to confirm that its level. One of the best ways to go about it is to place a level tool on the shelves. If not balanced, adjust the feet or place a piece of stone or wood to keep it balanced.

Clean the coils

Although not visible, coils caked in dust, debris, and pet hair make the fridge overwork which works against the appliance.

For your appliance to last for a long time, you need to clean the coils. The coils are located at the bottom of the fridge or in the back. To access them, you have to remove a grill. In some cases, depending on the type of fridge, you have to snap off a plate or remove a few screws to access them.

If the coils in your appliance are located at the back, you have to roll or move the fridge away from the wall to access them. While at it, clean the floor under the fridge using a vacuum, stiff brush, or any specialized tool.

When it comes to cleaning the coils, you don’t need to be fancy about it. Simply running a vacuum or brush over and under them will get the work done. Besides the coils, also clean the condenser fan.

To keep your fridge in top shape, clean the coils once or twice a year. You can clean them even more regularly if you have a pet that sheds.

Maintain the right temperature

To prevent your fridge from overworking, you should regularly check the temperature in the fridge and freezer sections of your appliance. For an ideal functioning fridge, the fridge compartment should be around 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while the freezer section should be at zero degrees Fahrenheit.

If you have an older model without an inbuilt temperature gauge, buy an inexpensive thermometer from your local home improvement store.

Run it full

A fridge with fewer items is more efficient than a full one, right? Wrong. When you fill your fridge, the cool air easily moves from one item to the other, which comes in handy at helping the unit cool better and operate more efficiently.

While you should keep the fridge full, you should be cautious that you don’t overstock it such that there is no room for the cool air to flow, which leads to the food spoiling.

Overstuffing the fridge also blocks the vents and controls, causing the fridge to overwork and head to an early grave.

Place it away from heat sources.

Most people place their fridges in the kitchen, where most of the heating appliances are located. While this is the case, it’s still possible to place the fridge away from the oven, cooktop, and other heat sources.

According to appliance repair Alexandria professionals, placing the fridge close to the heat-generating items makes the fridge work harder than it shoul. This not only results in it consuming a lot of energy but also drives it to an early grave.

The post How Do You Take Care Of A Refrigerator? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

When you need an appliance repair company, you need to find a good one. The best practices you should look for fall into the following six categories: Communication; Expertise; Equipment; Respect; Honesty; and Value. This post will consider each of these in turn.

Communication

Is it easy to get a hold of your appliance repair company? When you call, you should be able to speak to a real person who really listens to your problem. You should be told when to expect the repair person, and that should be a brief window of time, not all morning or all day. You should expect that your repair person will call you if there are any issues with the arrival time, and that he will explain the problem with the appliance to you clearly. Finally, your appliance repair company should tell you approximately how much it will cost to fix the problem.

Expertise

Your appliance repair company should have certified technicians, holding both state and federal certifications. Ideally, they should be factory-trained. Look for an appliance repair company that is well established and has a good reputation. If it’s been around for some years, it will have clients who have been helped and a name to live up to. Read its reviews, and not just the ones on its website. Look at reviews on consumer websites like Angie’s List. Reviews should mention knowledgeable technicians and proper equipment, among other positive attributes.

Respect

You want an appliance repair company that has respect for your time, for your home, and for you personally. Working with you to come to your house at a time convenient for you is a mark of respect. When the repair person comes to your home, he should make every effort to keep your space clean and tidy, both during the repair itself and when it’s finished. That’s a mark of respect. He should make sure that his repair efforts disrupt your family routine as little as possible, explain the situation to you clearly and without jargon, and give you an honest assessment of any costs or time frames involved.

Honesty

You need an appliance repair company with a strong reputation for honesty. When appliances break, repairing them can sometimes involve a lot of money. Your appliance repair company should be able to give you accurate estimates, and also let you know if there’s a range of costs. An honest appliance repair technician will tell you when you’re better off replacing an appliance rather than repairing it, too. And if you’re dealing with an independent appliance repair company rather than one connected to a major brand, you can be certain that they’re not motivated by any self-interest.

Value

The most inexpensive appliance repair company is not necessarily the best value. Value is determined by cost, of course, but it is also determined by elements like dependability, responsiveness, and relationship. Does your appliance repair company offer same day appliance repair? It should. Does it charge you another service call charge if a return trip is needed because of ordered parts? It shouldn’t. These are the kinds of intangibles that really enhance an appliance repair company’s value to you. You want someone you can rely on to get there when needed, deal with the issue appropriately, and charge you a reasonable fee.

Appliances cost a lot of money, and when they break down, it can bring chaos into your family life. You might feel desperate, but you should still take the time to find the best appliance repair company around. You’ll be glad you did.

The post What Should I Look For in an Appliance Repair Company? appeared first on Dave's Appliance Service.

Your garbage disposal is an important kitchen appliance. It allows you to deal with food waste quickly and efficiently, minimizing the risk of ants or other pests attracted to food. So when your garbage disposal starts making strange noises, you need to pay attention. Here, we’ll explore what it means if your garbage disposal starts humming, and what you can do about it.

The humming sound that your garbage disposal makes indicates that there is power coming into the unit but the blades are not turning. Sometimes the sound is more like a buzzing rather than a humming. Sometimes you may find that the garbage disposal will stop on its own even if you did not turn the unit off. There are a number of reasons it might be making these noises or behaving in this way.

Poorly Ground Food

Garbage disposals work by grinding up the food waste and washing it down; sometimes, though, it is not ground up as thoroughly as necessary. It is not uncommon that large bits of food or bone become stuck between the impeller blade and the drain hole causing the unit to jam. When you hear the humming or buzzing, don’t immediately assume that somebody put something down the disposal that shouldn’t be there. It could be poorly ground food.

Foreign Object

Maybe somebody did put something down the disposal other than food. It’s easy to drop a spoon or other utensil, and if it isn’t immediately retrieved, it can cause a blockage. Maybe a child threw something down the disposal and didn’t mention it. In any event, the foreign object could certainly cause the impeller blades to jam, producing a humming or buzzing sound.

Tripped Power Breaker

Garbage disposals are usually on a separate circuit breaker known as a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI). GFCI circuit breakers and outlets protect people from electrical shock. If they detect an energy leak of even a thousandth of a milliamp, they will shut down the circuit. If your garbage disposal is humming or buzzing, it could be due to a tripped breaker. This lack of electrical current to turn the motor may cause a humming sound to be produced.

What to Do?

Reset the Unit
If the problem is a tripped breaker, simply press the reset button and see if normal disposal operation is restored. The reset button can be found at the bottom of the unit. Since this is an easy fix, it’s a good idea to start with that. If the humming or buzzing persists, you’ll need to investigate further

Identify and Remove Blockage
Whether it is a large bone or a fork, an object stuck in the impeller blades needs to be removed. Since this involves some danger, it may be something you want the experts at Dave’s Appliance to do. If you want to attempt it yourself, you need to follow these steps:

Cut the power to the garbage disposer by unplugging the unit and cutting the electrical circuit. This prevents the motor from burning out and more importantly ensures that you do not get electrocuted;

Under the sink you will find the breaker socket at the bottom section of the garbage disposal. You need to insert the hex head Allen wrench in that breaker socket;

Start moving the wrench back and forth to get the flywheel to turn and set free the jammed particle in the impeller blades;

Return power to the garbage disposal unit and check if normal function has been restored.

When your garbage disposal starts acting up, you want to deal with it right away. Hopefully, a simple reset eliminates the humming or buzzing. If a blockage is the problem, you might want to contact us at Dave’s Appliance. And if you identify and remove a blockage yourself, but the humming or buzzing persists, you should definitely give us a call.

The post Garbage Disposal Humming? appeared first on Dave's Appliance Service.