Blog Page - Steve Slaton Appliance Repair

Are cheaper water filters any good?

August 3, 2017 by Steve Slaton

I encounter a lot of problems with refrigerators not dispensing the proper amount of water, or not water. Many times the filter can be clogged. I see a lot of customers that choose to buy the off brand cheaper filters. This would seem to make financial sense, but I see quite a few more problems with the off brand filters than the name brand that the manufacturers recommend.

I see many of the cheaper ones that crack and leak.

Just last week, I had a customer whose off brand filter got stuck in the filter housing an could not be removed. We had to replace the filter housing and put a factory filter in. The repair was over $230. It wiped out any savings that she had before.

I dont believe the off brand filters filter as well or last as long.

Buy the name brand filters and you will prpbably have fewer headaches in the long run.

You can add a inline filter to the back of the fridge and this will make the interior filter last longer. Something like this filter assembly from Home Depot

If your water is flowing slow, or not at all, and you need help, please give us a call!

Dishwasher not cleaning very well

April 9, 2017 by Steve Slaton

I have had a few customers recently that said there dishes were not getting very clean. They had similar situations. I tested the dishwashers and they were working fine. All a dishwasher does is fill, spray water, drain, fill, add soap, wash, drain, fill, rinse drain… etc. If its not cleaning and its doing those functions properly, there is another problem.

Both of these customers were using a cheap off brand soap. I like to use Finish tablets. One of the customers was not using the dispenser for the soap, that’s very important. the longest cycle is the wash cycle, the soap needs to be dispensed then, not before.

Its also important that the dishwasher has HOT water going into it. Hot water activates the soap.

The other thing that both had been doing was completely washing the dishes leaving nothing for the soap to attach too. You want to scrape off most of the food, but leave a little bit of gunk on the plate. It gives the soap something to attach to.

I also recomend using Affresh brand dishwasher cleaner to keep the gunk out of the dishwasher.

If these tips don’t make your washer clean better, you may have a problem with your dishwasher. If so, call me and I can help.

Every Reason to Stop Pre-Rinsing Dishes Before They Go in the Dishwasher

Dishwasher won’t drain

March 12, 2017 by Steve Slaton

If your dishwasher won’t drain properly, you could have a problem that needs a professional to come and check it out, or you may have a fairly simple problem like a clogged air gap. The air gap is a device designed to keep the water in your sink from going into the dishwasher.

If you have one, its a small round device right next to your faucet. It is very easy for this to get clogged, especially if you don’t scrape the larger food items on the dishes into the trash before putting them in the dishwasher.

Here is a video that shows hoe to check it for blockage

How To Check the Air Gap

Inside a Dishwasher

February 26, 2017 by Steve Slaton

Lots of times I need to see whats happening inside of a dishwasher. I didn’t have a really good way to do that until now. I purchased a SJCAM 4000, which is a fairly in expensive camera, but its like a GOPRO and has a waterproof case. I can also stream live what the camera is viewing to my cell phone. I put a light in a zip lock bag inside the dishwasher and put my water proof camera inside and i can watch what happens inside the dishwasher live on my phone. Its pretty cool!

Here is a link to the video: https://youtu.be/KMY_gtEin-g

If you need dishwasher repair in the Katy area, please give me a call!

New Service Van

February 25, 2017 by Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton Katy Appliance Repair Van

My 1997 Ford Ranger finally gave out on me after 280,000 miles. I put 155,000 on it over the last 5 years repairing appliances here in the Katy area. That’s a lot of appliance repairs! It served me well over the years.

My new vehicle for servicing appliances is a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. It has quite a bit more storage space and everything stays dry without having to be stored in a storage box in the bed of the truck! I can carry lots more appliance parts so I can fix more appliances on the first visit!

Look for me in my new van driving around the Katy area! Be sure to honk and wave!

Gas Stove Top Keeps Clicking

January 28, 2017 by Steve Slaton

Many customers call me with a gas stove top that is continuing to click. This almost always happens after something has either boiled over or has spilled onto the burner control knobs area. What happens is that the liquid from the boil over gets into the switches and shorts it out. If its just water, or a thin liquid, you may be able to let it dry out.

I recommend that you unplug it or turn the breaker off for at least 48 hours. If it still clicks, or doesn’t work to light the stove top after that, you will probably need to have the switch replaced on the stove top burners.

Some of the switch replacements are a relatively straightforward job while others can be a little tedious. If you are in the Katy area and have this problem, let us know if you need our help.

We repair most major brand name appliances.