Tag Archives: appliance repair technician

When Should I Replace My Refrigerator?

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

Every homeowner knows they have to replace their fridge at a certain point, unfortunately, most don’t know when they should do it. Are you wondering, when should I replace my refrigerator? According to appliance repair professionals, fridges give several signals that it’s time to replace them. Some of these signals include:

The back of the fridge feels hot.

The back of the fridge will feel hot due to a malfunctioning motor. If your appliance is less than 8 years and hopefully under warranty, get in touch with a repair professional to fix it. If the appliance is older than this, there is no point in fixing the motor as doing so will set you back hundreds of dollars, and it will be a matter of a few months before you need a new fridge.

The fridge is sweating.

A properly functioning fridge should be dry, so if yours is sweating, there is definitely something wrong with it.

When your refrigerator is sweating, it’s a sign that the unit has insufficient cooling capabilities, and it will sweat in different areas. If the moisture is on the appliance’s exterior, check the door seal and if worn out or damaged, replace it.

If the seal is in good condition and the fridge is sweating on the inside, that is a giveaway that the internal temperature isn’t cold enough to prevent the food from spoiling, and it’s time to replace it.

You can hear the motor running.

It’s normal for the motor to run, but it shouldn’t be running at maximum speed, and if this is the case, there is something wrong with your unit as there is no need for the fridge to regulate and re-regulate the temperature constantly.

If the motor keeps running, you have a problem in your hands, and you should have it taken care of by a professional. Again, if the fridge is less than 8 years, you can fix the motor, but you are better off saving some money and getting a new unit if older than this.

The fridge is not making any sound.

A quiet refrigerator is as bad as a loud one, so if your unit is completely silent, you have a problem that you should address as soon as possible. If the fridge is quiet and the food isn’t cooling, that is a sign of a damaged refrigerator.

You should unplug the fridge, then plug it back in and confirm whether it’s back to proper working condition. If the problem persists despite there being power, get in touch with a repair professional to fix the unit. If the fridge is more than 8 years, you will most likely be better off getting a new unit than repairing the old one.

The refrigerator keeps breaking down.

Any appliance close to the end of its life keeps breaking down, which quickly adds up the repair cost. Is your refrigerator breaking down every few weeks or months? That’s an obvious sign that it’s time to get a new unit. By so doing, you will save money and have peace of mind as you will be working with a reliable appliance.

Frost keeps building up in the freezer.

It’s common for some frost to develop in the freezer, but these are often easily remedied by turning off the freezer and giving the frost time to melt. As you can guess, the frost in the appliance often isn’t a lot.

When your fridge is malfunctioning or too old, it will produce a lot of frost that is difficult to get rid of. Do you find yourself chiseling through piles of frost whenever you are looking for a frozen entrée? Your appliance might be outdated, and you should get a new unit that is energy efficient and won’t need the annoying and time-consuming manual defrosting.

Your energy bills are through the roof.

Have you noticed that your energy bills are ever-increasing, but you haven’t added another appliance? Chances are your fridge is running inefficiently.

To confirm whether this is the case, refrigerator repair Springfield recommend you plug in an energy usage monitor between the fridge and the outlet to determine the amount of wattage the fridge is drawing and the estimated energy bill. If the fridge’s energy usage increases month to month, it’s time to think about getting a new unit.

6 Reasons Why the Fridge Is Not Cold but The Freezer Is

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In a perfect scenario, the freezer and fridge should always be cold and in perfect working conditions, but this isn’t always the case. If your freezer is working, but your fridge isn’t, it means you have a problem in your hands, and you should have an appliance repair professional look at it.

Are you wondering why the fridge is not cold, but the freezer is? There are plenty of reasons this might be the case. Some of these reasons include:

The evaporator coils are covered in frost.

When the evaporator coils are covered in frost, air doesn’t get space to pass through them to get cold, hence a warm refrigerator. To restore the fridge, remove the frost by blowing hot hair over it.

If you do this, then after a few days, the problem recurs, you might be having a problem with the defrost heater. Check the heater and confirm that it’s working perfectly.

The defrost timer is malfunctioning.

The defrost system relies on the control board to control it, and the timer makes the heater turn. This means that if the timer is malfunctioning, the heater won’t start working, and frost will form on the coils preventing the fridge from cooling.

To fix this issue, try advancing the timer dial to the defrost cycle. If the heater doesn’t come on within 30 minutes, consider replacing the timer.

The thermistor is broken.

Thermistors monitor the refrigerator’s temperature and relay the information to the main control board. When the temperature gets too high or low, the control board turns the compressor on and off as needed.

A broken thermistor causes the compressor to run too often, or it doesn’t run enough, leading to improper temperatures. Use a multimeter to test your thermistor for continuity and install a new one if the current one is broken.

The evaporator fan is defective.

For the fridge to cool, the evaporator fan has to draw cold air over the evaporator coil. This means that when the fan is defective, it doesn’t draw cold air; hence the fridge doesn’t cool.

To find out if this is the cause of the problem, turn the fan blade using your hand. A properly functioning fan should run smoothly, so if there is resistance, the fan is defective, and you should get a new one. You also should get a new fan if the current one is noisy.

The damper control assembly is faulty.

The damper allows cold air into the fridge from the freezer section. This means that if the damper blocks or stops working, little or no air gets into the refrigerator section.

To determine if the damper is the reason for the warm fridge, you need to physically inspect the damper and see whether it’s opening and closing correctly. If it’s not functioning properly, replace it.

You have overstuffed the fridge.

When you overstock the fridge, you save money you would have spent cooling small chunks of foods, right? Wrong. When you stock your fridge with more food items than it can take, you prevent air from circulating, as well as it should, and without proper air circulation, the fridge cannot maintain a cool interior.

To restore the unit to proper working condition, you need to remove the excess food. The proper way to go about this is to remove all the foods in the fridge and clean the insides with a clean cloth and warm soapy water. You should then rearrange the shelves to allow for better airflow. Once the shelves are in place, sort the foods and dispose of the old ones. You should restock the fridge only with fresh foods.

Understand your fridge first

From the problems and solutions presented above, you can see that the fridge problem you have can be fixed even with basic skills. It’s always wise to hire a refrigerator to repair Alexandria to look into the issue and fix it, but if you don’t have the money for it, try to fix it yourself.

If this is the first time opening up the fridge, don’t go at it blindly—first, take time to understand the various parts and how they work. Thankfully, you can get most of the information from your refrigerator user’s manual.

Should I Buy Extended Warranty On Washer And Dryer?

When you buy a washing machine, dryer, or any other large appliance, it’s not uncommon for retailers to try to sell you an extended warranty meant to provide you with coverage beyond the manufacturer’s original warranty.

When you have the warranty, you pay nothing if you need to undertake appliance repair or replace the unit.

When homeowners are in this situation, you will hear them asking, should I buy an extended warranty on the washer and dryer?

The answer to this question is no. You shouldn’t buy the extended warranty. This is because, in most cases, you end up not using it, so you lose money. A study by Stanford University showed that most modern appliances are reliable, and most won’t break down within the warranty period.

The study went further to show that even if the appliance broke down, the repair costs are often much lower than the warranty cost, so you lose money if you buy the extended warranty.

Extended warranties are moneymakers for retailers, so avoid them as a homeowner. However, if you feel the warranty is right for you, don’t go for it blindly. Instead, do the following:

Understand the manufacturer’s warranty

Before you commit yourself, first take time to understand what the manufacturer’s warranty contains. Carefully go through it and pay attention to how long it lasts, what it covers, and whether the company will repair or replace the appliance or refund the money when it breaks down.

Some companies will repair the appliance even after the warranty period has extended to provide good customer service, so you don’t even need the extended warranty.

Check whether the credit company has extended the warranty.

When you buy your appliance using a credit card, some credit companies extend appliance warranties for a year or more, saving you money as you don’t have to buy the extended warranty. Before you buy the warranty, contact your card insurer and check whether your credit card provides extended warranties.

Take time to read the extended warranty’s fine print.

Contrary to popular belief, extended warranties aren’t as comprehensive as you think, so with little effort, you can quickly go through the fine print.

When you are reading the warranties, pay attention to exclusions. Studies show that most warranties include lots of exclusions, making them less useful. For example, the extensions might fail to include accidental damage, or the company might be able to deny a claim if you didn’t follow the given routine maintenance instructions.

The warranty might also require you to use a specific service provider, and you might not be in the same area as the service provider.

Carefully go through the fine print and only consider purchasing if the warranty makes sense to you.

Consider how much it would cost you to repair the appliance.

The sole purpose of the extended warranty is to protect you when the appliance breaks down, but do they save you money? Before buying them, do your research and find out how much it will cost you to repair the appliance in the event it breaks down.

A great way to do it is to contact your local repair companies and ask them for their charge sheet.

Invest in a high-quality appliance

High-quality appliances are expensive, but they rarely break down, so you don’t need an extended warranty. Before you make the purchase, take time to learn about the appliance’s reliability by reviewing the product’s consumer report.

When buying the appliance, buy from a company that will take returns on defective items. Some stores with generous return policies will even accept broken items years after the original purchase. These are the companies to buy from.

Buy only when it makes sense.

Avoid buying the extended warranty unless it makes sense. For example, only buy if it costs less than the cost of repairs. You also should ensure the company you are buying the warranty from is reputable.

If you don’t know about the organization’s reputation or feel nervous about giving your information, steer clear and instead settle the washer repair Springfield costs from your pocket.

How Do You Know If Your Refrigerator Compressor Is Bad?

Often at the bottom of most refrigerators, the compressor is the heart of the refrigerator’s operating system. The compressor compresses the refrigerant before sending it on to the condenser coil where it exchanges its heat with cool air.

Being an integral part of your fridge, you should pay close attention to it and fix it before the problem gets worse. How do you know if your refrigerator compressor is bad? There are plenty of things you can look out for as given by refrigerator repair professionals. These things include:

Fan stops

The compressor fan is necessary to cool the system and prevent overheating. When the fan stops working, it makes the fridge start making weird noises.

If you have noticed your fridge overheating or making funny noises, chances are the fan has stopped working and you might be having a compressor problem in your hands.

Don’t fix this problem on your own. Instead, hire a fridge technician or electrician that understands how to replace fans to do the work.

You can’t hear the compressor working.

If you are at home most of the time, you must have heard the compressor kicking on and off. This is characterized by a faint humming noise from the fridge, and when you hear the hum, you know the fridge is running.

If you have been in the house for the entire day and you haven’t heard the noise, chances are the compressor is bad.

Pull the fridge away from the wall and listen carefully. Can you hear the sounds of the motor running? If it’s all silent, the compressor isn’t working.

If you hear humming sounds, but the fridge’s food is warm, the compressor is functioning improperly, or you have another problem.

Failure of the fridge to cool enough

As mentioned above, failure of the fridge to cool enough is a clear telltale sign you have a problem with your compressor. Your compressor will also be faulty if some parts of the fridge are less cool than before.

To tell what is happening, test the compressor motor. To do it, you need to access the motor from the back of the fridge.

You can do the work by yourself but if you are scared due to a capacitor’s presence, let an experienced professional do the job.

Look at the relay switch.

If you aren’t afraid of doing some sleuthing on your own, you can access the relay switch and find out whether your compressor is faulty.

To access the switch, you need to remove the panel on the side of the compressor. The relay switch resembles a small ink cartridge both in size and shape and after getting hold of it, give it a bit of a shake and if it rattles, the switch is faulty, and you need to replace it.

If you shake the switch and there is no rattle, the switch has no problem, and the problem is most likely due to a bad compressor.

The compressor is making a lot of noise.

The compressor is usually silent, so if you have noticed yours making a lot of noise, it’s most likely faulty. Before you conclude that you should replace the compressor, you should note that the compressor handles the gas and pressure inside the fridge so the noise might be associated with the high pressure and bad gas maintenance.

If you aren’t experienced in handling these issues, it’s wise you hire a professional that knows what they are doing.

The fridge keeps tripping the circuit breaker.

If your fridge intermittently trips the circuit breaker when starting up, it means your compressor is bad or is beginning to fail.

It has been shown that the electric motor draws 5-6 times its operating current when starting up. As the compressor ages, it takes longer to reach operating speed which prolongs the inrush current that causes breakers to trip intermittently.

Compressor runs continuously

Your compressor is definitely faulty if it runs continuously without the freezer and refrigerator compartments reaching their proper operating temperatures.

You should note this problem can also be brought about by low refrigerant levels in the fridge or failing compressor valves. Let an appliance repair Fairfax professional look into the unit before making your decision.

How to Ruin a Washing Machine

Wondering how to ruin a washing machine? There are plenty of ways to do it. Here are some of these ways:

Overloading the machine

You might have the impression that loading the machine’s drum to full capacity will save you time and money, but this isn’t the case. According to washer repair professionals, overloading the machine leads to some clothes coming out unwashed. Sometimes, you even put the machine at the risk of getting damaged.

Washing machines are designed to carry a specific weight of clothes. In fact, most of the modern appliances won’t start if you load more clothes than they are designed to carry.

If you have an older appliance, the appliance might still run while full. Unfortunately, the clothes don’t clean well as there is less room for water and detergent to spread throughout the load.

So there is the risk of overloading the washing machine leading to damage to the drum hence shortening the appliance’s life.

To avoid ruining your appliance and clean your clothes properly, load the washing machine properly. Before you start a cycle, ensure there is a space between the top of the drum and the top of the load in the drum. There should be a space equal to the width of your palm.

If you are strapped for time and want to clean as many clothes as possible within a short time, instead of cramming everything in one load, use the quick-wash setting and have two decent-sized loads.

Although, the clothes won’t be as clean as they should, you will have saved time, and you won’t have overloaded the machine.

Failing to service the machine

Like any other appliance, you need to maintain the washing machine to keep it in top working condition. At least once a year, hire an appliance technician to inspect the appliance and clean it to get rid of mold and awful smells.

If you go for a couple of months or years without giving the machine some attention, you will ruin it.

To avoid this, make it a habit to run a service wash every month that will keep the machine clean and get rid of odors.

The cool thing is servicing the machine isn’t complicated. All you need to do is to set the machine at 90°C then run the appliance using detergent or without. If not sure how to do it, check the machine’s manual.

Failing to level the machine

Washing machines run at super fast speeds. For them to do this safely, they need to be level on the floor. Unfortunately, if an inexperienced technician installed the machine, it won’t be level.

The machine might also not be level if you have gone for a long time without servicing it.

If your washing machine is making weird noises when running, chances are it’s not level. To level it, loosen the locking nut, then use a spanner to lower or raise it until its level. Check whether the machine is level with a spirit level and tighten the nuts.

Using too much detergent

Using a lot of detergents gives you immaculate clothes, right? Wrong! Besides the large amounts of detergents being harmful to your clothes and your hands, they can clog the washing machine, shortening its lifespan.

The cool thing it’s easy to avoid ruining the washing machine with too much detergent. Before running a cycle, check the owner’s manual and confirm the amount you need. Don’t guess the amount. Always measure the amount to avoid problems.

While you might save money by making your own soap, avoid using homemade soap as it rarely cleans as effectively. Washing machines are designed to use detergents, not soap, so you will ruin your machine by using soap.

Washing coins, belts, and other harmful items

Belts and coins can break the washing machine drum, leaving you with an expensive repair. To keep appliance repair Alexandria at bay, always double-check the clothes and ensure there are no belts. Also, check the pockets and ensure there are no coins.

Do you have clothes with large metal buttons? Don’t clean them bare—instead, place them in a laundry bag.

If you suspect the buttons on your clothes might break the glass, run the machine at a slower speed.

Ways A Commercial Appliance Repair Professional Can Help You

As a business owner, you need to be able to easily source commercial appliance repair professionals when you need them. Unlike with appliances in your home where you can delay a day or two before you fix them, you need to fix the appliances in your commercial business as soon as possible to keep your customers happy and reduce losses.

How commercial repair professionals help your business

Depending on your business, repair professionals can help your business in different ways. Some of these ways include:

Bars and pubs

To serve your customers properly, you need glasses, and when you don’t have clean glasses for the customers to use, you have no business. You also need fridges, ice coolers, and freezers working at all times for you to serve refreshing beverages.

If you have a problem with any of the appliances, you should contact a repair professional as soon as possible to fix the problem.

Restaurants

As a business owner in the food industry, you are reliant on your appliances running in top condition at all times. If your fridge or freezer has broken down, you have wasted stock. If the dishwasher is not working, the staff are forced to clean the dishes manually, which can stretch them too far, and when the ovens aren’t working, they can decimate your menu.

A commercial repair professional will visit your establishment, inspect your appliance, and fix the prevailing problems.

Dry cleaners

When your washing machines and tumble dryers are malfunctioning, no work can be done, and when you decide to work with them, you risk tearing at your customer’s clothing. The repair professionals will help you diagnose the washing machines, tumble dryers and washer dryers and fix the problems they are having.

What should you consider when hiring the repair professional?

You know the repair technician is vital for your business, but what should you consider when hiring for you to hire the right one?

Certifications and licenses

You don’t want a quack to work on your appliances, do you? To ensure you are working with a professional who abides by the federal and state laws, ensure you hire a certified professional.

You should note that some contractors will try to fake the certifications, so take your time to ascertain the certifications are genuine. You also should ensure the contractor is licensed to work in your local area. Avoid working with an unlicensed technician as they might not be qualified to provide the services.

Customer service

How do the contractors treat you? Do they make you feel special? When you call them, do they respond to your calls fast? And when you leave a voice message, how soon do they reach back? These are some of the things you should look out for to determine whether you will have a smooth ride with the technician.

If you are like other business owners, you hate hiring a new contractor for every problem that crops up—you want to use the same technician for all appliance problems so that you will be working with them for a long time.

Due to this, you want to work with a technician with a likable personality.

Professionalism

Some contractors have the impression they are tradesmen, so they don’t put a lot of effort into maintaining professionalism when they are dealing with their clients. So when you contact them and ask them when they will come to repair your appliance, they give a vague answer such as, they will arrive anywhere between 10 A.M and 4 P.M.

Others will show up much later than agreed and don’t even come with the proper tools, so they waste time trying to complete the work with the wrong tools. You don’t want this.

You want to work with a professional company that treats its customers with respect. You can tell this from the conversations you have with the company before you begin working with them. You want a technician who talks professionally and gives clear timeframes of when and how they will accomplish the work.

Repair cost

Before you decide to work with a given company, get quotations from different companies. While at it, avoid extremely cheap companies as they will provide you with a cheap service. At the same time, avoid an appliance repair Alexandria company charging you exorbitant prices as it will most likely be ripping you off. Take time to find a company that gives you an excellent service at an affordable price.

Commercial Appliance Repair: 6 Signs You Should Replace Your Dishwasher

commercial appliance repair

Due to the high costs of commercial dishwashers, many kitchen owners hold onto their dishwashing machines way longer than they should. What is the end result of this?

The machines keep on breaking down. The machines also consume a lot of energy which translates to high monthly energy bills.

For your dishwasher to continue functioning optimally and control the amount of energy the machine consumes, you should replace the appliance early enough. Here are signs as given by commercial appliance repair professionals you should look out for to tell when your machine is ready for replacement:

The machine is old

How old is your dishwasher? If it’s older than 10 years and keeps on breaking down, it’s time to think about replacing it.

Old appliances consume a lot of energy which sees you wasting a lot of money. Old appliances also keep on breaking down hence you spend a lot of money hiring appliance repair professionals to fix them.

To bring these issues to an end you simply need to replace your appliance. When buying the new unit, go for a high-quality one with a high energy rating.

The dishes no longer come out hot

If you are removing the dishes from the washer in a timely manner and they aren’t coming out steamy and toasty, your unit might be having issues with the heating coil. It’s the coil that gets the tap water super-hot so that it can sanitize the dishwashing load.

The heating coil is too pricy to fix or replace so you are better off getting a new machine.

You see rust

Once in awhile, you are recommended to swipe the floor under the dishwasher using a paper towel or light-colored cloth. If you come up with rust flakes, water might be getting into areas it shouldn’t. It also means you have a reason to worry.

The first thing you should do is to check inside the dishwasher. Is there rust there? If there is, confirm whether it’s coming from the dishes when they touch the tub during the last load. If that is the culprit, run an empty cycle with citric acid and you will clean the dishwasher and clear all the rust.

If the metal or plastic parts of the dishwasher have begun to corrode, be prepared for a bigger repair. If the dishwasher is old, you will be better off replacing it.

The door no longer locks

The dishwasher doesn’t run a wash cycle if the door isn’t securely latched. A properly latched door also ensures that water doesn’t leak out causing a mess.

Depending on the brand and model of your dishwasher, a door that isn’t locking might be a simple and inexpensive repair. If your appliance is new, the repair will be covered by a warranty so you won’t even pay a cent.

While this is the case, if your appliance is too old, chances are that you won’t find the necessary repair parts so you will be better off replacing the unit.

The dishwasher has begun to crack

The worst damage that can happen to your dishwasher is your appliance developing leaks that cause water damage in your kitchen. In addition to the leaks being expensive to repair, they also warp the cabinets and mold and mildew start growing in your house.

Cracks often happen in the interior tub. When you notice them, it’s a clear sign your dishwasher is old and it’s time to replace it.

When you notice huge cracks on your appliance, you should stop using your appliance and contact a repair professional to inspect it. If the crack is minor, the professional can fix it but if large, you have no way out other than to replace the entire unit.

The appliance no longer drains properly

If the cycle has completed and still you see water pooling at the bottom of the dishwasher, you have a reason to be worried. Confirm whether there is debris blocking the drain and preventing water from filtering out once the cycle is complete.

You can do the inspection by yourself or ask an experienced appliance repair Springfield professional to help you out.

If you don’t see anything, chances are that the drain itself has cracked or crumbled and you have to replace the unit.

Refrigerator Repair: Valuable Fridge Tips

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As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to keep your refrigerator in top shape. The cool thing is that there are plenty of tips you can use as given by refrigerator repair professionals. Some of these tips include:

Set the right temperature

For your refrigerator to function efficiently, you need to set it at the right temperature. The right temperature to set the unit is between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. When it comes to the deep freezer, you should keep it at 5 degrees Fahrenheit, for optimal freezing.

When you set the refrigerator at the right temperature, you ensure that the food tastes good, the fridge isn’t overburdened, and the electric bill is low all the time.

Avoid setting the fridge too low as you will damage the food. You also should avoid setting it too high as the food might rot.

Some thermostats are difficult to set. If this is the case with yours, you should ask a professional to help you out.

Keep the fridge full all the time

If you ask many people, they will tell you keeping the fridge full makes it work harder as there is a lot of food to cool, but this isn’t the case. You should note that cold foods help each other to stay cool.

When there are a lot of empty spaces in your fridge, the compressor tends to work harder to cool the empty spots, hence it ends up consuming a lot of energy.

Do you want to conserve energy? Keep your fridge well stocked. When you look inside the unit and notice that you are running low on foods, you should simply restock it.

If you don’t have the money to run to the store, consider restocking it with bottles of water that will make up for the wasted space

Give the fridge some space

Where have you placed the fridge? If you are like most other people, you have placed it close to a wall. When it’s at this position, it doesn’t breathe as well as it’s supposed to, which makes it work too hard.

For the refrigerator to function optimally, you should keep the fridge as far away from the wall as much as possible. You also should keep it away from direct sunlight and other sources of heat.

You should note that when the fridge is in a hot area, it tends to work harder hence you end up with a large energy bill at the end of the month.

Keep it clean

It goes without saying that you should keep the refrigerator clean at all times. A dirty fridge is not only unsightly to look at, it also tends to consume a lot of energy. A dirty fridge has also been found not to cool the food as fast as it should.

At least once a week, you should inspect the unit and get rid of any dirt it might be having both inside and outside the appliance. You also should get rid of the expired food products that might be inside.

When you are cleaning it, you should use a food-safe solution. Avoid using chemicals that can harm you or the fridge.

Keep the food covered

If you are like most other homeowners, you return leftover foods to the refrigerator. It’s always wise to keep the food covered at all times. When you cover the food, you lock in the moisture, preventing the refrigerator compressor from working too much.

What is the consequence of this? You have a low energy monthly bill.

Fix the faulty parts

Regardless of how well you maintain your fridge, it will come a time when it will break down. Problems with the fridge range from failure to start, to noises when working. When your refrigerator develops problems, you should fix them as soon as possible.

As a rule of thumb, you should ensure that the issues are fixed by an experienced and certified appliance repair Springfield professional. You should avoid working with a cheap contractor as he/she will most likely cause more problems than were already there.

Appliance Repair: 7 Tips On How To Maintain Your Oven

As an appliance owner, it’s your responsibility to take care of your gas stove.  The cool thing is that there are plenty of things you can do to keep your appliances in top shape. Here are some of these things as given by appliance repair professionals:

Wipe down as soon as spills happen

When you are cooking, it’s common for spills to come about. When you allow the spills to settle on the gas stove, stains result. It’s recommended that you get rid of the spills as soon as they happen to prevent permanent stains from developing.

The cool thing is that it’s easy to remove the spills. All you need to do is to wipe down the surfaces with water and a scrubber. You also should remember to use a soapy detergent and apply some elbow grease to get the stains off.

For you to prevent the spills from coming about in the first place, use pots, and pans that are deep enough. This is to prevent boil-overs and splattering.

Regularly clean the stove parts

In addition to wiping down the stove after cooking, you also should periodically clean the parts of the stove. You need to wash the burner drip plates and other removable accessories. When cleaning, take care that you don’t clean the electric burner coils.

You can clean the parts using your hands or by running them with your next dishwasher load.

You also need to clean the knobs. You should note that you need to first remove the control panel knobs before you clean them. After removing the knobs, wash them in hot, soapy water. You should then rinse and dry them, before replacing them.

Clean the burner

The burner heads are the heart of the gas stove and it’s here where you supply the gas. The burner is made from high-grade metal with many pores in it. Moderate amounts of gas are emitted through these pores in a circular pattern.

This enables the fire to spread more out, and cover a large surface area.

When oil and grease spills happen, they might drip down and cover the pores, which reduce the overall performance of the burner head.

For you clean the burners, you need to soak them in hot water and a liquid detergent. Do this for 20-30 minutes, then use a toothbrush to scrub off the stains. For you to clean the pores, you should use an unwound paper clip.

Clean the grates

Grates provide support for the utensils and at the same time prevent them from touching the burner head. When you are cleaning them, you should follow the same cleaning procedure you use when cleaning the burner head.

You need to soak the grates in hot water and liquid detergent for 20 minutes then use a scrubber to remove the grime.

Pay attention to the hood

If your stove doesn’t have a sealed cooktop, it’s common for food and grease to fall down under the burners. It’s easy to forget about the debris that you aren’t seeing; therefore, remember to lift the cooktop and clean beneath it.

While lifting the stove seems straightforward, many homeowners make the mistake of lifting too the wrong way, causing damage.

After lifting the top, clean the buildup with a sponge and warm, soapy water. Once you are done, rinse with clean water and sponge.

Undertake regular inspections

For you to avoid the surprise of your appliance grinding to a halt in the middle of a busy day, you should make a habit of hiring an oven repair professional to inspect the unit and if there are any issues, fix them.

For you to get the most from the inspection, ensure that the contractor you hire to undertake the inspection is certified and experienced enough. The last thing you want is hiring someone who will cause more harm to your appliance.

Remember the range hoods

The range hoods work hard at absorbing grease, moisture, and cooking odors when you are using the cooktop. For you to keep them working efficiently and looking good, commercial appliance repair Alexandria professionals recommend that you clean them regularly.

You need to clean the metal with a non-abrasive cleaner or ammonia and water solution. When cleaning, pay attention to the filters. If they are too dirty, clean them. If you find them damaged, you should simply replace them.

Appliance Repair: Dishwasher Dos And Don’ts

Do you have a dishwasher? For the unit to last for a long time, you should take good care of it. One of the most effective ways of doing it is by observing a set of dos and don’ts. Here is what you need to do as given by appliance repair professionals:

Do run full loads

The purpose of doing this is to minimize the amount of water that the appliance uses when doing the dishwashing. When you run the unit half full, you tend to spend a lot of water that you shouldn’t.

For you to conserve water, you should always run full loads of the appliance.

While you should run when the unit is full, you should take care that you don’t overfill it. This is because doing so leads to a malfunctioning appliance. You also tend to damage your utensils.

Don’t face all the plates in one direction

How you place plates has a great impact on how clean they get among many other things. One of the mistakes you should avoid making is placing the plates in such a way that they all face the same direction.

The best way of going about it is placing the plates on the bottom rack while they are facing inwards towards the spray arms. When it comes to the small plates, place them in front of the larger ones. This is to ensure that the spray reaches them.

When you are arranging the utensils in the dishwasher, you should arrange them in such a way that you are going to save time when unloading. This calls for you to put the forks with the forks and the knives with the knives.

You should place the handles facing up so that you don’t get poked or punctured as you are taking them out.

Spoons are bound to stay dirty if you place them in a spooning position; therefore, you should insert some of them with the handles facing down.

Do clean the dishwasher

It’s a no brainer that you need to clean the dishwasher. The cool thing is that it’s easy to clean it; therefore, you don’t need to worry about hiring a professional to help you out. All you need to do is to remove all the dishes in the unit and carefully clean the unit. You should also remember to clean the outside.

For you to keep all the parts running, consider running an empty cycle at least once a day. The best time to do it is at the end of the workday.

Don’t wash the dishes beforehand

To make the work easy for the dishwasher, it’s recommended that you remove the excess food that might be on the dishes. Some people go to the extent of pre-washing the dishes.

You don’t have to do this as it would be pointless putting the pre-washed dishes into the dishwasher.

It would be better simply washing the dishes by hand, don’t you think? If you have to remove the excess food materials, you should simply scrape them off—don’t go to the extent of washing them off.

Do use hot water

Most of the dishwashers are connected to the hot water. This water is meant to melt the fat that might be present and at the same time disinfect the machine and plates. Hotter always means cleaner; therefore, you should always use hot water.

If there are plastics in the batch that you are cleaning, you should take care that you don’t use extremely hot water that will cause damage.

Don’t unload from the top to bottom

Did you know how you unload the dishwasher is important? If you unload it the wrong way, you might have to repeat the cleaning process all over again. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid unloading the dishwasher from the top rack. This is because the rack might be containing water that can spill onto the dishes below.

Commercial appliance repair Northern VA professionals recommend that you unload the dishwasher from the bottom. Obviously this way there is no way you can spill the water onto the other dishes.