Would you love to keep your fridge in perfect working order and keep off refrigerator repair professionals? You should keep these fridge rules into consideration:

Keep the fridge at the right temperature

Setting the fridge at the optimal temperature not only keeps your food fresh, but also prevents it from overworking. The ideal fridge temperature is between 1c and 4C as you have to keep the food at 5C or lower. If you recently visited the grocery store, so the fridge is full, keep the temperature settings a little lower to save energy.

If it’s empty or cold, keep the temperature a little high.

Besides doing this, make it a habit to defrost your appliance when the ice is more than 5mm thick or prevent the air from circulating as effectively as it should.

Keep the fridge clean.

It goes without saying that you have to keep the fridge in top shape to keep it clean. As a rule of thumb, clear any spillages as soon as they happen. You should also wipe down the handles daily and clean the door outside at least once a week.

Regularly inspect the shelves and containers for lackluster or out-of-date food items and remove them.

At least once every three months, empty the refrigerator and draw out all the removable parts (drawers, shelves, and racks), then wash them with hot water and washing liquid.

Never use bleach or any non-food-safe chemical cleaners.

If the fridge is too dirty or you have gone for a long time without cleaning it, you need to deep clean it. To do this, use a toothbrush and thick paste of bicarb mixed with water and get rid of any stains.

You should then unplug the unit and clean it by hovering underneath and behind it. You should also remove any vented covers and reach the dust-coated fans and coils.

Store the right things in the fridge

What you store in your refrigerator goes a long way towards maintaining sanity in your appliance. Don’t store opened tin cans in the appliance as once you open them to the air, the tin from the can can transfer more quickly to the can’s contents.

Only place cans that come with resealable lids in the fridge, and always decant leftovers.

You also shouldn’t refrigerate hot food as they cause contamination and mess up the fridge temperature, causing it to overwork.

If you want to store your food in the fridge, wait for it to cool completely.

Some of the items in the fridge include: milk, yogurt, all berries, citrus, fish, and any opened products that specify refrigeration once opened.

Eggs require consistent temperatures so if you bought them refrigerated, keep them that way.

You also should keep large tubs of nut butters that you don’t need immediately and open pickles and jams.

Place the items on the right shelves.

Placing the right items in the refrigerator isn’t enough—you need to put them on the right shelves.

Top shelf: This shelf belongs to the items that don’t need cooking. These include: dips, sliced meats, deli dishes, leftovers, tortilla wraps, etc. This shelf is also perfect for any unfinished tin cans.

Middle shelf: The best items to store here are dairy and eggs. Don’t store the items on the door racks or egg holders to avoid damaging your door.

Bottom shelf: You place meat and fish here

Vegetable drawers: These are designed for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and leaves. Lettuce and other greens belong here.

Store all soft, fresh herbs (except for basil) here.

Door racks: Door racks are for juices, condiments, spreads, and other items with long shelf lives.

Undertake regular inspections

After buying, most homeowners don’t inspect their appliances, which is wrong. To ensure that your unit is in top working condition, make it a habit to inspect it at least once a year. Go around the unit and find any issue it might be having.

You can inspect yourself or hire an appliance repair Springfield professional to help you out. When hiring the repair expert, ensure they are experienced and know what they are doing.

The post 5 Rules for a Perfect Fridge first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

5 Ways to Fix Standing Water in the Bottom of Your Dishwasher  

After every cycle of (most) dishwashers, there should be about 2 cups of water in the unit. If there’s overflow in your appliance, you’ll need to do some investigating. The good news is that puddles at the bottom of your dishwasher aren’t necessarily a reason to call a professional repairman. We’ll look at what you can do to get your dishwasher back up and running (without overspending).

What You Need to Know

Clogs, user error, maintenance issues, broken parts: these are the most common causes of standing water in dishwashers. This means that fixing can be as easy as rinsing off your dishes better or replacing a small (and inexpensive) part. So, if you have too much standing water accumulating in your dishwasher, take these steps:

1. Check the Filter

Even self-cleaning filters will need to be checked every so often to ensure the hoses are intact and the drain basket is empty. If there’s any build-up, it won’t be able to keep the water clean during each wash cycle. Your owner’s manual will have the exact details based on the type of filter you have.

2. Remove the Garbage Disposal Knockout Plug

The garbage disposal can have a lot to do with how your dishwasher drains. Removing the knockout plug will allow the water to flow more freely, so there’s less standing water inside. You can do this with nothing more than a hammer, screwdriver, and pliers. Check the drainage hole to see if the plug is there. If it is, use the screwdriver and hammer to remove it.

3. Unclog the Air Gap

Not every dishwasher has an air gap, but it’s normal for it to become clogged after a while. If you see a small cylinder that has a protective metal casing, you can use a pipe brush and regular soapy water to clean the inside. You may also need to use a drain snake to ensure the whole pipe is clean.

4. Straighten the Drain Hose

The drain hose helps keep dirty water out of the dishwasher. If there are any kinks or folds (or if it’s clogged with food), it can cause standing water. To fix it, you’ll need to turn off the power, locate the hose, and check to see that it’s not twisted or clogged. In some cases, you can use your hands to gently untwist it so the water flows freely.

5. Clean Your Spray Arm

This is unlikely to be the problem, but small bits of food can become lodged in the arm and impede the cleaning process. Cleaning the spray arm is recommended regardless of whether you have standing water, though, and can be done with a toothpick and a combination of water and vinegar.

If all of the above are clear, this is when it’s time to check the drain pump motor, which we don’t recommend you DIY. Sarah’s Appliance Repair is here to help if you need help with getting your dishwasher back up to speed.

The post Fix Standing Water in the Bottom of Your Dishwasher appeared first on Appliance Repair New Mexico.

Are you wondering, what should you not do with a washing machine? Well, there are plenty of things. Here are some of these things as given by appliance repair professionals:

Leaving wet clothes inside

With the hectic lives we are all leading, it’s easy to be distracted by other tasks while doing laundry, and we forget a load of clothes in the washing machine. Sometimes we are distracted or even on days that the clothes develop mildew and foul odor.

These are not only bad for your clothes, but the machine as well, which is a double tragedy.

To avoid this, set a timer or reminder on your phone to get a notification when the load is done.

Don’t overload the machine.

When you are in a hurry, it’s easy to want to load the machine with as many clothes as it can carry, so you are done fast. Don’t do this.

You should note that washing machines are designed to wash a certain weight of clothes, and when you exceed, you increase the chances of damaging the machine where the drum spins get damaged, but you also fail to clean the clothes properly.

To avoid damaging your appliance, you shouldn’t overload it. When doing the loading, ensure there is a space between the top of the load in the drum and the top of the drum itself. The space should be around the width of your palm.

Instead of cramming everything into one load to save time, use the quick washing setting for two decent-sized loads. In most modern machines, this will cut the washing time by half so you can wash many clothes without overloading the machine.

Forgetting to sort

Forgetting to sort your clothes not only damages the clothes, but the machine as well. Failing to sort your laundry leads to color bleeding, clothes shrinking and unwanted pocket items floating around during a washing cycle.

To avoid this, sort your laundry before putting it in the washing machine. It’s during sorting when you will find that you have a black permanent marker in your pocket. It’s also when you will prevent the whites from turning grey as you separate the clothes into the colored and whites, and run two loads.

Choose the wrong setting.

Although you can wash most of your clothes using the normal setting and come out perfect, there are a few clothes with special instructions you should be cautious about as they can get damaged when you wash them at the wrong temperature.

Most clothes are made from cotton that shrinks when you wash them for the first time. If the water temperature is wrong, the shrinkage worsens.

To prevent your clothes from shrinking and ensure you are cleaning them at the right temperature, read the label to find out the right temperature you should clean the clothes. You should also use the manual to find the best program to clean the clothes.

If you are worried about your clothes shrinking or losing their shape, wash them in cool water by hand, then dry them on the washing line or airer.

Failing to clean the washing machine

Many homeowners think that the washing machine is self-cleaning, so they don’t need to clean it, but this isn’t the case. Over the months and years of cleaning, the insides of the washing machine get dirty, mold builds up, and this can lead to the machine smelling bad.

To keep your appliance running in top condition and smelling fresh, make it a habit to run a service wash at 90 degrees at least once every month. You can run the wash using a detergent, a specialist washing machine cleaner, or any natural product such as vinegar.

Besides doing this, refer to your manual and see what else is recommended.

You can do the cleaning by yourself, but if you aren’t confident in your skills, you can always hire washer repair Springfield professionals to help out. The cool thing with hiring professionals is that besides running the service wash, they also inspect the appliance and fix any issues that might be present.

Of course, when hiring professionals, hire experienced technicians that know what they are doing. You don’t want someone that will damage your expensive unit, do you?

The post What Should You Not Do With A Washing Machine? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Have you just bought a dishwasher or moved to a house with a dishwasher and you have never used it before? Here is a guide given by dishwasher repair professionals on how to use a dishwasher for the first time:

Load the dishwasher

Everything begins here. After all, there is no way your dishes will get clean if you don’t load them, right?

To give your appliance an easy time, scrape any extra food from the plates before placing them in the dishwasher. Evenly space the dishes with the dirty side angled down towards the water jets, taking not to overlap the dishes, as doing so will prevent the water jets from reaching the insides for thorough cleaning.

Place the right items in the top and bottom racks for pristine cleaning.

For the top rack, load items such as cups, mugs, bowls, wine glasses, and even water bottles. Position the small bowls and plates between the tines and place the plastic container and lids on the top rack to avoid warping.

As you are placing the plastic containers, note that not all plastics are dishwasher safe, so check the bottom of your plastic ware to ensure that it’s safe.

When it comes to the bottom rack, place large kitchenware such as serving platters, dinner plates, stainless steel pots, dishwasher-safe baking dishes, and other heavily soiled dishes.

Position the pots and pans along the sides of the dishwasher or towards the back and add utensils to the dishwasher’s utensil basket. When placing the items in the basket, ensure that the sharp objects such as knives face downward, to avoid injury.

Before closing the dishwasher door, ensure that nothing is blocking the wash arms.

Load the dishwasher detergent

Once the dishes are in place and in their right racks, the next thing you should do is to load the dishwasher detergent.

While detergent dispensers vary depending on the model, you should follow the same procedure regardless of the nature and placement of the dispenser in your appliance.

Begin placing the detergent in the detergent dispenser, then add rinse aid to the rinse aid dispenser up to the point where it says full.

You should then close the lid and press firmly until it clicks shut.

You should note that the detergent you use on the dishwasher significantly impacts the results you achieve, so ensure that you use the correct one. As a rule of thumb, use detergents formulated explicitly for automatic dishwashers.

There are plenty of detergents you can use. From liquids, gels, tablets, packs to powders, you will be spoilt of choice. There is no right or wrong detergent to use—you only need to find the one that works the best for your appliance and use it.

Select a wash cycle

Now you have your dishes and detergent in place, the next task is to choose a wash cycle. Most dishwashers have at least three cycles: quick, normal, and heavy.

Quick: This cycle uses a lot of water, energy, and high temperatures, giving you fast results. Use this cycle when you have lightly soiled dishes and are in a hurry.

Normal: The normal cycle is the most commonly used, and it allows you to clean everyday messes without using extra water. Use this cycle on the day-to-day loads that aren’t heavily soiled.

Heavy duty: This cycle works best for loads that include pots, pans, and other heavily soiled items. As you might be guessing, this cycle will use a lot of water and higher temperatures.

The cycle you choose depends on the size of your load and how dirty your dishes are.

Setting a cycle is easy as all you need to do is use the buttons located on the top or front of the appliance.

Start the dishwasher

After setting up everything, the next thing you should do is to start the dishwasher. Before you fire it on, appliance repair Northern VA recommends you double-check and ensure there is nothing blocking the wash arms.

For your appliance to function optimally, ensure that the water temperature is 120ºF as it enters the dishwasher. Remember that if the water is too cold, it won’t clean the dishes as well as they should. At the same time, if the water is too hot, it might make the baked-in food harder to remove from the dishes and pots.

The post How to Use a Dishwasher for the First Time first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair