HANDY APPLIANCE TIPS FROM DOUG

DRYERS

Do you want to save money on your electricity bills? Be sure your dryer is working with the most efficiency. Here is what you can do:

Clean the lint screen after each load.
Look behind the dryer and be sure the vent tube is not crushed (all plastic tubes should be replaced with metal to prevent fires)
Check the outside exit of your venting system for build up of lint or bird nests.

GOING ON VACATION – BE SMART AND PREVENT DISASTERS

1. Water heater: turn it off at the circuit breaker. This will lower your electric bill.
2. Washer: turn off the water supply. This will prevent any leaking or bursting of old hoses.
3. Refrigerator: turn off the water supply to the ice maker. This will prevent flooding.

AIR CONDITIONERS

Do you have allergies at night? It could be caused by the build-up of mold spores in your air conditioning unit.
1. Take out the lint filters and wash under the kitchen sink with dish soap every six months.
2. A clearance of at least 3 feet in front of a window a/c unit is required for proper return air flow and efficiency.
3. Call us and we can come treat the grills and coils to kill old spores.

REFRIGERATORS

Does your refrigerator compressor run all the time?
1. It is common for the newer refrigerators to run 50 minutes in an hour, thus being more efficient in keeping the temperature constant.
2. If it is older than 10 years, be sure all animal hair, lint and debris are vacuumed away from the back coils and wash the front air grill.
3. If you filled your refrigerator shelves after grocery shopping, it will take about 48 hours to regain the desired temperature inside your appliance. Do not turn up the thermostat, it will only put more work on the compressor and not cool the refrigerator any faster. Remove bottles, etc. that you aren’t going to need for the next 24 hours.