Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Home Appliance Maintenance Tips

Anyone who owns a home appliance will agree the latest generation of appliances don’t last as long as older appliances. The life expectancy of a typical appliance depends to a great extent on the use it receives. Of the major appliances in a home, gas ranges have the longest life expectancy: 15 years. Dryers and refrigerators last about 13 years. Some of the appliances with the shortest lifespan are: compactors (6 years), dishwashers (9 years) and microwave ovens (9 years).


While the quality of your appliance and the intensity of use are factors that determine its lifespan, you can help increase the life expectancy of your home appliance with some simple maintenance listed below.


Refrigerator Maintenance
Condensers
Clean condenser coils regularly by gently brushing off buildup that may cause overheating.
Location
Locate refrigerators away from heat sources like your range, a radiator, or a sunny window. To prevent overheating and system failure, do not locate the refrigerator near anything that can restrict the airflow to the motor, coils and compressor. Also, do not place refrigerators on top of carpeting because most condensers are located under the refrigerator and carpeting retains heat, causing the compressor to overwork.
Seals
Regularly clean the seals in order to maintain proper temperature control and system.
Dedicated Outlet
To avoid burning out the compressor, always plug the refrigerator directly into the wall. If you absolutely need to run an extension cord, make sure a heavy duty, 3-pronged extensions cord. If unsure, consult the manufacturer specifications in the user guide.


Range and Oven Maintenance
Keep It Clean
Don't allow heavy grease buildup on the oven interior. Clean burner drip pans thoroughly to bring out the shine needed to properly radiate heat back. Carefully clean around gasket seals with a mild, nonabrasive cleaner. DO NOT use oven cleaners in self-cleaning ovens.


Dryer Maintenance
Lint Filter
Empty the lint filter after each and every use for efficient drying and fire prevention. Remove anything else that can impede good airflow. Do not forget to clean the back of the dryer where lint settles over time.
Vent
Vent your dryer to the outside, never vent it inside. Clean out exhaust vent system at least once a year to remove clogs or other obstructions that can impede good airflow. Never vent with plastic or vinyl.
Heat Sensitive Items
Do not place foam backed rugs, rubber/plastic shoes or other heat sensitive articles in dryers. Also, to prevent fires, do not place clothing or other items soiled with flammable substances like gasoline and alcohol. Check the pockets of clothes for crayons and other heat sensitive items that may ruin the other clothes.
Overloading
To save energy, do not overload the dryer and make sure items are not water logged. This may also lead to motor failure.


Washer Maintenance
Level
Make sure that the washing machine’s feet are level to prevent an imbalance in the machine that may cause loud noises and added wear and tear on the unit a whole.
Hoses
Rubber Hoses, over time, get worn out, brittle and leak. It is recommended that hoses be replaced every 5-7 years. Check drain hoses to make sure it’s not impeded from draining. Remove kinks and other stoppages. Improper draining may cause the pump to overheat and burn out.
Overloading
Overloading your washer with clothes adds pressure on the hoses which can cause them to burst. It also makes the washing machine work harder.
Belts
Check belts regularly to see if they need replacement. Worn or stretched belts will cause the washing machine to work harder.


Dishwasher Maintenance
Level
Make sure that the dishwasher’s feet are level to prevent an imbalance in the machine that may cause loud noises and added wear and tear on the unit a whole.
Cleaning
Regularly run a cup of white vinegar through a complete cleaning cycle of the empty dishwasher. This will gently clean residues, odors and debris from the unit.
Spray Arm
Clean the holes in the spray arm with a toothbrush and a mixture of white vinegar and warm water. Make sure you remove all debris and residues. Doing this regularly will remove the stress on the pumps and motor.
Filter
If your dishwasher has a filter underneath the lower spray arm, remove all debris and rinse to protect the pump and motor seals. Replace if it has holes. A dirty filter may cause the dishwasher to not drain.
Hoses
Check drain hoses to make sure it’s not impeded from draining. Remove kinks and other stoppages. Improper draining may cause the pump to overheat and burn out.


To sum it up – Keep it level and keep it clean and your appliance should serve you well.

If you find your kitchen or home appliance is in need of repair, CoreCentric Solutions provides remanufacturing services on electronic controls for all major brand appliances with our production facility and inventory located near Chicago, Illinois. Each of our remanufactured controls are fully analyzed and tested with quality equal to or better than any OEM part. Each control comes with a worry free 6 month performance guarantee.

If you do find your appliance is in need of repair our controls can be purchased online at http://stores.ebay.com/CoreCentric-Solutions-Store

If you have an older appliance and your repair calls for a discontinued control, don’t worry. CoreCentric Solutions offers a Return for Repair service where you send us your defective control; we inspect, analyze, repair and return the control back to you in no time. For more info about our repair service visit us at http://www.corecentricsolutions.com/CCSWeb.nsf/published/appliancepartsrepairservice


Friday, December 16, 2011

Remanufacturing and the Environment

Remanufacturing old unused parts can play a major role in assisting the environment. It helps conserve energy, reduces air pollution and helps keep unnecessary waste and harmful chemicals from entering our landfills and water.

Remanufacturing gives a product numerous lives instead of just one, saving costs on raw materials while conserving natural resources such as timber, water and minerals. By extending product life, remanufacturing saves 85 per cent of the energy that went into manufacturing the original product. With same quality as new products, remanufactured products can save 50 percent costs, 60 percent energy and 70 percent raw materials. Remanufacturing also creates jobs here in the US.


A Remanufactured good is a returned product that a manufacturer puts through its manufacturing process, or remanufactures, to restore to a good-as-new condition. When a part is remanufactured, it is disassembled, cleaned and examined for wear and breakage. Components are replaced and the part is restored to its original conditional. After the part is assembled it is goes through a full functional test and put on the market for consumers to purchase. A remanufactured part cost less and is equal or better than the OEM part.


CoreCentric Solutions is a leader in the remanufacture of electronic controls and electromechanical parts for major appliances, fitness equipment and HVAC products. Since 1995 we’ve been providing customized product and part lifecycle management along with remanufacturing solutions to some of the largest retailers and major appliance manufacturers in the world. For more information on how CoreCentric Solutions can help your business, visit our website http://www.corecentricsolutions.com/

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Easy No Bake Cookies

The holidays are here and if you find your oven is not working properly, there’s no need to go without those holiday treats. There are plenty of recipes that do not require the use of an oven.

Here’s an easy 5 minute non-bake recipe for anyone who loves homemade cookies. Anyone with certain food allergies such as wheat, eggs, nuts or soy can enjoy this recipe. You can use any flavor of INSTANT pudding such as pistachio, cheesecake or butterscotch. Since it’s the holidays add red, green and even blue food coloring. These cookies won’t last long so you may want to double the recipe.

Ingredients
 

   2 cups white sugar
   3/4 cup butter
   2/3 cup milk
   1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
   4 cups quick cooking oats
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
  1. Mix together the sugar, butter or margarine and the milk in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
  2. Turn off heat and add in the pudding, oats and vanilla. Mix well and let stand for 5 minutes.
  3. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.
  4. Place in fridge to harden quicker
If you find your kitchen or home appliance is in need of repair, CoreCentric Solutions provides remanufacturing services on electronic controls for all major brand appliances with our production facility and inventory located near Chicago, Illinois. Each of our remanufactured controls are fully analyzed and tested with quality equal to or better than any OEM part. Each control comes with a worry free 6 month performance guarantee.

If you do find your appliance is in need of repair our controls can be purchased online at http://stores.ebay.com/CoreCentric-Solutions-Store

If you have an older appliance and your repair calls for a discontinued control, don’t worry. CoreCentric Solutions offers a Return for Repair service where you send us your defective control; we inspect, analyze, repair and return the control back to you in no time. For more info about our repair service visit us at
http://www.corecentricsolutions.com/CCSWeb.nsf/published/appliancepartsrepairservice



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Turkey Frying Safety

Most turkey fryer fires are preventable. Knowing some of the dangers involved when frying a turkey this Thanksgiving will help reduce risk of fire or potentially fatal burns. Here are some tips to consider.
  • More than one-third of fires involving a fryer start in a garage or patio. Cook outdoors at a safe distance from any buildings or trees and keep the fryer off any wooden structures, such as a deck or patio.
      
  • Avoid a hot oil spill over by first filling the pot with cold oil and then lower the thawed turkey into the pot to determine how much oil should be either added or removed.
     
  • Shut off the fuel source or flame when adding the turkey to the hot oil to prevent a dangerous flare-up if oil does spill over the rim.
      
  • Make sure your turkey is properly thawed before lowering it slowly into the pot.
     
  • Never leave a hot turkey fryer unattended.
      
  • Do not use ice or water to cool down oil or extinguish an oil fire.
      
  • Keep an extinguisher approved for cooking or grease fire nearby.
      
To learn more watch William Shatner in "Eat, Fry, Love," a turkey fryer fire cautionary tale!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Donate Your Old Working Appliances

Please look into recycling your old appliances so they don’t end up in landfills where they can cause serious problems for the environment. If you’re replacing a working refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, air conditioner, washer, or dryer, parting with the old one could mean giving it away. There are many organizations that would love to take your old appliance off your hands if it still works. Here are some options to consider.

Habitat for Humanity has resale stores in every State. Each “ReStore” outlet provides an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of the waste stream. Each outlet accepts donated goods that they sell to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities.

Goodwill has been an entrepreneurial leader, environmental pioneer and social innovator of the “reduce, reuse, repurpose” practice for nearly 110 years. Goodwill diverts more than two billion pounds of clothing and household goods every year from landfills by recovering the value in people’s unwanted material goods. In the process, they create job-training opportunities as well as entry-level and skilled green-collar jobs for people in need of work.

Salvation Army uses donated goods to fund their Adult Rehabilitation Centers. These centers provide spiritual, social and emotional assistance for men and women who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves. Many of those who have been rehabilited are reunited with their families and resume a normal life.

So the next time you find yourself purchasing new appliances, remember that your donated goods have the power to make a difference in people’s lives, strengthen communities and create a healthier environment.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Holiday Kitchen Appliance Repair

With the holidays approaching quickly upon us, it’s not only a busy time for retailers but a busy time for appliance repair as well. The last thing anyone wants to find out is that their oven is not working properly on Thanksgiving Day. Take a preventative approach to avoid this stressful scenario and avoid a holiday cooking disaster by following a few helpful suggestions.

For those who have self-cleaning ovens, run the clean function at least 2 weeks before the holidays. Due to the very high temperature needed to incinerate residue inside the oven, your oven is most vulnerable at this time. The high heat associated with the self-cleaning function may actually damage components in your range. We do see damage to control boards due to excessive heat over time.

CoreCentric Solutions is here to help. We provide remanufacturing services on electronic controls for all major brand appliances with our production facility and inventory located near Chicago, Illinois. Let’s be realistic. We’re all on a budget and why pay sometimes twice as much for a new part when each of our remanufactured controls are fully analyzed and tested with quality equal to or better than any OEM part. Each control comes with a worry free 6 month performance guarantee

If you do find your appliance is in need of repair our parts can be purchased online at  http://stores.ebay.com/CoreCentric-Solutions-Store

If you have an older appliance and your repair calls for a discontinued control, don’t worry. CoreCentric Solutions offers a Return for Repair service where you send us your defective control; we inspect, analyze, repair and return the control back to you in no time. For more info about our repair service visit us at http://www.corecentricsolutions.com/CCSWeb.nsf/published/appliancepartsrepairservice

Monday, October 31, 2011

Appliance Parts that are “No Longer Available” are no longer acceptable

With CoreCentric Solutions Return For Repair service, there’s a new option for those NLA appliance controls. Just send the defective appliance control part directly to us. We will inspect, analyze, and remanufacture the part and ship it back, in just 48 hours!


We offer an extensive list of appliance control parts, fitness control parts and more; that are eligible for our Return for Repair Service. This solution avoids a costly product replacement and will keep the appliance operational for years to come.


For more information and to view a list of appliance control parts we repair go to http://www.corecentricsolutions.com/CCSWeb.nsf/published/appliancepartsrepairservice


If you're an appliance service technician, taking advantage of our Return for Repair service gives you the opportunity to complete more service calls; meaning more satisified customers, additional customer referrals and the financial value that comes with that.


It's a win-win for everyone.