Appliances Articles

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Your freezer holds the stuff that has to stay cold. And because freezing foods keeps them good for much longer than room-temperature or refrigerated foods, you can put a lot of food in your freezer without worrying about it going bad: Store food you buy in bulk (as well as leftovers) in your freezer. Your freezer can be a great storage space for bulk items such as meat, frozen vegetables, and bread, as well as leftovers such as soup, chili, casseroles, and baked goods. To get the most use of limit freezer space, stack items neatly and use bins to keep food organized. Because your freezer is probably relatively small, you need to plan and economize storage. If you have a stand-alone freezer, make use of it! These come in two styles: chest freezer where the door flips up like on a pizza box; and upright, where the door opens like a refrigerator door. Either way, you can take advantage of sales on meat, frozen vegetables, and fruits, and you can also cook in bulk, freezing leftover soups, stews, sauces, and desserts. You’ll always have food handy at the touch of the microwave’s defrost button. Make sure that your refrigerator/freezer is within easy reach of your kitchen workspace. You can store a stand-alone freezer, however, in another room off the kitchen or even in the garage or basement. If your refrigerator-freezer is more than 20 years old, consider buying a new one. Newer models are much more energy-efficient.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Drying your clothes in a clothes dryer saves time, but it takes more than just shoving your clothes in and turning the machine on. You need to read the care labels on the clothing and know what kind of heat the fabric can take. Otherwise, you'll end up with shrunken clothes or damaged fibers. Your clothes won't last as long, and you'll end up spending money to replace damaged items. Always clean out the lint trap (or the lint screen) before you start loading the dryer. The dryer will work more efficiently, and you'll reduce any chance of fire. (Dryer lint is very combustible!) Shake out each item as you take it out of the washing machine. Shaking out your stuff before you throw it into the dryer might seem like a waste of time, but this really does help prevent wrinkles and cut down on drying time. Don't overload the dryer thinking that you'll save time — it'll have the opposite effect. Instead, your clothes will take longer to dry and get more wrinkled because there's not enough room in the dryer for the clothes to fluff out. Add a dryer sheet to the dryer — if you didn't use a liquid fabric softener during the wash cycle. The dryer sheets not only help to soften your clothes, they also reduce static cling. Note that using dryer sheets on towels can make towels a bit less absorbable, so if that's important to you, then forgo the drer sheet. Choose the right setting, or cycle, for your clothes: Cotton: High heat for towels, jeans, sweats, and other heavy fabrics Permanent press: Medium heat for synthetic fabrics Gentle: Low heat for delicate items like lingerie and workout clothes Air dry: No heat — great for fluffing pillows or refreshing clothes Remove your clothes from the dryer as soon as possible to prevent wrinkles from setting in. Shake out your stuff, neatly fold them, or hang anything you want to be wrinkle-free. Denim jeans that have been put in the dryer will shrink a bit, but if you stretch and pull them as soon as you take them out of the dryer, while they're still hot, you can generally restore them to their proper size.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Knowing how to wash clothes —without ruining them — is a basic life skill. Before you load up the washing machine, you have to do some prep work such as separating items by color and texture, choosing the right washing cycle, and knowing how much detergent to add. All this calls for just a little practice, but you'll get the hang of it in no time. Separate and divide for laundry success Not all fabrics are made the same, so you need to create piles of items based on color and fabric type: Separate light-colored clothes from dark ones: The worst mistake you can make when washing clothes is to mix colored clothes and light-colored clothes in the wash cycle. Clothes (especially new ones) lose some of the dye coloring during the wash cycle, and light-colored fabric will pick up that dye. So don't put your new red T-shirt in a hot water wash with your white undies if you don't want your underwear to turn pink! To avoid "painting" your light clothes, separate your dirty laundry into white or light (pale pastel shades) clothing and dark clothing. If you don't have that many clothes to wash and you don't want to do two loads, you can mix light and dark — but only if none of the colored clothes are new and you use cold water. If you don't want to risk staining any light clothes, keep them apart. Separate laundry by fabric or texture: Heavy fabrics like denim jeans and towels require a different washing-machine cycle than delicate items (like bras and lingerie) or medium-weight ones like sheets. Women's lingerie, like bras, can be damaged in machines. These items should be done apart using the delicate cycle, though if you don't have the time to do an extra load, you can put them in a special mesh bag that will protect them if you throw them in the regular wash. Read the care label on clothing before washing. Some clothing can only be dry cleaned while other clothing, like that made of wool, needs to be hand-washed with a special soap and dried by placing over a towel or rack. To protect all clothes from the damage that a washing machine can do, zip all zippers, and turn the clothes inside out before washing. Choose the right setting: Washing machines have settings for water temperature. Use hot water for light-colored items that are especially dirty or smelly. Use cold water for dark clothes (especially new ones) whose colors are more likely to run. Cotton items also require cold water to avoid shrinkage. You'll also see settings for load size, usually small, medium or large. If your dirty laundry fills the machine to one third, then select small; half-way full is medium; and three-quarters full is large. Never stuff the machine, because you need room for the water! Figuring out laundry detergent, bleach, fabric softener When you're ready to wash your (separated) clothes, don't just shove them into the machine, dump in some detergent and turn on the machine. There's a process: First, fill your washing machine with water to about one-third full, and then add the bleach if you're using it. Next, add the detergent, swish it around in the water to make sure it's dissolved, and then add your clothes. How much detergent? How much laundry detergent you need will depend on the size of your load. Always read the instructions on the laundry detergent container so that you know how much to put in. Some detergents are more concentrated so require less detergent. To bleach or not? If you have clothes that are especially dirty or if you like your whites to be as white as possible, you can add bleach. But be careful — all bleaches aren't made the same, so be sure to read the product labels carefully. Chlorine bleach is great for making white clothes whiter, especially cotton and linen. Never use chlorine-based bleaches on colored fabric, because it'll take the color right out. All-fabric bleach is made just for colors and chlorine-sensitive fabrics. If your washing machine doesn't have a bleach dispenser, then always dilute the bleach with water before it touches your clothes. The "hardness" of your water can affect how bleach works, so test it on some clothes you don't care about it. Remember the fabric softener: If you like your towels to be soft and fluffy, add liquid fabric softener to the rinse cycle. (Many washing machines have a special dispenser for liquid fabric softener. You fill this dispenser at the beginning of the wash cycle, and the machine automatically releases it at the proper time.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

An important part of keeping your kitchen appliances in working order involves keeping them clean. Not everyone likes housework, but a little routine maintenance will keep you from having to replace your dishwasher and microwave — unless you just love spending money. Maintaining your microwave Following a few simple maintenance procedures can extend the life of your microwave and ensure that it operates safely and efficiently. Check microwaves that are more than 15 years old for output efficiency and radiation leakage. For a 600- to 1,000-watt microwave, place an 8-ounce cup of water in the oven and operate the unit on high for three minutes. The water should reach a rolling boil. If it doesn't, take the microwave to a service shop for inspection. Have a professional appliance repair technician test for radiation leakage. In addition, the pro can check other aspects of operation to determine whether it should be repaired or replaced. Never attempt to repair an ailing microwave yourself. Repairs by anyone other than an authorized service technician almost always void the manufacturer's warranty. Provide a separate electrical circuit for the microwave whenever possible. Poor heating in your microwave can result from an overworked electrical circuit. Wipe up spills promptly after use. Keep the interior of the oven and the area surrounding the door clean, using a damp sponge to catch spills and splatters as they occur. Remove stuck-on food particles with an all-purpose cleaning solution. Food particles left over long periods eventually turn to carbon and cause arcing (electrical sparking), which can etch interior surfaces and can even compromise the seal around the door. Appliance repair pros say that the most common problem is a simple microwave fuse that gets metal. At that point, even a minor power surge can cause the fuse to burn out. If your microwave quits, it may just be an interior fuse that needs replacing by a pro. Maintaining your dishwasher The single most important aspect of dishwasher maintenance is to keep the interior clean. Check out these tips for keeping your dishwasher clean: Most people use far too much soap when they run the dishwasher. Any more than 1 tablespoon is too much, leading to a residue buildup that's hard to get rid of. Never wash anything other than dishes in your dishwasher. Tools, clothes, sneakers, greasy range hood filters, and so on can leave harmful grease and residue that clog the machine's works and inhibit proper operation. If you see interior staining or have soap residue buildup, your pump is working too hard to move water through the system. The best way to clean the interior is with citric acid. Use pure citric acid crystals, which you can find in grocery stores and drugstores. Fill your main soap cup and then run the dishwasher through a complete cycle with the dishwasher empty. Then, once a week, add 1 teaspoon of the acid crystals to your soap for general maintenance. You can substitute Tang or a lemonade mix that contains vitamin C (citric acid) for the crystals. They work well, too, only with smaller amounts of citric acid per dose. Run your dishwasher at least once a week to keep the seals moist and to prevent leaks and eventual failure. Periodically wipe the area around the seals to prevent soap scum buildup, which can cause leaks.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Assuming you purchased a range (a cooktop and oven combination unit) that uses the same fuel source as your old range, installing the new appliance should be as easy as sliding in or dropping in the unit. (You can also choose a freestanding range, but it’s the same as a slide-in model — only not surrounded by cabinets.) A slide-in range is the easiest to install regardless of the fuel source. After the fuel source connection is made, you simply push or slide the range into position — hence the name “slide-in.” The main thing to avoid in this installation is damaging the floor. Plastic appliance mover strips that you position under the legs of the range enable you to slide the range into place easily without scratching, or even contacting, the floor. You can also use part of the cardboard box that the appliance was shipped in; however, be careful not to rip the cardboard while sliding the range. Electrically powered slide-in ranges use either a heavy cord that’s plugged into a dedicated 240-volt/50-amp circuit or a length of flexible metal cable with individual wires inside, which is connected to an electrical box located behind the range. Gas-fired slide-in ranges use a flexible gas line that’s attached to the gas supply line’s shut-off valve, or gas cock, on one end and to the range’s gas connection on the other. Gas connections use flare nut fittings to attach the gas supply line to the main gas line. When installed properly, they provide the best seal for preventing gas leaks, and they can be taken apart easily if, for example, you need to move the range out to work on the area behind it. Making a gas connection to an appliance isn’t difficult, but it must be done correctly to prevent a gas leak. Flare nut fittings are used on both ends of the flexible gas line. After the connections are made, check for leaks. If you detect a gas leak after testing and refitting the connection a couple of times, you may want to call a plumber to handle the hookup. Both electric and gas ranges usually have a clock and other cooking accessories that run on electrical power, but only 120 volts or a standard circuit is required. The ranges have a standard 120-volt power cord that’s plugged into a 120-volt receptacle located on the wall behind the range. An electric range needs two outlets behind it — a 240-volt for powering the cooking components and a 120-volt for the clock and timer(s). A drop-in range requires a cutout cabinet and countertop area so that the range drops into the cabinet. This type of range often has a flange around the edge of the cooktop surface. The flange rests on the countertop and supports the entire range. Then the range itself is screwed to the cabinet. The fuel-source hookups are the same for a drop-in range as they are for a slide-in type.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The refrigerator is the easiest of all appliances to install. Fridges today often come with popular extras that require more from you in the way of installation. The most popular of these extras is the in-the-door icemaker/water dispenser unit. For this feature, you need to run a water supply line to the back of the fridge. Fortunately, even the greenest of DIYers can handle this easy job. Turn off the water and then let your sink run to drain what is left in the pipes. Then follow these steps: Find the cold water supply pipe by following the two pipes that supply water to your kitchen sink. They should run parallel and be fairly close together. If the hookup is done correctly, the pipe on the right (as you’re looking at them and as they’re going to the sink) should be the cold. If you have a basement, tap into the cold water pipe down there. Doing so gives you easy access to the pipe and from the pipe to the floor area just behind the refrigerator. If your home doesn’t have a basement, tap into the cold water supply line that goes to the faucet. Most icemaker kits come with a length of copper tubing and a saddle valve; however, in many areas, a saddle valve doesn’t meet code. (Optional) If you can’t use a saddle valve, install a compression-fitting connected valve. Simply cut out a short section of copper and install the compression-fitting valve. (Optional) If you can use a saddle valve, follow these steps: Attach the two straps (saddles) over the cold water pipe and secure them with the supplied bolts and nuts. The shaft or spike of the valve is hollow and pointed so that when you tighten or close the handle of the valve completely, the tip of the shaft pierces the copper pipe and water then flows through the hollow center. Open the valve completely to allow water to flow through the tubing to the fridge. The copper tubing uses a compression fitting to connect it to the tapping valve’s threaded end. Use an adjustable wrench to tighten the nut to the fitting. Drill a hole through the floor (if you’re coming up from the basement) so that you can feed the copper tubing up to the refrigerator. Use a spade bit to drill up through the flooring. Remember to wear eye protection, as you’ll be drilling overhead, and it’s easy for something to fall in your eye. If you’re working in your basement, a quick way to spot the hole location from below is to drive a nail through the kitchen floor from above. Then simply go in the basement and look for the tip of the nail — that’s where you drill the hole. After the hole is drilled, feed the tubing up into the kitchen. Don’t cut off any extra tubing; instead, bend two or three large coils behind the fridge so that you can move the fridge in and out for cleaning without putting any stress on the tubing or the connections. Use a compression fitting to connect the kitchen end of the tubing to the back of the refrigerator’s water fill valve, usually located in the lower left corner. After all the connections are made, open the water supply and check for leaks. You shouldn’t have a leak at the refrigerator unless you didn’t connect the threaded fitting on the water inlet valve properly. If it leaks there, carefully remove the fitting and reconnect it, keeping the fitting straight with the threads. If the compression-fitting valve leaks, turn off the water and redo the compression fittings.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Cooktops with built-in woks, ovens built into the wall are just some options you have when choosing a range and oven for your kitchen remodel. If you want to keep things simple in your kitchen, you can stick with an all-in-one cooking top and oven appliance (called a range). Ranges come in three basic types: A slide-in range fits between two base cabinets and has unfinished sides. A drop-in range actually rests on part of a cabinet base between two base cabinets. It, too, has unfinished sides. A freestanding range can fit between two cabinets or can be placed at the end of a cabinet. Freestanding units have finished sides. Many new kitchen designs are set up for using a cooking surface unit that has separate burners or heating elements that are not part of an oven combination. These units are commonly called cooktops. Today’s cooktops have options such as griddles, down-drafting grills, rotisseries, and woks. Don’t be surprised to see a cooktop used in an island, either, as a second cooking surface. Another neat feature when using a cooktop is that the space that normally is occupied below the unit by the oven is open for storage drawers, making it a very convenient spot to store your pots and pans. Installing an additional cooktop involves getting power and ductwork to the location. These steps are best left to a pro to ensure proper operation and, just as important, proper ventilation. Electric cooktops are less expensive than their gas-fired counterpart, however, they’re more expensive to operate. Controlling the heat on an electric unit is more difficult than with a gas-fired cooktop and electric coils take much longer to cool down. On the flip side, however, an electric-coil burner actually heats water faster than a gas-burner unit. The key to selecting the right sized oven is to look at its interior dimensions. The amount of interior space can differ greatly even in ovens with the same external dimensions. If you choose a 24-inch-wide unit, be prepared for problems. An oven of that width can usually accommodate a standard cookie sheet, but not a roasting pan. A 27-inch-wide oven will handle just about any size roasting pan, even a large turkey roaster, and a 30-inch oven can even handle two cookie sheets side-by-side. Conventional ovens: Conventional ovens cook food by using radiant energy from their fuel source and natural convection from the heated air inside the oven. They can be either gas-fired or electric. Gas ovens bake moister; however electric ovens bake more evenly. Convection ovens: Originally developed in the 1950’s to help commercial bakers save time and bake things more evenly, the convection oven is not particularly popular, especially as the only oven in a kitchen. They cook with an electric heat source and use a fan to circulate hot air within the oven. Because the unit uses moving air to cook the food, the oven tends to dry food out. Recipe cooking times must also be modified because a convection oven cooks much more quickly than a conventional oven. Many folks go through a period of trial-and-error to get cooking times adjusted and ruin a fair amount of food in the process. Combination units: A combination convection/conventional oven uses a heating element inside the oven (conventional) and a fan to circulate the heated air (convection). The drawback to this design is that this oven doesn’t heat as evenly as a true convection oven, so you really need to watch the food you’re cooking to avoid burning it. Wall ovens: Adding a second wall oven is a popular option and upgrade, especially if you do a lot of baking. Wall ovens come in 24-, 27-, and 30-inch wide styles and can be either gas or electric powered.