July 12, 2010
Troubleshooting Your Refrigerator
Refrigerator trouble?
During these hot July days, it is essential to have your refrigerator working well. But what if your unit suddenly stops running?
If your appliance is showing signs of trouble, here is a bit of advice from RepairClinic.com.
The refrigerator has stopped running completely
The first thing to do is make sure that your refrigerator really isn’t running. Check to see if the light comes back on or if there is any fan, motor, or other sound coming from the appliance. Also, try adjusting the thermostat to a colder setting. If there is no sign of life, you will need to figure out what the problem is.
The second thing to do is check if there is power getting to the refrigerator. To do that, plug a lamp or another electrical device into the same outlet the refrigerator is plugged into. If there is no power, check the fuses or circuit breakers in your basement. If the fuses or breakers are not the problem, contact a qualified electrician to restore power to the particular outlet for your refrigerator.
If there is power to the appliance but it is still not working, there may be a problem in one or more of these:
- Wiring
- Thermostat
- Defrost timer
- Compressor
- Overload and/or relay
For all appliance parts, refrigerator help and troubleshooting information please visit RepairClinic.com.
Warning! To avoid personal injury or even death, always disconnect your appliance from its power source – unplug it or break the connection at the circuit breaker or fuse box – before you do any troubleshooting or repair work on your appliance. Also, because some components may have sharp edges, use caution while working on your appliance.
July 6, 2010
RepairClinic.com – Refrigerator Advice
Take care of your refrigerator!
It is very, very hot outside this week and your refrigerator is working hard.
Still, it should not be running constantly, even at high room temperatures. If your refrigerator seems to run non-stop, you should check it out for a number of possible problems.
These are the things that could be wrong:
- Your unit might have a dirty condenser coil. See our Maintenance Tips section for help in cleaning it.
- The clearance around the appliance might not be adequate for proper air flow
- The seal on one of the doors might be loose or worn out
- It might have a light bulb that is not going off when the door is closed
- Your unit might have excessive frost build-up on the internal evaporator coils
- It might have a defective thermostat
- Your refrigerator might be low on refrigerant
Visit RepairClinic.com for expert advice, refrigerator parts and maintenance tips.
Best of luck for a trouble free summer!
May 15, 2010
Open Your Windows!
Open Your Windows
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies indoor air pollution as one of the top risks to public health in our environment. Often, the air inside is more polluted than the air outside. What can we do to keep the air in our home fresh, clean and healthy? EPA offers a few easy to follow suggestions:
Open the Windows and Air Your House Out
Every day, even in winter, it is a good idea to open as many windows as you can in your house. The cross breezes will purify the air and make your house smell fresh and feel comfortable.
Keep Houseplants
Green houseplants not only clean the air in our homes by removing toxins but look beautiful and refreshing as well.
Candles and Air Fresheners
Most candles and air fresheners contained phthalates. These chemicals, used to spread fragrance through the air, are believed to cause birth defects, hormonal abnormalities, and reproductive problems. Burn only beeswax and soy-based candles.
Combustion Gases
Gas stoves produce open flames, and places where open flames reside (kitchens, living room fireplaces, furnace rooms, or basements) nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide have a chance of building up. It is important to check and make sure that your gas appliances are properly adjusted. All should have a blue flame; a lot of the yellow or orange color are a sign of higher pollutant levels. If this is the case in your home, you should alert your gas company to adjust the setting. If you are buying a new appliance, select a model with a pilot-less ignition; this type does not have a continuously burning pilot light.
Dust Mites
Although not deadly, dust mites (hiding in bedrooms, linens, sofas, carpets) cause a number of allergies and may be responsible for stuffy noses and itchy eyes. They could also make asthma symptoms flare up. Cover your pillows and mattresses with tightly woven “allergen protector” covers. Vacuum with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter; or even better, select wood flooring for your home. It is much easier to keep dust free.
PBDEs (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers or Flame Retardants)
These dangerous chemicals have been linked to thyroid and liver cancers, as well as neurological and immune disorders. Many Mattresses, upholstery and electronics are made with them. Mattresses made from wool (a natural fire retardant) are a healthier choice. Electronics manufacturers such as Apple, Dell, and Sony are starting to phase out certain PBDEs. IKEA is one of the furniture manufacturers that has stopped using these chemicals (as they have been banned in Europe.)
Formaldehyde
This chemical emits toxic gases that can cause nausea and dizziness; in severe cases, it may harm the liver and the kidneys. Formaldehyde can hide in adhesives in furniture, flooring and cabinetry. Particleboard products have a lot of adhesive, so buying solid wood furniture and flooring instead may help you avoid this harmful chemical.
Mold
Anywhere that there is water (refrigerator, washing machine, shower walls) there is potential for mold. Mold causes itchy eyes, runny noses, asthma, and other respiratory disorders. In order to control mold, it is important to control indoor moisture levels (those levels can easily be measured with an inexpensive humidity meter – a hygrometer.) Don’t forget to regularly clean the spots in your home that hold standing water – the drip trays beneath your refrigerator and the bucket on your dehumidifier. Run a cycle without clothes on your washing machine once a week with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to prevent mold from invading there.
Pesticides
These chemicals can cause respiratory problems, skin irritation, coughing, and dizziness and over long periods of time have been linked to central nervous system damage. They accumulate on floors, plants, pets, bottoms of shoes. Be careful of what kinds of chemicals you spray on your pets and plants to ward off pests and insects. Removing shoes before entering your home, can significantly cut down on the amount of lawn fertilizer tracked inside.
Every bit counts. Keep the air in your home clean and healthy. Keep those windows open.
February 16, 2010
Safe Refrigerator Storage
Safe Refrigerator Storage
• Do not overload your refrigerator – a crowded refrigerator cannot keep foods cool enough.
• Stack your refrigerator in an orderly fashion – it is safer and more efficient as well as more pleasant.
• Rotate foods so that you use the older items first – when you buy new groceries, place them behind the older ones.
• Be familiar with how long foods last – throw away items that have been stored for longer than recommended time periods.
• Go through bags and discard pieces that are molding or going bad – one rotten apple can spoil the whole bag!
• Make sure that bacteria laden drips from meat and chicken don’t contaminate other food, especially fruits and vegetables that will be eaten without cooking.
• Always keep milk and dairy products in tightly closed, lidded or covered containers.
• Avoid refrigerator odors – clear all old, rotting, spoiled or molding foods.
January 25, 2010
Refrigerator Parts at RepairClinic.com
This old refrigerator
Our refrigerator is very old. It is also outdated and ugly, not a single sleek or modern line on it. But for over twenty years it has served us well, and is actually spacious and well designed on the inside. My husband Jeff is a practical man and sees no reason to replace a perfectly good refrigerator just for aesthetic reasons. I, on the other hand, have been praying for that refrigerator to break for a very long time.
Well, a few years ago I came into our kitchen early in the morning and there was a thundering noise coming from the refrigerator. It sounded like a very loud lawn mower. My heart filled with hope. The time had come. The moment Jeff entered, I joyfully pointed out that our refrigerator was nearing its demise and that we’d have to buy a new one. It’s so old, why would we even try fixing it?
But Jeff is a logical man, perhaps just a little stubborn, and not easily persuaded. Having worked for years as the IT director at RepairClinic.com, he knew what to do. He went to the website and looked up the diagnostic information on thundering refrigerators. He quickly found out that it was a faulty fan making all that noise, and that the fan was easy to replace by a non-technician. By entering the model number of our unit on the site, Jeff found the exact match for the part we needed. He ordered it and replaced the fan the following day.
We still have that old, ugly refrigerator. It works great and I have pretty much accepted the fact that it will be in my kitchen for a very long time. The stove on the other hand …..
Gracious Living - Day by Day 