Don't Overlook Your Ice Maker: The Benefits of Regular Cleaning

Why Neglecting Your Ice Maker Can Be Harmful

Why Cleaning Your Ice Machine Is Important

It's just an ice maker, right? What is it that could be so harmful about water running through it? Well, that depends. Is your ice maker hooked up to a purified source of water or a filter? If the answer is yes, great! You might have to do this half as often, but you still need to do it. 

If not, think about your coffee maker or teapot. Have you ever noticed the white film that builds up around the edges of it? Or the slightly mineral-y taste that you get after a while? What about the way it beeps at you and says, "Please clean"? All of these are because of scale build-up. Your ice maker won't just build up mineral deposits, though; it can also build up slime or mold. 

So, your ice maker, just like all of your other appliances, needs to be cleaned regularly. To keep it functioning properly and also to keep you and your family healthy. Your ice maker should be cleaned and sanitized at least once every six months if not every other month. It's a simple enough process to do on your own, but if you don't stick to it regularly, it can lead to many different issues. 

If You Notice Any Of The Following, It's Time To Clean Your Ice Machine. 

- Ice maker is slow to harvest, or it's not releasing the ice.

- Ice maker doesn't switch into harvest mode

-The ice is soft or cloudy

- The ice is incomplete 

- Ice maker is producing very little ice 

Tools And Materials Needed For Cleaning Your Ice Machine

You only need four things to start cleaning your ice machine at home.

• Dish soap

• Distilled white vinegar

• A fresh toothbrush 

• Water 

• A bowl 

Step-By-Step Instructions For Cleaning Your Ice Machine

Now for the reason you actually came, how to clean your ice maker. 

-Start by prepping your ice maker. Unplug the unit and take it either to your sink or outside so that you can drain the water from it. On most models, there is a latch that you can either flip or remove to start the draining process. 

- Clean your ice basket and the scoop with warm soap and water, then rinse thoroughly and set aside to dry. If these have become molded or crusted with scale, you'll want to soak them with the vinegar in a large pan for at least 15 minutes before attempting to clean them. After the scale has been removed, then wash them with warm water and soap as normal. 

- Mix equal parts water and vinegar and scrub the inside of the ice maker. Using a sponge or a rag, scrub away at the material, making sure to rinse your sponge often. Do your best to hit every surface in the ice maker that you can get to, or else the grime will continue to build. 

- For any areas that are hard to reach or stubborn, grab your toothbrush and a small dish of undiluted vinegar. 

- Do a final cleaning by mixing a new batch of the water to vinegar solution and pouring that into your ice maker. Let it turn that into ice, then dump it after. 

-Rinse the ice maker with clean water several times to remove any of the vinegar, and then feel free to continue making ice as normal.  

Tips For Maintaining Your Ice Machine Between Cleanings

Like we said at the beginning, if you don't maintain a regular schedule of cleanings for your ice machine, you're going to run into problems. Fortunately, many of them are preventable with a little TLC. To keep your ice maker running smoothly, do the following: 

Keep it clean

Change the filter as needed. 

Don't forget to descale it

Deal with clogs when you notice them. 

Make sure that the machine has room to breathe on all sides. 

 The Benefits Of Regularly Cleaning Your Ice Machine

So, to reiterate, cleaning your ice machine regularly is important. It ensures that your ice is sanitary, which means no mold or slime. It means you get lots of ice for your drinks and or to munch on. It aids in keeping your family healthy, and it extends the life of your ice maker. 

With all of that in mind, let us know what your favorite type of ice is over on our Facebook page. Do you prefer cubes, spheres, or pellets? What about chips or shaved?

Disclaimer: The number of ice makers on the market would require an entire website on their own. Because of that, this is a general guide, not a specific one. Read this to get the general idea and your product manual for the specifics of your model of ice maker. 

If you don't have the time to do regular maintenance, you can always give us a call. Appliance Rescue Service not only does repairs, but we also offer maintenance services for ice makers and all other major appliances, so you have time for what matters. You can call us at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page to set up an appointment.

Why Is My Oven Making Weird Noises

6 Weird Noises Your Oven Can Make and What They Mean

Rattle rattle click, rattle click, rattle rattle click, boom! No, it's not the latest song; that's your oven. The question is, why is your oven making strange noises? 

Some noises your oven might make: 

• Clicking

• Popping

• Wompf 

• Beeping

• Rattling 

• Squeaking

Clicking 

 This is the most normal sound you can hear coming from your oven and also the least dangerous. Your oven might click when it is heating up, cooling down, or right when you turn it on. If that's the case, it's because the heating element is warming or cooling, and the metal is shifting. This is very common and older ovens. If the sound has recently become very loud, though, it can mean that your heating element is approaching the end of its lifespan and needs replacing soon. This can take several years of regular use. Most people will replace their oven long before the heating element goes out.

A modern oven has very precise coils that do make some noise as they work. So if the sound is while your oven is being used, this is a good thing. It means that the control coils in your oven are working as they should be.

Courtesy of Mike Gattorna

If you have an older gas oven, cooking is also normal; it means that the igniter is doing its job correctly. If your gas oven isn't clicking at all it might be a cause for concern as it can indicate that the igniter isn't working for one reason or another. if this is your situation please get your oven serviced immediately as it might be a buildup in the gas lines of the oven.

Why is my oven popping?

Well, there are many different sounds that your oven can make one that you never want to hear is popping. If you hear a popping or crackling sound that cannot reasonably be explained by your food immediately turn off your oven. This is either the wiring or other electrical components in your oven or the electrical outlet that it's connected to malfunctioning. The sound might also be accompanied by the smell of burning plastic. If that's the case, your oven is not only malfunctioning, it has begun to scorch and you need to immediately turn it off and disconnect it you can have a professional see it. 

My oven just made a strange WOMPF  sound! 

Courtesy of Max Rahubovskiy

Think of the most terrifying sound that could come from your gas oven. Are you thinking of it? Is it an explosion? To us there is nothing more terrifying than the boom or WOMPF that a gas oven can make when igniting improperly. What's happening here is that the gas is igniting after having built up. While this is a common occurrence for people with gas ovens it is not normal. If the gas is building up like this it means that one or more of your igniters is dirty. Having the gas flow or ignition system being restricted can lead to danger. A dirty igniter by itself is not a terrible danger. If you have your oven maintained regularly, getting the igniters cleaned and replaced as needed, you'll be in good shape. However, if you try to clean them yourself, it is very easy to scrub too hard and unintentionally cause a gas leak. While the small boom you might hear from your oven is not usually dangerous, a gas leak always is. 

Why won't my oven stop beeping?

Assuming that your oven is not beeping while preheating, coming to temperature, or because of a timer, there are two reasons your oven will beep. The first reason is that your oven is overheating. Many ovens have overheating issues, especially if you live somewhere, that's rather toasty during summer, like Texas, for example. Occasionally components within the oven can break, causing uncontrolled heating in the oven's primary heating element, which can cause it to sound a beeping alarm to alert you before it damages the oven or starts a fire. 

The second reason your oven might begin beeping at random is that there is damage or a short in your control panel. This can happen if your oven is close to a source of water or if your house has recently had any flooding or leaking issues. A shorted panel can beep at random or, even more annoying, keep beeping consistently. Make sure to call up a technician before you go delving into the depths of your oven to figure out the reason since some of these have high-voltage components. 

My oven is rattling; why?

Courtesy of dmitry-zvolskiy

Another common occurrence with your oven is having it rattle while it is running. If you recently had to move your oven or do a minor repair, that could be the reason. You can take a look at the back panel and the bottom cover to see if there are any loose screws. If that's not the case, it might be your oven fan. At that point, we again recommend calling in a professional to ensure that everything is secured properly.

Why has my oven started squeaking recently?

If your oven has recently begun squeaking after you turn it off, this is an easy problem to diagnose. It's your cooling fan that is sounding like a rogue rodent. This isn't the same as the convection fan located at the back of your oven. Instead, it's located on top. Given its positioning, this fan Austin falls victim to rising food particles and, over time, gravity. That will weigh it down, unbalance it and cause it to make creaking grinding or squeaking sounds. Fortunately, it just needs a good cleaning. Unfortunately, its location makes it a bit difficult to get to. Take a look at your owner's manual to see if it has any suggestions for how to go about cleaning it more easily.

Did we manage to answer your worries about your oven? If not, let us know over on our Facebook page. As always, we love to hear from you, and nobody wants to deal with an oven making noises at all times of the day and night.

 If you diagnose the problem, but you still aren't comfortable with the sounds that your oven is making, or you want it to be fixed by a team of professionals, feel free to reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We'll work with you and your schedule to find a time and date for our technicians to come out and find out what's going on. At Appliance Rescue Service, our top priority is getting your home running smoothly again.

Revolutionizing Kitchen Chores: The Water-Saving Benefits of Dishwashers

 How Dishwasher Manufacturers Finally Cracked The Code

Another night another load of dishes to do. Even if it's just for yourself, you have dishes you ate from as well as whatever you used to make your meals that day. Many of us hate doing dishes, but your options are either do dishes or end up growing science experiments in your kitchen.  Which is why we invented dishwashers, to make the job that little bit easier. 

Unfortunately, for a very long time, you actually spent more money and time by having a dishwasher than by not having one. You had to pre-wash your dishes before you could use the dishwasher. And then the dishwasher used even more water than you did during that pre-wash. With today's energy-efficient dishwashers though, that's no longer the case. 

Courtesy of Wendelin Jacober

Many of today's dishwashers have a water-saving feature built in. This means that not only are they using less water and shrinking your electric and water bills, but they're still getting your dishes completely clean. Instead of having to pre-wash your dishes, most dishwasher manufacturers, including whirlpool, advise against doing this. Pre-washing your dishes will actually make the dishwasher less effective because today's modern dishwasher detergents have enzymes in them that are intended to eat that food away. 

So that's how a modern dishwasher works. What the heck does that have to do with it saving water though? How does the dishwasher use less? 

A water-saving dishwasher will only use approximately 4 gallons of water per cycle. It achieves this by running the water through a filtration system during the wash cycle. By rinsing the dishes and then running the water through a filtration system, you maximize the washing power of a single load without wasting water. Not only does the filtration system catch the food debris, but it also filters out the soap from the wash cycle in order to rinse the dishes. 

How does it stack up, then?

Courtesy of LIliana Drew

Proctor and Gamble's Cascade recently did a study paired with Marie Claire showing that consumers use almost 7x the amount of water that a water-efficient dishwasher will. And the reason is the sink faucet. For every minute that you have your faucet running, you are using approximately 2 gallons of water. While this will vary from household to household, this is on average.  The same study also found that the average American takes about 15 seconds to wash a dish.  Compare that baseline to your average modern Energy STAR-certified dishwasher which only uses 4 gallons total for a load of dishes. Even if you run your dishwasher every other night, you're still using half the amount of water that you do when washing by hand in a single night. 

What options do you have for a modern dishwasher? 

Although we have covered Energy Star dishwashers in the past, here are three selections that are new to the market and offer the best in both efficiency and cleanliness.

The Miele G 5266

This washer offers some of the best performance on the market as of the time of writing, The Miele uses only 626 gallons of water per year and runs fat a very efficient pace to get your dishes done. Not only does this help your water bill, but it also helps cut down your electricity bill. 

Some additional features include:

• A sanitizing wash cycle to ensure a deep clean if you're worried about bacteria or if someone in the household is sick 

• Sensor dry - pays attention to when the dishes are dry in order to save time and energy.

• An auto-opening door to allow your dishes to cool off after they're done washing and as a signal to you that the load is done.

The Bosch sgx78b55uc/13

This excellent option from Bosch is slightly less water efficient, going through approximately 744 gallons per year, but it's also a bit easier on the wallet for your initial purchase while still offering some of the best cleaning power.

Some additional features include:

• The Bosch dishwasher is the quietest brand in the US with this model only clocking it at 42 DB while running.

• Up to 24 hours with delay start so you can always run the dishwasher when you're ready.

• Best of all, the Bosch dishwasher is ADA compliant to fit into your home how you need it.

The Beko dut25401x

Our final selection on the list is also the most inexpensive, coming in at under half the Bosch's price and only a third of the mealy. Don't count it out, though as it still packs quite a punch being a highly efficient dishwasher that uses only 731 gallons of water per year.

Some additional features include: 

• A very quiet run cycle is roughly equivalent to a quiet conversation in another room. 

• A child lock to prevent children visiting or yours from changing the settings on your dishwasher.

• A dirt sensor to tell just how much is needed in a given load. 

Modern dishwashers are much easier on you and your wallet. While we will always support repairing your current one, we are also amazed by how far the technology has come! If you did have to buy one of these three dishwashers, which would you buy? Let us know over on our Facebook page! (Don’t worry, in the event one of them gives you trouble, we service all three brands!) 

If you’re here because your current dishwasher is giving you trouble, you can reach out to us via our contact page, or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We’ll work with your schedule to find a time that works best for you before sending out one of our expert technicians. 

The Hidden Messages Behind the Odors in Your Refrigerator

And Which Smells You Need To Be Worried About 

Have you ever opened your refrigerator and been hit with a strange and unpleasant smell? It can be a bit alarming, but don't worry, it's not uncommon. In fact, there are a variety of reasons why your fridge might be emitting foul odors. Some are harmless and easily remedied, while others may require a bit more attention. In this article, we'll explore the different types of smells you might encounter in your refrigerator and what they could mean.

Some of the common smells for your refrigerator: 

 Fish 

Gas

Nail Polish Remover 

Burnt Plastic 

Dead Animals or Rotting Meat 

If your refrigerator smells like any of these things, it is a cry for immediate attention. If it smells like chemicals specifically,  we must insist that you fix it as soon as possible so your food does not become contaminated. No one wants to get sick due to a broken fridge. So if your fridge smells like chemicals even when you haven't cleaned it with strong chemicals, please get it checked out immediately for your safety. You can skip to the bottom by clicking (Here) to call a technician. 

It Smells Like Fish!

Courtesy of Denitsa Kireva

If your refrigerator emits a fishy smell, that's seldom pleasant. If it's fresh fish that is resting in your fridge, then it won't smell fishy. However, if your fish has gone off, that is when it begins to emit that particular odor that very few of us enjoy. But if you're here, we assume you've already checked your fridge and ensured there isn't a tuna shoved in the back corner rotting away. There are several causes for a fishy smell after this point. What they all boil down to, though, is a buildup of moisture somewhere within the refrigerator itself. Several parts can cause a moisture buildup within your refrigerator: the fan, a failed compressor, a burnt-out startup relay, or an overload sensor. Your first step is cleaning your refrigerator out and checking for any obvious issues. This might be unusual noises or an obvious fault with some part of the fridge. If you aren't finding any broken parts after cleaning it, but the smell is still there or returns after putting all your food back into the refrigerator, you might need to find a technician to figure out what is causing it.

It Smells Like Gas!

This one is the second most common on our list, and fortunately, the most frequent cause of it is something rotten being trapped in styrofoam and then the scent releasing from the takeaway box. As always, a good scrubbing of your fridge is the first step in getting rid of strange smells. If you've already covered that step, though, this can also be caused by certain refrigerant leaks. Freon typically smells different from gas, but other refrigerants are used. Refrigerant leaks are challenging to fix, even for a technician, so if the smell is still hanging around after giving your fridge a good scrub, it's best to call in the professionals.

It Smells Like Nail Polish Remover, Vinegar, Or Ammonia! 

If you are smelling one of these three, the most likely cause is a Freon leak within your refrigerator. You'll most likely notice the smell first when opening your fridge, but unfortunately, Freon can seep into your food and cause a chemical taste. This is absolutely not ideal and requires immediate steps to fix. If you notice this type of smell in your refrigerator, please call a technician immediately, as Freon contamination can make you quite ill. It will require a full inspection of all of the components within the fridge to nail down where the leak is and whether or not it's only one or multiple. Do make sure when making the call to note if the smell is only in the fridge or the freezer sections. 

It Smells Like Burnt Plastic!

This one is the most straightforward on our list. If you are smelling the acrid stench of burnt plastic, your refrigerator is getting too hot. While this can have several causes, the easiest is to check that the back and underside are not full of dust bunnies. Those most pernicious of beasts can block up the vents or fans and cause your poor beleaguered refrigerator not to be able to keep itself properly cool. With your fridge overheating and burning dust, it can cause a strange smell before any components break. You will want to fix this quickly because permanent damage can occur if left untreated.

Courtesy of Cottonbro Studio

Start by pulling your refrigerator out from the wall, and then unplug it for safety's sake. Now grab your vacuum and wand attachment and quickly vacuum the back and undersides of your refrigerator and then the cavity where your refrigerator typically sits. If dust bunnies are causing this, the smell should clear out shortly after you plug it back in.

 If the smell persists, you should call a technician to have them check that the fridge's fans and cooling systems are working correctly.

It Smells Like Dead Animals Or Rotting Meat!

Courtesy of Cottonbro Studio

Once again, we will assume that you have ruled out rotten food. This one is relatively easy to fix. Most likely, the smell is caused by either mold or mildew inside your fridge. This is most easily fixed by cleaning your fridge out. Sometimes if you have issues with your refrigerator ventilating correctly, the middle can build up in places where there is no food, but there is moisture. If you can smell it but can't pinpoint the source visually, you may need to partially disassemble your fridge to clean the miotor. We suggest calling a technician as well, as while cleaning is something you can do, the build-up of moisture outside of the food storage area of the fridge can indicate a faulty component, as we described in the fishy smells section.

 It's always best to have your fridge checked if it smells off. 

What do you think? Did we solve your current issue? Let us know over on our Facebook page, as always. We’d love to hear if we missed one. 

Whether we did answer your question or not, we can help. Whatever type of fridge you have, we service it. You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We'll work with you to find a date and time that fits your schedule and send one of our expert technicians to solve the problem. At Appliance Rescue Service, our goal is to get your home running smoothly again. 

Why Does My Oven Keep Flipping the Circuit Breaker?

What Is Going On And What’s Wrong With My Oven?

Picture this: You're making dinner for your family, and you realize that after half an hour, the oven hasn't beeped to say it's been preheated. You go to check on it and realize that the oven is off. You push a few buttons, thinking, ‘that's odd I know I turned it on’, and instead, you have an oven that won't turn on. Your breaker flipped somehow. You go to fix it and start the process all over. Weird, but not the end of the world. What if it keeps happening, though? That's when you have to question, “why does my oven keep flipping my breaker?”

There are three main causes that will make it happen. It could be that you have a faulty heating element. It could be that there is an electrical short in your home. Or it could be that there is a circuit overload in the system. We'll go over these one-by-one and help you tell how to identify between each of them.

It Could Be a Broken Heating Element 

Let's start at the most common cause of this issue. If your breaker for your oven is flipping it might be because a heating element is broken. This can either be the heating element itself or the power source to the heating element. If this happens your circuit breaker will perceive it as a dangerous shift in the amount of amperage in the circuit and trip in order to keep you safe. This is built into the system in order to prevent electrical fires.

If you do determine that one or more of the heating elements in your oven is broken you will need to do a few steps. One unplug the oven completely from the wall and if possible, pull it out a little bit as well. This is to ensure your safety. What you're doing is giving the oven the chance to discharge any and all electricity. 

Next call a technician. Going in and attempting to repair or change out a heating element on your own is it dangerous and is not something we recommend.

It Might Be A Short In the Electrical System 

Your next most common cause of a consistently tripping circuit breaker is that there is a short in the electrical system. This can occur anywhere from the circuit panel itself all the way to the heating outlet of your oven. Look out for the smell of burning rubber or plastic, whether the oven is on or not. Also, keep an eye out for smoke. (Good news! The oven smoking because you burnt the turkey is not an electrical short.) 

Fortunately, if this is the issue, not only is it less expensive, it is also easier to fix. We still recommend unplugging the oven and calling a technician in order to ensure both of your safety and that of the tech coming to your aid. 

Or You Might Be Dealing With A Circuit Overload

Your final possibility, although admittedly the least likely, is that you are having a circuit overloaded. This would mean that the circuit that your oven is on is drawing so much power that the circuit breaker believes there is an issue. This means that there are too many items consuming electricity on the same circuit. Now the trick here is to figure out whether you actually have too many items or whether your oven is not on a circuit that is strong enough for it. For this, you'll need to start by figuring out which circuit your oven is on. 

Normally this is pretty easy. All you have to do is go to your breaker box and find out which one is labeled kitchen. However, occasionally you'll be in an older home where the breaker wasn't labeled when it was installed. And so you're going to have to check one by one, switching breakers off. Once you have the correct breaker isolated, start unplugging items that are on that breaker. You want to see at what point you can have your oven on and other items plugged in. If you get to the point that you have everything unplugged and when you turn the oven on it still gets flipped off by the circuit breaker, there is another potential answer. 

That is that your oven is on an outlet that is too small or it is not high enough power. While this is uncommon, it does happen occasionally, especially if construction was rushed in your neighborhood or if the oven you brought with you from your old home is sized to a different power outlet. Fortunately, both of these are extremely uncommon, and it is far more likely that your issue will be related to one of the earlier two points that we made. 

If you have isolated everything else and guaranteed that your issue is indeed tied to your circuit breaker, then you will not necessarily need a technician so much as an electrician they will actually be the first call that you make. However, we do still suggest unplugging the oven for safety sake.

Are there any reasons for an oven to cause your circuit breaker to flip that we missed? Let us know over on our Facebook page as we would love to hear from you!

If you followed our tips and found out that yes it is one of the first two causes, feel free to reach out. We would be more than happy to help you in repairing your oven and get your home running smoothly again. You can reach out to us with a phone call or by going over to our contact page. At Appliance Rescue Service, our goal is to get your home running smoothly again.