Wednesday, June 18, 2008

BEFORE YOU CALL A TECH, DO THIS!

Check the obvious.

First start with the simple things like, is it plugged in? Is the water on? Is the switch turned on? Is the breaker or circuit kicked? Is the gas on? Is it a plumbing problem, electrical problem or an appliance problem?

Second check for things like are the doors on the appliances closed properly. This is a major set back on many appliances. When doors are left ajar they tend to not work as well causing trouble such as no power, not sealing correctly, or not cycling.

Third if it's a washer and it's leaking, is the drain hose in the drain? Are your water connections tight? Or are your faucets leaking? A refrigerator not cooling - Is the door shut properly? Is the refrigerator control inside turned on? No Ice - Is the Ice Maker Turned on? Is the water behind the refrigerator connected or turned on? Dishwasher - No power? Is the door shut or the power/breaker on?

Trust me check everything and anything before calling a technician. If not I'm sure the technician will be glad to educate you on the matter so that it doesn't happen again.

CALL MARS and we'll gladly schedule a service call to assist you in anyway, but first for your own good check the obvious.

Where in the house is the Dryer?

This is for installation or recommendations on remodeling your homes or utility rooms.  Say you want to move the laundry room to the garage and knock out the wall to the utility room to extend a room or kitchen.  

Or say you're having a new house built and you get to decide where things will be.  
As FAR AS THE DRYER'S CONCERNED it wants the closest wall available.
The closer the Dryer is to the exterior wall the better.  Generally the less dryer venting needed is a good way to measure the best position for your dryer.  The longer the vent means the longer for lint to travel causing future problems with ventilation and Dryer issues.  Say your vent goes over twenty feet under the house and turns 2 or 3 times before getting to its destination.  This is going to cause moisture and lint to build inside the vent and eventually clog the piping up.  Once the pipe is clogged it's only a matter of time before the dryer begins to fall apart. 

So if you want a new place to install your Dryer get to the exterior wall of the house.  Any exterior wall will work.  Install your Dryer and the small vent with a proper venting hood outside.  This will not only keep piece of mind in the house as far as fires are concerned, but also will keep your Dryer in good shape and dry the clothes in a timely matter.

Call MARS Today for information on Dryer Vent Installations or Dryer Vent materials check out our Parts Store in Murfreesboro, TN.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Check your washer water hoses!

Well, the title of this post is pretty straight-forward. Check your washer water hoses! Today, Snake and I were on a call repairing a Kenmore Washer. The washer required a water valve, which we replaced. However, MARS offers Service Beyond. After we repaired the washer, we did a thorough check on the water inlet system. Usually, we find nothing.

Today we found a bulging water hose. Water pressure had cracked the inner seal of the hose and was slowly building up into a liquid volcano. We showed the customer and she was grateful that we prevented a possible disaster.

Out of sight, out of mind. Most washer water hoses are tucked in behind the washer and are hardly ever seen. And I'm sure most of them are in good shape. But, what if a water hose were to break? It would be like turning the hosepipe on inside your house. In a matter of minutes, your house would be flooded. And it wouldn't stop until you turned the water off. By the looks of the water hose we found today, our customer was very close to this happening to her.

The most common washer water hose is a basic, black rubber hose which comes in a variety of lengths to fit your application. The best, in my opinion, is stainless steel. You can pick these up at any hardware or home improvement store, but if you're in Murfreesboro, TN, come on by our Parts Store located at 855 West College St., Murfreesboro, TN. For more information about MARS, visit Marsboro.com.