The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
First Aid For The Ailing Houses
Electric toasters today are usually automatic. They are also enclosed and more difficult to clean than the earlier, manually flipped models. Most toasters have a crumb drawer or door at the bottom or one side. This should be emptied regularly each week. Do not attempt to clean a toaster in water. A damp rag rubbed over the surface will remove most stains. Breaks in the heating elements in toasters may be most easily repaired by replacing with a new one obtained from the manufacturer. In many areas, the manufacturer will have an authorized repair shop, usually run by a franchised distributor. These shops may be located by checking the yellow pages of the classified telephone directory, or by writing the manufacturer, whose name and address are usually on the bottom of the appliance.
Refrigerators should have the condenser coils cleaned regularly, about once every two or three months. They collect dust readily, and dust prevents the proper exchange of heat, so that the motor must run overtime. A long thin brush or a vacuum attachment are best for cleaning the coils. Most of the units today are sealed with the motor and compressor in one welded case, lubricated permanently. If something goes wrong with this mechanism, call the authorized repair service or the dealer from whom the appliance was purchased. The units carry a 5-year guarantee, as a rule, and replacement is simple.
Coffee makers, like toasters, should never be dipped in water. Some automatic percolators have a fuse in the bottom to prevent overheating if the coflFee boils away while the unit is on warm position. This may be removed and replaced by taking off the base plate and unscrewing the small cover marked fuse.
Leaky Refrigerator Door. If a refrigerator seems to "frost up" more than it should, one fault may be the rubber seal around the inside of the door. If this is not making a firm total closure, it will allow warm air to leak inside.
Even though the rubber may appear in good condition, the closure may not be perfect. To test for this, hold a dollar bill half in and half out, and close the door on it. If the bill can be withdrawn with little effort, the closure at this point is not tight enough. Work the dollar bill around the entire door. If there are many weak spots, it would be best to replace the entire rubber seal. If only two or three, a simple home repair is as follows:
