Maintaining your refrigerator is critical to keeping your kitchen clean and your utility bills low. A fridge that is not properly maintained will consume more electricity than necessary. According to refrigerator repair professionals, preventative maintenance lets you detect a problem before it grows or worsens to the point where it can no longer be repaired.

You also risk not maintaining appropriate temperatures within the fridge, allowing food to degrade faster. Suboptimal temperatures can also cause mold to grow in various compartments and waterlines.

To keep your fridge in top shape, you have to be strategic in organizing your maintenance schedule. To help you out, here is how to go about it:

Tasks you should do every month

You don’t have to be a skilled repair professional for efficient preventive maintenance. There are simple actions you can complete once a month to protect your most vital kitchen appliance. These tasks include:

Deep clean the fridge

Many people keep putting it off, but deep cleaning the refrigerator does not take as long as you think. Usually, you don’t even need to keep anything in a cooler. Remove everything from your refrigerator and arrange it on the counter in a single stack.

Make sure you remove and clean all of the shelves. Use an all-surface cleanser or a vinegar-based solution to remove organic residue from spills and seepage. Next, clean the fridge’s walls, the top and bottom of each shelf, and the inside of the drawers.

Get rid of the spoiled food.

Pay attention to what goes into the refrigerator as you refill it. As a rule of thumb, discard any food, beverages, or containers that have been there for at least a month or that you do not recall putting in the first place.

Check expiration dates regularly to avoid storing ruined food. This way, you can prevent mistakenly consuming or drinking something you shouldn’t. This strategy can also assist in avoiding unattractive and harmful mold development and contamination.

Ensure the vents are clear and open

No containers or bags should obstruct the vents between the freezer and refrigerator. This is where the chilly air comes from, so these sections require adequate ventilation.

Things to do every few months

You should strive to go through these processes at least twice a year if not more. These steps are crucial for keeping your fridge in peak condition for an extended period.

Test your door seals.

Check the seals on your refrigerator and freezer doors every two to three months. First, take a few minutes to clean the seals and remove debris. After cleaning, check the seals for wear and tear or breakage.

A simple solution is to close the fridge door with a $1 bill. After you close the door, try to remove the bill without opening it. If you can remove it, you may need to repair your door seals in poor condition.

Swap out the water filters.

You should replace these filters every three to nine months, depending on how much water or ice you use. A good rule of thumb is to update your water filter every six months.

Clean the coils

The coils on the rear of your refrigerator are responsible for heat removal. You’ll need to relocate your refrigerator to access the coils, and you should disconnect it before cleaning them. Then, use a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush to remove the dust.

Clear out the drain pan

To eliminate condensation, your refrigerator employs a drain hole and a drip pan. Your owner’s manual should include instructions for removing mineral deposits from the drain hole. You’ll also need to empty the drip pan and remove any debris.

What to do once a year

Defrost the freezer

When your freezer or refrigerator has accumulated frost, empty it. A small amount of ice on the walls of your freezer is acceptable. However, if there is enough ice to block away space for food, you may encounter difficulty. Defrost the refrigerator entirely, using glasses of warm water to speed up the process.

Wipe off the defrosted walls with vinegar and consider changing your fridge settings to reduce frost buildup in the long run. If the buildup occurs quickly (over a few days or weeks), you may need to have the entire defrost system serviced.

Confirm the fridge is on level.

Use a bubble level to test the top of the refrigerator from all four corners. If the fridge isn’t level, move the feet in or out until they are. This movement enhances food storage and cooling efficiency, preventing the door from swinging open or closing.

Be on the lookout for common problems.

Even when undertaking preventative maintenance, you should be alert for any issues. Numerous warning indicators indicate that your refrigerator is malfunctioning. Recognizing these early warning signs allows you to address a problem before it worsens.

These signs include:

Excessive condensation: Too much condensation indicates your refrigerator isn’t cooling correctly. If condensation accumulates in or around the fridge, call a repairman to keep your food from rotting.

Cold spots: Certain areas of the refrigerator may be colder than others. For example, the top shelf may be frozen while the bottom is warm, or vice versa. Cold spots in your refrigerator can ruin food or cause extra thawing during dinner preparation.

Food spoiling too quickly: Your food may decay considerably faster than the expiration date suggests. Fast spoiling indicates that your refrigerator is not maintaining the proper temperature to preserve and keep items fresh.

Overheating motor: Overheating from the engine indicates that the refrigerator is working harder than necessary. Excessive heat in the condenser might cost hundreds of dollars in electricity.

Excessive condensation: Too much condensation usually indicates that your refrigerator isn’t cooling correctly. If condensation accumulates in or around the fridge, call an experienced appliance repair Alexandria professional to keep your food from rotting.

The post The Ultimate Refrigerator Maintenance Checklist first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Refrigerators are a household necessity, but they are quite expensive. They can cost a lot of money, depending on the refrigerator brand and features desired. Because the fridge costs a lot of money, it’s important to take proper care of it so it lasts as long as possible. A refrigerator’s usual lifespan is 10 to 15 years; however, according to refrigerator repair professionals, it can survive up to 20 years if properly maintained.

Knowing how you may be limiting the life of your fridge allows you to avoid bad behaviors and make your well-spent bucks go further. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of ways you could shorten the life of your refrigerator. These things include:

Failing to clean the fridge

Debris, foodstuff, sticky spills, and other frequent culinary mishaps that remain on the refrigerator door gasket for an extended period can tear or destroy the seals of your unit. This can result in a leak, enabling cool air to escape. You don’t want this.

To keep your fridge in good condition for as long as possible, wipe down the door edges on a regular basis. While you’re wiping down your fridge, check to see if you’ve properly organized it to keep ingredients fresh and prevent food diseases.

While you are at it, also remember to clean your fridge’s coils. For a great experience, make it a habit to clean them once a year. If you have pets, do it twice a year.

Remember that debris on the coils can prevent your refrigerator from effectively releasing heat, causing your compressor to work harder and longer than it was designed to. This increases the amount of energy used by your refrigerator and reduces its longevity.

Running the fridge full at all times

As much as you want to store as much food as possible in your fridge, you should be cautious when stockpiling and storing. While this is not a major issue with modern models, certain older versions have fan blades that are not as well shielded. In such a case, you can even see the fan blades in your freezer or refrigerator.

If you have an older unit, cramming your food into it and the freezer to the point of putting too much pressure on it can cause a break.

Ineffective refrigerators are often overworked, which tend to fail eventually. To avoid overfilling your fridge, perform a deep clean of the contents now and then and remove any debris that might be there. Not sure where to begin? Look for the things that you haven’t used in a while and get rid of them.

Running your unit in the wrong temperature

The incorrect freezer temperature might shorten the life of your ice maker and compromise the safety of the food you’ll be consuming. A temperature above 15 degrees Fahrenheit might potentially cause the defrost thermostat to fail, overloading your refrigerator and shortening its life.

You should make it a habit to check the temperature of the cooling system in your refrigerator and freezer on a regular basis.

The refrigerator’s internal temperature should be between -4 and 0℃. You should note that this temperature may vary from time to time, which is normal; however, you must ensure that it does not interfere with the refrigerator’s operation.

If you believe your refrigerator is not maintaining the proper temperature, you can reset the thermostat setting, which should resolve the issue.

If resetting it doesn’t solve the problem, you should contact a professional refrigerator repair service provider to help you out.

Failing to inspect the fridge

Most people will run their units without paying attention to them, which is wrong.

If your gasket does not seal properly, cold air might escape, causing the unit to work harder and consume more energy to maintain the desired temperature.

This is not only bad for your refrigerator, but it will also increase your energy bill. As a result, you must check for symptoms of wear and tear on an ongoing basis.

If you notice cracking or degrading sounds, you must replace them to avoid significant refrigerator issues. As part of your regular refrigerator maintenance practice, clean the gasket with warm, soapy water to prevent crumbs and spills from damaging the seal.

If you discover that your refrigerator is constantly running or is running louder than usual, take action immediately. Some repairs are simple enough for you to handle yourself or are inexpensive for a professional, but even if that’s not the case, letting a fridge work harder than it should is an excellent way to shorten its lifespan.

Depending on the age of your refrigerator, you may decide not to repair it and instead invest in a new, more energy- and cost-efficient model.

Failing to close the door after using the fridge

Your mother may have always had to yell if you failed to close the refrigerator door. As much as you might have hated it, she was correct. Keeping the fridge door closed is one of the most effective strategies to maintain proper fridge upkeep.

This is because the fridge has to work harder to maintain the proper temperature when the door is regularly opened.

To be safe, you should always consider what you need from the refrigerator before opening the door and take everything at once. When you’re finished, make sure to close the door tightly. This will keep the cold air from escaping from the refrigerator.

When you spend minutes on the fridge door deciding what you want, you should note that you allow hot air into the fridge, which causes it to work harder than it should. As you can guess, this causes the unit to have a shorter lifespan. You don’t want this, do you? So, always ensure that you keep your fridge door closed at all times.

As mentioned above, to minimize the amount of time you spend in the fridge, ensure that you know what you want before you head to the refrigerator.

Parting shot

These are some of the ways you are shortening the life of your fridge. To be on the safe side, take good care of your unit and be ultra-cautious about how you handle it. If you notice any issue with it, always move with haste and even consider hiring an appliance repair Springfield professional to fix any problems that might be too complex for you.

The post What Shortens The Life of a Refrigerator? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Are you ruining your refrigerator without knowing it? To extend the longevity of your refrigerator, here are a few good things you should do as given by refrigerator repair professionals:

Ensure there is proper ventilation

Refrigerators work hard to keep food in cold, safe conditions. This intense work generates heat, which refrigerators must evacuate. Poor ventilation implies insufficient space surrounding the unit to dissipate the heat.

In addition to the limitation of space, dust and debris accumulating in the vents impede airflow. Over time, this prevents heat from escaping the fridge, affecting the internal temperature and causing the appliance to fail.

Keep the door closed at all times.

Refrigerator doors must remain closed at all times. It’s easy to lose track of time while standing in front of the shelves looking for items, but you should note that leaving the door open might harm the fridge in the long run.

The internal temperature rises when the refrigerator door is repeatedly left open, or the door gaskets fail to seal correctly. The quick temperature change requires the motor to work harder to maintain the ideal cool, food-safe temperature, leading it to overheat and eventually fail.

You don’t want this, do you? To keep your appliance in top working condition, you should always reduce the time you keep the door open. Before you open the door, you should know what you are looking to get from the fridge.

This way, you can go straight to the fridge and get the item without wasting too much time wondering what you wanted in the first place.

Properly clean the fridge.

Refrigerators, like any other device, require frequent cleaning, mainly when used in high volume. To ensure peak performance, you should thoroughly clean the device’s interior and exterior. Clean the exteriors thoroughly to prevent dirt and debris from gathering in the vents.

Leave the internal components to a skilled refrigerator technician. This is because trying to clean the interior yourself can cause drainage to the interior system, causing obstructions and leaks.

You should work with a professional who will properly clear the defrost line to prevent it from becoming clogged or freezing, as well as water leaking from the coils and gathering at the bottom of the unit.

Don’t neglect the coils.

The coils are one of the most critical components of a refrigerator. Simply said, they keep the fridge cold by eliminating heated air, resulting in chilly, food-safe temperatures.

When the coils become broken or clogged, they cease to operate effectively and, as a result, cannot maintain the desired interior temperature. This causes the unit to consume more power to compensate for the diminished function, shortening the lifespan of the coils and necessitating a premature and costly replacement.

To be on the safe side, also clean the coils. You should avoid cleaning the coils yourself as you will most likely cause damage, and you don’t want this. The right way to do it is to let an experienced professional do the work.

Remove torn gaskets

Simply closing the refrigerator door is insufficient; you must also consider how well it seals. Door gaskets and rubber seals that run along the door frame reinforce the seal and provide insulation to prevent warm air from entering the interior cabinet and raising the temperature.

The motor works harder to restore the appropriate temperature, increasing energy bills. You should regularly check the gaskets and replace any that are torn.

You can do the replacement yourself, but for the best outcome, let the work be handled by an experienced professional who knows what they are doing.

Run the fridge at the right temperature.

Setting the wrong temperature in your fridge means that your unit functions harder than it should, which increases its chances of breaking down. Keep your unit at the right temperature to ensure this doesn’t happen.

If your unit doesn’t have a thermometer, invest in one. To use the thermometer, dip it into a cup of water. Why? Your refrigerator measures the temperature of the air around your food, but you want to replicate the temperature of the food itself.

After 24 hours, check the thermometer and adjust the temperatures of your appliance accordingly.

Many freezers now feature a smart thermostat that automatically regulates the internal temperature to maintain food safety. If manual controls are provided, avoid setting the temperature too low to prevent the motor from overworking and maintain a comfortable atmosphere.

Too low temperatures can also cause food to freeze—even when it shouldn’t—and frost to collect inside the cabinet. Be ultra-cautious, read the handbook, and consult a skilled technician about the best settings you should go with.

Keep warm food out of the fridge.

Hot, freshly prepared food doesn’t belong in the refrigerator until it has cooled. While it is crucial to avoid leaving food out too long, keep track of the time and allow it to cool adequately.

You should note that placing hot food inside the refrigerator raises the interior temperature, affecting the quality of the other perishables. This also makes the device work harder to maintain the temperature.

The best way to go about it is to let the food cool completely before you place it in the fridge.

Defrost the fridge

Many freezers are now designed to self-regulate and defrost automatically. However, ensuring that the unit is defrosted regularly when in use for lengthy periods is still critical.

Frost is widespread in older refrigerators, accumulating over the inside coils and reducing the fridge’s efficiency when left alone.

Establish a regular defrost schedule for older refrigerators and ensure adequate thermal transfer between refrigerator components.

Parting shot

You should do these things to keep your fridge running efficiently and ensure it’s in proper working condition at all times. For the best outcome, ensure that the maintenance work is handled by an experienced appliance repair Fairfax professional who knows what they are doing.

The post How to Extend the Life of Your Fridge Last for as Long as Possible first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Where would people be without washers? In some families, these are used daily. Most people rely so heavily on them that it seems like the world’s end when the washing machine fails.

You don’t want your washing machine giving out on you in the middle of a cycle or failing to clean your laundry as well as you would want it, do you? To help you out, here are tricks given by washer repair professionals to ensure that your unit functions optimally at all times:

Descale the unit regularly

Descaling your machine regularly helps to prevent limescale buildup. To descale the machine, run a standard wash cycle with no laundry in the drum, substituting a large cup of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice for laundry detergent.

Alternatively, you can use a descaling solution. The frequency with which you must do this is determined by the hardness of the water in your location and the number of loads of laundry.

You should also use a water softener in each wash to prevent limescale from forming in the first place.

Clean your machine regularly

Cleaning your washing machine regularly is equally crucial as descaling. With each use, leftover detergent and softener remain in your machine.

If you go for a long time without cleaning your unit, you will start seeing suds at the end of the cycle. If not handled, these can accumulate and affect efficiency.

Worse, this promotes bacterial growth, resulting in musty odors. To help prevent this residue, you should clean your washing machine regularly.

Begin by running an empty service wash once per month. If one is unavailable, use a hot wash at 60 degrees or above. For the best outcome, clean your machine every three to six months to keep detergent buildup under control.

Don’t overwash your clothes

Many people are guilty of repeatedly overwashing their clothes. Recent research from Chalmers University of Technology discovered that when picking what to put in the laundry basket, many people are more likely to be motivated by disgust than by sustainability.

That means that people tend to wash far more garments than they should, which puts additional strain on the washing machine. It’s also bad for the environment, as excess detergent is consumed, and hundreds of thousands of microplastics are emitted per load.

The next time you throw something in the laundry basket, consider whether it needs to be washed. This way, you get to reduce the amount of washes you have to undertake over time, reducing wear on your machine.

Spread your load

Most people know not to overload their washing machines, but underloading can bring just as many issues. ‘When clothes become wet, they become heavier. Add a towel or two to balance the load if you’re washing a pillow or a small, single duvet.

You only need to ensure you do not exceed your machine’s maximum capacity.

It’s critical to do this because if your washing machine loses balance, it can begin to tremble violently as it prepares to spin. This reduces the unit’s efficiency and can damage both your floor and the machine itself.

Ensure your washer is balanced at all times

To keep your washer in good condition and ensure that it cleans your load well at all times, ensure it is balanced.

Most people know that overfilling the washer may cause the machine to become inefficient and imbalanced. This can also occur when there are too few items in the load.

Adding or removing a few items often solves the problem if the washer becomes unbalanced.

Use a washing machine-safe bag if you are washing items with strings or laces that could become stuck or twisted.

Use the right cycle or mode for the type of load you’re washing. Setting the washer to the “standard” cycle while cleaning many towels may cause the machine to be imbalanced.

Whenever you notice your machine being unstable, hurry, find out why this is the case, and fix it.

Remove clothes from the tub once you are done

You should not leave anything in the tub after washing your clothes. You should leave the door open to allow air to circulate the machine, keeping it dry, free of mold and germs, and extending its life.

Remove the garments as soon as possible so they don’t get stuck on something else or cause damage to your machine. If this happens and you cannot remove whatever is stuck, contact a professional immediately.

Don’t use hot water

Most people prefer hot water to wash their clothes. This is wrong. Most people don’t realize that hot water is bad for your washing machine’s health. When you routinely use hot water, you reduce its efficiency, and you have to get a new unit in no time.

To be safe, clean the washer using warm water instead of hot water. So, even when pre-soaking, always use lukewarm water.

Perform regular maintenance

Taking good care of your washing machine makes the unit more efficient and, at the same time, increases its lifespan by many years.

As a user, you can undertake routine cleaning or hire qualified appliance repair Springfield technicians who have the knowledge and expertise to inspect critical components such as the heater, motor, and pipes.

Maintaining your washer regularly will save you money on repairs and replacements by keeping it working like new year after year.

When you run a properly maintained unit, you not only get excellent cleaning results but also have peace of mind as you know there are fewer chances of your unit breaking down in the middle of a cleaning cycle.

The post Tricks to Make Your Washing Machine More Effective first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

While many people love the larger counter space with their glass cooktop, it can be difficult to keep clean. You’d think the sleek, flat top would be simple to clean, but the glass surface is so delicate that you must take extra precautions not to harm it, even while cleaning.

Unfortunately, even seemingly harmless practices may wreak havoc on a glass cooktop. To help you out, here are things given by cooktop repair professionals that can ruin your cooktops:

Placing hot lids face down on the cool cooktops

There have been reports of glass cooktops cracking due to hot pan lids left on the surface. How does this occur? Heat is trapped under the lid, forming a vacuum seal, and the pressure causes the cooktop to break.

You can get away with placing hot lids on your glass stovetop with no trouble, but one day, you won’t be as lucky, and your cooktop will break. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so you should start laying your hot lids on a pot holder or dish towel from now on.

Failing to clean your cooktop after every use

Putting off cleaning up your mess can only worsen matters in the long run. If there is a boil-over or spatter, wipe it up with a wet cloth as quickly as possible (remember not to use a cleaning solution while it is still hot, but a moist towel will suffice).

After each use, let your cooktop cool fully before spraying it with vinegar or your favorite glass cooktop cleaner, wiping it down with a damp microfiber cloth, then buffing it dry with a dry microfiber cloth.

Using course cleaning materials

If you have burnt food or stubborn stains on your cooktop, you may be tempted to use heavy-duty scrubbers. You should note that even the scrubby side of a sponge can be too harsh for a glass cooktop’s delicate surface.

Abrasive cleaners and scrubbing instruments (like steel wool) can leave tiny scratches or deep pits on your cooktop. Stick to the soft side of the sponge, or better yet, use cooktop pads.

These sponges are designed to reduce scratches on glass cooktops. You can find them at any of your nearby grocery shops.

If you can’t remove stuck-on trash with a soft sponge, try lifting the food with a plastic or silicone spatula.

You can use a razor blade scraper for particularly heavy messes. If the mess is too dry, try softening it with white vinegar or a glass cooktop cleaner. When using the scraper, avoid puncturing the cooktop with the blade’s corner.

Cleaning the cooktop while still hot

Washing dishes while they’re still warm can help you easily remove grease and grime, but the same idea does not apply to glass cooktops. Allow your cooktop to completely cool before using any type of cleaner, chemical or otherwise, since the cleaner may burn on the cooktop and cause irreversible damage.

There is also the risk of the cooktop breaking, especially if your water is too cold.

Using a glass cleaner to clean the cooktop

Using a glass cleaner on a glass cooktop appears rational, but you should avoid it. The cleaning contains ammonia, which is too harsh for a glass cooktop and can leave lasting stains and streaks. Not to mention that turning on a stove while the cleaner is still on the surface emits ammonia fumes.

To be safe, you should use a cleaner designed for a glass cooktop. Great options include pantry essentials like white vinegar and baking soda.

Leaving dirty dishes on the cooktop

If you’re like other homeowners, you tend to leave filthy utensils on your glass stovetop. As you can tell, this adds to the mess you’ll have to clean up later.

Instead, you should place utensils on a spoon rest or paper towel. Even more critical, ensure that whatever cookware you put on the cooktop has a perfectly clean bottom. Remember that a greasy skillet combined with a hot burner makes a challenging mess to clean up afterward. And you don’t want this, do you?

Sliding heavy cookware on the cooktop

You can still use cast iron on a glass or ceramic cooktop. Many people are using cast iron on a glass stovetop every day.

While this is the case, do not drop or slide the cookware around the surface. Instead, gently lift it and place it back down, moving it from one location to another with the handle. The same applies to other forms of heavy cookware, such as ceramic cookware.

Placing too much weight on the cooktop

A glass stovetop’s weight limit is approximately 50 pounds. Most of the time, this won’t be an issue, but it does imply you shouldn’t stand on your cooktop to reach a high cabinet, and large canners may also surpass the weight restriction of a glass stovetop.

As a result, you shouldn’t place them directly on the surface. Like any surface that you place more weight than it can handle, placing too much weight on your glass cooktop puts it at risk of breaking.

Parting shot

These are some of the mistakes you can make with your glass cooktop. Remember that your cooktop is delicate, so you should be ultra-cautious about how you handle it.

As tough as it seems, don’t use any tough cleaning products. As mentioned, don’t place heavy materials on it as it can easily break. And as you can tell, you can’t hire an appliance repair Northern VA professional to fix it.

Your only solution is to replace it, which, as you can tell, doesn’t come cheap.

The post 8 Mistakes You Are Making with Your Glass Cooktops first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

After installing a new cooktop, you have good intentions to keep it clean and shiny. Unfortunately, cooktops are subjected to frequent usage and quickly begin to look shabby unless you take great care of them each time you use them. Before long, spills will burn onto the surface, and scratches will accumulate in the burner rings.

To keep your cooktop looking new, you must know more than how to clean a glass. Thankfully, with a little know-how, you can prevent recurring scratches and marks. Here are tricks to keep your glass cooktop in top condition that will ensure that you don’t need to get appliance repair professionals when your unit fails:

Don’t scrape your pans across the cooktop surface

Don’t drag your pans on the glass surface while cooking; always move them away. Most people ignore this cardinal rule when they shake and combine the ingredients, which explains why many cooktops have zig-zag scratches and are all pointing in the same way.

You should stop this.

Even if you’re using a lightweight pan, the base will scratch and pit the surface of the cooktop as it drags, so avoid it. Ensure that you gently lower your pans onto the stove. Remember that lamming them down can scratch or even fracture the glass. You don’t want this, do you?

Keep the bottom of your pans clean.

Most people overlook the bottom of their pans when cleaning them. For starters, stains on the underside are often baked in and impossible to remove. Second, many believe that since the food isn’t contacting it, it doesn’t really matter. Actually, it does.

If your pan has stains and residue baked into the base, it will be much simpler to scratch and damage the stove’s glass surface. In extreme cases, it will also impede your pan from evenly transferring heat during cooking, as well as emitting foul odors as it heats up.

To protect your cooktop surfaces and ensure that your pan is as effective as possible, keep the bottom of the pan clean at all times.

To clean the base of a pan, make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it across the surface. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes before scrubbing it away with a non-abrasive sponge or old toothbrush.

Choose the right cookware.

You should make sure that you select the ideal cookware for your stove. This refers to the material of the pan’s base, which ideally should be stainless steel.

Because of its flat surface, stainless steel is ideal for use on glass stovetops, and it has enough weight to keep it steady when cooking. This is not to claim that switching to stainless steel will prevent stove top scratches, but it will be gentler on the surface in use.

When using it, remember not to drag it on the surface as you will cause damage to the cooktop, and you don’t want this.

Get a cooktop cover

There are cooktop covers available that you can use to protect the surface when not in use. These are also useful if you have a limited amount of countertop space, as the top of the stove can serve as an additional room.

If you have an induction glass stove, some mats are safe to cook directly on. These mats decrease scratching and heat exposure from the pan to the glass surface, allowing the cooktop to last longer.

Keep in mind that these mats should not be used on a conventional electric glass cooktop since these surfaces heat up far faster than induction, which would burn most mats. Consult the manufacturer for help if you are unsure how to use them properly.

Stay away from abrasive cleaners.

You should never use abrasive cleansers or scouring pads, such as steel wool and scrubby sponges, on your glass cooktops. This is because they are overly abrasive and may permanently harm the surface, producing scratch marks that you can’t remove.

The scrapes are also likely to contain material that will be difficult to remove.

To be safe, you should use softer materials that won’t cause any damage to the surfaces. In most cases, a sponge, soap, and water are enough.

Be cautious of cast iron.

While cast iron is an excellent cooking material, it is incredibly heavy and can cause significant damage to glass cooktops. Take particular caution while laying your cast iron cookware on the surface, and avoid dragging it over the glass – the weight will increase the likelihood of significant scratches.

As mentioned above, you are better off with cookware made from stainless steel as it tends to be more tender than your glass cooktop.

What should you do if your glass cooktop gets scratched?

Your glass cooktop should still function normally with minor scratches, but if it is chipped or cracked, you should stop using it and replace it.

If you want to reduce the look of the scratches, try cleaning the surface completely, as recommended by the manufacturer. If many marks turn out to be charred residue, a scraping tool can help significantly.

If your cooktop is too damaged and you feel that you have to replace it, don’t go blindly at it. Instead, get the input of experienced cooktop repairs Springfield professionals. These professionals will help you choose a unit that is not only efficient but also one that can take a lot of abuse and last for a long time.

Parting shot

These are some of the tricks you can use to ensure that you don’t damage your glass cooktop. As much as you should be ultra-cautious of the nature of the pans that you get, the unfortunate truth is that any type of pan can scratch your glass cooktop.

Thankfully, you can avoid scratches by choosing a style with a smooth base, such as stainless steel. You can also go with enameled or ceramic pans that also have a smooth finish that helps prevent scratching.

As mentioned, how you use the pan is crucial. Never drag it across the surface; instead, lift it and softly settle it. Also, make sure to wipe the underside on a regular basis to prevent residue from burning to the base and harming your cooktop.

The post How Do I Protect My Glass Cooktop? Here Is How To Go About It first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

If you are like other homeowners, you want your fridge to last for a long time, function as efficiently as possible, not to mention look organized, right? Well, there are plenty of things you can do. These things include:

Clean the fridge religiously

You must keep your fridge clean for it to operate at its best. The effort required to keep the unit in top shape decreases with frequency of use, so you need to use it regularly.

Your fridge may need to work harder to keep things cool if you only clean it out once or twice a year. Besides having a dirty and disorganized fridge, it is a waste of space and energy to have a shelf full of expired products you will never use.

If you give your refrigerator a simple cleaning once a month, you’ll notice that it looks and works much better.

According to refrigerator repair professionals, you should routinely clean your refrigerator with a food-safe solution. Use a store-bought product or create your own homemade remedy to clean surfaces and effectively provide a pleasant scent.

Sort your fridge with baskets.

One great approach to organizing your refrigerator is to use little baskets to manage different products on shelves, indoors, and even in the freezer.

Organizing your fridge’s contents with baskets will help, and the basket’s base will also serve as a barrier to catch spills and food debris. If milk leaks, you simply need to clean the basket rather than the entire shelf.

Keep a basket filled with wholesome snacks to help you stick to a balanced diet.

Label everything

Putting labels on drawers, doors, shelves, and baskets is a great way to create fridge heaven. This is because you can quickly tell where everything is.

For a great experience, organize your refrigerator according to meal type, product category, or “use by” date. You can do this in your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator.

Remember to use labels that will stick to the food items or baskets even when they freeze. The last thing you want is the labels to keep coming out.

Have a list of the contents on the door.

Using the space on your outer fridge door to keep an inventory of what you have and need is an intelligent way to determine what you need to restock.

Some popular ideas are to paint the door with blackboard paint, magnetic shopping lists, or whiteboard markers. After all, there’s no better way to know what you need than what you have.

As wise as it is to have a list, remember that you shouldn’t make your fridge look too dirty and disorganized by putting too many details on the door.

Line the shelves and drawers

Regardless of how organized and clean you are, your fridge will unavoidably get messy every now and then. As long as you use your fridge, you will occasionally leave behind crumbs from a poorly wrapped pastry, drops of jam, and drips from opening drinks. These aren’t pleasant to have, are they?

Sometimes, cleaning the refrigerator shelves is just too much work after a long night of preparing supper and doing the dishes.

The best (and simplest) solution to this issue is to use a heavy-duty, water-resistant liner that is easy to clean and remove for thorough cleaning to line the shelves and drawers.

Rather than using typical plastic shelf liners, use old sheet pans and baking trays that have peeled or warped. The elevated sides greatly improve spill containment and are far simpler to take out (almost like a drawer).

They also help when you are cooking big dishes and want to combine specific things to get everything you need at once instead of searching around.

Put related products together

Although it may seem obvious, you’d be amazed how many people mindlessly throw items into their refrigerators. This is wrong as it makes it hard to find what you want.

A good way to do this is to note items that complement one another and combine them. For example, combine deli meats and cheeses, eggs and milk, and peanut butter and jelly.

If you are confused about what to group, consider your regular dining routine and identify the combinations you most frequently choose. When you do it right, you will spend less time rummaging through your fridge to find something. You will also easily tell what is about to go out and replace it early enough.

Put items in their right spots

By placing things in their best possible location, you can significantly extend the shelf life of your refrigerator’s contents. For instance, you shouldn’t keep the milk in the refrigerator door due to excessive temperature fluctuations. Instead, put it on a middle shelf.

Storing the milk here ensures that it doesn’t spoil and makes it easy to access. You can also tell when you are about to run out and replace it.

Have a lazy Susan

A revolving shelf in your refrigerator is a great idea. It makes it easy to quickly view and access the condiments and canned and jarred goods you have on hand to garnish your gourmet sandwich.

When installing the lazy Susan, ensure that it’s professionally installed. This way, you can be sure that it can hold your items and the items you don’t have to put in the fridge. The unit also frees up space in the fridge, which means that you have more space to store the things that matter.

Parting shot

These are some things you should do to keep your fridge functioning optimally. By doing these things, you will not only keep your unit in top shape, so you won’t need to hire appliance repair Northern VA professionals to fix it if it breaks down, but you will also have an easy time finding the different items in your unit.

The post Valuable Refrigerator Tips Every Homeowner Should Know first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

Cooking takes much less time if you know what you have and where everything is stored. By being organized, you have an aesthetically pleasing fridge and ensure that everything is safely stored and there is no risk of contamination.

Are you wondering what goes where in a fridge organization? Here is how to ensure that everything is in place, as given by appliance repair professionals:

Upper shelves

The refrigerator experiences temperature variations, much like your oven, especially when heat rises. Because they are the warmest, the upper shelves are ideal for:

Eggs: Even though some refrigerators are made with egg sections on the door, eggs do best on the second shelf, which has a steady, cold temperature.

Milk: Keep milk away from the refrigerator door. Since the refrigerator’s warmest spot is where milk is stored, you should keep milk at a lower temperature. For convenience’s sake, place plant-based milks like almond and oat milk next to the cow’s milk, which you should always put at the top.

Juice:  You should place freshly squeezed juices that haven’t been pasteurized close to milk. This makes sense even in non-pasteurized cases. You can use the refrigerator door for soda, bottled water, and all other juices.

Fresh herbs: You should frequently arrange the herbs you use in a little jar with water, treating them like flowers. They can be uncovered for a week or covered for two to three weeks with a plastic bag or moist paper towels.

Cultured dairy products are excellent for adding more flavor and protein to dishes. These products include labneh, Greek yogurt, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta, and sour cream. Since they quickly prepare and contain milk or yogurt, you should frequently keep chia pudding and overnight oats on this refrigerator shelf.

Baking Soda: You should keep a box of baking soda in the refrigerator since it helps to neutralize food odors. It works great for baking and fits in the fridge just about anywhere.

Lower shelves

The lower you go in the fridge organization, the colder it gets. Whether or not your refrigerator has dedicated drawers for produce and meat will determine how you arrange this shelf.

Ready-to-eat snacks: If your young children can help themselves with snacks, place those in front of the refrigerator at eye level, perhaps on the second shelf from the top, so they can see and reach them without assistance. Add single-serve juices, smoothie yogurts, and washed and snack-ready fruits and vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sweet peppers.

Already cooked foods such as farro or baked oatmeal, or leftovers from meals you’ve prepared. For easy access at dinnertime, you can put any frozen or marinating meals (like yogurt-marinated chicken) in this space.

Bread: You should keep your bread chilled or store it on the lower shelf.

You should also store your raw fruits and veggies as low as possible if you don’t have produce drawers. Keep vegetables apart from fruits, as many release ethylene, which causes vegetables to wilt too soon. Make your produce drawers with receptacles if necessary.

Doors

The items on the refrigerator door receive a burst of heat each time the door is opened. As a result, doors make great storage for shelf-stable products you want to chill, including juice or water, and products that naturally preserve well due to their high sugar or vinegar content and lengthy shelf life.

These products include applesauce, jams, and jellies. (both store-bought and occasionally handmade)

Condiments: Mayonnaise, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, maple syrup, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spicy sauce, ketchup, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, and salad dressings.

Pickled Products: Pickles add flavor to any meal, so you should keep pickled onions, turnips, sliced dill pickles, cornichons, capers, banana peppers, and olives (Kalamata, black, and green, like Castelvetrano and Cerignola) in your fridge.

Za’atar: A spice of salt, sesame seeds, dried oregano, and sumac. Although you can make it at home, you can buy it and store it in large mason jars in your refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

Drawers

Unless you are a vegetarian and can use the drawers for meat storage. The three most common drawers found on most refrigerators are as follows:

Meat and Poultry Drawer: Don’t squander this space on Coke cans. Some refrigerators even pipe colder air into the meat drawers to achieve the lowest, safest temperatures possible.

This decreases the chance of contamination if the packing leaks and keeps them cool. You should wrap your meat, poultry, and seafood individually to prevent contamination of the surrounding produce.

Since most people store these products in the freezer, you should only have 1-2 thawed weekly.

Produce Drawers/Crispers: Keep fruit and vegetables apart to avoid the ethylene from the fruits causing the vegetables to wither. There are models where the humidity can be adjusted.

Vegetables prefer higher humidity. Additionally, fruits prefer lesser humidity. When crispers are three-quarters full, they function optimally.

You should use the shallow drawer more for fruits, tomatoes, and peppers and the deeper drawer for larger root vegetables and cruciferous veggies.

Cheese & Butter: This might be unusual for some people, but there is no harm in having a whole refrigerator drawer devoted to cheese. If you love your cheese, store them all in one drawer to prevent them from becoming misplaced on deep shelves.

Parting shot

This is a detailed guide on what should go where when you are organizing your fridge. To have an easy time, put perishables on labels. Find the last day that food will be safe to consume when you open a package of deli meat or bring home a carton of eggs. This date may not coincide with the “sell by” date. Mark that date in the marker on the box.

Give the shelves labels. Your perishables are separated into their appropriate cold zones. Refrigerator repair Alexandria professionals recommend that you name the shelves and containers to assist you and the rest of the household in easy identification and knowing where to place each item.

The post What goes where in a fridge Organization? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

A refrigerator is one of the few appliances in the house that runs nonstop. You must keep it in good working order. Regularly dedicating a few minutes to basic maintenance chores can enhance the efficiency of your unit, resulting in lower energy expenses and potentially reducing the need for frequent refrigerator repair services.

Proper maintenance can reduce wear, prolong the life of your refrigerator, and help you avoid problems with the appliance.

To help you out, here are a few ways to follow for maintaining your refrigerator at home:

Clean the coils

Your refrigerator’s efficiency can be increased by 30% by cleaning the coils.

When you pull out your fridge to get something or clean behind it, have you ever noticed how much dust collects underneath? If not, get ready for a shock. Eventually, this same dust travels to the condenser coils, which may obstruct airflow.

Due to this, the refrigerator has to work harder throughout the cooling cycle, which may make the appliance warm. And you don’t want this.

Refrigerator coil cleaning involves unplugging the appliance, carefully vacuuming out any dust, and being cautious not to bend the coils.

To clean the coils, remove the refrigerator from the wall and unplug it. Next, look at the rear of the fridge for coils, which are thin metal tubes that twist away. If it is not visible, the coils are located underneath and are typically hidden under a front or rear detachable grille.

You should verify whether the coils are covered in hair or dust. If so, your compressor is operating too aggressively, which could lead to more significant energy costs and early compressor failure.

Use a vacuum hose attachment to remove every particle of dust within your reach. If you don’t have it already, visit your neighborhood hardware store to purchase a flexible coil brush if part of the dust is difficult to reach. To make your coils appear brand new, you can use this tool to squeeze into small spaces.

Remember to clean a little capacitor fan. When doing it, ensure that the ground below and any external vents or grills on the fridge are cleaned at least once before bringing it into position.

If your refrigerator’s coils are located on the back, make sure there is a minimum of one thumb’s space between them and the wall.

Defrost the freezer and fridge.

The majority of contemporary fridges offer automated defrosting. This feature operates on a timed schedule and shuts off when a thermistor, or temperature-controlled resistor, detects that the coils are no longer frozen.

Overall, this system performs excellent. But as refrigerators age, ice may start to build up.

This can result from a compromised part or parts in the automated defrost setting. When in doubt, whenever ice gets close to being a quarter of an inch thick, manually defrost your refrigerator and freezer.

Replace the water filter.

You can save money by routinely changing the water filter in your refrigerator, but you’ll probably end up spending the extra money to buy the water filter designed specifically for your brand of appliance.

Instead, put an inline filter on your refrigerator’s water supply line to maximize the benefits of water filtering.

This way, you can purchase replacement water filters for much less, and the filtration quality will be considerably higher.

By doing this, you have a variety of options for water filters that eliminate pollutants, heavy metals, and poor taste.

Maintain the right temperature.

When you set the temperature of your freezer and refrigerator lower than necessary, you consume a lot more electricity. An improperly set unit also tends to break down more often.

If you doubt, set the freezer and refrigerator’s temperature according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

To save even more money, set the freezer and refrigerator to their highest temperatures—which, depending on the brand and model, should still be sufficiently cold.

The refrigerator’s inside must be between -4 and 0°C. While occasional variations in this temperature are typical, you should ensure they don’t interfere with the refrigerator’s ability to function.

If you believe your refrigerator is not keeping the proper temperature, you can reset the thermostat to remedy the issue.

You should reduce the temperature by one degree until you find a comfortable middle ground if it’s too hot.

Inspect the fridge gaskets for wear and tear.

Inadequate gasket sealing allows cold air to seep out, increasing the effort and energy consumption of the unit to regulate the temperature. This is terrible for your refrigerator and your energy bill, which will increase significantly in such circumstances.

For this reason, it becomes essential that you regularly look for wear and tear indicators. To prevent serious fridge issues, replace them if you hear cracking or decaying noises.

To help prevent spills and crumbs from damaging the seal, wipe the gasket regularly using warm, soapy water as part of your refrigerator’s maintenance regimen.

Keep the door closed after using the fridge.

When you fail to shut the refrigerator door, you make the fridge work harder to keep the proper temperature. This not only increases the amount of energy you spend but also reduces the lifespan of your unit. You don’t want this, do you?

Before opening the refrigerator door, list the things you need and grab everything. After you’re through, make sure the door is shut securely. This will stop the refrigerator’s cool air from escaping.

Have the unit fixed by an expert

Refrigerators are sophisticated household machines that work nonstop to preserve the safety and cleanliness of your food. When a household appliance keeps you going all day, you should return the favor by fixing it when needed.

As per the recommended maintenance protocol, you should have your refrigerator serviced by qualified appliance repair Springfield experts every six months.

As a rule of thumb ensure that the experts you hire are experienced and know what they are doing.

The post Refrigerator Maintenance Best Practices first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair

To avoid hiring appliance repair professionals when your washing machine breaks down, you must avoid doing things that damage it. What will mess up a washing machine? Well, there are plenty of things that can do it. The most popular ones are:

Overloading it

You need to make sure that your washing machine is never overloaded. Although you will want to maximize the available area and wash time, packing the drum too full won’t benefit your clothes or your machine.

First, the load won’t be cleaned as thoroughly since the detergent won’t reach all your items for a uniform coat. Moreover, there won’t be space for your garments to agitate, hindering stain removal.

Occasionally, a washing machine that is too full will stop spinning. This is because its extra weight causes it to become unstable.

In the event that it tries to spin against its will, it may vibrate and seriously harm both the machine and your floor. This can put a lot of strain on the belt and bearings, and you don’t want this, do you?

Only load the right amount of laundry on your machine to stay safe.

How can you tell you are overloading your machine? It is inappropriate to cram the rest of your belongings inside or stuff stray socks into every available space.

The washing machine should be almost complete for the best outcome—not overfull. When in doubt, opt to save extras for the next wash. Both the machine and your clothing will benefit from it.

Failing to empty the pockets

Ensure there are no stray items in the pockets before throwing your dirty laundry into the drum. If a tissue left behind becomes stuck in the machine, it can make a messy mess that takes time to clean up. Keep tissues out of your washing machine to avoid problems.

You should also watch for sharp or hard things, such as lost cash or keys. These often end up in the drum, which is not ideal.

The objects will create a loud noise as they collide with the walls and the washing machine door. In addition to causing rips in your clothing and scratches on your machine, these objects have the potential to become lodged in the drain pipe and you have to hire an expensive repair professional to remove them.

As you pack your laundry into the washing machine, look in every pocket. Make sure they are empty by turning them inside out. Stop the cycle and remove the item when you think something is loose in the washer.

Loading the wrong items

Even though most washers are pretty adaptable, you can’t just chuck anything in there. Some objects will break down as they agitate, damaging both the object and the machine.

Sequins, for example, tend to melt or break off from adorned objects and become stuck in the inside parts of your washing machine.

Purses with bulky, metal clasps can also create noise and cause damage as they rotate.

If you decide to wash anything with a combustible stain, your washing machine may also catch fire. Thus, it is essential that you wash your clothes carefully and never put anything that is not supposed to be in the washing machine.

Letting your machine vibrate for too long

You’re not alone if you’ve observed that your washing machine seems to take off as soon as it starts to spin. Numerous factors can induce a washing machine to vibrate while attempting to spin, including being overloaded, cleaning just one duvet, or simply sitting unevenly.

Even if this noise ends as it reaches maximum speed, you shouldn’t disregard it. Your washing machine may harm your floors and your house in addition to causing interior damage as it tosses around. Furthermore, the thrashing will resume when it slows down.

You should find out the source of your washing machine’s vibrations. Should there be a loading issue, you can adjust your routine accordingly. If not, there are a few places to look.

Verify the washing machine’s levelness with a spirit level or feel for any tilting with your hands.

To level everything out, the feet might need to be adjusted. It’s also a good idea to see if the transit bolts, which are located around the back of the machine, have been taken out if your machine is new.

Before using your washing machine again, be sure this issue is resolved since it may result in irreversible damage.

Adding fabric softener

It makes sense for you to use fabric softener after every wash. In addition to lowering static and softening the burden, it also smells nice. Fabric softener is unsuitable for your clothes, the environment, or the washing machine.

The cloth can’t absorb as well because of the residue being created on its surface with each wash.

This basically means that you can’t clean your garments all the way through because they won’t absorb the detergent as well as they should.

Additionally, fabric softener is useless for your washing machine. You are probably familiar with the thick, gooey, and slimy residue detergent drawer cleaning may leave behind.

It’s not difficult to imagine that this kind of residue could also clog pipes and drains.

You must learn how to clean a washing machine thoroughly to deal with such residue. The remaining fabric softener might encourage mold growth in your washing machine, so don’t overlook it.

Instead of using fabric softener, use pure white vinegar. To help soften your laundry, add ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar to the last rinse cycle.

Parting shot

These things will mess up your washing machine, forcing you to hire washer repair Northern VA experts to fix it. To stay safe, only do the right things for the unit.

The post What Will Mess Up a Washing Machine? first appeared on HVAC Repair, appliance repair. The post appeared first on Express Appliance Repair