“Daddy — I Think I Found the Appliance Problem”
Little Anthony (aka ANT-Nee) does a little pre-diagnosis work for Daddy (Adam). Adam is a tech and supervisor, and my step son. I guess we have the next generation ready to go!
If you want, you can request Anthony for your service call. . . about 2027!
Anthony Behind the Frig
Leaking ???? Not Likely
One common call we get for either Air Condtioning or refrigerators starts out “My Air Conditioner (My refrigerator) is low on gas or low on Freon”.
Just “adding some gas” to either an Air Conditioning system or a refrigerator, without any further action is just plain wrong. It is also not that common. You must first understand that either of these cooling systems, when properly manufactured or installed, CANNOT LEAK, by design. All of the tubing, coils, and compressor, are connected by brazing, or welding, them together, basically giving you an all metal closed system, with no mechanical connectors.
If you truly have a leak in a refrigerator system, the leak must be found, the leaking part replaced, the system brazed or welded back together, and then recharged with the appropriate refrigerant gas. There are several methods to locate leaks, all involving sophisticated equipment and a high level of technical knowledge.
If you are told that your Air Conditioning refrigeration has leaked and must be “topped off” or recharged, this is only a starting point. When a leak location is not readily evident, it may be necessary to charge the system to the optimum level, keeping an exact record of when and how much refrigerant gas was added. This will give the servicer a base line to work with when the leak brings the Air Conditioning to a non-working state again. If it takes a year or two to rear its ugly head, it is a very small leak and may take considerable time to locate the leak for repair. On the other hand, if it only takes a few months (or less) to repeat the problem, the leak should be able to be located and repaired, to permanently reseal the system.
My point here is that you should be wary if ever told that a complete repair is simply to “Top off the gas”, or “add a little Freon”. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions: pchvac@msn.com
Maytag Refrigerator Recall
There has been a fair amount of publicity on the Maytag refrigerator recall. Just in case, though, if you purchased a Maytag side by side or top mount freezer refrigerator between 2001 and 2004, you should call or email us with the model and serial number, which can ususally be found in the fresh food compartment on the side wall, or on the ceiling. The recall effects 1.6 million refrigerators, of which about 40 fires have been reported. The recall repair will replace the start component for the compressor. There is no charge for this service. Please call or email us at peopleschoiceservices@hotmail.com with any questions.
Recycling, dumping, disposing of appliances in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria
How to dump old appliances:
We often get phone calls asking about dumping, recycling, or disposing of refrigerators, washers, dryers, and other appliances. My first recommendation is to purchase your new appliance through a dealer that will pick up your old one. That is simply because removal is not an easy task.
With that said, most of the trash companies will pick up your old appliance curbside. After calling around, I found the charges to be between $25 and $45, depending on your trash company and your location. Some of them simply refer you to the landfills: Cold Canyon in San Luis Obispo 549-8332; Chicago Grade outside Atascadero 466-2985; Santa Maria 925-0951; Nipomo 922-9255.
Cold Canyon is $9, and I imagine the others are similar, just call first. If you are close enough, Heilmann Salvage 466-4893, is the least expensive at $5.
It is a shame that some appliances could be repaired and re-sold by used appliance dealers, however, the cost of transporting prohibits them from being able to pick-up or use your old individual appliance. They source their stock through the selling dealers, usually by picking them up in bulk from the dealer, helping to lower the expense to the selling dealer, of dumping used appliances.
For Heating and air conditioning, the units we pull out are hand stripped by us and loaded on a trailer. When it’s full, we make a trip to the salvage dealer. We feel this is a great contribution to the environment, by recycling the metals.
If you have any further questions about dumping or recycling your old appliances, heating, or air conditioning, please email me at pchvac@msn.com, or peopleschoiceservices@hotmail.com.
Happy Cinco De Mayo
What a day to celebrate. My son-in-law, Frank just launched our new website. I am going to be trying to update weekly (or so), and keep everyone up to date with the latest in Appliances, Heating & Air, and near and dear to us all. . .stuff I see, hear about, or experience all over the Central Coast, including, Santa Maria, San Luis Obisp, Paso Robles, and everywhere in between. Talk to you soon.
10 Tips: Reduce your heating bill – 10 Tips
10 Tips: Reduce your heating bill – 10 Tips.
This might be helpful in this economy.
Buying Guides & Checklists
Use this handy guide to help make a better choice when buying your next appliance…
Whirlpool Appliances
We provide warranty service for this brand, as well as warranty service on all the Whirlpool family of products: Jennair, Maytag, Kitchenaid, Amana, and Magic Chef.