organized fridge

How to Make More Room in Your Fridge

With more households switching over to a cleaner diet consisting of more fresh foods, the pantry is getting less crowded and the fridge is getting full. Using every inch of space available is key to achieving an organized refrigerator. The tips below will get things in order and help make more room.

Organize Items

To maximize space, organizing items in the fridge is key. Plastic storage bins are great because you can see through them in order to find the items you are looking for. They can be organized by food groups, or even lunch and dinner weekly meal plans. This makes packing lunches early in the morning or cooking quick meals on busy weeknights much more efficient.

Baskets can also be used to organize items, and they can be extra useful if they have handles so the baskets can be easily removed from the refrigerator for meal preparations. Plastic dividers placed in vegetable bins can maximize space by keeping items separated and neat.

Utilize Underused Space

Storing food on shelves or in bins is obvious, but you can also make use of underused space underneath those places. If your refrigerator has wire shelves, clip bagged items to the bottom of the shelf with binder clips or chip bag clips.

Under-shelf drawers are another great space-saving solution. These easily slide onto a plastic shelf, creating several more inches of useful space for storing items. An egg carton is another useful tool that can double as a condiment rack in the fridge door, keeping those bottles organized and eliminating clutter.

Seek Out a Professional

Calling a professional to service your refrigerator isn’t for just when you need a repair done. They can also help you create solutions to storage problems and make your appliance run more efficiently. One way they can assist you with freeing up more space is by installing or connecting an in-door water and ice dispenser. This will eliminate the need for water bottles and ice trays, thus allowing space for other items.

The professionals at Speedy Refrigerator Service can assist you with any type of repair that is needed. They have been servicing refrigerators in Long Island for over 75 years and are highly qualified. Contact them for any of your freezer or refrigerator repair needs in the Long Island area.

holiday dinner

What to Include in the Perfect Holiday Dinner

The holidays are fast approaching, and with them the perennial question: What will be on the dinner table this year? The centerpiece of ham, turkey, or roast beef is easy enough to decide upon — but choosing the proper sides and accouterments can be tricky. Here are a few tantalizing ideas that are sure to brighten any festive table this holiday season. Best of all, the preparation for these dishes can be done in advance, so it’s important to be sure the refrigerator is in good working order.

Cauliflower is the New Potato

While spuds will never go out of fashion — particularly around the holidays — cauliflower is a delicious, low-carb substitute. Separate a head into florets, then store them in the crisper until it’s time to start cooking. Roast the florets with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, then toss them with pine nuts and minced herbs. Another option, particularly for those looking to “disguise” the cauliflower, would be to simply steam it, then mash with butter and cream.

Never Underestimate the Power of Relish

Versatile and eye-catching, relishes are a welcome addition to whatever meat is on the menu. For a turkey dinner, try a cranberry-orange relish in place of the usual canned sauce; for beef, a concoction of slow-cooked hot and sweet peppers works as a perfect complement. Mint, of course, is a natural partner for lamb, while a mustard-apple combination balances out the smokiness of ham. All of these can be made up to a week in advance.

Pies and Puddings

Rich eggnog custard, plum pudding, pumpkin pie — what would the holidays be without these seasonal favorites? This year, try branching out and preparing a pumpkin chiffon pie with amaretto-gingersnap crust, or make a chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel in place of the traditional cinnamon-raisin with whiskey sauce.

At Speedy Refrigerator Service, we understand the importance of keeping these works of art properly stored for optimum freshness. We service all makes and models of refrigerators and freezers in the Long Island area, and are available for same-day service 24 hours a day, seven days a week — including holidays. We also stock 99 percent of our parts on-premise, so we won’t be caught off-guard when it comes to getting your appliance back on track for that all-important celebration. So be sure to call Speedy Refrigerator Service for all your refrigerator repair needs, this holiday season and into the new year.

Why Your Fridge Looks Like It’s Sweating

A refrigerator that appears to be sweating could be a sign of trouble. Here are a few steps that you can take in order to determine the cause of the problem.

Interior Sweating Issues

Interior sweating can be caused by one of two problems. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended temperature setting. If the internal setting in your fridge is higher than the recommended setting, sweating can occur. Food that is constantly prone to higher temperatures will promote growth of mold. On the other hand, a temperature that is set too low can cause spoilage. The second problem can be a broken seal on the door. This type of trouble can be rectified by replacing the worn out seal. If you are unfamiliar with how to repair this problem, call a Long Island technician, like Speedy Refrigerator Service.

Exterior Sweating Issues

A refrigerator that is sweating on the outside is much more obvious than one that is sweaty on the inside only. The condensation from a faulty door seal could be allowing excess moisture to develop along the outside of the unit. Ignoring a sweaty fridge on the outside can cause water to collect around the unit and cause excess moisture to build along the floor. This will allow mold to grow in hidden crevices and bring damage to the surrounding floor. Replacement of the door seal should take care of the problem.

When to Call for Long Island Repair

Determining that you may have a faulty seal may not be the only problem that your refrigerator could have. Poor insulation or a faulty heater are other common problems that could be causing the sweating. These are problems that can be pinpointed right away by a trained professional in the refrigeration service industry.

A refrigerator is a huge investment and it needs to be properly maintained. By understanding the reasons of trouble, you will have a better chance of extending its life. Call our qualified technicians in Long Island and stop the damage before it is too late for repair.

Why You Should Repair Your Fridge Instead of Replace It

Your fridge is one of the most important appliances in your home. Without a working fridge, you are going to end up with a lot of rotten fruit in your house. While there are times where replacing your fridge may be the only option, it is usually better to just repair your fridge instead. Here are a few reasons why you should repair your fridge instead of replacing it.

It is better for the environment

We live in a world with limited resources. With a more minimalistic approach, we can cut down on our consumerism and waste. A fridge is a pretty big appliance to throw away that will take up a lot of space in a landfill. If you are able to repair your refrigerator instead of replacing it, it will be a great move that will help the environment.

You will save money

Replacing the broken parts of your fridge is usually always going to be cheaper than replacing your entire fridge. Our professionals have years of experience fixing refrigerators and can pinpoint issues with your budget in mind. If you are living on a budget or trying to save, it is almost always going to be more of a financial burden to replace your entire fridge.

Your fridge probably is still new enough to keep

The average lifespan for a fridge is 13 years. It is not reasonable to replace your entire fridge after only having owned it for a few short years. If you are replacing your fridge every time there is a small problem with it, you will be spending a few thousand dollars every few years. This is like spending a few hundred dollars a month on your fridge. Instead of just upgrading your fridge every time there is a problem with it, you can save a great deal of money by simply having a repair done to your fridge.

These are just a few of the reasons why you should repair your fridge instead of replacing it. Whether you are more concerned about the environment or your wallet, repairing your fridge can be a great option. Contact us today to learn how we can help with fridge repairs in Long Island.

Why is My Ice Maker Overflowing?

Why Is My Ice Maker Overflowing?

When your automated ice maker overflows, you’re going to get a big soggy mess in your kitchen. Unless you’re having a party, it’s pretty likely that all of that ice is going to be wasted – not to mention the unnecessary increase in your water bill. The good news is, if you’re in the Long Island area, you can call us at Speedy Refrigerator Service – we know freezer repair inside and out and can help you take care of your burden. So why is this happening in the first place? Well we won’t get too technical on you, but there are a few main reasons for an overflowing ice maker.

The ice maker in your refrigerator is easy to use, but the process behind it is a little more complicated. First, the ice maker receives the water through a small supply line from the house, taking the water through a fill valve that is controlled by a thermostat. The valve sends the water through a tube to the ice mold, then the water freezes, and the thermostat then turns off. In most models, a tiny heater warms the cubes enough to release the ice, at which point the ice is ejected into the bin, then the whole thing starts over. There are a few issues that could happen causing your ice maker to keep making ice until it overflows the tray, and we can spot them and fix them.

Water Supply from the House Line is Too Low

In the ice making process, the fill valve closes after supplying enough water to fill the ice mold. In most cases, the inlet valve requires a certain amount of pressure to function properly; when the pressure is too low, the valve may not register when it should turn off. If this happens, water will continue to leak into the ice maker, which will keep producing more ice than you can use.

Defective Valve

Similar to having low pressure, the valve itself can be defective. Have a professional check the water pressure; if it is not too low, the valve likely is not closing all the way or gets stuck in an open position. Luckily, the valve can is easily replaced.

Other Defective Parts, or Cleaning

Aside from the valve, the ice maker system has many of components (such as the thermostat, supply lines, even the ice mold) that can be giving you trouble. Sometimes a good system clean is all that is needed! We can take care of cleaning for you, and let you know if there are any other factors causing your ice attack.

Call us at Speedy Refrigerator Service in Long Island. We’re here to inspect and troubleshoot for you any day of the week, and we have the knowledge of freezer repair to spot the problem and know just how to address it.