Prevent a home appliance disaster this holiday season

Yikes! The holidays are almost here again, what is the best way to prevent a home appliance disaster this season? You don’t want your home appliances to go on strike just before holiday house guest arrive. When it comes to appliances during the holidays, homeowners generally think of the oven. Although the oven is the most valued appliance during the holidays, the dishwasher will also run into overtime cleaning those holiday dishes and cookware. Just as important the washing machine and dryer will be working just as hard cleaning those guest bed linens and towels.

Perhaps the oven is not heating up or the temperature isn’t quite right. Your washer or dryer has been making a strange noise for the last couple weeks. Now is the time to get it looked at. The last thing you need is to have the refrigerator go on the fritz while the guests arrive. The best way to prevent a home appliance disaster this season is to do some prior appliance preventative maintenance to keep the appliances in tip-top shape through out the holidays. We have some helpful tips to assist you along the way before the holiday season guest arrive.

Oven

It’s very common for ovens to fail because of the self-cleaning cycle! Run the self-clean cycle an entire month before your holiday cooking or wait until the holidays are over. This way you won’t have to worry about your oven breaking the day before cooking. Making delicious baked goods and cooking elaborate dinners for holiday feasts can take a toll on your oven.

Tip!     It is highly advised against running the oven’s self-clean cycle the night before holiday cooking day. The self cleaning cycle may cause failure of important electric components, elements and fuses. The self cleaning cycle brings the oven’s temperature to over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to incinerate anything in the oven including electrical components. Don’t run the self clean cycle for more than hour at a time. Running the cycle for a fraction of the time can reduce your risk of oven failure and still is enough time to burn off any food bits inside your oven.

Regularly clean your oven. To make sure your oven clean and working efficiently, give it a wipe down with a damp cloth once a month and immediately clean up any major spillages. If you bake and use your oven frequently, clean it more often. You should not rely on the self-clean cycle as your only method of oven cleaning! It is recommended self-clean once every 3-4 months. Never use an oven cleaner spray in ovens with a self-cleaning feature.

Tip!     Place a bowl of white vinegar in the oven, set the temperature to 270 F°, and once it’s preheated, turn your oven off and let the vinegar sit for several hours. After a few hours, open your oven door–it should be ready to wipe down with ease!       

Tip!     Now is a great time to check how accurate your oven’s temperature is to avoid last-minute baking disasters? This can easily be done with a thermometer. All you have to do is set your oven’s temperature at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the thermometer in your oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. When the time is up, if the temperature on the thermometer does not match the temperature you set, simply grab your owner’s manual and learn how to calibrate it. While the oven is still hot, bake some cookies for an autumn treat..

Tip!     Don’t place aluminum foil on the bottom of your oven to catch food spills! Aluminum foils blocks airflow and can interfere with the heating element, causing it to fail or require recalibration.

We see many oven problems that frustrate homeowners. Contact Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service to resolve your oven repair issue.

Glass-top stove

Tip!    Keep the glass-top stove clean; carefully scrap off burned food bits with a razor blade and cleaning the surface with glass cleaner.

Dishwasher

Oh the joys of cleaning holiday dirty dishes. Use a dishwasher cleaning product every three to six months to remove calcium buildup. Calcium deposits can clog the dishwasher’s sprayer arm and impact cleaning efficiency.

Tip!     Place a cup of white vinegar on the top shelf of an empty dishwasher and run a load on the setting of pot and pan cycle with hot water. This helps clean calcium with in the dishwasher.

Tip!     Clean the filter’s located below the lower spray arm. Debris that is allowed to remain in the filter will impede flow past the drain pump and can cause a musty odor or mildew in the dishwasher.

Tip!     Run a bit of hot water in your sink before running the dishwasher.

Washing machine

Check the hoses for any potential leak. While washing a load of clothes this week listen to the washer. Listen for potential signs of a problem such as loud rumbling noises, or rattling sounds. If your washing machine makes an unusual noise or need help with regular maintenance services on your appliances, don’t hesitate to learn how our Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service washer repair expert can help you.

Dryer

You wouldn’t want a blown dryer fuse, burnt thermal fuse, faulty thermostats, or heating element replacement when holiday guest arrive.

Tip!     Improve energy consumption and prevent a fire, clean out dryer vent system. For your dryer vent cleaning schedule us for expert service.

Refrigerator

This holiday prevent a frustrating refrigerator repair. From dirty water filters to clogged condenser coils your refrigerator may not be ready this holiday season.

Tip!     Check the door seals for rips and tears clear the drain lines, clean the condenser coils regularly because the coils are covered with dirt, grime, debris, pet hair and all that kind of stuff and it overheats the refrigerator.

Refrigerator temperature is critical to safe food! The refrigerator temperature needs to be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep food safe. Make room for holiday food; it is a great time to check expiration dates on items in the refrigerator. Discard any item that has passed its use by date. 

Tip!     Don’t forget to check your refrigerator’s temperature! You ideally want your refrigerator at 35° F (1.6 ° C) and your freezer to be at 0 ° F (-18° C).

Tip!     The extra opening and closing the refrigerator doors during the holidays may cause buildup of debris and clogged the filter pores, which can lead to off taste in ice-water and cubes and odors in the cooling compartment. Replace the dirty water filter and air filters now before the holidays!

Tip!     Keep you refrigerator at least three to four inches away from the wall to give it enough breathing room to perform properly. 

Microwave

Clean inside the microwave including the inner vent grills to allow for free airflow this joyful season.

Tip!     To remove stubborn food, boil a cup of water or white vinegar in the microwave to loosen the food particles, which you can then easily wipe off with a sponge.

Garbage disposal

To keep your garbage disposal merry and bright, check your garbage disposal now to see if it functions correctly, remember an unused garbage disposal can rust and seize up, which can lead to leaks and mechanical issues.

Clean the garage disposal before the holiday’s- begin by plugging your sink with a stopper, then fill your sink up with 2 to 4 inches of hot water along with disposal cleaner. Turn off the power to the garbage disposal, flush it with hot water. If there is sludge or bigger pieces of debris, then using crushed ice cubes and mixture of vinegar. Just turn on the garbage disposal, run cold water and allow the ice and vinegar to be crushed by the blades.

Tip!     If your disposal is over seven years old, it might be time to replace it.

Tip!     On turkey day, do not pour liquid fat or grease down the disposal.  It can dry in the drain line, and cause your disposal to clog up.

During the holidays be prepared ahead of time for an unthinkable item such as a utensil or debris falling down the drain of the garbage disposal and get lodged. Contact our helpful garbage disposal repair professional to safely remove items, and get your garbage disposal up and running again.

The last thing you want is for your appliances to break during this time of year! But, if your kitchen appliances or laundry appliance break down this holiday season, don’t fret! Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service offers appliance repair for most major brand home appliances.

Managing mold mildew and guarding against decay fungi

When your home is invaded by fungus there are steps you can take to help manage and protect your home. Managing mold, mildew, and guarding against decay fungi. The most important thing to do is once mold, mildew, and decay fungi is noticed is to find the source where the water is coming from.

Peeling and blistering paint is often a signal of inadequate interior ventilation, or missing a vapor barrior.

Mold and mildew

Mold can grow on any organic material such as cloth carpet, leather, wood, wallboard, houshold dust, and more. Mold needs a surface moisture content of about 20% to get started, if you add air and 90% relative humidity and any temperature above 40-100 F degrees then presto you have conditions for mold to survive. Simply by improving the circulation of air can help prevent mold and mildew in indoor spaces. Sometimes you can simply use mild soap and water to wash mildew and mold clean. After cleaning treat the affected area with a preventative mold control solution such as Concrobium Mold Control. Mold is an area to be concerned with in a home. Protect your family and have it tested to make sure it is not Black toxic mold to keep your home safe. If your home has mold, contact a mold remediation company for precaution measures. Mold and mildew can be found on North-facing walls and exterior walls shaded by foundation plantings or trees. Musty odors can be found in mold, mildew, and decay fungi “wood-rot”.

Learn more about Mold and Mildew. Visit: https://www.epa.gov/mold

Seasonal wood rot

When wood rots it can be a breeding ground for fungus and pest. Ants and termites are attracted to wet and decaying wood because it is soft and weak. Borates can be a nifty solution to keep the pest away.

Wet rot

The most common wet rot is called Cellar Fungus (Coniophora Puteana). Any timber exposed to moisture can provide an ideal breeding ground for wet rot spores. Wet rot can occur for a number of reasons. When wood is exposed in excess of 30% moisture for an extended time, wet rot can develop. The cause may be due from broken or clogged gutters, leaking down spouts, leaking plumbing pipes or faulty HVAC drain lines, or wicking due to moisture absorbing from the ground in to the wood. As the wet wood allows the wet rot to grow and thrive. The fungus germinates and spreads, it destroys the integrity of wood. This fungus generally appears moist to the touch, dark in color, and sometimes has white growths surrounding the decaying area.

Soft rot

Soft rot fungi are typically found in wet wood showing the first signs of decay. Wood infected with soft rot can become quite soft and spongy. Other than the softness of the wood and perhaps discoloration of the surface, there may be no apparent signs of a soft rot infestation.

Dry rot

Dry rot thrives in summer months and may cause immense damage. The cause may be due from gutters, damaged down-pipes, leaking plumbing pipes or rain water coming off the roof, or chronic condensation. The most common areas the dry rot can be found around the home are under sub floors, under roofs, and sometimes on skirting boards. The decayed wood has a dark or browner crumbly appearance, with cubical cracking or checking. The wood becomes brittle when handled and can crumble into powder. To help resolve this rot is to improve ventilation in the area. Dry rot fungus resembles much like plant like fungus growing on surfaces. Brown rot is another form dry rot this decay stops when the moisture is below 20%. Brown rots consume cellulose, hardly touching the darker lignin. When you consider the reproductive power of fungi on a square foot of dry rot fungus fruity body can produce five million spores per minute over a period of many days. These microscopic dust-like particles are shed in clouds from the parent and can float in air over long distances. Since there is every likelyhood that spores of wood rotting fungi will be present where ever wood is used.

 

Guarding against decay fungi – Wood rot treatment

Remove and replace the effected wood rot. Clean up the affected area to remove debris, and contaminates. Treat wood surfaces with a wood preservative and borate solution such as Boracare, or Timbor to prolong the life.

Learn more about wood decay in houses.

Visit: https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/12758/PDF

Don’t just treat the mildew, mold or decay problem. You need to eliminate the cause! Many problems can be avoided by simply keeping the wood dry, weather sealed and preserved through routine maintenance.

 If you believe you’ve found wood rot damage or have inspection repairs with in your home or just want some peace of mind, call a trusted handyman for your repairs. 

If your home needs siding repairs, take action now and schedule Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service to fix up your home!