6 Refrigerator Hacks That Can Save You Money

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Your refrigerator is the only appliance in your home that runs around-the-clock, so it’s not surprising that it can account for a significant portion of your home’s electricity consumption. Use these six hacks to help keep your energy bill low.

Vacuum the coils. The condenser coils are located on the back of your appliance and can accumulate a thick coating of dust over time. Vacuum these every six months so they can effectively release heat from your refrigerator.

Minimize door opening. Every time you open your refrigerator door, as much as 40% of the cold air can escape. Instead of going to the fridge several times over the course of a meal, take out everything you need in one trip, and avoid keeping the door open for long periods of time.

Keep out the heat. You probably do it without realizing, but putting hot food straight into the refrigerator can warm up the entire interior, causing your compressor to work harder. Try letting the food cool off for twenty minutes on the counter first.

Test the seal. If your door seal has a leak in it, your refrigerator could be losing cold air 24/7. Test the strength of your seal by closing the refrigerator door on a dollar bill. If you can easily slide the bill up and down or remove it, you should replace the gasket.

Keep it full. A refrigerator that is full of food has a greater thermal mass than an empty refrigerator, which means it will retain its temperature better when the door is opened. Keep your fridge well-stocked, but not too full – this can block air circulation and lead to warm spots.

Give it space. As your refrigerator cools off on the inside, it must release heat to the outside. Make sure to give your appliance at least three inches of space on all sides (including the back and the top) to allow for proper ventilation.

Have you noticed a spike in your electricity bill, despite your best efforts to conserve energy? A malfunction in your refrigerator may be to blame! If your fridge is making loud noises or constantly cycling on and off, contact the professionals at Speedy Refrigerator Service. We guarantee one-hour service to Long Island and New York City; so give us a call anytime at 866-782-9376.

What To Do When You Run Out of Room in Your Refrigerator

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We’ve all been there – you come home from the grocery store, and as you go to put the milk away in the refrigerator, you quickly discover that there is nowhere to put it. If you frequently find yourself running out of room in the fridge, here are a few things you can try.

Conduct a Cleanout

There is a good possibility that valuable space is currently being taken up by foods which are spoiled or simply unused. Take all of the food out of your refrigerator and sort through every item one-by-one, throwing away everything that has already expired or will expire before you get a chance to eat it. Doing this should help you clear up some space.

Rearrange the Shelves

Most refrigerators come with adjustable shelves so you can organize them to better suit your storage needs. Taking a few minutes to tinker with their arrangement can help you maximize your vertical space and fit oversized and oddly-shaped items which you may not have thought possible.

Rethink Your Organization

There are some tips and tricks you can use to help you make the most out of the room in your refrigerator. For example, use square-shaped containers instead of circular ones because the round edges result in lost space. Click here for eight organization hacks you can try yourself.

If your refrigerator is warm, leaking, or making loud noises, help is just a phone call away with Speedy Refrigerator Service. We fix all makes and models of refrigerators, ice makers, wine coolers, and freezers, and guarantee one-hour service to all of Long Island and New York City. Call us any time to schedule your same-day appointment at 866-782-9376.

Should You Repair or Replace Your Broken Refrigerator?

Refrigerator Repair, , , , ,

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All good things must come to an end – including your refrigerator. If yours is hissing, clunking, leaking, or constantly cycling on and off, you are left with a choice: do you repair it, or buy a new one altogether?

Unfortunately, there is no cut-and-dry answer. What is best for you depends on a variety of factors, such as the appliance’s age and the type of repair needed. If you are having trouble making the decision, use these guidelines laid out by Consumer Reports.

Use the 50% Rule

This rule is simple – if the cost of repair is less than half of the cost of a new model, then have it fixed. Likewise, if it costs more than 50% to have it repaired, then break out your checkbook and head to the appliance store.

To Ice, Or Not To Ice?

If your refrigerator has a built-in icemaker, you could be setting yourself up for future repairs. A side-by-side refrigerator with an icemaker is more than twice as likely to break down as top- or bottom-freezer models without one. An icemaker is an added convenience, but the need for constant repairs is not.

Consider the Configuration

The style of your refrigerator can impact your decision, according to Consumer Reports. Here is what they recommend doing, based on the type of refrigerator you have:

  • Built-in refrigerators should be repaired unless they are completely unsalvageable.

  • Side-by-side refrigerators should be repaired if they are less than five years old. After that, you should probably get a new one.

  • Bottom-freezer refrigerators have a repair window of 7 years. After that, you should consider replacement.

  • Top-freezer refrigerators should always be repaired within 3 years of purchase and replaced after 7 years. If it is somewhere in between, use the 50% rule.

If you are looking for a refrigerator repair service in New York, look no further than Speedy Refrigerator Service. We have over 50 years of experience and can fix any make or model of refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, or wine cooler. We guarantee one-hour service to Long Island and New York City, so call us any time at 866-782-9376.

5 Best Refrigerator Features You Didn’t Know About

Refrigerator Repair, Uncategorized, , , ,
Most new refrigerators last well over a decade, so it isn’t very often
that we find ourselves shopping for a new one. If you are in the appliance store for the first time since the iPod was released,
you may feel like you are in a scene from Back to the Future with
all of the hi-tech features available.
Here
are five of the coolest features you probably didn’t know existed, as
reported by Reviewed.com.
Automatic Water
Dispensing
Long
gone are the days when a water dispenser was the coolest thing (no
pun intended) available on a refrigerator. Now, certain models offer automatic water dispensing – using high-tech sensors, the
refrigerator can automatically detect the size of your cup and fill it to the top
without spilling.
Convertible
Fridge/Freezer
If you
have constantly-changing food storage needs, you want a refrigerator
that can adapt. Enter Samsung’s newest four-door French door
refrigerator model, which allows you to change the temperature of one
of the freezer compartments to freezer, soft
freezing, chill, or cool.
Blast Chiller
Have
you ever went to grab a cold can of your favorite carbonated beverage,
only to realize that you forgot to restock the fridge? No one likes a warm
soda (or beer), but no one likes waiting for their drink to get cold
either. With the new “Blast Chiller” feature, you
can have the best of both worlds. This can-sized compartment is located in the
fresh food section and can chill a 12 oz can in under five minutes.
Built-In Keurig
Okay,
even we were impressed with this one – your fridge can now be your
coffee maker too! The new Cafe line of refrigerators from General
Electric can brew your favorite K-Cup, with three different sizing
options, just like the standalone Keurig machine. And since your
refrigerator has its own water line, you will never need to refill
the tank!
Temperature-Controlled
Zones
Some
foods are best stored at different temperatures. For example, raw
meat should be as close to 32° as possible, while cheese should be
kept closer to about 37°. Some manufacturers recognize this and
now offer the option to set different areas of your fridge to different temperatures.
No
matter how technologically advanced these refrigerators become, the
experts at Speedy Refrigerator Service will always know how to fix
them. Any make, any model, any time — we guarantee one-hour service to
Long Island and New York City, so give us a call at 866-782-9376.

Best Refrigerator Brands

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As humans, we always want the best – it’s in our DNA. You don’t go
into a restaurant and ask what the worst item on the menu is, or ask
your barber for the worst haircut that money can buy. It’s the same thing
with your home appliances; you want something good that will last.
That’s
why Consumer Reports exists – to help you, the buyer, get the best
product for your money. For over 75 years, Consumer Reports has
performed extensive in-house testing and research on the world’s most popular
brands and products in order to separate the good from the bad.
Here
are the best refrigerator brands, as determined by them.
  • Top Freezer models.
    These are the traditional
    refrigerators, with the freezer located atop the fresh food
    compartment. They are also the cheapest. Consumer Reports states
    that there are many good models in this category, but the most
    consistent brands are Frigidaire,
    Haier, LG,
    and Kenmore. They
    recommend avoiding Amana, GE, Maytag, and Whirlpool.
  • Bottom Freezer
    models.     The bottom-freezer refrigerator segment has experienced large growth recently, thanks to the rising
    popularity of French-door and four-door models. Consumer Report’s best bottom
    freezer brands include Amana,
    Kenmore, KitchenAid,
    LG, Maytag,
    Samsung, and
    Whirlpool. They also
    recommend staying away from Electrolux and Frigidaire, which was a
    recommended brand in the top freezer category.
  • Side by Side models.
    The market for side-by-side
    refrigerators may be shrinking, but you can still get a high-quality
    model if you stick with Frigidaire,
    LG, Maytag,
    and Samsung.
    Consumer Reports warns that Amana, Electrolux, GE, Kenmore, and
    Whirlpool tend to be less consistent, and says to avoid KitchenAid
    at all costs.
No
matter what brand you purchase, there is no guarantee that it won’t
break down eventually. When that time comes, the repair experts at
Speedy Refrigerator Service are just a phone call away. No matter the
brand, no matter the model, no matter the configuration – we can
fix it! We serve all of Long Island and New York City, call us to
schedule your same-day repair at 866-782-9376.