Is your refrigerator cold?

Throughout the cold months, here in Rochester that would be..., all the months except June, July and August. No, not really but it does get cold through the winter months. I get several calls for refrigerators that do not operate properly or not at all when they are in the garage, breeze way or a cold basement. That is not surprising to me. It is because your refrigrator is too cold.

What do you mean by that?

Huh, I am so confused right now!

Let me explain, the ambient (surrounding air space) temperature of the refrgierator is below the operating temperature of the thermostat of the unit. The refrigerator thinks it is cold enough so it will not run. The fresh food compartment is always trying to maintain approx. 38-42 degrees F. When the temp. falls below this it will not run. The freezer on the other hand does not have a separate thermostat to control its temp. The freezer compartment is designed to reach a deep freeze based on the ammount of cooling needed to maintain the fresh food compartment. So if the fresh food side does not need to run, then the freezer will not get cold at all and both compartments wil equalize in temperature over time. Once the weather warms up the unit will work like normal. My suggestion is to heat the room the unit is in, turn it off for the cold season, or move it to a warmer location. Any area that is constantly above 40 degrees F. is sufficient.

Some refrigerators will work regardless of the temperature because of good insulation but most are not going to work. Freezer units will have the same problem but not until the ambient temperature gets much lower, into the single digits for an extended period of time. The first signs of failure is softened ice cream. The sugar content in ice cream lowers the freezing point so that at 32 degrees F. water is frozen solid but ice cream is liquidy.

Have a safe and happy winter season and God bless you.

Long Dry TIme?

Yesterday I encountered an old friend; let me tell you about him. He is a soft and sometimes fluffy, but dangerous if left unattended. He does not come on his own, for he is invited almost daily to stay with us. When he comes to stay he makes the time seem to linger on and on, and will not leave on his own. Then he invites some of his own kind to stay too. He is the kind of person that hides right out in the open sometimes, and other times his retreat is holed up deep inside. When enough is enough I must gather myself and finally say it is time to go my friend, Mr. Lint.

You see lint is an unsuspecting guest in our dryer vents. Even though we clean out that lint filter every time we use the dryer, some still gets past the filter and ends up clogging the vent system. Many times right at the end of the system and often times throughout the whole thing.

I came across two cases yesterday that involved two different dryers, two different houses, similar complaint, but the same diagnosis. Clean out the vent on the outside of the house. Especially if you have a bird/squirrel guard on it.

Save time by getting your laundry done in half the time, or the ammount of time it used to take. Save energy by running the dryer less time thus using less energy. Be thankful, and stop waiting for the laundry to get done.

Proverbs 20:22 ¶ Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

Is your oven ready for Turkey Day?

Every year I am faced with the same complaints around the holidays. They go like this.... "My oven does not work...... please help!" Then I ask, "what is going on with the stove?" The common responses are:

I wanted my stove/oven to be clean before my mother-in-law comes over.

This one is comical because we are not willing for our own family to see us as we are.
My only advice is Do not self clean your oven the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or
before any other time you may need to use it.

Self cleaning is harsh on your oven as the temperatures exceed 900 degrees F. This can cause
premature failure of oven components.

I did not want to cook my dinner in a dirty oven.

I try to understand the reasoning, about the in-laws coming over, but I cannot understand
why some people need to clean their oven right before they cook. Does not it seem logical to
clean the oven after you have cooked as it is likely to become messy during the cooking?

If you really want to see your repairman, me, then by all means self clean away. Or you could just invite me over for coffee and cookies. I am not saying that I do not want to work but why make your holidays more stressful than they need to be. Self clean after you cook and I can stop by and help out with the left overs.

Happy Thanksgiving, be thankful.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Prepare for Autumn

Now that summer has past, and the leaves are beginning to fall it is a reminder to homeowners to do some important maintenance items.
1. Check your dryer vent. Dryers get used more often in fall and winter so make certain you vent is not plugged up for safety and efficiency.
2. Clean your condenser. This is the coil or tubing on the back or under your refrigerator. Pet hair and dust can accumulate to make your sealed system run longer than needed.
3. Clean the condenser on your freezer for the same reason as the refrigerator.
4. Check, and replace if needed the supply hoses to the washing machine. Many hoses burst under water pressure. Tip: Turn the water supply off when not using the machine. Just ask someone who has had one burst if you are not sure why you should do this.
5. If your microwave or oven is vented to the outside be sure the vent is unobstructed with bird's nest or other debris.

These few tips should help keep your equipment running without needing simple repairs due to the neglect of these things.

Third time is a charm!

Today I visited the same refrigerator 3 times. From Rochester to Macedon back and forth, it seems I drove half the day. First I arrived to repair the stove, and was asked to look at the refrigerator, so I obliged. I replaced a defective part on the ice maker, was paid for the service, then continued my day. Hours later I was called by the customer claiming the water was leaking from behind the refrigerator. So I travelled back and discovered a leak on the water valve connection. The valve slolenoid was defective also, so I replaced it too. In order to expedite my visit, I tested the ice maker by switching the solenoid plugs. Well, I moved the refrigerator back to its' resting place, then left. Shortly thereafter I was called again. The complaint was that the dispenser was not working. As the kindly woman was describing her problem my mind wandered into my memory bank and I said, "I'll be right over, put the icemaker arm up and do not use the water dispenser." I had not put the connections back on the correct solenoid. The customer was happy that the problems were over, and so was I. I have such willing participants in my daily attempt of making the best of my time.