Maintenance

Whether you enjoy entertaining in the backyard or have older children and don’t want them traipsing in and out of your kitchen all day, having a refrigerator in your garage can be a great idea. A garage refrigerator can be a great place to store sodas for the kids, food for the grill or even items you can’t fit in your kitchen refrigerator. Unfortunately, when the summer weather arrives, your garage can become very hot and humid, which can create problems for your refrigerator. When your garage isn’t climate controlled, there is a great deal of stress on your refrigerator during a sweltering summer, but there are some things you can do to keep your refrigerator running. Keep it Charged While a kitchen is specifically designed for home appliances, this may not be the case with your garage. If your garage isn’t equipped with the correct electrical hookup, there is a risk your refrigerator will not receive enough power. This will result in further stress on the appliance as it tries to produce cold air in a hot environment. Your refrigerator should be supplied with a 60Hz, AC only, 115 volt electrical outlet. If you are unsure if your garage is equipped with the proper electrical wiring, you should consult a professional electrician. Keep it Filled Although it may seem strange, a full refrigerator works better. Cold air can escape faster from an empty refrigerator, so an appliance in a hot garage needs to work harder in addition to fighting

Maintaining Your Major AppliancesHere are some tips to maintaining, cleaning, and inspecting your washing machine and clothes dryer. You can save time and money by following this advice, and avoid breakdowns, or hazardous situations.Washing Machine It's a good idea to periodically check and replace the fill hoses on your washing machine. If you have rubber hoses, you should consider replacing them with braided stainless steel hoses. It is recommended that you replace your washer hoses every 3-5 years. While you are back there, take a look at the electrical connection. The plug needs to be firmly in place, the cord connection to the washer should have a restraint, and should not evidence any corrosion or burn marks. Also, you should periodically clean the inside of your outer washer tub. Whirlpool makes a cleaner called Affresh for this purpose. There are also a variety of home remedies including using combinations of bleach, vinegar, and/or baking soda. You can discover these cleaning remedies online, or just look on the aisles of your grocery store for washer cleaning products. If you have a front loading washer, pay special attention to cleaning the front gasket, especially at the bottom where it's possible for moisture to settle and mold to grow.Automatic DryerMake a habit of cleaning the lint filter in your dryer once a week. It's also very important to regularly clean the dryer vent. If you're lucky you'll have a short direct vent pipe to the outside that you can clean with a vacuum