Chill Out

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Adam
There’s nothing better than relaxing outdoors in the comfort of your own backyard and reaching for an ice cold drink straight from your fridge. We’re talking outdoor refrigerators, and right now is the perfect time to start looking for one if you don’t already own one. No more worrying about your drinks getting cold if you’re outside, or having to run indoors every time you want a snack. Plus, they look great in any outdoor space. If you’re tempted to go out and buy one make sure you buy stainless steel to avoid any rusting, and don’t worry about your fridge overheating in the heat of summer. Outdoor refrigerators are created to deliver more cooling power than indoor ones, but double check that you buy an fridge marked “outdoors” because indoor refrigerators won’t do the trick. If you make this mistake and realize your fridge isn’t working properly, don’t worry, we’ll come figure out what went wrong and fix it up for you. Call us at Allen & Sons if any of your other household appliances are giving you trouble. We love our appliances and you should love yours too.
Twitt
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Is Your Spin Speed Energy Efficient?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Adam
Have you ever considered what the spin speed of your washing machine does for your laundry? We’re referring to the speed at which your tub spins in a front loading washer when it reaches the final cycle. By the time your clothes have been washed, they’re extremely wet. The tub in your washer must spin at a very fast pace to “wring out” the excess water – the faster it spins, the drier your clothes get. All of this is done in an effort to minimize the drying time when you pull your clothes out the washer. This is extremely important because what we’re really looking at is energy efficiency.
See, the faster your tub spins, the less water your clothes carry. The less water they carry, the less time they spend in the drier. Less time in the drier means less use of energy. Essentially higher spinning speeds equals energy efficiency. Make sense?
Now, how do you determine which spin speed is right for you? Take a look at the fabric you wash. A machine will come with a default spinning speed for the type of clothing you’re washing (along with the program you’ve chosen). For example, wool requires a slower spinning speed since (notice that wool feels almost dry when you pull it out of the washer?) Synthetic fabric needs about 800-1000rpm, cotton needs 900-1400rpm. Different fabrics retain a different amount of water and therefore require a different spinning speed. As a general rule, when washing towels, sheets, and general wear, a faster spinning speed is ideal and will reduce drying time. In the end, we’re only trying to be as energy efficient as possible. If you think your tub isn’t spinning as fast as it should be, give us a call at Allen & Sons and we’ll check it out for you.
Twitt
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Rinsing Your Dishes is Costing You BIG Money

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Adam
Washing the dishes isn’t fun, it takes a while and it’s a messy job. But the good news is that you can cut your dishwashing time in half. A majority of people have the habit to scrape off food, rinse their plates and cups, and then place them in the washer. Imagine if you skipped the rinsing and went from scraping straight to the dishwasher. If thats a thought that scares you, you should realize you have nothing to worry about. Dishwashers are designed and built for the sole purpose of doing all the dirty work, which means you shouldn’t have to. Your rinsing habit wastes more than 22,000 liters of water a year – now that’s a scary thought. When Consumer Reports tested dishwashers, they caked on tomato sauce, peanut butter, egg yolks, and gooey oatmeal. After running the dishes through the washer, the majority of dishwashers produced a great result, the worst result they got were still “good”. Now this doesn’t go to say you should load your washer with plates that still have chunks of food on them. Scrape off any excess food quickly and then place your dirty dishes in the washer. The way you place dishes in the washer can also contribute greatly to how clean each dish gets. For example, things like pots, pans, and roasting dishes should go on the bottom rack toward the back and sides. Doing this will ensure the water isn’t blocked. Always face dishes inward so they are hit with the force of the water. The heating element inside the washer is located toward the bottom which means you should  be placing your plastic tupperware on the top rack to avoid melting. If your glass cups look worn down or wasted, it’s probably because you have a habit of rinsing them. Certain washers can harm glasses that have been rinsed because the enzymes target food and if there’s no food to target, they can make small etches and deplete the transparency. A rinsing habit can be hard to break, if you can’t quite manage to break it, try setting the washer on a rinse cycle before you set it to a wash cycle, you’ll still use more water but only half the amount you were using when hand rinsing. For any other problem you have with your dishwasher call Allen & Sons. We’ll help you with everything you do.
Twitt
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How to Shop for Kitchen Supplies/Appliances

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Adam
When it comes to hitting the stores or looking at items online, there’s a million different places to look, and each place will differ in price. Fortunately there are a few things you can do to to simplify your search and lower your prices.
  1. First of all, research popular brands, read customer reviews, and find ratings on the overall brand and its products.
  2. Compare used and new products. I usually prefer not to take the risk of buying a used product but if you do enough research, there are plenty of refurbished appliances on the market which can save you a lot of money.
  3. Make sure you are buying a quality product. Don’t invest in something just because the special sale is good, or it’s limited time only. Quality will always last longer than a sale price.
  4. Be sure to buy an appliance that has a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) sticker on it because it certifies the equipment’s food preparation safety and efficiency.
  5. Lastly, buy in bulk. Most times bulk items will save you a large sum of money.
With so many different choices on appliances, it’s easy to go wrong. If you’ve purchased an appliance and are experiencing problems with it, call Allen & Sons Appliance Repair to have one of our appliance experts take a look it. We’re sure next time, you’ll consider these tips before buying an appliance.
For more information on Allen & Sons services @myapplianceservice.com/Services
Twitt
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Are Your Energy Bills Ridiculously High?

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Adam
If your jaw drops every time you open that energy bill, we may have a solution worth trying. Filling your fridge and freezer to their maximum capacity makes them more energy efficient. Every time you open and close your fridge, warm air goes in and cold air goes out. This causes your fridge to work hard to cool down the warm air. Now, if your fridge is full less warm air comes in, and energy isn’t waisted keeping the inside cool. We’re not suggesting you go out and buy an excessive amount of food (that might go bad and get waisted, that wouldn’t be very efficient.) You can fill your freezer with bags of ice, bottles, or containers filled with water. Filling your fridge is a little trickier. You’re constantly opening and closing the fridge taking out food and putting it in. Place the most popular and important items in the front for an easy grab. Sort different types of food accordingly with the various spots inside the fridge for temperature control; dairy on the top, meat on the bottom. Separate fruits and veggies to keep the veggies from going bad due to ethylene gases from fruits.
Try out our solution and check your bills again. If they haven’t really changed, you may want to consider checking if your fridge is working properly. Call Allen & Sons if you think there might be a problem, we’ll have a look and fix up anything thats wrong.
Post originally seen @appliancesonlineblog.com.au
Twitt
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Allergy Free, You and Me

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Adam

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at your air conditioner and make sure it’s in top condition. Not only do you want a perfectly functioning air conditioner to keep your home cool during those hot days, you also want to make sure the air you’re breathing is clean! Dirty filters will not only cause your air conditioner to function inefficiently, they will also push out germs and diseases, not to mention they’re a breeding ground for dust and mold. Your filter should be checked and cleaned every six months. Let’s get down to business, here’s how to do it:

  1. Check if your filter is replaceable. If it is, buy a new one. If it’s not, you’ll have to clean it.
  2. The majority of units have a cover over the front of the AC, you’ll want to remove this. Some may require you to remove screws. This could be the same for the filter itself.
  3. Once you have access to the filter, soak it in warm soapy water for 30 minutes. Remove and rinse. Then, soak it in a mixture of warm water and vinegar for a whole hour to kill bacteria and germs. Remove the filter, wipe clean and dry.
  4. MAKE SURE THE FILTER IS TOTALLY DRY before you place it back into the air conditioner. Mixing electricity and water can cause fire and result in death.

Cleaning a filter is easy and fairly quick. If these step by step instructions sound too complicated, or you don’t have time to do it, give us a call and we’ll do it for you. If you’re having any other problems with your air conditioner we can take care of those too.

Twitt
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How To – Clean and Spring Your Grill Back Into Action

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Adam
If you have an outdoor grill that’s taken the beating of winter, or hasn’t been cleaned in a while, we’ll show you exactly how to spring it back into action for the upcoming summer season. First clean the interior and scrape off burnt food using a putty knife. Make sure the grease drain is unclogged if your grill has one. Keep your hands away from the grease though, it could burn your hands. Using non-stick cooking spray, season the grill to make sure food doesn’t stick to the grill in the future. Let your grill burn empty for 30 minutes. Next make sure your grill is level, that way your foods, especially meats will cook evenly. Check that it is leveled front to back and side to side. Lastly, be sure to check for leaks by inspecting hoses and tightening connections. After doing all of this, your grill should be ready to go. If something still isn’t right, try the steps again, paying close attention to details. If your grill still isn’t working right after the second inspection, the cold of winter may have gotten to it. Call us at Allen & Sons and we will come repair whatever has been damaged so you can begin grilling again.
Twitt
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No More Dirty Laundry

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Adam
We are often far too busy preoccupied with plenty of other things to stop and think about how dirty our cleaning appliances are. In other words, have you considered that your dishwasher or washing machine might need to be cleaned? Taking care of cleaning the appliances that clean for you is fast and easy. For your washing machine, just run the machine on empty. Some machines won’t fill if they’re empty so throw in a few old towels to get the water to flow. The cleaning magic however, will come from one basic ingredient you need to throw into your empty load. Either bleach, lemon juice, vinegar, soda crystals, or de-scaler will do the trick. Bleach will get rid of rust. If you’re dealing with stinky smells throw in a cup of vinegar, or two cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice. If limescale is your problem, de-scaler or soda crystals can solve the problem. But be careful how much soda crystals you throw in as it is corrosive and can harm your heating element. By cleaning your washing machine, you can prevent future accidents, and even lengthen its lifespan. When you do this, also check the hoses and connections for cracks, blisters, or corrosion. Then check that your machine is level as this will prevent internal damage. If you have any problems or find that your machine isn’t working right, call Allen & Sons Appliance Repair at (800).828.0887 and we’ll take a look  and have your machine up and running in no time.
Twitt
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This Cool Fridge Always Has Your Back

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Adam
Most of us have been in the situation where you forget to a beverage in the refrigerator and when you realize you’ve forgotten to cool it, it’s usually 5 minutes before you need it. You shove your drink into the fridge and wait around for 5 minutes hoping that when you pull it back out it will be ice cold. Unfortunately when you pull out your drink, it’s the same temperature as when you put it in. Forget these frantic situations because with the new LG 3 French Door Fridge with Chill Blaster, you can have your drinks chilled and ready to go in a short 5 minutes. In the lower right side of the fridge, you will find a compartment big enough to fit 2 cans or a bottle of wine that can chill your items in a mere 5 minutes. Aside from this cool feature, the refrigerator also offers humidity-adjustable crisper drawers and gliding shelves. It is designed with two doors that open to a 31-cubic-foot capacity body, along with a freezer drawer on the bottom. We’re absolutely thrilled with this fridge because it always has your back when you forget to cool your drinks. In the same way, we always have your back when your appliances break down, so don’t forget to call Allen & Sons if you’re in that situation.
You can find this cool LG fridge@lg.com
First Seen @cnet.com
Twitt
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Back to the Future… in a Refrigerator

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Masha

It has been over 20 years since Steven Spielberg has shaken the world with his DeLorean Time Machine. Imagine how shocking it was for me to find out that the car was not even the original time transportation device considered by the movie makers! As I have learned just yesterday, the actual idea was to make a time machine out of a REFRIGERATOR. Yeah! No, seriously, the mechanism was supposed to be attached to a refrigerator and taken to an atomic bomb test site.

Of course, the plan was later disapproved by Steven Spielberg who was afraid that inventive children would try climbing into their home refrigerators, which could be pretty dangerous. Yet, as interesting as it could get, I wonder if Back to the Future artists were considering something similar to SubZero machines for their purposes… I meant, those run in comfortably large sizes, have 2 compressors, and are nice-looking, too… I can see the main character flying one of those all the way to the past. And I am sure everyone in the past would be highly impressed by that stainless steel, to say the least… Or a French-Door alternative could have worked, as well… No, actually, it would not – it has too many doors and sections inside. Anyway, I think the movie could still be filmed as planned, as long as the time machine was not made out of a smaller apartment-style fridge – it could be a bit too painful for such long-distance traveling.

On the other hand, who would be fixing the time machine has it gone out of order some 200 years ago? Allen and Sons Appliance Repair Service were not even there yet (not until 1970’s). However, we are here today, so do not hesitate to contact us in case your machine is not being cold enough.

Additional information about the movie may be found here.

Twitt
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