Home-Tech Offers Tips to Keep Your Holidays Happy and Stress-free

Fort Myers, FL, December 19, 2009 --(PR.com)-- ‘Tis the season to overwork your appliances. During the holidays, most homeowners use their microwaves, ovens, garbage disposals and other appliances more than any other time during the year. So it’s no surprise that more homeowners experience microwave meltdowns and disposal drudgery during this time, too.

“Many homeowners don’t check or try to clean their appliances until days before they plan to bake a big family meal or a few double-batches of Christmas cookies,” says Pam Marino, Assistant Service Manager for Home-Tech. “It’s big mistake to wait until the week you plan to prepare a family feast because if there is a problem requiring parts, we may have trouble getting them in time.”

As Southwest Florida’s leader in air conditioning service and installation, major appliance sales and service, home-service agreements, Home-Tech receives more calls for help during the holidays than any other time during the year. To help homeowners have a happier and less stressful holiday, they offer the following tips:

Ovens

Turn your oven on to make sure it’s working at least two weeks before your big cooking day.

Instead of cleaning your oven before you do your holiday cooking, clean it immediately after. “Ovens can sometimes get stuck or have problems when they are in cleaning mode,” Marino says. “Cleaning your oven after cooking big meals will prevent pre-baking panic, and it also means your oven will be cleaner longer.”

Garbage disposals

Always use cold water when running your garbage disposal, and keep it running 20 seconds after grinding has finished. Marino says it helps solidify grease so it doesn’t clog later.

Never put liquid fat down the disposal; put it in a jar in the trash instead.
Do not put large bones down your disposal. Small bones are okay, and may actually help keep the blades in your grinding chamber sharp.

Several times per year, and especially during the holidays, Marino puts ice or cut lemons in her disposal. “It helps sharpen the blades and makes it smell fresh, too,” she says.

Thermostats

More and more thermostats are battery-powered. So, if your air conditioner konks out and turning the breaker switch off and on doesn’t work, try changing the batteries.

Refrigerators

Fridges and freezers tend to be fuller this time of year – whether it be with ingredients or left overs from your feast. If you’ve just put away a larger than normal load, don’t panic if your refrigerator doesn’t feel as cold as normal. It may take up to 24 hours for the temperature to stabilize.

Dusting off the coil under your refrigerator will help keep it running well. Use a soft broom or brush. In common refrigerators with freezers on the top, the coil is often covered with a plastic guard at the bottom, underneath the door.

“Of course, we’re here to help if customers need us,” Marino says. “Fixing appliance problems and keeping them running is what we do best.”

About Home-Tech
Based in Fort Myers, employee-owned Home-Tech has been an industry leader and trendsetter in the fields of air conditioning service and installation, major appliance sales and service, home-service agreements for nearly three decades. Founded in 1981 by Steve Marino, who continues as President and Chairman of the Board, the privately held Home-Tech employs over 110 people and provides services in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Sarasota and Manatee counties in Southwest Florida. Home-Tech operates from two principal locations. Its headquarters, tech training facility and appliance showroom are located at 6400 Techster Boulevard in Fort Myers and a second office at 720 Commerce Drive in Venice which services Manatee and Sarasota counties. For more information about Home-Tech, visit www.Home-Tech.com or call (239) 433-3344.

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