Appliance repair service Lancaster CA

Before replacing an appliance, it's worth a service call to find out exactly what's wrong. Many times people will buy a new washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, oven, range or other appliance without even checking out what it would take to fix the one they have. They assume it's going to cost too much when sometimes it's a quick, minor, inexpensive repair. Unfortunately, there are many companies out there that only care about how much money they can get you to spend, no matter how small your repair might be. So how do you find an honest company? Here's some guidelines to follow that will help you find an appliance repair service, in your community, you can trust.

Try to get a referral from a friend or co-worker
The very best way to find a good company is by "Referral". When someone you know recommends an appliance repair service they were completely happy with, your search could be over. Ask them about the service, the cost, their professionalism and if they truly believe this was an honest business. Just be sure you trust this person's opinion.

Check for license and insurance
The company should have a state license and liability insurance. It should say "Licensed & Insured" in their phone book ad and also on their website. Check to make sure their license & insurance is current.

Check how long the company has been in business
See how long they have been in business at the same location and under the same name. A company with a long local history is a better bet than a recent startup with no history in the area. Beware of businesses that advertise with local phone numbers but are actually based in a city that is not local at all.

Beware of companies who spend a lot of money on advertising
A company that takes out full-page ads in the phone books and have expensive websites on the internet are paying out a lot of money in advertising costs. How do you suppose they get the money to pay for all that? Usually in higher fees they charge the customer. Check out the businesses with smaller phone book ads and the ones who build their own websites. They save money on their overhead costs which means they can charge their customers less than their competitors.

Look for customer reviews
Make sure the companies you're checking out are listed in the major business internet directories. (yellowpages.com, superpages.com, google places, yahoo local, yellowbook.com, etc...) These directories allow customers to write a review about their experience with any business listed. You can learn a lot about a company from these reviews.

Big company vs small family owned business
Weigh the benefits of the personal attention you will receive from a small family owned business vs the unknown technician a larger company will send. A local person has a reputation to uphold. A representative of a large national chain however, may or may not be concerned about giving you the best deals or service. A good rule of thumb when comparing service companies is: "The bigger the business usually means The bigger the price".

Ask to speak to the technician they are sending
It's perfectly ok to ask the name of the technician that will be servicing your appliance and to ask to speak to him/her. You should ask them how long they've been repairing appliances and if they will talk to you about your problem over the phone. If they are honest, they will discuss your problem with you. If you explain the symptoms you are experiencing, they should be able to give you some possibilities of what type of repairs you may need. If they won't talk to you about it, that's a red flag and you should move on.

Ask a specific question
For example, "Hello, I have a 1998 Kenmore top-load washing machine. It will not agitate or spin but it still drains. If all I needed was a motor coupling, which is part #285753A, how much would that repair cost me? I understand that you may find other things wrong and that the estimate you give me over the phone could change, but all I'm asking is how much would it cost me if all you had to do was replace the motor coupling"? If they won't answer the question, that's a red flag and you should move on.

Once you find a trustworthy appliance repair company, you should reward their honesty by writing them a nice customer review on one of the major internet directories like "Google Places". You should also send an e-mail to everyone you know in your area. You could post the good news on a local blog site.. Get the word out so others can avoid the possibility of getting ripped-off by one of the dishonest companies.

For most of us, the washing machine is one of our most important appliances. Some of the new machines today can be quite expensive. To avoid un-necessary repairs and prolong the life of your machine, I suggest you follow these Five Important Washing Machine Tips!

1. Empty everything out of your clothes pockets
Before loading your washing machine, it is very important to check all the clothes pockets. Leaving items like coins, nails, screws, pens, etc., in your pockets, can damage your clothes and your machine. It is not uncommon for drain pumps to fail prematurely because of a foreign object getting stuck in the impeller. A forgotten fountain pen can destroy your favorite shirt.

2. Never overload your washing machine
This is the best piece of advice I can give you concerning your washing machine. Just because your brand new washer has a large tub doesn't mean you should fill it to the rim with clothes! Heavy loads put a strain on all the moving parts of your machine and will cause it to break down sooner than if you were to do medium size loads. Most people try to get their laundry done as soon as possible but if you want your machine to last, with fewer repairs, follow this important tip!

3. Make sure your load is well-balanced
When loading your machine, make sure the load is evenly distributed around the tub. An off-balance load will make the tub bang against the sides and cause unnecessary damage. Sometimes, through no fault of your own, a load can become off-balance during the agitation cycle. If this happens, you'll hear the loud banging sound your machine will make during the spin cycle. As soon as you hear this, shut your machine off, or lift the lid, and re-balance your load.

4. Make Sure your machine is sitting level & flat to the ground
Sometimes, especially after an off-balance load, your machine may become un-level and not flat to the ground. If you leave it that way, it will shake and walk like an egyptian. The best way to check this is grab the left-rear and right-front of the machine and see if you can rock it back and forth. If you can, then you need to adjust either the left-rear leg or the right-front leg so that it is flat to the ground again. Do the same procedure using the right-rear and left-front. Adjust whichever leg leaves the machine the most level.

5. Never start your machine and leave the house or go to bed.
It is very convenient to start a load of laundry before leaving the house or going to bed but what if the machine never stopped filling? Believe it or not, this happens more than you would think! A faulty inlet valve or water level switch can cause a washing machine to keep filling until someone notices the water leak on the floor and turns it off. If no one is around to notice, the damage to your house can be overwhelming!

1. Rinse most or ALL the food off your dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher. Use warm water only, NO SOAP, when rinsing. Even though you think you've rinsed all the soap off, you haven't! This will cause a sudsing effect in your dishwasher and leave a film on your dishes. If you leave food on your dishes, that food usually ends up clogging the pump, spray arms and drain lines. Then you'll need to call me for a repair!!

2. Do not overload the dishwasher! Leave some room so that water from the spray arms can get to all the dishes.

3. Do not put large & tall items in dishwasher. Wash these items in the sink by hand. (The Old- Fashioned Way). Large items like pots, pans and skillets block the water. Tall items like cookie sheets can block the spray arms from turning.

4. If your machine has a pop-up tower connected to the lower spray arm, be sure not to cover the opening in the center of the lower rack. This has to be clear so the tower can pop up and clean the top rack. If you have a dish covering this area or even leaning over it, the top rack will not get cleaned properly.

5. Do not use too much dishwasher detergent. More is NOT better! I suggest filling the first cup (which goes into the tub immediately) completely full. The second cup is not necessary but if you want to put detergent in that one also, only fill it half way. I prefer using the Electrosol tablets. However, don't put the tablet in the soap cup like it says on the box. Put the tablet on the bottom of the dishwasher under the lower rack. This gives the dishwasher more time to rinse out all the soap before the end of the cycle.

6. VERY VERY IMPORTANT!! When you are ready to start your machine, first turn on the HOT water at the sink and wait till it gets as hot as it's going to get. Then turn the water off and start your dishwasher. This puts hot water into the machine from the start. If you don't do this the tub could fill up with cold water.(Because it's usually a long way from the Hot Water Heater to the kitchen) Cold water will not disolve the soap or clean the dishes properly.

7. Finally, Clean your dishwasher once a month! I recommend that you use white vinegar or a product like Lemishine which breaks down the hard water deposits that build up in your dishwasher.

If you follow these 7 important Tips I've explained to you, I'm sure you'll be happier with how your dishes come out and you won't need to call for repairs as much!

-Bob (The Appliance Guy)

It is very common for a clothes dryer to build up lint inside and eventually catch fire. Most of the time the lint burns out and you're left with a burning smell in your laundry room and sometimes damage to your dryer. There's always a chance that the flames will spread and catch your house on fire! It happens. I've seen the results. When I'm called out to repair or service a dryer, I always clean out the lint from inside. I carry a shop vac on my truck. Most people think that if they clean their lint screen faithfully, they should be ok. Not True! Lint always gets passed the lint screen and builds up inside the dryer. Most dryers today are not easily accessible for the homeowner to clean out.

My suggestion to you is: Whenever you have an appliance technician out for a repair, ask him to clean out whatever lint there is while he's there. If he's already there on another job, it shouldn't cost that much more to clean out your dryer lint. If he's working on your dryer for any reason, he should always clean out the lint. A few extra minutes of work could save your house, your belongings, and maybe your life. Clogged vent lines will make the lint in your dryer build up even faster. Make sure your vent lines are clear and your vent hose (the one connected to the back of the dryer) is in good shape, not too long, and not kinked or crushed. If you have the old white vinyl or plastic vent hose, Replace It Now!! It's a fire hazard and has been out-lawed. If your vent line(from the wall to the outside flap) is too long for you to clean out, you might need a professional to do it. And remember, if it's been a few years since anyone has opened your dryer, you might want to call and have it serviced and insist that the technician brings a shop vac to clean out the lint.

I have opened up many dryers to find that the lint did indeed catch fire but fortunately didn't spread to the walls. But what if it had? IT COULD! And IT Does!! When was the last time anyone cleaned out YOUR DRYER?

-Bob Meadows (The Appliance Guy)