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Snake in the gas…
Oven Snake Removal… at your service.
We got a call today to remove the panels of a stove. Just that, no more. Why, we asked would you need us to do this. Customer: “For full disclosure, my corn snake is inside.” Of course we had no way of slithering out of this one. So we did a tech survey to see who was “snake friendly”, or more simply who is not deathly afraid to take this job. Kyron stepped up to the plate. We try to be as accommodating as possible, but there is no way we’re gonna pass up this opportunity. Kyron arrived and as it turned out, he had to do a whole lot of dismantling. So, if your Koala bear is stuck in the dishwasher, or the chimpanzee is playing in the washer again, or maybe your oven just doesn’t heat, go to www.SaveMyAppliance.com There’s nothing more to add, except the video…
How to buy and Appliance . . . No Sweat
AARRRGH! For many, this is the first thought that enters their mind, when needing to buy a major kitchen or laundry appliance. I can’t help you feel better about having to do it, but maybe this will help relieve some of the stress.
There are two major reasons to buy new appliances: 1) The old one broke down and is not reasonably fixable, or 2) You are remodeling, and want to update your appliances. You should follow the same path, but speed it up a bit when you need a washer, dryer, or refrigerator due to an unrepairable (or uneconomical) repair.
A little soap box: I would generally want you to take a little time and “kick the tires” of some appliances before you buy. This usually means going to a brick “n mortar store, where they have them displayed. If you are planning to buy online, that’s fine. I only ask that you not take advantage of the brick ‘n mortar store (usually a local), as they are spending a good deal of money to be able to have those displays. If you’re an online buyer (usually because it’s cheaper), make your decision based, well…online, through reviews and such. In most cases you will be able to return the online appliance if you aren’t happy with it after the purchase. In a nutshell, this is a main reason to buy from local dealers. Yep, it might cost a few dollars more, but you will get personal service and advice from someone who usually knows the products. Also, if you have a problem, you can walk in and talk to a person about getting the issue resolved. Another huge benefit to buying from local business is local economics. If you buy local, the money is spent locally, recycled through the business to employees, services, and suppliers, who are many times also local. It just makes sense. Buying online sends the money to wherever the business is headquartered.
OK, so if your washer, dryer or refrigerator breaks down, you are often in a hurry to replace it. If you were happy with your old one, and it lasted 8 to 15 years, you can’t go too wrong just buying the same brand and type. If you want something else, I would recommend buying the brands you remember having been around for a long time (most of them having originated in the USA).
1) What Brands? If you’re in a “big city”, you should be able to get service on most any brand, however, if you live in a smaller town, city, or rural area, be a little cautious of some of the boutique and foreign brands. You may not have a local appliance repair company to call, if you happen to have a problem with your new appliance. If your choice falls into this category, go online and search “brand name, repairs, your city”, and see that at least two companies, locally, service that brand. I don’t mind saying that I am partial to Whirlpool, Kitchenaid, Jennair, Maytag, Amana and Roper. I have to say that ALL brands seem to have more problems, in general, than the “good ‘ol stuff” before the turn of the century, so take any reviews with a grain of salt. The majority of people posting are the small percentage who had an issue, so reviews can be a bit skewed.
2) Appliance location in the house. Here are some of the sizing/location issues to consider:
Ovens: Is the cabinet opening (not the appliance width) the same as needed for the new appliance. Cabinet alterations can be expensive. It might be better to spend a little more for an oven that fits the cabinet hole (same for cooktops).
Washers/Dryers: The newer front load models are substantially deeper and taller than top load washers (and the dryer size will match). Make sure you have the extra depth (and possibly width) in your laundry room, with particular attention to doors that swing open into or out of, the laundry room.
Refrigerators: Measure everything! When you measure across a space, pay attention to baseboards or counter tops that will decrease the space size, and make sure you have enough height below a cabinet, for your new refrigerator. They are all different, and a half inch off can get ugly. Stoves/Ranges: Most are 30″ wide, so matching your opening size will be fairly easy.
Dishwashers are almost all 24″ wide, so that is not usually a problem. What can be a problem is the height of the opening. Most manufacturers require 34″ from the top of the finished floor to the underside of the counter (top of dishwasher cabinet opening). Be particularly careful about this measurement if you have wood or tile floors, which can reduce your opening by 1 to 1 1/2 inches. If you do have inadequate opening height, there are ADA compliant dishwashers that can be installed in much shorter openings.
I hope this information is helpful. If you live in San Luis Obispo County, and you need an appliance repair, please contact us at http://www.savemyappliance.com/
Rich Johnson 5/26/18
Keep Your Oven Dirty for the Holidays! Please
Keep Your Oven Dirty for the Holidays! Please
Photo by rawpixel.com on UnsplashIf you are among the many who want everything perfect for your holidays, you might want to rethink what you do to make your oven perfect along with the place settings and center piece. Most ovens today have a self-clean feature. The way this works is to heat your oven to somewhere between 600 and 800 degrees. In layman’s terms, I think it’s close to the temperature of the sun😊.
One of the common repair requests we get, especially around holidays, is to “UNLOCK MY OVEN!” (I put this in caps to illustrate the frantic nature of these calls). What some people forget, or don’t know, is that after self cleaning, the oven needs to cool down before a sensor unlocks the door, and allows you to put your pumpkin pie (Mom’s old recipe) into the oven. Then some customers, out of frustration, will attempt to force the door open, compounding the problem.
Side Note: Don’t we all have some weird recipe that was handed down through generations, that isn’t necessarily all that good, yet we MUST make it every year?
First, understand that the self-cleaning process is realistically an all-day affair. The initial heat up and cleaning process can be four hours, then possibly another two hours for the cool down. Second, because of the high temperatures involved, self-cleaning has more potential to cause a needed repair than normal cooking. Third, remove your racks before self-cleaning, unless your don’t care that the chrome will be cooked off (read the User/owner manual for your particular oven).
The bottom line is that I recommend that you only self-clean your oven at least a month before any critical event.
Lastly, self-cleaning is just a maintenance cleaning. It won’t get rid of the left over juice from a roast that was spilled last year, or that blob of, well, whatever it is, that you have no memory of. Large spills of juice or food need to be cleaned the old fashioned way BEFORE you self-clean.
My mom’s Cranberry Relish Recipe:
1 package of fresh cranberries (4 cups)
1 ½ Cups of Sugar
3 peeled delicious apples
1 large orange (with peel)
Grind all ingredients except sugar in a food processor or grinder
Add sugar and let it set overnight in the refrigerator
Absolutely scrumptious…really! (plus you can think of my mom when you serve it)
Happy Holidays,
Rich Johnson, Nov 2017
Light at the end of the tunnel is NO train
(Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash)
You are customers, but you might be interested in some “behind the scenes” information about the appliance repair industry over the last 25 years.
I’ve been reading and pondering a lot about the course of the human culture, and how it relates to the appliance repair industry, and specifically to Peoples Choice.
When I started repairing appliances in 1991, technicians largely needed to be good mechanics. Then into the mid 90’s we also needed to understand electricity and electrical circuits., as more sophisticated switching devices were used. Up until this time there were two classes of appliances: Entry level/everyday, and high end (like SubZero). The advent of the Maytag front loading washer in 1996, changed everything.
When it first rolled out, a lot of people said “No one will pay $1,000 for a washer!” When they started selling like hotcakes, the industry woke up to discover they had a whole new market segment. I’m not sure what the manufacturers call it, but “Mid Level” appliances opened up profits for both retailers and repair companies.
During the early 90’s, with increasing labor and parts costs, more customers were opting to buy a new appliance instead of repairing. Repair companies were closing. With the rollout of the Neptune washer, customers were, all of a sudden, commonly spending $800 to $2,000 on an appliance. Considering our rule of thumb: “repairable if repair is less than 50% of replacement cost when in good condition”, repair companies had a new market as well.
Of course, the Neptune also ushered in the age of ERC’s (Electronic Range Controls) and other electronic controls and sensors. Now appliance repair technicians had to understand mechanics, electrical circuits, AND electronic controls. Through the first dozen years of the new millennium, manufacturers worked at fine tuning the devices and the diagnostics within them. We now need to be electronic diagnostic technicians, mechanics, electrical techs, with knowledge of electronics.
I think we will soon see more light on the benefit of diagnostics. Some appliances are starting to utilize diagnostic “ports” that will allow us to use some type of scan tool to see what the appliance has been doing, and pointing to errors (much like is now standard on automobiles). it will compel us to understand more fully, the functions of controllers and sensors within the appliances. Of course, we will still need to be mechanics, electrical techs, and sometime plumbers.
Along with this development, appliance controls have been, and will continue to be, more sophisticated, which is where repair companies will start to see some wins. With this advanced knowledge, and the continued purchase by consumers of more complicated and more expensive appliances, technicians will become more valued, which should also translate into better pay.
Peoples Choice has been successful partly because we have worked to keep up with technology. When we started using job management software, in 2005, we were cutting edge. I foresee a great future for our industry and for Peoples Choice, and much like the demise of the “shade tree mechanic”, no one but Professional Appliance Technicians will be able to help homeowners with their appliance repairs.
As long as we care for our customers, and continue learning, Peoples Choice will be around for a long time.
Rich Johnson Oct, 2017 (yes, my math is a little off:)
Temperature Controls-Why are they so wacky?
On cold mornings, my wife Jen, gets into the car, and immediately cranks the heater temperature up to 112 degrees or whatever the highest setting is. She wants the car to get toasty as quickly as possible. I don’t utter a word (because I know when to shut up, most of the time). But the fact is that if she set the heater temperature for her “comfort setting”, about 70 degrees, she would be toasty just as quickly. BTW, she does the same thing with the AC. How come? What the heck does this have to do with refrigerators, heaters, and other appliances with temperature controls?
Most heating or cooling appliances work in the same way, and the way they do what they do, is misunderstood. Does it matter? Well, ya, it does. It does if you want to save energy, have your house or your refrigerator, or your oven, operate at a desirable temperature, if you just like to know how things work, or if you want to not stress about such things. It might even prevent you from calling for service, when things are just operating normally.
Warning: This is kind of a geeky post, so feel free to jump ship here if that ain’t your thing (or if you are simply ‘whatever’).
Let’s start with your oven and your furnace. . . heating appliances. When you set the temperature that you desire, the oven or furnace burner fires up, full on. When your “set temperature” is reached, the burner turns off. I have to say that again, because it’s the key element that a lot of people don’t understand. When the “set temperature” is reached, the burner turns completely off. OFF. It is commonly misunderstood that the burner, whether on a furnace or in an oven, just lowers the heat level or flame to maintain the “set temperature”. A fair number of people will set the temperature way higher (like my wife in the car) with the goal of things heating up faster, then turn the temperature down to the needed temperature when they think it’s time. It’s a reasonable thought. It just happens to be wrong. If you set your house heating thermostat at 68 or at 80, the same thing happens in the furnace. The burner comes on full bore, and stays that way until the thermostat says “OK, you reached the temperature you set”, and the burner turns off. If the room temperature you wanted was 68, then just set it for 68 and let it do it’s thing, OK?
The same thing holds true for refrigerators or air conditioning. Here’s the caution with refrigerators and grocery shopping day. When you have a heavy duty shopping trip (which happens often before a big event), and you load all that ‘not cold’ food into the refrigerator, you might be tempted to crank the setting as cold as possible. It won’t help, so leave it be. The fact is that it can take a few hours to get large amounts of food cold, just after putting it into the refrigerator. In fact, any major change (like large amounts of food) could take all day to get to “normal cold”. Don’t fret and don’t panic. Just know and plan.
I hope this information helps a bit. There are some exceptions to this, especially with recent innovations: Higher end furnaces and AC may have multiple stages, or “Variable Speed” motors and compressors, which actually operate at lower speeds or burner levels, depending on what they determine is needed, through various sensors. Some higher end refrigerators also use “Variable Speed” compressors, so that they may alter their speed as needed, instead of turning full-on when cold is needed, and turning off when the sensor says the “set temperature” is met.
Thank you so very much for getting all the way to the end of this post. Please Like us, and share this with friends who might benefit. If you need appliance repairs in SLO County, click here:
Rich Johnson June 2017
Photo by: Talgat Baizrahmanov
You Are Loading Your Dishwasher the Wrong Way!!
Silverware up or silverware down? That’s just one question to ask about loading your dishwasher. How about whether to pre-rinse or not? What do you do, and why? What the heck is rinse aid for?
On the silverware question, I agree with the segment on the Today Show. You can watch it here: http://www.today.com/home/do-you-load-dishwasher-wrong-t29566 They say to put the silverware with the handles up. The reason is two-fold 1) It’s just safer. When either loading or unloading you are far less likely to poke or cut yourself and 2) It actually gets them clean (or even cleaner) than handle down. The only caveat I have is to make sure your spoons don’t ‘spoon’, so that their surfaces can get hit by water.
Whether to pre-rinse or not is a good question. A few years ago there was a Maytag dishwasher commercial that made us Appliance Technicians at WWW.SaveMyAppliance.com, very nervous. It showed a consumer putting a WHOLE cake into the dishwasher! Say it ain’t so, Joe! IMHO, they went way overboard in trying to let you all know that it’s ok to leave some food on your dishes, but keep in mind that dishwashers can only handle so much, before it causes a functional problem. A lot of engineering has gone into making dishwashers wash satisfactorily, while using less and less water and energy. To accomplish this, the major detergent manufacturers have spent a lot of money researching effective ingredients. Currently the multi-layered or multi-ingredient dishwasher detergents do the best job. Modern dishwasher design is only part of that. Back around 2014, Phosphates were removed or banned from both dishwashing and laundry detergents, due to the pollution caused when they were sent down the drain. Phosphates did the ‘heavy lifting’, so manufacturers had a lot to work on. So, pre-rinse???? Mostly. It doesn’t hurt, by the way, to have your dog help out with pre-rinsing.
Some bits of food on the dishes gives the cleaning enzymes something to attach to, so that they stick around and do their job. I generally give the dishes a really quick shower, just to knock off the globs, then let our dogs, Cassie, Lucy, or Auggie do their thing, and this seems to work well.
Another tip: One of the critical things in dishwashers cleaning well is water temperature. Make sure you have hot water at your sink faucet, before you start the dishwasher (you know how long it takes for hot water to show up, if it hasn’t already been running). Next, use the option for “high temp wash”. It may be labeled differently on your dishwasher, but it’s usually pretty obvious. This will not be effective if you didn’t get hot water at the faucet first, but it will make a big difference in how well your dishwasher, well…washes. You may notice it increases the total run time, but it works.
At this point, I need to touch on rinse aid. You know, that extra compartment that you are supposed to (and may or may not) keep filled. In today’s dishwashers it is a critical element. It’s chemical makeup allows the water to “sheet off” the dishes, so that they dry properly. If you’ve had a problem with dishes drying, this would be the first step to solving that issue.
Thanks for taking the time to come to Dishwasher Enlightenment. If your dishwasher needs real help, contact us at www.SaveMyAppliance.com Please Lin and Share if you think it might help others.
Namaste,
Rich Johnson
Feb 2017
So, you want to move your appliances??
Contributed by: Attention 2 Detail Moving
One of the hardest parts of a move is getting the appliances out of your old home, and into your new one. They are big, bulky, and some of them are incredibly difficult to lift, like a refrigerator. You have two options. You can try and figure out how to move the appliances on your own, or you can hire a professional moving company to do the job for you. If you opt to try and do the job on your own, consider these tips prior to trying to move the appliance.
Moving Appliances Safely for You and the Appliance
Appliances are notoriously difficult to move. They rarely fit easily through doorways, they do not like going up or down stairs, and they have doors that can swing open and either get stuck or hurt someone. Before you move them, you should first measure the doorways that your appliance is going to have to fit through to ensure it can easily make it out. If not, then you need to take off doors or handles to be able to get it out of the house. Most reputable moving companies are full hands on when moving appliances with some assistance from the owner. When the homeowner gives the OK that gas and water are shut off from the appliance, professional moving companies should have no problems disconnecting and moving any appliance. In most cases they will reconnect them at the new location as well.
Next, you can either contact a professional moving company to help with the move or rent the needed equipment. If you are planning on doing the move yourself you will need to look into renting a furniture dolly to put under the appliance along with renting a vehicle that can transport the appliance. You might also want to contact a few of your buddies to help you move the 200 to 400 pound appliance. Safely lifting heavy appliance with your back is not the easiest thing in the world.
When you hire a moving company they do all the work. Most moving companies will have all the dollies and moving equipment that is needed to safely move your appliance. Moving companies will bring their truck, have the man power needed, the equipment needed, including ramps for stairs, dollies and even moving pads to protect your appliance.
Finally, you need to make sure that you have a place to put it at the new house. If you are not going to have somewhere to put it that is safe, you may want to consider renting a storage unit prior to the move to keep the appliance, and everyone around it, safe. Remember, when storing appliances, it is best to do so without doors, as that makes it to where no one can get stuck inside.
For more tips on moving appliances, or for help doing it for you, call on a local Simi Valley moving company Attention 2 Detail Moving they can help you prepare to do the job on your own, or can come and move the appliance for you. If you do get your appliance moved and into place, but then it doesn’t work (and you are in SLO County) contact Peoples Choice Appliance Repairs at SaveMyAppliance.com
Rich Johnson 1/3/17
DIY Appliance Repairs-They are the bomb!
Along with the consumer public in general, I think appliance repair costs are too high. Maybe in a future article I’ll go into the details of why this is the case.
One way to combat this expense is to do some repairs yourself. Google and YouTube are your friends. Today, you can look up almost any problem with anything on the web and find a solution. Or should I say, you will find MANY solutions. With the width and breadth of appliance brands and models that we service, we use Google too. The benefit to our experience is that we can more easily sort out the different solutions available to make sure we are focusing on the correct solution. It’s kind of like going to the doctor. If you have a pain in your neck, and Google that symptom, you will find out it could be a strained muscle, a joint problem, poor posture, trauma, or even a tumor. Or it could be as simple as your boss:) The point is, similar or even identical symptoms, can have different root causes. As appliance repair professionals, it is our job to diagnose the root cause of an issue, based on the symptoms. We use experience, electronic and electrical knowledge, diagnostic data from the appliance, and general knowledge of how appliance systems function (and the internet).
Appliance technicians have an extremely broad base of skills. We know plumbing systems, mechanical systems, electrical AND electronic systems, as well as how to follow diagnostic flow charts. That broad range of aspects is one of the reasons we love what we do.
So, back to DIY, and when (or when NOT) to tackle a repair yourself. First, in most cases you must have some familiarity with hand tools, and how to use them. In addition, many appliance repairs will require that you have an electrical meter of some sort, AND (this is a very big AND) know how to use it. If you Google the symptom of an appliance problem, you will get better results if you are as specific as you can be, and include your appliance brand name, and model number.
Finding most model numbers: Data tags are almost always located in a place where they can be read without taking anything apart, or even pulling an appliance out from its installation. You will also need the model number, when you order repair parts, so this is an essential first step. For washers and dryers, the tag is usually on the cabinet, in the door area, visible when you open the door or lid. Some will have the tag across the top rear edge of the control console. For refrigerators, it is usually in the fresh food compartment, on either right or left wall, or on the ceiling. Microhoods and microwaves almost all have the number inside the cooking portion of the microwave. Ovens will have it on the cabinet/frame near the door area, or if you have a drawer at the bottom, it may be on the frame, visible when the drawer is open. Dishwashers usually have the data tag in the area of the door frame, visible with the door open, although some are actually on the top of the door itself.
When entering your search, use the brand name and model number along with your symptom. The symptom is not what you think is wrong. The symptom is what the appliance is doing or NOT doing. For instance, “Whirlpool MHW3700 pump not working” will not give you as good a result as “Whirlpool MHW3700 does not drain”. See the difference?
In the end, it’s up to you to decide if you have the skills to repair your appliance successfully. Of course, we love it when you call us to repair it too, or when you go to SaveMyAppliance.com for help.
Rich Johnson
11/8/16
Heat up your Holiday Meals. . . and avoid psychotherapy
Here’s a great tip to make you less nervous about your holiday meals:
If you are having guests for a holiday meal, or some other big gig, you may get a little stressed (I know my wife does). She is always running around, making every detail perfect for our guests. Even for those relatives that we only see occasionally due to familial obligation, or the friends who have the kids that like hanging from the ceiling fans and squirting whipped cream at the dogs.
I have a fabulous tip: DON’T SELF CLEAN YOUR OVEN!!!!!
At least, not in the week or two prior to your big event. The basic way self-cleaning works, is to heat the oven up to about 800 degrees, and burn the old food off of everything. We see all to many problems associated with self-cleaning mechanisms, and if something goes wrong in the week or so before your signature souffle, you may not have time to get it repaired.
One common error that customers make, is to forget that you cannot open the oven for a number of hours AFTER the self-cleaning is finished. The door can’t be opened until the oven senses that the temperature is low enough to be safe. Many chefs panic after self-cleaning the oven (they have to get that roast in NOW!), and try to force the dang thing open. The next thing heard is “Call Peoples Choice!”. The next thing heard (right after a little cussing) is “Go ask the neighbor if we can use their oven”. This scenario can also lead to additional repairs, caused by trying to force the door open. If you ‘forgot’ about having to wait for it to cool down, and you have some kind of fan, set it facing the oven, and turn it on. It could help speed the cooling down period.
It’s also good to know that Self Cleaning doesn’t handle that big ol’ pile of unidentifiable gook on the floor of your oven. You need to wipe out the big droppings prior to starting self-clean. If you don’t, you can figure on the smoke alarm being tripped, and your kitchen possibly being smoked up. Another tip is to not leave the racks in the oven. The high temperatures can ruin the shiny look of the chrome on the racks. By the way. . . all this stuff is in the Owner’s Manual, that’s in the bottom of your junk drawer, or maybe behind the refrigerator, or in that special place so you will be able to find it…but can’t remember that oh so special place.
Now, just a set of child restraints (call ’em seat belts if you prefer), hide the whipped cream, and you’re ready to party!
Rich Johnson
October 3, 2016