#1 thing to remember with all appliances

Preventative care is always better than corrective care. This means that upkeeping your appliances, such as keeping them clean, is much less expensive than having to replace a part or all of it.

We are dedicated to help you know your options with both needs. We run this blog to help give you preventative tips, and also run our business to help you get your appliances working like they need to.

Give us a call or stop in today if you're in need of help!

Summer is almost here!

We're starting to use our air conditioners more and more! How ready is your air conditioner for the summer season?

It might be a good idea to get your filter cleaned or replaced. Remember: You should be doing this at least once or twice a month for your air conditioner to run most effectively.

If you're unsure how to change your filter, our friends at Antlerdreamer have made a great video on how to do this here.

Managing Appliance Costs

We depend on our refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, hot water heaters, air conditioners, microwaves and the rest to help us maintain our lifestyles. Whether we need to install new appliances or repair existing gadgets, the money spent generally falls into the category of "sound investment." How much you'll pay depends on a number of factors:

Brand and Quality of Appliances

In the past five years, we've all become much more sophisticated in our appliance-shopping strategies. We compare prices with a few mouse clicks. We also can go beyond low price tags and look at quality. What do reviews say about that brand of toaster oven? What kind of problems have arisen for owners of that refrigerator model? A few minutes of research can quickly make it clear that paying for quality brands can save you big bucks in the life of an appliance. That research can also suggest what brands charge way more than the value of their products. If you're buying appliances as part of a major renovation, your contractor can be another source of information, guiding you to the best values.

Size of Appliances

Many appliances get more expensive as their size and capacity increase. Washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves and even trash compactors will often go up in price as their size and capacity increases. But understand that bigger isn't always better. Take into account the size of your family or the number of guests you serve as well as the available space you have for the appliance.

Appliance Energy Efficiency

Appliances that use less water and power and have a higher energy efficiency rating are often more expensive. But these are often the better value, earning you back that investment over time with lower utility bills. Look for the Energy Star, an international symbol that tells you an appliance meets exceptional efficiency standards.

Power and Water Needed for Appliances

When installing new appliances, it's important that you have enough electricity and water to run them, and that the power and water are located in the right places. If you need to increase the electricity or move the locations of plumbing or wiring to accommodate the new appliances then the cost of installation will increase accordingly.

Appliance Repairs

The cost of fixing your appliances will vary greatly from the type of appliance and the extent of the repairs needed. When you purchase your appliance, it's important that you consider the length and coverage of the warranty. Many appliances are covered for just a few months. Others are covered for a lifetime. When your repair is covered by a warranty, it sometimes is only honored if you return the appliance to the manufacturer for the repair. Make sure you check the details of the warranty before calling a repair professional. Some appliances will cost more at the point of purchase but carry a longer or more comprehensive warranty and therefore may be a better buy overall.


For more helpful tips like these

Call us at

208-385-9074

Visit us at

www.wesappliance.com

Stop by at

530 N Orchard St, Boise

Business hours:

M-F: 9–6; Sat: 9-5

Window Unit Air Conditioners

Most window air conditioners have an expanding curtain on either side to help seal any gaps between the window frame and the air conditioner, but sometimes this seal isn’t perfect. Even extremely small gaps can leak air, which reduces the efficiency of your air conditioner and may let bugs and dust into your home. There are several ways to seal these gaps, but the simplest method is to use adhesive-backed open-cell foam weather-stripping to fill the space and prevent air leakage. Smaller gaps can also be filled with a claylike material called rope caulk.

Gaps Larger than 1/8 Inch

1. Clean the surface of the window and air conditioner around the gaps. Remove dirt, grease and dust to ensure proper adhesion of the weather-stripping.
2. Measure the length of the first gap. Cut a piece of adhesive-backed foam weather-stripping to this length.
3. Peel the paper backing off the cut strip of weather-stripping and position the seal, sticky side up, along the underside of the window frame.
4. Press the strip along the window frame to get a smooth, tight seal. Do not adhere the weather-stripping so that it rests in front of the gap. This will not seal it properly. The foam must be within the gap so that it expands to give an airtight seal.

Narrow or Hard-To-Reach Gaps

1. Measure the length of gaps that are 1/8 inch thick or smaller. Tear off a length of rope caulk to match. Rope caulk is similar to putty or modeling clay but is removable at the end of the cooling season when you remove your air conditioner.
2. Press the caulk into the gap. If the gap is deep, you may need to press two pieces into the gap to fill it completely.
3. Smooth the caulk and wipe away excess from the window frame and air conditioner with a dry cloth.

Things You Will Need:

Tape measure

Adhesive-backed foam weather-stripping

Utility knife

Rope caulk

Cloth

Tip:

Gaps larger than 1 inch should be filled with fiberglass insulation stuffed into the gap tightly.

In most types of windows, gaps are commonly found along the top, where the window meets the air conditioners, at the corners and along the bottom at the sill.

If the rope caulk is still clean and flexible when you remove your air conditioner, peel it off the window and store it in a sealed plastic bag for later use.