Kelly's Korner - Summer Refrigeration

Hey, All!

Wow!  Where did April go?  Time seems to fly by faster every year!  I wonder why that is?  It seems like when we were kids, summer lasted for-e-ver!  Now they are gone in a blink.  Getting old bites!  lol  I was on staycation all last week and it went by so fast!

So with spring in full bloom and summer around the bend, you know your refrigerator is going to be used alot - whether it's grabbing a popsicle, or your kids think it is a fast way to cool off, those doors will be opening and closing alot.  NOTE:  Do NOT let your kids stand in the door to cool off!  Your refrigerator works harder and your electric bill goes up.  Good recipe for disaster!

Check your door seals - stick a dollar bill or a piece of paper in the door and close it.  Now pull on the bill or paper.  If you feel resistance then you are good.  Do this all the way around. Now check for flexibility.  If it is flexible and has no cracks, you're good.  Clean out those folds in it all the way around.  This will prevent any nasty odors. If you see gaps where it contacts with the door or there is no resistance on the paper test, it is time to replace them.

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Check your water filter and replace if need be.  With summer comes an increase in water and ice usage, and you want your ice and water as clean as possible.  Also, if you have an onboard icemaker, check to make sure that is working properly.  It is always a good idea to totally dump the ice in the bucket at least once a month and clean it out.  This way the ice left in the bottom doesn't smell or taste funny from sitting there forever.

Take a thermometer (we have them here) that you can set inside the fridge and freezer and check your temps.  Refrigerators should maintain a 40 degree or below temp and your freezer should be at 0 degrees.  Deep freezers should be at -10 degrees.

Clean out underneath your fridge and don't forget to clean the coils - this will prevent your refrigerator from working too hard.  Because, as the temperatures outside rise, your fridges and freezers work harder to keep things cold.

If you have any problems or concerns, contact your favorite appliance technician for a checkup.  Better to make sure things are shipshape now rather than wait until something really bad happens.  The techs are really busy during the summer, too.

Time to clean out any old stuff, unidentifiable things or science experiments, too, to make room for all those ice cream bars, popsicles and otterpops!

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - 5 Ways to Help Your Refrigerator Stay Running in Hot Weather

Hey, All,

Well, summer has arrived with a vengeance here in Portland with temps up in the 90's!  For someone raised on the coast with constant wind, fog and mild temperatures, I don't deal well with all this warmth.  Yesterday's thunderstorms were a welcome break.

You know what else doesn't do well in hot weather?  Your refrigerator.  It works extra hard to keep things cool.  And nothing is worse when it's hot out than to have a broken refrigerator.  Here are some helpful hints to help keep it running.

1.  KEEP THE DOOR SHUT!!!  I know it feels really good to open the doors and let that cool air wash over you, but your refrigerator is not an air conditioning unit.  The more the doors are opened and closed the harder it has to work to keep things cold.

2.  When you do have the doors open, do a quick check of your door seals.  Clean them off and check to see there are no holes or tears in them.  Stick a dollar bill between the seal and the cabinet - if it slides out easily, replace the seals.  Call your favorite repair technician to replace these for you, or call W L May with your model number if you think you can do this yourself.

3.  Keep your freezer and refrigerator full.  I know this seems weird, but your fridge doesn't work as hard keeping things cold or frozen if it is full.  Don't stuff it - and if it seems a little empty, fill some jugs with water and keep in there for drinking and cooler ice (freeze jugs of water, ice tea or other favorite beverage and use in your picnic coolers - will keep your food cool and save space with the drinks.)   Cool food and liquids to room temp before putting them in the fridge and make sure they are covered. Replace your filter if you have one, also.

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4.  Clean underneath and behind your fridge and the coils.  Dust and dirt will make the compressor run more.  Also check to make sure there plenty of clearance behind it for air circulation. 

5.  If you have a refrigerator in a garage or outbuilding that gets really hot you might think about NOT using it and unplugging it, or find someway to cool that area.  That compressor is already running hot and high temps could make things go kaboom.  And with your neighbors turning on air conditioning units or fans, flucuations in power could happen, so make sure that your refrigerators and freezers are on surge protectors.

If you have any concerns about your refrigerators or freezers, get on the phone now with your appliance repair company.  Summer has them booked solid with refrigeration issues and you want to get any issues taken care of as soon as possible.

Have a great week!

PS:  Please remember that the Portland W L May will be closed on Saturday July 19 for the big move to get parts over to our new location at NE 9th and Burnside.  We will be open in our new location on Monday, July 21.

Kelly's Korner - Freezers

Hey, All,

Nearly had an emergency this weekend:  I came home Friday night and went out to my chest freezer (which sits outside my kitchen door on a covered porch) and one of my dear darling children had left the lid up!  No telling how long it had been open but the meat that was on the top was nearly thawed out.


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Panic!  I had just gone grocery shopping and the freezer was filled to the top.  And I didn't have room in my fridge freezer for everything.  What to do, what to do?

First of all, calm the heck down!  Nothing was ruined yet, so I shut the lid.  There was enough ice buildup inside (yeah, it needs a defrosting and cleaning) to keep things cool enough for awhile.  Enough time to see if it was going to refreeze.  I could barely hear something running but wasn't sure if the compressor and freezing system was actually working.  I think the lid had been up since the evening before.  And, since it was late Friday evening, there wasn't much I could do until Saturday - clean out inside freezer and call everyone I know to see if they had room in theirs and call my favorite techs for advice.  ARGH!!!!!

I checked it before I went to bed a few hours later - not much changed.  Things were cooler but I couldn't be sure if it was just from the coldness already in there or if it was actually working.  I woke up a couple of times during the night but couldn't get myself out of bed to go check on it - bad news will wait, right?

So when I got up Saturday the first thing I did was go check - YAHOO!!!!  Everything was frozen solid!  Happy dance, happy dance!  Someone up there loves me!  But, there are some things I do need to do and you might need to do on your deep freeze, too:

1.  Get the baby defrosted and cleaned out (should have done that before I went shopping lol!)
2.  Clean out underneath, around and inside the compressor area - please unplug before you do this and use caution so you don't disconnect or break any wires or connections.
3.  Check out the door seal (yes, mine needs replacing!)

With summer coming and harvest and hunting seasons not far off, now would be the most excellent time for you to get this done or to call a repairperson if it needs some TLC you can't handle.  And if you need to replace that door seal (or any other parts) grab your model number and give W L May a call.

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - Fall Cleaning and Maintenance

Hey, All!

Well, with the summer winding down, vacations over and school starting back, now is a good time for an appliance overhaul and here's a list you can check off:

Washer:  Any leakage?  Check hoses - both in and out - for cracks and wear and replace if necessary.  Run an Affresh puck through it to clean out internal gunk and leave it fresh smelling and give the outside a good wipe down.

Dryer:  Clean your venting system - unplug and move away from wall and clean out lint from exhaust tube then all your venting to the outside - now may be a good time to replace the venting - especially if you are using that old vinyl stuff - and replace it with rigid or semi rigid venting.  We have all this at W L May including brushes to clean.  Also, clean out any of that lint that is behind, under and in the dryer and give it a good wipedown.

Refrigerators/freezers:  If you have a water connection check for leaks.  Check your temps and make sure your food is staying cold enough (we have thermometers for this!) - also a good time for cleaning the inside and replacing filters.
Good time for a defrosting and clean out of old stuff.  Hunting season is upon us and we are expecting you hunters to bring home the venison!  Or, if not, stocking up on meats that usually go down in price this time of year.

http://www.likenuappliance.com/  Thanks, Robin!

Dishwashers:  Again, check your water connections - any little leak anywhere can really add up on your water bill not to mention damage to your flooring, substructure and foundations.  Check your racks for nicks and come on down to get "Goop" if you need it.  Run Affresh for Dishwashers and Disposals through to clean out deposits and leave it smelling good.

Ranges, cooktops, ovens: With the holidays looming (ick!) and regular dinner schedules back make sure everything is heating properly - we have thermometers for ovens, too! - and give everything a good cleaning or replace what is needed.

If you need repairs, call your repairman now.  As the holiday season (wince!) gets closer they get booked up fast.  And W L May has a great inventory of parts and cleaning supplies for your needs.

If I seem to be harping on cleaning lately it is only because preventive maintenance and cleaning will help your appliances to run longer and more efficiently.  Now I just need to take my own advice and get busy!  lol

Have a great week!

KELLY'S KORNER - REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER CLEANING

Hey, All,

Well, with fruit and veggies getting ripe and canning and freezing season in full swing, I found I needed to do MAJOR cleaning of my refrigerator and freezers.  UGH!  One of those jobs that needs to be done but just can't do cartwheels about - oven cleaning, bathrooms and gutters are on this list, too.

First thing I do is turn off the refer as I am going through and seeing what is what - WHAT is this!  Who's science experiment is this?!?  And all those mystery packages?  Use the old adage - WHEN IN DOUBT - THROW IT OUT!  Man, I never knew I had so much room in my freezer!

Put your perishables that won't stand non-refrigeration for a few hours in a cooler - the stuff from the freezer will help keep the milk and stuff cool.  Let your glass shelves slowly warm up to room temp - DO NOT PUT ANYTHING WARM OR HOT ON THEM UNTIL THEY ARE AT ROOM TEMP!!!!  One of the most calls I get is for replacement shelves because someone decided to clean and put their cold shelf under the hot water.  Not a good idea as the drastic temp shift will shatter the glass and may cause injuries.  I take mine out and put on a towel covered table - also is a good place for them to dry off once they're clean.  Also, if you have an older refrigerator or freezer and there is ice build up - DO NOT USE A SHARP OBJECT TO CHIP THE ICE OFF!  Multiple ways here to damage your appliance or yourself - if you don't want to wait for it to melt naturally a blow dryer will work to help it out - just don't prop it up and leave it!

Then out comes the cleaners, sponges, paper towels - whatever you use to clean with and W L May carries several lines of appliance cleaners and scrubbers and some are eco-friendly - do not use abrasive cleaners or scrubbers!  These can leave scratches in the plastic that food can collect in and make your refrigerator smell.  Don't forget to pull the refrigerator out and clean underneath and clean those coils.  Dirty coils makes your refrigerator run more and can shorten the life of the appliance (W L May carries coil brushes).  Now is also the time to replace your water filter and that refrigerator deodorizer - gee whiz!  W L May carries those, too!

Then put your shelves, drawers and food back in, turn on and go give yourself a well-deserved rest.

Have a great week!