Are Your Appliances Overheating Due To Problems? Or Is It Just The Weather?

What Causes Overheating in Appliances and How to Fix It When You Can 

 Even though we're heading into September, we all know that summer isn't done with Texas just yet.  As you go around your house you might notice that your refrigerator is too hot, or that your stove is hot in an area that shouldn't be.  We'll often blame the summer heat, but is that really the answer?  Sometimes, there's more to it than that and it takes a closer look to fix the issue, rather than setting it aside for another day. 

Some of these you'll be able to fix for yourself, some of them will require professional help. If you suspect that the problem is there, please don't hesitate to call a professional as the damage can be much larger than the appliance just being too warm. 

General Tips 

Before we dive into specifics, let's start with general issues that can lead to an appliance overheating, whether it's large or small.  

Yup, that's the first point. Every appliance in your home is at risk of overheating, although the reasons vary. Your dryer, your washer, your refrigerator and freezer, your stove, your oven, your microwave, your HVAC system, all of them can overheat. 

With that in mind though, there are warning signs that you can regularly look around for if you notice that the area around an appliance is warmer than is normal.  Some things to look for include, frayed cords, discolored outlets, broken outlets, cracked outlets, or smoke. 

If you do see any of these signs, turn it off, whatever it is, immediately and unplug it.  The problem can all too easily go deeper than the appliance itself. It might be that the electrical connection for the outlet is drawing too much power and is causing the appliance to overheat because of that excess. 

Courtesy of wikimedia commons

Is Your Refrigerator Overheating?

The harder the condenser works to keep the inside of the refrigerator cool, the more heat is released in the process. If your refrigerator is old or dirty or if your kitchen is enclosed, all of these can lead to the whole room heating up OR the refrigerator overheating.  

Clean the condenser coils 

Over time, the coils on your refrigerator gather dust. The coating of dust isn't just about your allergies or your kitchen looking nice. it's also about the health of your refrigerator.   Condenser coils rely on exposrue to the air both on hot and cold sides and the dust blanket prevents that access to air for the dispersion of heat. 

Check these three places

- The back of your refrigerator 

- Under a back panel inside of the fridge 

- Behind the bottom vent. 

If you can't get to it yourself, there's no shame in calling in a friend or a professional for some assistance. 

Clean or change the air filter (if it has one, not all of them do) 

Some refrigerators are built with an extra filter that sits between the coils and the rest of the kitchen. Keeping that filter clean improves the performance over time. An important note is that unlike your car or your HVAC unit, this isn't typically a mesh or fabric filter. Instead it'll be a metal screen that can be removed and cleaned in your sink using the sprayer. 

If the screen is damaged or the metal is corroded in some way, it needs to be replaced. 

Check the fan 

Your refrigerator also has fans that directs the air flow around and through your refrigerator. The fan draws air over the cold coils and directs the hot air out of the lower vent (that's why it's always warm there, even in winter>) Just like everywhere else though, it means that dust can accumulate. Find the fan and give it a close look. It might need to be cleaned, repaired or replaced. It's actually a good idea to regularly turn your refrigerator off and wipe down the fan, once a quarter or so. 

Is Your Freezer Overheating?

Much like your refrigerator, the outside of your freezer being warm sometimes is normal. Having it hot all the time, or to the point that you're scalding yourself, is not. 
Your freezer also has condenser coils and a fan just like your refrigerator that need to be checked and cleaned regularly. The difference here is that in order to clean either of these you'll need to turn off the freezer so that you can get access to them. The coils will most often be near the bottom front of the unit, and behind a base grill. You'll want to use a vacuum hose with a soft brush for cleaning them.

The fan on the other hand, is something that either works or it doesn't. If the fan isn't activating or isn't running when it is activated, it won't cool the coils, this in turn means that the refrigerant never cools off, and your freezer will get extremely hot to the touch. In that case, the fan needs to be replaced. 

A final thing that can cause issues is the sealant for your freezer. The rubber seal around the door of your freezer, no matter what style it is, is there to keep all of the cold air in. If the seal is cracked, damaged or removed, it won't seal properly, and your freezer starts working overtime to try and keep things cold. An easy way to check if the seal is an issue is to see if you have cold air leaking out of the doorframe. If that's there, you probably need to replace it. 

Is Your Stovetop Overheating?

It sounds silly to say that a stovetop can get too hot, but it's true. Although they're meant to reach fairly high temps, they shouldn't be hot enough to make your kitchen warmer.  Some of the reasons they might though are the following.

Placed Too Close to a Wall

If you have a stove that is placed directly against a wall, it will reflect that heat back at you, the stove and the rest of the room. 

Covered or Clogged Stove Vents

Your stove vents are meant to be one of the ways your stove cools off, but if the  the air vent has become clogged by debris, dust or food, your stove will continue growing hotter instead.  

To fix it, remove the filter from the range. That's going to be underneath the hood and shouldn't be difficult to remove. Then set the filter in your sink and hose it off with your sinker's hose.  If that doesn't remove everything, look for an all-purpose degreaser and follow the directions. 

Melted or Warped Burners 

As odd as it might sound, the burners on your stove, whether gas or electric, can become warped. They're designed to direct the heat of your stove, but if they've become damaged, they'll heat unevenly. Repeatedly using a burner even after this can cause patches and hotspots on your stove making it too warm. Sadly, this isn't one that can be fixed with a cloth and some good soap. Instead, you'll need to call in a professional if you suspect a warped or damaged burner. 

Damaged Oven Insulation

And a final one that can cause your stovetop to overheat is if the oven's insulation is damaged or breaking down. As odd as that might sound, its true. The insulation for your oven keeps the internal temperature of your oven consistent and keeps the heat from escaping into the rest of the room.

If your oven's insulation is breaking down, you need to call a professional in to replace it or get a new oven. Continuing to work with damaged insulation means that insulation can get into your food, into your lungs, or if you're unlucky, catch fire.   

There might be hope other than the the insulation though. If it's the seal to the door of your oven that's busted, and not the internal insulation, that could be what's venting the hot air up towards your stove and causing the confusion. That is a much easier fix, and can be done by someone handy or by calling in a repair tech. 

Ovens can Overheat too

Just like your stove, it sounds odd to think that your oven might get too hot. But as we've mentioned when it comes to the self-clean feature of older models if your oven gets too hot, it can become toast. 

Some ways to check if your oven is overheating is to compare the internal temperature to the temperature you set it to using a digital thermometer.  You can also take a look at the heating elements and the heat sensor. And you can make sure the the oven fans are working properly.  

Unfortunately, other than unplugging your oven and making sure that everything is properly cleaned (not utilizing the self-clean button...) there's not much you can do at home. if your oven is overheating, that's a definite time to call in a professional. 

Is Your Dryer Overheating?

Your dryer is much the same as your oven, whether it's gas or electric, it can cause serious problems if it's overheating. On a scale from bad to worse, you could cause damage to your clothes, you could cause damage to the dryer, or it might flat out catch fire. So, it's not one to fool around with. If you notice any of the following, please unplug your dryer and call a professional. 

Shutting down

Many dryers today have a built-in safety, if they get too hot, they automatically shut off. Unfortunately, it doesn't always trigger and it's not a guarantee to prevent a fire. 

Error Codes

If you're getting an error code of E3 or HE it can indicate overheating, but you'll need to check your manual or the manufacturer's website to be certain. 

Burning Oder

If something smells like it's burning, it is probable that the dryer is overheating, and your lint might also have caught fire. Don't ignore that one. Check the drum and air vent for smoke and empty out the lint trap even if you don't see any. It's better safe than sorry. 

Tips for Keeping Your Appliances From Overheating

Not all of these are going to work all of the time. Appliances break, parts wear down, vents or fans are clogged, and you might not notice it. BUT there are still steps you can take to lengthen the life of your appliances and help them to keep cool. 

Keep it clean 

Give it a rest

Check out the condenser

Your refrigerator, your freezer, and your dryer all can have condensers in them, so keep an eye on them especially during the summer months. 

Don't overload your outlets

Call for repair if you have frayed cords 

As you've seen by now, there's nothing wrong with the outside of an appliance like your refrigerator or freezer being warm, even on a cold day. And it's perfectly normal to worry about it, even when you know it's normal. The best thing you can do is to let that worry guide you in keeping a cleaning schedule for your appliances, as well as a regular maintenance visit. Doing these two things you're more likely to spot minor issues before they become major problems.

As we said at the top, please be cautious and don't underestimate the danger that some of these present. If you see something or smell something, investigate as that can be the difference between needing to call a repair technician or needing to call the fire department. 

Have you had issues with your appliances overheating? Have you seen causes that we missed out on? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always we love to hear from you. 

If it turns out that your freezer is more than you can fix, or your dryer is shutting off on it's own, give us a call at ((214) 599-0055). Or you can reach out to us via our contact page. We'll work with you to not only set up an appointment time that works for you but also to get your home running smoothly again. At Appliance Rescue Service we're here for you. 

Courtesy of Ben Schumin

"Sugar Bomb" Cake

Or You Might Call It Death by Delicious

This isn't a cake for a birthday. This isn't a cake for a little get together. This is cake for a crowd, when you have a ton of people and you want all of the ones that enjoy sugar to walk around in a daze after trying it. This is one of those cakes where you make only once a year. Not because it's difficult. Not because it doesn't taste amazing (it does. We have it on the opinion of a ten-year-old that this is "the best cake in the whole world.") It's because this cake is so overwhelmingly delicious that you can only handle it once a year.  

It started off as an experiment.  We wanted chocolate chip cookies, but we didn't want just cookies. We wanted cake too. And then we thought about cookie dough. Except, it's not smart to eat just cookie dough. You need the crunch to balance it out. We took all of that and the urge for some chocolate milk as well ( we might have been egged on by that same 10-year-old helper) and started brainstorming how to smash all of it together. This is the outcome. Cake. Cookies. Cookie dough. Chocolate milk. All together in one glorious, amazing, and possibly death-defying sugar bomb cake. 

We’re putting all of the photos at the end of the article just to make it easier for y’all, so if you’re looking for those, keep on scrolling down. :)

Cake Ingredients: 

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour plus a bit extra 

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 c sugar 

3/4 c butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs

4 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 c buttermilk*

1 c mini chocolate chips, tossed in flour 

Chocolate chip cookies 

Tools Needed For all sections: a glass baking dish 9x13, a hand mixer or stand mixer of your choice, a small sauce pan, several bowls to mix in, a sieve, measuring cups and spoons, a cooling rack, toothpicks, and a heat proof glass dish, a rolling pin or mallet, a ziploc bag 

Set your oven to 350* F.

Set your chocolate chip cookies to the side until it's time to assemble the cake.

Take your glass dish and spray it with canola oil, evenly on all sides and the bottom.

In a small dish, pour in your chocolate chips and about 1 Tbsp of flour. Toss to coat. If you feel like not all of the chips are coated, add another tablespoon at a time and repeat until all of the chocolate chips are evenly coated.

In a large bowl combine together your flour, baking powder and salt. If you like, you can experiment and sift the flour to see how that will affect the density of the cake. (It's us, we regularly encourage experimentation when it won't ruin the food.) 

In a separate bowl, cream together your butter and sugar until it's fluffy. You can do this with a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or if you're feeling the need for a workout, you can use a hand whisk. 

Add in one egg at a time, mixing thoroughly and then add your vanilla.

Next up alternate between adding in the flour mix and the buttermilk until everything is combined.

Fold in your chocolate chips 

Pour the mixture into your pan and bake for 45 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean. 

Make sure to rotate the pan halfway through.   

After you've removed your cake from the oven, let it rest five minutes and then run a knife around the edge of the dish to loosen it. Then allow it to cool to room temperature before removing it from the dish and place it on a cooling rack.  Make sure you don't wait more than ten minutes after removing it from the oven to remove it from the dish. It will stick to the pan and then you'll be fighting with your cake to get it out in one piece. You'll find out why we know this later. 

Cookie Dough Filling:

1 1/2 c brown sugar, packed

1 c butter at room temperature

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 c heavy cream

1 c mini chocolate chips 

Mini chocolate chip cookies 

Beat the brown sugar and butter till fluffy, again you have the choice to use a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or a hand whisk. 

Beat in your vanilla extract, flour and salt till combined. 

Add the cream a little at a time till it reaches the consistency you want. This might not use all of your cream, or it might use more of it like ours did.  

Fold in the chocolate chips.  

If it's a hot day, set this in the fridge until you're ready for it to be used on the cake. If it's cool in your home, it's safe to leave it out on the counter, covered. 

Chocolate Malted Milk Syrup: 

1 c heavy cream

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp chocolate malted milk powder **

In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and chocolate malted milk powder, whisking until you no longer have bumps. Set your stove to medium-high (or medium if you're working on a gas stove). Put your saucepan on the stove and continue stirring, pressing any lumps against the side to break them up. Bring the pot to a boil. 

Remove from the heat and pour into a heat safe glass dish. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then store it in the fridge until it's time to assemble the cake. (We want to make a reference to a certain group of superheroes, but it doesn't really fit here does it?) 

Assembling the cake:

When your cake has come to room temperature, flip it out onto a cutting board, so that the bottom of the cake is now the top. 

If the dish you used was curved at the edges, cut off those ends of the cake and set aside for munching later.  

Next, measure the remaining cake, we want to create three even rectangles. Cut the cake across the width, so that you have three separate short rectangles. 

Coat each rectangle on the top with the malted syrup. (Don't forget this step, it really does matter for binding the cake top down and keeping it from 'peeling' off during the next stage.) 
Pick a layer and top that with the filling, spreading it carefully. Although you might have tried it with other frosting sorts, we don't advise doing it with this one given the amount of butter in the filling. It will make a mess and you'll end up with something very unappetizing. 

Once the filling is as thick as you want it, add the next layer of cake, top it with more of the syrup if needed, and then the filling. Repeat again with the third slice. 

Once you've got all three slices stacked together, cover the top and sides with the remaining filling/frosting.  

To the top of the cake, add equidistant whole cookies, for decoration. Then take some of the remaining ones and smash them up.  Bag them in a gallon sized bag and grab your rolling pin, and give them a few good whacks. You don't want crumbs, but you don't want whole cookies. 

Once that's done, coat the sides of the cake in your cookie bits. You can do just the bottom 1/3 or you can do the entire side.  

Now if you want to really go crazy, or if the previous steps haven't worked out quite as you imagined, there are ways to save it and still make your cake look as tasty as it will be delicious. That is the baker's secret weapons of chocolate and caramel syrups. Turn your cake so that you're facing a corner of it and drizzle first one syrup and then then other over the top of it, making wide sweeping arcs across your platter.  Surprisingly, it works well. 

As a wrap up, sometimes a cake doesn't look /pretty/ and you need to have a backup plan, like that last step. That's what happened with us, and it was the syrup that ended up making it work in our opinion. Keep in mind though that no matter how this looks, it's still going to be a delicious, overpowering sugar bomb of a cake. We hope you love it and whoever you share it with also loves it.  Let us know how it goes over on our Facebook page or in the comments below. 

If you still have the ability to focus after making this cake, and you actually came to our site because one of your appliances is giving you trouble, we can help. Give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page to set up an appointment. We'll work with you to find a time and date that works for your schedule to figure out what the problem is and how we fix it.  

*If you can't get your hands on buttermilk at home, there are ways to make your own, or you can use a powder if one of your local stores has it. That gets mixed together with water to give you the needed amount. 

** We know that it might sound weird to have chocolate malted milk powder and still call for vanilla extract, but it brings a very nice depth of flavor that we're fond of. 

Owner vs Blogger: Part One - Shopping for Luxury

When it comes to shopping for luxury and reliable appliances, who does better?

 In light of all of the issues with the chip shortages and appliance delays, we wanted to also delay our yearly appliance shopping comparison. This year your blogger is going to be taking a look at appliance brands known for being reliable while still being some of the best. We've chosen one option for every appliance after looking closely at the features offered and how well they reflect the lives of our clients. Even if you'd rather repair than replace, take a look with us at some of the options for a new kitchen, if only to ogle the new features. 

Dishwasher-  Dacor - 24" in Stainless Steel

Model : DDW24M999US 

Price: $1,199 

Photo Courtesy of Dacor

"With the capacity to hold up to fourteen place settings and the largest cleaning zone available, innovations like WaterWall™ and ZoneBooster™ technologies ensure that when the AutoRelease door opens, every pot, pan, plate, and glass will be ready for the spotlight."

The Dacor dishwasher focuses on making sure that your appliances are clean. Which sounds pointless, since isn't that the goal of all dishwashers? Yes, but if you're looking for who is going to be the best option, you want the one that is going to do the job best. We think that that is the Dacor. Their Waterwall technology combines with  with a 'zone booster' to ensure not only do you have a wall of high pressure water going back and forth washing your dishes, but you also have a phase that makes use of high power jets to attack stuck on bits of food or other debris.  To us that is the best part of the Dacor dishwasher.

Although we also enjoy the autorelease door to release steam at the end of a cycle as well as reducing the need for a dry cycle, as well as the flush design that allows the Dacor to fit seamlessly into your kitchen 

Range -  Dacor 48" Range Top with Griddle with Natural Gas in Stainless Steel

Model: $4,999

Price: DTT48M976LS

Photo Courtesy of Dacor

"Refined looks and visionary performance in perfect harmony. With a lineup of features that ignite your imagination, our Pro Rangetops turn up the heat on what’s possible."

We chose the Dacor range for two reasons. The first is that it's still available with gas, despite many companies offering fewer models with it. And because of the reliability and precision of that gas. Their range is built from the burners and their function up. Instead of engineering from the space or style limits, Dacor starts with how they wanted to do best, offer a consistent, fast burner, that would last a lifetime. That's why all of their burners are brass, with a dual valve system. It's also why although there are six different burners on this stove, they all have different sizes and specialties. To us, that's focus and very impressive. 

We won't lie, we also greatly appreciate the built-in cast-aluminum griddle, because heck yes easy omelets every morning, as well as the Auto connected hood. We've talked about vent hoods several times before, but one of the most important posts we tackled has been the dangers of not using your hood while you're cooking. The Dacor range turns on the ventilation at the same time as the cooktop and monitors it based on temperature, ramping up the speed of the fans as it becomes needed. To us, that's a very useful bit of technology as it protects your health.  

Oven -  Wolf  30" M Series Contemporary Stainless Steel Built-In Double Oven

Model: DO30CM/S

Price: $9,830

"Wolf ovens are precisely engineered with chef-tested modes that, once mastered, practically guarantee delicious results. "

This time we're looking at a Wolf double oven that's meant to be a built in and we have to admit, your blogger drooled. This set of ovens has 11 different modes with three of them making it possible to ditch other appliances in place of this one.  It's also Wolf's largest capacity oven so that if you need to make three different sets of cookies at the same time, or a large amount of a recipe, you can do just that.  (We would suggest that you can make multiple different recipes, but it's a pain to try and select ones that all work at the same temperature, and your blogger knows it.)  

Photo Courtesy of Wolf

Refrigerator - Gaggenau  36" Vario Refrigerator  400 Series 

Model: RC492705

Price: $15,499

We looked at a brand we haven't reviewed for the blog before for both the refrigerator and the freezer, Gaggenau. They're a German company that was established in 1683.  If you're looking for reliability and history, this is the brand you're looking at. 

In addition to being supremely well made, the biggest thing your blogger was impressed by was the attention to the little details. The fridge is engineered to be a quiet close so that it doesn't disturb you or your household.  Each of the compartments is adjustable separately to ensure the best freshness and separation for your different foods, and the door is completely customizable. This is a refrigerator that is meant to fit into your home and life, not the other way around. 

Photo Courtesy of Gaggenau

Freezer - Gaggenau 24” Vario Freezer 400 series

Model: RF461705

Photo Courtesy of Gaggenau

Price: 6,999.00 

We separated out the freezer for two reasons. One, you don't always want to compromise when it comes to space. If you have a large family, or you cook a lot, it's very useful to have your freezer and refrigerator separate.  We also wanted the same precise attention to cooling zones that Gaggenau brings to their refrigerators, so the choice was a no-brainer for your blogger. 

Two features that stood out were the automatic defrost and the the swift freeze. The Gaggenau will regularly cycle into a defrost mode, but instead of melting everything and leaving you with a block of ice at the bottom, it has defrost water evaporation. The freezer is also capable of getting down to -22 without accumulating frost because of how swiftly it drops down to that temperature.   So all around it's an amazing freezer that does what it does very well. 

Washing Machine - Miele TDos & IntenseWash   front-loading washing machine
Model: WXR860 WCS  

Price:  $2,299.00 

Photo Courtesy of MieleUsa

Where do we even start with this one? For our washer and dryer we wanted to make sure that they were compatible, and would both have the same level of attention to them. So your blogger went with a brand that has been recommended several times on the blog, Miele.  Like the others in this list, their attention to detail is one of the reasons we love them. With this model they've offered several new styles of wash programs that your blogger hadn't actually seen previously. You have the usual modes like delicates, normal and towels. Then you have ones like darks and denims, meant to keep them from losing color, sneakers and a mode just for baby clothes. Or if you have linens that you want washed, there's a mode for that, and one for your high-tech outerwear as well. All of that has been considered and separated out as something that needed special consideration. 

This model also really focuses on efficiency and being friendly to the economy. From making sure that you can see and control exactly how much energy and water the machine uses on any given cycle, to being able to wash just one item if the need calls for it. They've also made it so that every load is weighed and considered so that only the exact amount of water and detergent is used for each wash. To your blogger, that was fantastic. 

And did we mention that it has a soft steam feature? To make ironing easier for those of you that have to iron regularly.  

Dryer - Miele Eco & Steam Heat Pump Dryer 

Model: TXR860WP

Photo Courtesy of MieleUsa

Price:  2,299.00

Matching our washer choice, the Miele Eco & Steam Heat Pump dryer was an easy pick for your ever curious blogger. It's ventless, it  has several easy to access filters which cut down on the frequency of needing to clean different areas, and it has a hose to drain the water into a sink or outside depending on your preference. Plus, it' s a heat pump dryer which we've talked about previously, along with their gentleness on both your clothes, your wallet, and the temperature in your home. (All benefits for Texas as far as your blogger is concerned.) 

The biggest  point of interest though wasn't any of the features. It's the amount of testing they put their dryer through. "Tested for 20 years of perfect laundry care. Some car engines are tested over 3,000 hours – but we test [our dryers for] constant performance over as much as 10,000 hours." How many other companies do that? 

So what do you think? Did you like the appliances we chose this year? Or are you more curious to see what our owner comes up with? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always we're eager to hear what you think.  Check back soon for part two when our owner makes her call on what she thinks are the best options for new appliances. 

We understand that not everyone wants to replace their appliances, and honestly, we'd be out of business if you did. We offer posts like this to keep you, our readers and our clients, aware of some of the new technologies in the field, and how they can be worked into your home in the event that you do have to replace an appliance. Our technicians will work with you until you're satisfied that we've tried everything to fix your appliance, whether that means one visit or many. At the end of the day, we want the same thing you do, to get your home running smoothly again. 

If you are in need of someone to look at your appliances, whether that's a maintenance check or fixing a specific issue, you can reach out to us through our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We'll work with you to find a time that fits your schedule so we can get your home running again. 

5 Portable Air Conditioners to Fight the Heat

When you’re desperately in need of something to keep you from melting

We're hitting the dog days of summer, and it's far too hot to rely on just your central air. With temperatures regularly breaking triple digits,  all we can hope to do is to drink plenty and hide indoors until the worst of the heat has passed. What if your area is struggling with rolling brownouts though? Or if you're not trying to freeze your entire house, you want to focus on just the room you're in? Whatever your reasons might be, and we know there are plenty we've missed, we're taking a look at 5 of the best-rated portable air conditioning units. 

This week we're taking a look at 3 Frigidaires, a Whynter, and a relatively new contender, Amazon.  All five of them have been compared on a five-star system both in labs and by consumers. 

Amazon Basics MPPDB-09CRN1-BCG5 - Just Starting

Price $446

Let's start off with the Amazon Basics. This is the first time we're taking a look at an Amazon Basics appliance on the blog, and we weren't sure what to expect. On the site it has four stars out of five for reviews.  Half of the reviews on amazon for this are at 5 stars. On the other hand, in lab settings, we testers weren't all that impressed with the model. When tested for being able to cool a room sized for that particular unit (400 sq ft) on high, it only rated a 3/5 stars. It took far longer than testing felt that it should have given the size of the room. It also didn't do great at keeping the room at the temperature it was set to when the air was measured with a thermometer.  It's also rather noisy, both at high fan settings and low, something that isn't great if you're looking to have conversations, or keep your napping children asleep during summer. Finally, it doesn't let you know when the filter needs to be cleaned. Which admittedly, isn't the end of the world, but it is something that all of the others we're looking at offer. 

Opinion: We think that this is a good option if you're looking to get a portable unit /today/ or if you're looking for something for a dorm room. Otherwise, give Amazon some time to work the kinks out with this one. 

Frigidaire FHPW142AC1 - Cheapest Option

Price $484 - $529

Now we're taking a look at our cheapest option. Before you discount it based on that, this is still a step up from the Amazon. Although the rating by our testers is still 3/5 and customer ratings on Amazon rank it  as 4/5 we would have to argue that the availability of a reliable customer support team makes up for issues in that department. Much like the Amazon, this Frigidaire is rather noisy both on high and low settings, The second biggest difference in our opinion is that it does let you know when the filter needs to be cleaned out. It might not seem like a large issue, but when it reduces the effectiveness of the unit, it really is. 

Opinion: Better than the Amazon, but only by a smidge. Go for it if the name brand or customer support matter more to you. 

Frigidaire FHPC132AB1-Easy to Buy, Easy to Move

Price $490 - $519

Another Frigidaire this time, but it's a step up in comparison to the last. 4/5 in lab conditions with a 4/5 on Amazon, and 57% of that being 5 stars. People like this one. It's easy to buy, easy to move around, and it works. What's even better is that unlike our last two units, this one is actually quiet on it's low setting. It's still a  noisy when set to high, but at least when you've got in on low you'll be able to have a decent conversation.  This one is also the lightest out of all five units that we looked at only 75 lbs. Even better, it only uses 13,000 BTUs an hour, compared to 14,000 as most of the others do. 

Opinion: Solid middle of the scale unit. It's easy to get your hands on and it works hard at keeping your home cool, while still keeping it as noise free as possible. 

Whynter ARC-14S - Consistent Price, Consistent Service

Price $599 

Finally, not a Frigidaire. Starting off by looking at the ratings, this one scored 5/5 for customer reviews and 4/5 in lab testing. The only point where it didn't do outstanding in terms of how quickly it was able to cool a room down to the specified temperature. That isn't to say that it didn't get there (or else it wouldn't have 5/5 stars.) Its simply that if you're going from a room that is extremely hot and asking it to get to 70* it's going to take time, even with the 14,000 BTUs.  It was ranked as the best overall portable air conditioner by Good Housekeeping, which had us surprised, after we took  a look at our best rated unit. The thing we loved best about this one is that when set to low, it's almost silent. It's still noisy when on high, but we're beginning to think that there aren't any portable ac units that can be quiet when cooling off a house in Texas. 

Opinion: A fantastic option with a glowing review from one of the best known companies in American homes. 

Frigidaire Gallery GHPC132AB1 -Biggest Variable in Price, and Best Rated

Price $549 - $856

And for our last one, we're back to a Frigidaire. Oops.  

However, this one is also the best on the list. 

It's rated 4.5 out of 5 in lab tests and 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon. It is wi-fi connected so that you can turn it on when you're on your way home and make sure that the room is cool when you get there. (Honestly, that is one of the only times we can say we absolutely get connecting an appliance to wi-fi.) It also is easy to clean and care for with the easy to clean air filter and the tank that you take out for the dehumidifier. It's even quieter than any of the others on the list when set to high. It's not silent, but it's working on it. Best of all, if allergies are kicking your butt as much as the rest of us, this model offers a clean air ionizer to reduce particles and kill bacteria. 

Opinion: Although it's not rated as the best option by Good Housekeeping, we had to disagree. With how quiet it is at both high and low settings, the ability to reduce airborne particulates and get your home cool before you come home, this is our favorite out of the five we looked at. 

What do you think? Are you going to add one of these to your arsenal to fight back the heat and get through the dog days? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always, we'd love to hear from you. 

If you wound up here because your dryer is overheating and making your house hotter, not because of the summer heat, we can still help. At Appliance Rescue Service, we are experts in finding out why your appliances are on the fritz and getting them back into working order. Whether you're fighting with your dryer or your refrigerator, your oven or your dishwasher, give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or reach out to us on our contact page. Our goal is to get your home running smoothly again.

5 Energy Efficient Dishwashers for Your Home

 5 Dishwashers Across The Board In Terms Of Price And Efficiency, With All Sorts Of Features. 

With prices for energy set to go up this year and again next year, we're thinking quite a bit about what "energy efficiency" means to us. We're looking at different appliances and methods around our homes and office to see what we can do to make things better. This week we're looking at energy-efficient dishwashers with 5 of the best on the market. 

Each of the different dishwashers we're looking at has two additional ratings we wanted to consider in addition to their price. The first is the kilowatt per hour per year average. This is not actually how many kilowatts per hour you're using, as your blogger initially thought. A kilowatt-hour measures the energy an appliance uses in kilowatts per hour. For example, if you clean your floors with a 1,000-watt vacuum cleaner for one hour, you consume 1 kWh of energy. When you see kWh on your monthly energy bill, it’s a measurement of your electric appliances’ wattage and the amount of time you use them. So if you use that vacuum for 1 hour a week, for a full year, by the end of the year, you'd have used 52 kWh just for that vacuum. 

The second rating is the water factor. The water factor is the number of gallons used per cycle per cubic food of the dishwasher. The lower that factor is, the more efficient the dishwasher is, and the lower your water bill... at least in relation to this.   But every bit counts, right? 

So since we're looking at Energy Efficiency this week, we wanted to include these numbers so that you can get a feel for not only what a dishwasher might cost you now but also over time. 

LG 24-inch LDF454HT - Longest Warranty  & Uses the least amount of water 

Price $698 - 849    

Energy Use (kWH/Year) 258 kWh/Year

Water Factor: 2.9

Quad wash - Washes from four different angles at once. 

Silent work - Has a 3 stage filtration system to trap food particles as it works to reduce noise and make the dishwasher more efficient. And it tops out at 48 dBA. 

Dynamic Dry - dries dishes faster and more thoroughly 

3rd Rack- Offers a third rack for storing ladles, spatulas, knives, and the like. And with the careful setup of grooves, it protects your knives from being tossed and banged around. 

App Connectivity - This title is so much more than just that. There is an NFC tag on the dishwasher that you can tap your phone against to transfer new cycles from your phone to your dishwasher. And more important, in our opinion, you can troubleshoot your dishwasher the same way. 

We like this one for the silent work feature. The quieter a dishwasher is, the better, in our opinion.

Samsung StormWash DW80R5061US - Best Overall 

Price  $899–$1,100 

Energy Use (kWH/Year): 239

Water Factor: 3.5

Storm Wash - Powerful rotating spray jets clean at every angle for tough-to-reach spots. 

Auto Release Door - At the end of a wash cycle, the door opens to allow air to circulate more freely. 

3rd Rack -  A third rack for utensils, and it has extra teeth so that they don't rattle around. 

Quiet Wash - 42 dba 

Adjustable racks - The top rack can be moved up and down when washing larger items like pots, pans, and glassware.

For the Storm Wash, we were most interested in the Storm Wash feature. The dishwasher is supposed to be powerful enough to use rotating jets to reach everywhere, delicate enough that it doesn't damage your dishes. However, it's still got a water factor that is low enough to be considered energy efficient.  We find that rather impressive. 

Bosch SHE3AR72UC Ascenta 24" White Full Console Dishwasher - Strongest Brand Name & Best Budget Option

Price $549

Energy Use (kWH/Year) - 269

Water Factor: 3.2 

PrecisionWash - precision arms target all of the stuck on  food so that you don't have to do multiple washes. 

Sanitize Options- The Sanitize Option operates at a higher temperature and can be selected to achieve the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) standards of cleanliness, eliminating 99.9% of bacteria, and enhances your drying results as well. 

Goes though almost 500 different quality checks before being sent to market. So the price might not be as high as others on the list, but the quality is. 

Sometimes you really do get a good option at lower prices. Although the Bosch doesn't have any of the features that our other dishwashers do,  it's still a solid option that will last you for years, without breaking the bank, and that includes your electric and water bills. 

Miele G 7366 SCVi SF AutoDos

Price: $2,199

Energy Use (kWH/Year)- 230

Water Factor: 3.2

AutoDos With Power disk - Analyzes the amount of dishes within a load and dispenses only the amount of detergent needed. 

FlexLine Basket design -  Racks have extra flexibility for dealing with dishes of different sizes. 

Quick Wash - Washes dishes in 1 hour

All Dry Feature- Opens the door when a cycle is done 

Offers Washing cycles for general dishwashing, fine china, children's dishes, high sanitization, for pots & pans, and for grates and filters. 

Ecofeedback: Shows you the estimated amount of electricity and water used when you select a program on the display. 

The Miele dishwasher has been on our radar for a while, and we're intrigued by the AutoDos feature the most. Although it's not a revolutionary concept in general, this is the first time we can think of it being applied to your dishwasher. 

Frigidaire FGID2479SF 24" Energy Star Fully Integrated - 

Price $1079 

Energy Use (kWH/Year) - 270

Water Factor: 3.5

OrbitClean® Wash System Clean dishes with OrbitClean® Wash System, which uses four times more water coverage for a complete clean. 

3rd Rack Serving utensils and tools are mealtime-ready with our Store-More™ removable third rack, which offers easy loading and unloading access.

Automatically Adjusts Cycles

DishSense™ Technology automatically adjusts the cycle time based on the level of clean that your dishes need for an efficient clean.

Status Indicator Floor Beams

Convenient LED Floor Beam Indicators illuminate the floor with a blue light when your dishes are washing and a green light when they are clean.

We swear we're not a bunch of cats pretending to be appliance technicians. We're just impressed by the status indicator and find it useful. 

Which of these was your favorite? Which one fits your needs best? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always, we'd love to hear from you. 

If you're not happy with the idea of buying a new dishwasher and would rather just fix the one you have, we can help. You can reach out to us on our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). At Appliance Rescue Service, we're here to help.