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Mistakes You Are Making Storing Food In The Refrigerator

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The refrigerator has made life easier for decades, and it’s up to you to take care of it and correctly put food away. This is because not doing so will increase your chances of getting sick and shorten the refrigerator’s life. You don’t want this, do you?

There is also the risk of the fridge breaking down regularly. You have to keep hiring appliance repair professionals to fix it. 

 There are many things you need to be cautious of, like putting food in the right container and ensuring the fridge stays at the right temperature.

To help you out, here are five mistakes you shouldn’t make when putting food in the fridge:

Failing to cover the food

The most common reason people will fail to cover the food as they put it in the fridge is that they are in a hurry. They will also fail to do it because they don’t want or they have the impression that covering it will get it spoilt. 

To stay safe, you should always cover your food as you put it in the fridge because open food is more likely to get bacteria and can also get contaminated by raw meat or other uncooked foods in the refrigerator. As you can guess, when you eat contaminated food, you will most likely suffer from food poisoning. And you don’t want this, do you?

The good thing is that you don’t have to do much to cover the food. Simply put the food in a container that won’t let air in or wrap it in plastic.

Putting more food than the fridge can carry

The other mistake many people make is storing more food than the fridge is designed to carry. Yes, there is the temptation to stock all the supplies you get from the grocery store in the refrigerator, but it’s not a good idea to pack the shelves too full. 

When you overstock your fridge, you shorten the time your food will last and reduce the refrigerator’s efficiency. Remember that to keep your food cool, your fridge needs to distribute the cool air throughout the appliance. 

When you fill all the shelves, you even block the air vents, which prevent the cool air from circulation, and as a consequence, the food gets spoilt. 

Just store the right amount of food inside to protect your appliance and avoid overstocking. Regularly cleaning your appliance is a great way to ensure that you don’t overstock it. At least once a week or before you head to the grocery store, remove all the items from the fridge and only put back what hasn’t expired. 

Washing fruits and vegetables before storing them

You might think you are being tidy and hygienic when you wash your fruits and vegetables before putting them in the fridge, but this isn’t the right thing to do. This is because when you wash these items, you introduce water to the food. 

This can lead to the growth of bacteria, which is bad for your health.

Instead of washing the fruits and vegetables before you store them in the fridge, you should wash them right before you cook or eat them. 

If you want to rinse them before putting them away, ensure they are completely dry.

Using the wrong storage containers

As mentioned above, you should always store leftover food in a container that keeps air out. If you don’t, the food will go bad, and your fridge will smell funny. Don’t keep your leftovers for too long, either. 

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to store the food in their original packaging. This is wrong. The right way to go about it is to use the above-mentioned containers. If you are using the original packaging, ensure it’s airtight so that moisture doesn’t get in.

Parting shot

These are some of the mistakes you should avoid making to protect your appliance from breaking down too often, and you are forced to hire a refrigerator repair Northern VA expert. Avoid these mistakes, and you will have a long-lasting appliance and a highly efficient unit. 

Tips and Tricks To Running Your Fridge More Efficiently

As a responsible homeowner, would you not want your fridge consuming too much energy? Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to ensure that your appliance runs as efficiently as possible and you spend as little as possible on your energy bill. Which are these strategies? Here they are as given by refrigerator repair professionals:

Cool food first

You must have visited someone or been tempted to put hot food in your fridge. As much as this might sound sensible, it isn’t. In fact, you should avoid it at all costs.

The reason for this is that when you put hot food in the fridge, you abruptly change the temperatures in the appliance, which triggers the refrigerator to start running to compensate for the changes.

As you can guess, when your fridge runs, it consumes the energy you want to save.

To conserve energy, avoid putting hot food in the fridge and instead only put it there once it’s completely cold.

Even if you are in a hurry, let the food cool before you place it in the fridge. In fact, it would be better to leave the food on the shelve for a few hours as you rush to work, then come back and put it in the fridge once it has fully cooled down.

Minimize the frequency you open the fridge door.

Most people will open the fridge door and decide what they want to pick. This results in them holding the door open for far too long it should.

Remember that the purpose of the fridge is to maintain a constant low temperature inside the appliance. This means that when you open the door and leave it open for a long, the cold air leaves, and the fridge has to kick in to fill in the lost air.

As you can tell, this leads to an increase in energy consumption, which increases your energy bill.

To save money, minimize the time you have your fridge door open. A great way to do this is to always know what you want from the fridge by the time you get there. Don’t open the door, start debating what you wish to do, as you will be wasting precious energy.

Another way to minimize the door opening frequency is to get all the things you need at once. This way, you won’t keep going to the fridge.

Adjust your thermometer

Some people think they should set their appliances at the lowest temperatures to keep their food fresh and frozen, but this has been proven not to be the case.

Your fridge will function just as well when you set it at 4 degrees and your freezer at -18 degrees. Most modern appliances have exact temperature readings, but if yours doesn’t, set the temperature dial to the midpoint.

This way, the fridge doesn’t have to work too hard to keep the temperature too low. The refrigerator won’t get triggered to start working every time you open the door, as the temperature doesn’t have to be too low.

Keep your fridge some room.

For your appliance to cool the food, it relies on airflow; when there is inadequate airflow, the fridge doesn’t function as well as it should.

This is because it tends to overwork, leading to high-energy consumption.

Be cautious of where you place your appliance to prevent this from happening. As a rule of thumb, avoid keeping it in a highly congested room, as this will impede proper airflow.

You also should avoid keeping it close to heaters, cooking stoves, and other heat-producing appliances, as this will lead to an overworking appliance you are trying to avoid.

If your kitchen is small, ensure that there aren’t any unnecessary items around. You also should keep the windows open as often as possible so that there is plenty of air getting in.

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These are some things you should do to keep your fridge functioning efficiently. Besides these, also make it a habit to hire appliance repair Northern VA professionals to inspect the appliance at least once a year and fix any issues present.

Refrigerator Tips and Tricks Every Homeowner Should Know

As a homeowner, you want your refrigerator to function as efficiently as possible. The good news is that you can keep your fridge in optimal working condition by doing the right things. Which are these things that you should do? Here they are as given by appliance repair professionals:

Keep the right food in the fridge

Not every food belongs in the fridge, and putting the wrong food there always leads to problems. To help you out, here are some of the foods that shouldn’t see the door of your refrigerator:

Potatoes: The only reason you should refrigerate your potatoes is if you want them mealy sweet. If this isn’t the case, store them in a cool, dark place like the cellar.

Tomatoes: Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t store your tomatoes in the fridge as they will lose their flavor when cooled.

Bread: Bread tends to dry out in the fridge, so you shouldn’t store it there. Instead, store it in a bread box.

Bananas: Bananas don’t like the cold. In fact, they develop brown spots when you store them in the fridge.

Garlic and onions: These tend to go moldy faster when you store them in the fridge than when they are at room temperature.

Honey: Honey crystallizes in the fridge

Lemons: They belong in the fruit bowl at room temperature

Coffee: You shouldn’t keep coffee in the fridge as it quickly absorbs odors and loses its taste

Oils: Oils often become rancid, so you shouldn’t store them in the refrigerator. Instead, store them in the cupboard.

Try to save as much electricity as possible.

As much as you want fresh food, it doesn’t mean you are ready to spend an arm and a leg on electricity, does it? Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can save on electricity with your refrigerator. Which are these ways? Here they are:

Be strategic in how you place the fridge: When installing your fridge, don’t place it next to heat sources such as dishwashers, washing machines, radiators, or stoves. Also, don’t place it in an area that receives maximum sunshine. Always remember that the warmer the environment you place the fridge, the more electricity it consumes to cool the food inside.

Clean your fridge regularly: A dirty fridge is unsightly and consumes plenty of electricity. To reduce the amount of energy that your refrigerator consumes, clean your unit regularly. One of the things you should do is to dust the cooling bar and ventilation grille. Also, defrost the unit, regularly inspect the door seals, and ensure they are clean and not worn out.

Finally, inspect the unit and confirm that the temperature isn’t set too cold. Remember that a temperature of 7 degrees is enough to keep the food cool.

Fill the fridge just right.

Some homeowners have the impression that an empty fridge functions better than a full one, but this isn’t the case—a full one functions more efficiently. While keeping your unit full is good, don’t overfill it, as you will block the air vents, preventing the air from circulating correctly.

A fridge with blocked air vents functions harder than it should, leading to burnout.

To ensure that you don’t stock your appliance more than it should, don’t store anything that doesn’t belong there. At least once a week, remove all the food items and clean the unit.

For you to leave enough space for air to circulate, discard any expired food items.

As you restock your appliance, be strategic about how you go about it. For example, put any new items behind the older ones. This prevents you from forgetting the items with a closer expiration date at the back corner of the fridge.

Refrigerator repair Northern VA professionals recommend that you pay close attention to the coolest zones of the appliance and sort your food accordingly. Of course, store the food that needs lower temperatures in the areas with low temperatures and vice versa.

If it’s long since you have gone to the grocery store, don’t leave the fridge empty—place milk, water, and other items there to maintain the right temperature.

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.