The Dollar Test

Refrigerators work hard, and often they work harder than they have to. The seals on fridges often wears out, leaving the cold air the ability to escape.

A good test to see if you need to replace this seal is the dollar test.

The test is simple: take a dollar and close your fridge on it half way in the fridge. If it stays, the seal is fine. If it slips, you need to replace the seal.

a good seal lowers energy bills and keeps your food chilled and ready to eat!

When was the last time you replaced your water filter?

Your tap water can have more than just water in it. It may have herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, benzene, and a bad taste to it.

Luckily, there's a very simple method to getting all of this out: Change your water filter. Your water filter needs to be changed every 3-6 months to ensure that it's filtering properly.

When was the last time you changed yours? Is it time?

Condenser Coils

Condenser coils are the coils in the back of the fridge or freezer that cool and condense the refrigerants, which keep your food cool.

When these coils gather dust on them, these coils have to work even harder to remove heat, which means they need to work even harder.

You should clean these coils at least twice a year. Why not clean them this weekend?

Funky Lemonade?

If you wanting to enjoy a fresh lemonade this 4th of July, make sure to empty your ice bin now.

Ice that has remained in the ice bin for long periods of time can gain an odd odor and taste from the other food items in the fridge.

When you take out all the ice, it wouldn't be a bad idea to disinfect the ice bin as well.

Enjoy your 4th of July and your fresh and tasty lemonade!

Summer is in full swing!

Summer is here and it feels so good!

If you're reaching into the freezer to enjoy a popsicle, you may see a lot of ice building up in there.

This ice prevents your appliance from running as well as it could, and this makes it use up more electricity.

To correct this, take all of the food out of the freezer and put it into a cooler on ice. Unplug your freezer and leave it open. Let all of the ice dethaw. Once it has, wipe up excess water. Then sanitize it all down before you plug it back in.

Enjoy your otter pops this summer!

Looking sharp!

Did you know that garbage disposal blades dull with time? It makes them less effective at chopping up food bits.

One of the easiest ways to keep them sharp is to put ice down the disposal while its running.

This sharpens the blades and keeps them working great!

For an added bonus, throw some lemon down there to keep it smelling fresh!

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.

Do not slam the doors!

Doors on any appliances such as washing machine, dryer, fridge, freezer, or dishwasher can be broken with relatively little effort. If you slap the doors it could break the lid's switch or latch. Some replacements for something like this could cost upwards of $200.

Instead of taking care of the problem after the fact, take precautionary measures; don't slam the doors!

Electric Range Not Working?

One common problem with electric ranges is the prongs. Sometimes they can get bent inwards and they don't handle the electricity right, which means the element doesn't heat up.

Luckily, this is an easy fix.

When the element is 100% cool, unplug it and take it out. This would be a great time to clean it if it's in need of a great scrubbing. Then bend the prongs (pictured red in the diagram) outward. This makes it much more likely that the element will be able to have the electricity flow through it and heat it properly.

Everything Is Defrosting, So Should Your Freezer!

Its starting to warm up, the sun is coming out more, and you may have even seen some squirrels running around.

While everything is coming out of the big freeze, it might be a good idea for your freezer to do the same.

Take everything out of your freezer and into a cooler, unplug it, and leave the door open. Let it completely defrost. When the entire freezer is room temperature, sanitize it.

Finally, you can put everything back in and enjoy a more functional freezer!

Weird Ice

Is your ice tasting a bit funny? Is it not dispensing? Ice and odors can build up and can affect the taste of your ice and functionality of your ice dispenser. Luckily, this can be an easy fix. Take your ice bin out and dump all the ice out that is in it (and make sure the ice maker is off).  If there's any ice that is frozen to the bin, leave it out to melt. Once all the ice is gone, give it a good wash with soap and water! Once dry, put it back in and enjoy your tasteless ice!

Furnaces

75% of furnaces producing no heat during the winter are due to a lack of maintenance. If you've procrastinated having your furnace maintained, now is the time to do it. Its starting to get cold, and before you know it, we'll have snow on the ground. Give us a call today at 208-385-9074