Tag Archives: refrigerator repair

How Can I Make My Refrigerator Better?

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

The refrigerator is one of the most hardworking appliances at home, and you should make yours function efficiently and better so that you get ultra cold food and save money on your energy bills. How do you make your fridge function better? There are plenty of ways as given by appliance repair professionals.

These ways include:

Keep the temperatures at 37 degrees Fahrenheit

To keep your appliance functioning optimally and protect the food from spoiling, keep your refrigerator temperature at 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

This calls you to regularly test the temperature of your appliance and set it accordingly.

To test the temperature of your appliance, place a thermometer in a glass of water and check the next day.

The freezer should always be at zero degrees Fahrenheit and to test the temperature, you need to place the thermometer between the frozen foods and then check the temperature after 8 hours.

To save even more money, set the fridge temperature to as high as 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove items from the top of the fridge.

The top of the fridge might seem like an ideal place to store the cereal boxes and other junk, but it isn’t. The reason for this is that placing items here increases the chances of heat getting blocked from escaping, and as a consequence, the compressor works harder than it should; hence you always have a high electric bill at the end of the month.

An overworking appliance also has a short lifespan, so when you repeatedly place items on your fridge, you increase the chances of the appliance breaking down and have to buy a new one.

Ensure that the door has a good seal

One way to ensure that your fridge is in perfect working order and saving you as much money as possible you need to keep the door closed at all times.

You should note that you can close the door, and still, the cold air escapes, forcing you to pay a high monthly bill. To ensure this doesn’t happen, inspect your door and ensure that it has a good seal. One way to make this possible is to close the door on a piece of paper or dollar bill.

If you cannot do this, adjust the refrigerator gasket or replace it to prevent the cold air from escaping.

Turn off the anti-Sweat heater.

Most refrigerators manufactured after 1993 come with a switch that allows you to choose between exterior energy-saving and moisture-reducing modes.

When you set your fridge to exterior moisture reducing mode, the heater kicks on to keep the condensation off the outside of the refrigerator.

Setting the fridge to energy-saving mode saves 5-10% of energy.

Turn off the anti-sweat heater to save energy and keep your appliance functioning better.

You should note that a newer fridge might have automatic moisture control that eliminates the exterior condensation without needing a heater.

Clean the condenser coils

The condenser coils play a crucial role in keeping the fridge’s insides cool. Unfortunately, over time, they collect a lot of dust, and if you don’t clean them, you damage your unit.

By cleaning the coils, you put less stress on the condenser, consequently extending the life of your fridge.

You can clean the coils yourself but for the best results, let an expert help you.

To avoid injuries, remember to unplug the appliance. Also, use a good quality vacuum or brush to do the cleaning.

Keep the fridge properly organized.

You might have the impression that properly organizing the fridge is just part of good housekeeping, but this isn’t the case as it also plays a vital role in determining how effectively and efficiently the fridge functions.

Besides having an easy time finding the food you need in a properly organized fridge, the condenser works less hard to get the temperature back to the set level, which means a reduced energy bill.

Refrigerator repair Northern VA professionals recommend you remove items from your fridge, remove the items that have expired, then organize the refrigerator according to your preferences.

In addition to keeping your fridge organized, make it a habit to keep it full most of the time.

What Should You Never Put In The Refrigerator?

If you visit many homes, you will find their refrigerators filled with all sorts of foods. While there is nothing wrong with preserving as much food as possible, did you know there are some food items that should never see the insides of a fridge?

Here are some of these items as given by appliance repair professionals

Uncut melons

Putting a whole watermelon in your fridge, whether a honeydew or cantaloupe, is unwise. Besides the melon taking up too much fridge space, it keeps it from ripening, which means it doesn’t get as tasty as when you would have left it at room temperature.

The low fridge temperatures also reduce the healthy antioxidants in the fruit, which means that it doesn’t become as healthy as you would want it.

The right thing to do is leave the watermelon on the countertop until it’s ripe enough to eat. If you eat it and there are some leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a maximum of three days.

Honey

At first look, honey looks like an excellent candidate for the refrigerator, but it isn’t. Due to its high sugar content, honey is a natural preservative—it doesn’t need any refrigeration. In fact, putting it in the fridge increases the chances of damaging it.

When you refrigerate honey, it hardens and sometimes crystallizes, losing its original state.

The best way to treat honey is to leave it on the shelf in your pantry. If you have already made the mistake of refrigerating it, don’t be quick to toss it out. Instead, place the bottle in a hot (not boiling) water pan until it returns to its liquid state.

Raw potatoes

You shouldn’t put your raw potatoes in the fridge as the low temperatures will alter the starchy complex carbohydrates in the potatoes, and you end up with extremely sweet and gritty potatoes.

For the best flavor and texture, store your potatoes in a well-ventilated basket or drawer, away from direct sunlight.

Tomatoes

Like honey, tomatoes look like they belong in the fridge, but they don’t. This is because when you refrigerate them, they often end up having an awful taste.

Even after harvesting, tomatoes continue ripening and developing flavor.

The big chill stops the ripening process and dulls the flavor when you place them in the fridge.

Snip off just a bit of the vine when harvesting if you grow your tomatoes. The attached vine has been shown to help keep the tomatoes fresh longer and give them a better flavor.

Onions

The fridge’s low temperatures and high humidity often damage the onions, breaking down their fibrous structure, leaving them mushy and prone to mold growth.

Store your onions in well-ventilated, dark, and cool (not cold) areas for the best flavor and texture. One of the best places to store the onions is in an open weave basket in the pantry.

Green avocados

Green avocados are often unripe, and for them to fully ripen, they need to be at room temperature. The only time to keep your avocados in the fridge is if they are fully ripe but you aren’t ready to eat them.

You should note that even when you put the avocados in the fridge, you shouldn’t leave them there for more than two days as they will go bad.

Bread

You should never put bread in the fridge. While refrigeration slows down mold growth, it makes the bread tough, chewy, and stale tasting.

The best way to go about it is to store the bread in a breadbox or a cabinet shelf.

If you won’t eat the entire bread, wrap the excess in freezer paper and store it in the freezer. Here the bread can stay for up to a month.

Chocolate

Most people eat their chocolates in one sitting, and for those unable to eat all of it in one go, the last thing they want is to let it go to waste. Unfortunately, keeping the chocolate in the fridge isn’t the right thing to do.

While keeping the chocolate in the fridge won’t make the chocolate inedible, it absorbs odors and changes its consistency.

Refrigerator repair Alexandria recommend you leave the chocolate on the counter or in the pantry to maintain maximum deliciousness.

How To Organize A Fridge, The Right Way

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How you organize your fridge goes a long way toward keeping your fridge looking clean and determining how efficiently the appliance functions and lasts. Are you wondering how to organize your fridge? Here is how to go about it the right way as given by refrigerator repair professionals:

Sort the shelves

If you are like other homeowners, you are fond of squeezing food in any available space in your appliance. This is wrong, and it’s time to change.

You should properly organize the shelves, which comes in handy in helping reduce waste as you know where everything is. There is no right or wrong way to organize your shelves—work with what works for you. If you aren’t sure about where to start, here is a guide:

Top shelf: This is the first shelf you see when you open the fridge door and is one of the warmer shelves in your appliance. You should avoid keeping any fresh meat here. Instead, designate it for leftovers, takeout, and any other stuff that you need to eat soon.

Middle shelf: Temperatures are most consistent in the middle of the refrigerator, making it the perfect place to store foods that you need to keep cold but have a lower risk of spoiling. Some of the excellent foods to keep here are: deli meats, eggs, sour cream, and soft cheese.

Bottom shelf: This is the coldest place in the refrigerator, so you should store items that spoil easily here. The best candidates are fish and meat.

It’s tempting to keep milk on the top shelf for easy access, but you shouldn’t as milk spoils easily. The best place to store it is near the bottom and back of the refrigerator.

If you are fond of forgetting items that you have tucked into the back of the fridge, stack them on a rotating organizer so that you can easily grab them and check their expiration dates.

Keep the drawers organized.

Drawers help you keep your fridge organized and hold specific humidity levels that come in handy at keeping the various foods properly preserved.

There are two main types of drawers: high and low humidity drawers.

The vegetables store best in high humidity drawers, and most fridges will have a vegetable drawer, often at the bottom. If the drawer isn’t labeled, look for one without a vent or close the vent yourself.

Some of the items you should store here are spinach, green onion, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and leafy greens.

The low humidity drawer is often labeled “crisper” and has air vents, and is the best place to store the fruits that break down easily. Some of the best fruits to store here are: pears, oranges, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, and raspberries.

If your drawer doesn’t have a humidity control or air vent, keep the drawer a little cracked to create more airflow.

Make use of the door.

The door is the refrigerator’s warmest zone, and you should store items that don’t easily get spoilt. They include: mustard, sesame oil, ketchup, salad dressing, mayo, and hot sauce.

The door is also an excellent place to store wine, juice, and beer beverages.

Valuable tips when storing items in the fridge

To have a great time with the items, you store in the fridge, you need to consider several tips. These tips include:

Use clear containers: To stick to a system and keep everything in its place, you should use a few shallow clear containers. To avoid confusion, label the containers depending on the food you have stored inside and its expiration date.

Keep the fridge clean: You want to ensure that your fridge is clean. Besides dusting it daily, you should make it a habit to remove everything at the end of the week and give it a good scrub. If possible, remove the shelves and drawers and let them soak in hot soapy water.

You should then wipe the entire interior taking care not to use abrasive cleaning products that can harm the plastic.

Once you are done, appliance repair Springfield recommend you replace the shelves and drawers, then store a box of baking soda in them to help fight the fridge odors.

Proper Use of Refrigerator Tips

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

You need to use your refrigerator properly for it to function optimally and keep off a refrigerator repair professional. How do you do it? Here are tips on the proper use of a fridge:

Keep the used foods at the front

It’s common to open some foods then, after partially using them, return them to the fridge.

Many homeowners aren’t conscious of where they put the opened foods, which is wrong.

The right way to do it is to place the opened foods at the front of the fridge shelves, in front of the newer items. This way you are sure that you use the opened items before you move to the sealed ones.

Some homeowners will say they can remember the bottle they have opened, but this isn’t the case. Even if you place a label on the foods, don’t mix them with the unopened ones.

When storing the leftovers, move with haste and keep them before they enter the danger zone. If storing large amounts of the leftovers, store them in several small, shallow containers that will cool faster.

Remember to date them and keep them as fresh as possible by removing as much air from them as possible.

Put the non-perishables on the fridge doors.

The less perishable foods such as juices, fruits, and others respond better to temperature fluctuations, so you should put them on the fridge doors.

Remember that you will open and close the fridge door, so ensure that the foods you place here can withstand the temperature changes without changing their taste or texture.

Keep the raw foods at the bottom.

Raw meat and fish belong at the bottom of the fridge where the temperatures are lowest. These areas also don’t experience a lot of temperature fluctuations when you open and close the refrigerator.

Since the raw foods tend to be highly perishable, placing them at the bottom means that you put them away from the other foods, hence you don’t worry about them contaminating the rest of your foods.

As you put the raw foods at the bottom of the fridge, remember to keep them sealed and free of leaks.

Keep the refrigerator below 5 degrees centigrade.

You should keep your fridge below 5 degrees centigrade so that you can keep all of the food cool, fresh, and full of flavor. You are sure that even the highly sensitive milk won’t get spoilt at this temperature.

Don’t overstock the fridge.

It’s easy to be carried away and stock more than your fridge can carry, when you don’t want to make another trip to the grocery store.

As much as you will save a trip to the grocery store, overloading your refrigerator is not a wise thing to do as it prevents the air from circulating as well as it should, which, as you can guess, means that your foods don’t remain as cool as well as they should.

There is also the risk of the fridge overworking when you overload it, which drives it to an early grave.

What is the best thing to do instead?

The right thing to do is stock just the right amount of food in your fridge.

You are better off making another trip to the grocery store within the month than overloading your fridge and damaging it.

Clean the fridge once a week

At least once a week, remove all the foods in the fridge and clean them. Before returning any of the foods, find out their expiry date and discard them if necessary. You should also discard any food you aren’t sure whether should be in the fridge.

Parting shot

These are some wise fridge tips to keep your refrigerator in top working shape.

Don’t wait for your fridge to break down if you can afford it. Hire an experienced appliance repair Alexandria professional at least once a year to go over your unit and fix any issues your appliance might be having.

This way you prevent larger problems from resulting down the line, that might be too expensive to fix.

The professionals will also help you know expert tips to keep your appliance in top shape.

How Do I Keep My Fridge Tidy? 5 Tips To Make It Sparkle

A tidy fridge is not only beautiful to look at, but also saves you money as it runs more efficiently, not to mention lasting for a long time.

How do I keep my fridge tidy? If you are asking this, you should know that there are plenty of ways to do it, as given by refrigerator repair professionals.

Which are these ways? Here they are:

Maximize the shelf space

Most people will say that their fridges are full, but when you inspect them, you find that they aren’t using their shelf space as well as they should.

To keep your fridge tidy, you need to make the most of your shelf space. And the beauty is there are plenty of ways to make it happen.

One of the things you should do is avoid having unopened cans or single-serve bottles crowding the food that you should keep cold. This calls for you to keep the cans out of your fridge.

Instead of keeping the cans in the fridge, keep them in the pantry. If you need to cool the bottles, use ice, instead of placing them in the refrigerator.

Another way to make the most of your shelf space is to use square instead of round plastic containers. The reason for this is because square bottles store more food and look much cleaner than round ones.

If there is leftover food, don’t place it in huge, space-sucking containers. Instead, put it in individual portions in smaller bins. You can also store them in resealable bags that you can easily grab and go.

Make the food items accessible.

You will be doing double work removing items out of the way then restocking them. You will also be messing with your fridge by doing it.

You should strategically place the different items in your fridge to ensure this doesn’t happen. Of course, the items you use regularly should be near the door to easily access them.

Experts also recommend you use a Lazy Suzan.

Regularly clean the fridge.

You should regularly clean your fridge and remove any materials that might make the unit look dirty. For the best outcome, thoroughly clean the insides of the refrigerator,

Besides the cleaning, reduce the work you have to do to keep the unit clean by lining the bins with paper towels that will catch the drips.

It’s also wise to keep the sticky items such as syrups, jams, and sauces in removable shelf bins. This way, if dribbles happen, you only need to take them out and rinse them.

As you are doing the cleaning, you will come across stuck-on messes. To remove these, use a damp scrubber sponge sprinkled with baking. This will not only remove the messes, but also get rid of dirt and odors.

Clip the opened bags

When you have many bags in your fridge, it’s easy to forget what you have already opened, and you end up with many half-used food items that make your fridge look full and disorganized.

To ensure that you exhaust one bag before moving to the next, mark the bag you have already opened.

One way to do this is to clip the bags to the shelf with a binder clip. Of course, you should keep the bag close to the fridge door so that it becomes the first thing you see when you open the refrigerator.

Keep the items sorted in the freezer.

Due to its small size, things can quickly build up in the freezer, giving it an untidy, disorganized look. To avoid this, keep the items in small containers. For example, you can have fish, poultry, or even vegetable containers.

After keeping the items in clear plastic containers,  label them to make them easy to find.

Parting shot

These are some of the ways to keep the fridge clean and organized. As you organize the food items, store them to make them last for as long as possible. This calls for you to double bag certain foods such as raw meat.

Appliance repair Springfield professionals also recommend you pat the wet fruits and vegetables with a dry paper towel to get rid of excess moisture that can spoil the items.

5 Rules for a Perfect Fridge

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Would you love to keep your fridge in perfect working order and keep off refrigerator repair professionals? You should keep these fridge rules into consideration:

Keep the fridge at the right temperature

Setting the fridge at the optimal temperature not only keeps your food fresh, but also prevents it from overworking. The ideal fridge temperature is between 1c and 4C as you have to keep the food at 5C or lower. If you recently visited the grocery store, so the fridge is full, keep the temperature settings a little lower to save energy.

If it’s empty or cold, keep the temperature a little high.

Besides doing this, make it a habit to defrost your appliance when the ice is more than 5mm thick or prevent the air from circulating as effectively as it should.

Keep the fridge clean.

It goes without saying that you have to keep the fridge in top shape to keep it clean. As a rule of thumb, clear any spillages as soon as they happen. You should also wipe down the handles daily and clean the door outside at least once a week.

Regularly inspect the shelves and containers for lackluster or out-of-date food items and remove them.

At least once every three months, empty the refrigerator and draw out all the removable parts (drawers, shelves, and racks), then wash them with hot water and washing liquid.

Never use bleach or any non-food-safe chemical cleaners.

If the fridge is too dirty or you have gone for a long time without cleaning it, you need to deep clean it. To do this, use a toothbrush and thick paste of bicarb mixed with water and get rid of any stains.

You should then unplug the unit and clean it by hovering underneath and behind it. You should also remove any vented covers and reach the dust-coated fans and coils.

Store the right things in the fridge

What you store in your refrigerator goes a long way towards maintaining sanity in your appliance. Don’t store opened tin cans in the appliance as once you open them to the air, the tin from the can can transfer more quickly to the can’s contents.

Only place cans that come with resealable lids in the fridge, and always decant leftovers.

You also shouldn’t refrigerate hot food as they cause contamination and mess up the fridge temperature, causing it to overwork.

If you want to store your food in the fridge, wait for it to cool completely.

Some of the items in the fridge include: milk, yogurt, all berries, citrus, fish, and any opened products that specify refrigeration once opened.

Eggs require consistent temperatures so if you bought them refrigerated, keep them that way.

You also should keep large tubs of nut butters that you don’t need immediately and open pickles and jams.

Place the items on the right shelves.

Placing the right items in the refrigerator isn’t enough—you need to put them on the right shelves.

Top shelf: This shelf belongs to the items that don’t need cooking. These include: dips, sliced meats, deli dishes, leftovers, tortilla wraps, etc. This shelf is also perfect for any unfinished tin cans.

Middle shelf: The best items to store here are dairy and eggs. Don’t store the items on the door racks or egg holders to avoid damaging your door.

Bottom shelf: You place meat and fish here

Vegetable drawers: These are designed for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and leaves. Lettuce and other greens belong here.

Store all soft, fresh herbs (except for basil) here.

Door racks: Door racks are for juices, condiments, spreads, and other items with long shelf lives.

Undertake regular inspections

After buying, most homeowners don’t inspect their appliances, which is wrong. To ensure that your unit is in top working condition, make it a habit to inspect it at least once a year. Go around the unit and find any issue it might be having.

You can inspect yourself or hire an appliance repair Springfield professional to help you out. When hiring the repair expert, ensure they are experienced and know what they are doing.

Why Can’t You Lay A Refrigerator Down?

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

If you are looking to move a refrigerator, you must have heard that you shouldn’t lay it down. If this is the first time you are doing it, you must be thinking, why can’t you lay a refrigerator down? Well, there are plenty of reasons you shouldn’t do it as given by appliance repair professionals.

The theory is that the fluid in the fridge can cause air (gas) lock that prevents the fluid from moving around the system, and the lack of fluid damages the compressor. The fluid gets into the compressor in a liquid state and causes a hydraulic lock in some cases.

Even without considering the inner workings of the fridge, there are simple reasons why you shouldn’t lay the refrigerator down on its back. Even if you have already removed all the food and drinks inside, there is still the issue of drawers, shelves, and doors.

Most of the refrigerator shelves are made of glass, which can easily break due to shifting when moving it.

Refrigerator doors are built with a slight vacuum seal, which isn’t enough to keep the doors closed during the move. This increases the risk of the door opening and getting damaged.

How to move a fridge

To avoid damaging your fridge during the move, plan to move the refrigerator properly. How do you do it? Here is how to go about it:

Unplug the refrigerator

Begin with unplugging the fridge so that it doesn’t hurt you. After unplugging, fold the plug properly, so it doesn’t drag on when transporting it. Folding the plug also prevents it from getting damaged or damaging the other parts of the fridge.

Keep the fridge empty.

The other thing you should do is remove all the items from the refrigerator. Besides adding weight to the fridge, the food items will most likely get spoilt before getting to your destination, so you should remove them.

Don’t stop at removing the food items—also remove other items such as bottles and cans so that the fridge is as light as possible.

Defrost the fridge

Removing all the items in the fridge isn’t enough—you also need to defrost it so that no water spills out during the move.

To defrost the appliance, you need to unplug it from the power source and let it stay that way for hours until there is no frost left.

Defrosting takes time, so you should give your appliance enough time. To ensure that you aren’t in a hurry and all the water drains out before moving, unplug the fridge a day or hours before making a move.

After it has completed defrosting, clean all the leftover food particles, water, and other stuff from the insides of the fridge. This is to prevent the items from reaching areas where they shouldn’t.

Move the shelves out.

When you transport the fridge with the shelves in place, there is the risk of them moving and causing damage. You don’t want this, do you? Remove them from the fridge and carry them separately to ensure that it doesn’t happen. If you don’t want to remove them or feel safer in the refrigerator, use tape to secure them to their respective positions.

Keep the door shut

Since you can’t stand next to the fridge to ensure that the fridge door remains shut the entire time, you should use tape to hold it securely in one place.

Load the fridge properly

Now that everything is securely held in place, the next thing to do is load it in the truck. You might try to load it on your own as it’s empty, but don’t, as chances are it’s already too heavy for you. A good way to go about it is to ask a friend to help you in loading.

To avoid the complications mentioned above, try to keep the fridge as vertical as possible.

Secure the fridge

Finally, once the unit is on the truck, secure it. To prevent it from coming into contact with the truck, refrigerator repair Fairfax professionals recommend you place a sizeable blanket over the fridge. This will protect the refrigerator from dings and dents that could deface the appliance.

Is It OK To Put Magnets On A Refrigerator?

Most homeowners with stainless steel door fridges have little magnets on their refrigerators meant to decorate the fridge or pass a message.

They bring convenience but is it ok to put magnets on a refrigerator? One popular myth is that the magnets will affect the functioning of the refrigerator, but is this true?

According to refrigerator repair professionals, the magnets used to attach photos or notes on the fridge don’t have a lot of force or power to damage the refrigerator, so it’s okay to have them on your appliance.

While this is the case, you can harm your appliance when you mishandle the magnets. For example, if you are too rough when attaching or removing the magnets from the refrigerator, there is the risk of scratching the refrigerator surface.

Some women have long nails that can scratch the refrigerator surface as they are placing and removing the magnets.

If you want to retain the new look of the fridge, you should avoid using regular magnets. Instead, use plastic or vinyl coated magnets that would scratch the surface.

If you can’t find these magnets, use plastic suction cups with hooks in them and use them to hold up the notes, photos, or anything else that you might want to display on your fridge.

Other refrigerator myths

Besides the myth that magnets are harmful to the fridge, there are plenty of others you should be aware of. They include:

You don’t need a thermometer if the dial is working

While the dial comes in handy at helping you set the temperature in the fridge, it doesn’t mean that the figures shown in the dial are the real temperature in the refrigerator.

Plenty of factors can affect the internal temperature of your appliance, and the only sure-fire way to know the exact temperature inside is to use a thermometer. The ideal cool temperature inside the fridge is 3 and 4 degrees Celsius.

You can place anything anywhere in the refrigerator

If you have been researching about refrigerators, you know that you should place certain items in specific areas of the fridge. For example, you should place the meat and other highly perishable items in the freezer.

The reason for this is because the temperature in the fridge isn’t equal throughout. Certain areas, such as the fridge doors, are warmer, and you should place juice, water, beer, and other items that can withstand high temperatures here.

For your items not to go bad, you need to store them in the right compartments. If you aren’t sure how to go about it, here is a guide to help you out.

You can lock the cold air inside even with the power out

You must have heard that you don’t have to worry even if the power goes out, as the food will be safe as long as you don’t open the fridge and freezer doors. Well, this isn’t true.

If the power is out for less than four hours, most of the food will be okay, but even then, it’s safe to toss the dairy, meat, and leftovers as bacteria might have already started growing on them.

Veggies, bread, hard cheese, and fresh fruits should be alright.

You can keep leftovers in the fridge for as long as you want

The refrigerator is meant to extend the lifespan of the food you put there, but not keep it fresh forever. A good rule of thumb is to keep the leftovers in the fridge for a maximum of four days. If you can’t remember the last time you made the food or had it delivered, it’s time to toss it.

The produce bin doesn’t need cleaning.

Since the produce bin only carries fruits and vegetables, some people believe that it doesn’t get dirty and should not be cleaned.

Appliance repair Springfield professionals advise against it. When you store fresh fruits and vegetables, after some time, you are bound to have some bacteria growing there, and there is the risk of cross-contamination in your refrigerator.

To avoid this, make it a habit to clean the produce bins before loading a fresh batch of fruits or vegetables.

How Do You Know If Your Refrigerator Icemaker Is Bad?

Virginia Refrigerators Repair

Do you have a feeling that your ice maker has a problem? It could be true.

How do you know if your refrigerator ice maker is bad? Well, there are a number of things you can look out for. Some of these things as given by appliance repair professionals include:

The ice maker not making ice

The unit is supposed to make ice, so if it’s not, there is definitely a problem. The icemaker will fail to make ice for plenty of reasons, such as wrong temperature settings, dirty filters, blockages, and many others.

You should look into the unit and confirm whether the thermostat is set at the right temperature. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the temperature doesn’t exceed 5ºF.

While at it, check the arm lever and ensure that it’s pushed down. If it’s up, it might be the reason the ice maker won’t make ice, so you need to push it down.

How is the water stream? If the stream is weak or there is no water coming out, you might be having a problem with the waterline. Inspect it and if blocked or damaged, fix it.

Ice maker not making enough ice

Sometimes the ice maker will make some ice, but you can tell it’s not working at its capacity. In most cases, this will happen due to problems with the waterline. You need to access the line and find out whether it’s blocked or damaged.

Fix the problem and ensure that the stream has a steady flow with good water pressure (30-120 psi). When replacing the water line, ensure that everything is connected tightly and the water inlet valve is fully open and free of debris.

Ice maker making ice that is too small or has a weird taste

If the ice coming from the ice maker is too small, it could be due to water line problems. Does the ice have a weird taste or color? This might be due to food odors from the freezer.

Check the water line for any bulges, kinks, or damage. If you see any problem, fix it.

If the problem is too big that you have to replace the line, replace the line using a copper water line. This way, you have a durable water line that won’t give the water a weird taste.

To prevent the smell of the food in the freezer from getting into the water, make it a habit to cover the food with plastic.

Ice maker not dropping ice

If your ice maker isn’t dropping ice, you could be having a blockage in the ice tray, or the ice cube has jammed between the lever and bin. If this is the case, double-check and confirm that the lever is pushed down and/or the ice maker is switched on. If you aren’t sure about it, consult your owner’s manual.

Also, confirm if the problem is due to ice accumulation in the ice bin. If there is blocked ice, remove it by carefully chipping at it with a plastic knife.

Ice maker making loud noises

Although the icemaker should make some noise when working, the noise shouldn’t be too loud that it’s a distraction. So if your appliance is making constant or unusual noises, it might be having a mechanical problem that you need to look at.

In most cases, you can’t properly diagnose the noises and fix them on your own—you have to hire an experienced refrigerator icemaker repair Fairfax professional to help out.

Water leaking into the freezer or on the floor.

Two of the most common culprits for this problem are a faulty water line and an unleveled icemaker.

The first place to check is whether the refrigerator is leveled. If it’s not, level it. Once the fridge is level, check the inside of the freezer and ensure that it’s also leveled.

How is the water line? Check its condition and ensure that the fill tube is positioned properly. The tube’s location will vary depending on the ice maker model, but it should always be above the icemaker tray or inside the water fill cup.

Should I Turn Off Refrigerator When Not In Use?

appliance repiar

If you are going on vacation for a month or more, you can’t keep your electric appliances running. One of the questions you must be asking is, should I turn off the refrigerator when not in use?

The answer to this question is a definitive yes. Appliance repair professionals recommend you turn off the fridge and unplug it at the wall.

The obvious reason you should shut the fridge is to save power. You don’t want to keep receiving high energy bills you aren’t consuming, are you?

The other reason you should shut the appliance is because you don’t want to keep worrying about what is going on at home.

Although, they are good servants, most appliances are ticking time bombs especially when they run unsupervised. They can fall, catch on fire, among many other things.

When you shut your appliance, you have peace of mind that none of your units can start a fire in your absence.

Besides shutting and disconnecting the fridge, there are several other things you should do when you will be gone for extended periods. Some of these things include:

Defrost and clean the appliance

If you don’t properly clean the fridge before storage, you will create a lot of mess that the fridge will be unusable by the time you are retrieving it from storage.

One major concern is mold that often starts from the food debris and spreads to the other parts of the fridge. There is also the pests concern. Ants and rodents can be attracted to even the smallest food pieces so when you don’t properly clean the fridge, these pests can get into your appliance and cause damage to the electrical components.

To defrost the fridge, remove all the food items and unplug the fridge. This will trigger the defrosting process and you should keep the refrigerator doors open so that moisture can escape from the fridge.

To avoid flooding your floor, strategically place a towel to catch the dripping water.

For peace of mind that the fridge is completely dry, defrost it at least a week before you leave for your vacation.

As the fridge is defrosting, you should clean both the insides and back of it.

Take out the drawers, shelves, and other removable parts of the appliance. Clean and soak these parts with mildly soapy water. For best results, ensure the water is warm. Avoid scalding hot water as it can damage the cold plastic or glass.

Using a mixture of baking soda and water, scrub away any materials that might have built up inside the fridge and freezer compartments.

As much as you want the fridge to be spotless, don’t use chlorine bleach, ammonia, or any other abrasive cleaning solutions as they can crack or even discolor the plastic and stainless steel.

Once the insides of the fridge are clean, turn your attention to the outside. Dust the coils using a brush attachment or run a vacuum cleaner. You can also use a dry cloth.

Store the fridge in an upright position

If you will be moving the fridge from its usual place, use a dolly or hand truck to move it. As a rule of thumb don’t move the fridge while laying on its side.

When you store it, ensure that it’s not in a slanting position—it should always be in a straight position.

The reason for this is to ensure that you come home to a properly functioning compressor.

Keep the fridge dry

The last thing you want is to reverse all the hard work you have put into cleaning and defrosting your appliance.

To ensure that your fridge remains dry and no moisture gets inside, remove the doors on both the fridge and freezer compartments.

According to refrigerator repair Springfield professionals, when you do this, you ensure no seal forms so your appliance is free from molds.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of removing the doors, wedge an object between the door and the compartment frame so that the door remains open.

When choosing the wedging object, ensure that the object is tough and won’t bend or get indented over time hence close the door and cause the damaging seal to form.