3 Tips to Get Your Oven Ready to Bake and Roast This Season

It’s fall, which means the season for baking and roasting is right around the corner.

 

Not only do you need to stock up on vegetables to roast and butter for baking, you also need to make sure your oven is in its best working condition so that your meals turn out perfect every time.

Need some tips to get started? Try these from our team at Appliance Rescue Service, the top appliance repair company in Dallas!

Clean Your Oven

When was the last time you cleaned your oven? If you can’t remember, then it’s time! Typically, you’ll want to clean it at least every 6 months. While you can use the ovens self clean option, we do not recommend it. Because the self clean option makes the oven extremely hot to melt away debris, there is just too much risk that something will get damaged in the process. Instead, make a baking soda and vinegar paste and apply it all over the inside. Then, take a scouring pad and hot water and wipe it clean. Easy and all natural!

Check the Oven Temperature

Did you know that your oven temperature can be off by 20-30 degrees? It’s true. We often get calls about ovens not being properly calibrated. Before you call for an oven repair in Dallas, try testing it yourself by setting the oven to 350 degrees and putting a probe thermometer on the middle rack. Check it periodically over an hour’s time to see how accurate the temperature reading is. If you are concerned about an issue, call us for an oven calibration service.

Put a Pizza Stone in Your Oven

Adding a pizza stone to your oven adds mass to the oven. It’s smart to store a pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven, because as the oven heats up, the stone with absorb the heat as well and keep oven temperatures more steady as the oven opens and closes, perfect for keeping roasts cooking evenly and cookies too.

Hopefully these tips get you prepared for the fall baking season, and if at any point you notice your oven needs be serviced, call us at Appliance Rescue Service – the best appliance repair company in Dallas, Texas.

Icemaker Not Making Ice? This Could be Why

In our experience, icemakers often last around 3-10 years, so with that being said, they tend to be less reliable than the refrigerator itself. Often, the refrigerator is working great, but the icemaker is not making any ice. It’s a problem.

If you are experiencing issues with your McKinney icemaker not making any ice, here are some possible reasons:

1.  Faulty Water Inlet Valve

The water inlet valve is the part of the icemaker that controls how much water gets to the icemaker. If you know that your water pressure is good and your icemaker has power, then a faulty water inlet valve could be the culprit. These can just break on their own, or they may get stuck due to mineral build-up over time from the water running through.

2.  Temperature is Too High

This is a simple one you can troubleshoot on your own! Icemakers produce ice best when they are running at a temperature below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. If your freezer is running around 10 degrees or higher, try bumping the temperature down a few notches and see if it begins to produce ice more efficiently. Sometimes it’s an easy fix that saves you the cost of any icemaker repairs!

3.  Faulty Ice Maker Assembly

Unfortunately, if one of the above does not fix the issue, you may need a new icemaker assembly. Most manufacturers do not sell the icemaker parts separately, so a new assembly may be in order. At Appliance Rescue Service, we always do everything we can to ensure a specific part cannot be ordered to fix the issue before recommending an entirely new icemaker assembly.

If you need appliance service in McKinney or anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, give Appliance Rescue Service a call today! Our team is expertly trained in all icemaker repairs – along with refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, cooktop, and washer/dryer repairs.

How to Remove Scratches from Stainless Steel Appliances

Stainless steel appliances remain the most popular appliance finish out there, and this doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. After you’ve had your beautiful stainless steel appliances awhile, you may notice an unsightly scratch here or there and wonder – is there a way to get that out?

While removing a scratch may be impossible without professional help, there are some home stainless steel scratch removal techniques you can try to remove the scratch yourself:

Mild Abrasive & Water

Start by purchasing a dry powder cleaner with mild abrasive properties. Examples include Comet, Ajax, and Barkeepers Friend. When combined with water, each of the products forms a paste that can buff out mild scratches and water spots from your stainless steel appliances without major stainless steel appliance repair. Simply apply this solution to a soft cloth and rub WITH the grain of the stainless to watch those scratches disappear.

Stainless Steel Scratch Removal Kit

There are several products on the market that are specifically designed to restore the stainless steel and remove scratches and abrasions.  We recommend trying the Scratch B Gone Stainless Steel Scratch Removal Kit or the Siege 63001 Stainless Steel Scratch Remover. Both products give you step-by-step instructions with specially designed products included to give you the best results possible.

Before attempting any scratch removal technique, always make sure to check the owner’s manual to determine any tips and tricks from the manufacturer specifically and make sure you aren’t doing anything that would negate an appliance warranty!

If you are nervous about attempting a stainless steel appliance repair on your own – even if is just a scratch removal, call Appliance Rescue Service in Dallas, Texas! We’re happy to help with your Dallas appliance repair needs – big and small! Proudly serving Plano, McKinney, Allen, Frisco, and the entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

4 Reasons You Must Change Your Refrigerator Water Filter

When was the last time you changed the water filter in your refrigerator?

Chances are you might not remember – or it may feel like you just did it! But bottom line: if it was longer than 6 months ago, it’s time to replace your water filter again, and here’s why:

1.  Your Filter Will Stop Filtering

This may seem obvious, but a water filter won’t work forever. When it has been overused, it gets clogged and can no longer filter out new impurities, microbes, and chemicals in the water. Instead, it just runs your water through, leaving everything in it from the tap. This is not necessarily bad, but it’s not optimal either. A filter can’t do its job if it’s been overused and become clogged, so replacing your water filter is vital.

2.  Shortens the Life of your Refrigerator

Okay, so maybe your whole refrigerator won’t be affected, but certain parts of it can be. If hard water is consistently run through the dispenser or ice maker, mineral deposits can build up inside the tubing or dispensers, creating issues that can lead to Dallas refrigerator repairs, or worse, a new refrigerator purchase.

3.  Cloudy Ice

Freeze unfiltered water and you’ll be surprised at how cloudy it looks! The cloudiness represents the mineral deposits, chemicals, and other impurities that haven’t been filtered out yet. If you want crystal clear ice, then replacing the filter is a must. 

4.  City Water is Not Always Perfect

We’re not saying that a new water filter makes your water perfect, but it certainly provides additional protection against unnecessary microbes, heavy metals, and chemicals that appear in the water. Our local municipalities do their best to produce water that is safe and held to the highest standards, but the truth is that they can’t always remove everything.

Check your refrigerator’s owner’s manual today to find out where your water filter is and how to change it. Need help? Call Appliance Rescue Service in Dallas, Texas, the leading appliance service in Dallas, Plano, and McKinney.

Refrigerator Buying Guide: Pros and Cons of French Door Refrigerators

Maybe you’ve had our team of appliance repair experts at Appliance Rescue Service out to the house to assess your broken refrigerator.

Maybe you’re buying a new home and your old refrigerator just doesn’t fit in the new home.

Or maybe you’re just in the market for a newer model.

Whatever the reason, buying a new refrigerator can be daunting! French door refrigerators are one of the most popular refrigerator styles these days, but they aren’t for everyone. Here are the pros and cons of the French door refrigerator to help you decide what’s right for you:

PROS

Ease-of-Use:

French door refrigerators are a big draw because everything you need in your refrigerator is easily accessible at all times. No need to bend down and look for things in the back of the fridge. Freezers get a lot less use on a day-to-day basis so it’s just common sense to put it on the bottom.

Spacious:

French door refrigerators provide more room for storing large baking dishes, platters, etc. – particularly those that need more width than a side-by-side refrigerator or a traditional freezer-up model.

Aesthetics:

Because French door refrigerators don’t need the same range-of-motion as a traditional refrigerator, you can often find more compact models to fit tight spaces. There are also considered very stylish, with many stainless finishes available.

CONS

Large Objects in Freezer:

If you store large turkeys or meats in your freezers, they could be cumbersome to lift out of a bottom freezer.

Clutter:

Some models have drawers or shelves within the bottom freezer; some do not. Without some way to separate out where food is stored, it can be difficult to find what you need, when you need it.

Cost:

 French door refrigerators are more expensive that more traditional styles. Also, opening and closing two doors can let more air out than a normal refrigerator, which can lead the refrigerator to work harder, thus costing you in refrigerator repairs, longevity, or energy bills.

And as always, if you begin having issues with your French door refrigerator, do not hesitate to call Appliance Rescue Service in Dallas, Texas! We do French door refrigerator repairs daily!