Summer is officially here in Arizona! It is the time of year that we often enjoy vacations, barbecues and higher utility bills. Unfortunately, chances are, with all the extra activity and increased use of air conditioning and appliances; your utility bills will be higher. Did you know that your household appliances account for about thirty three percent of the energy use in the average home in Arizona? Learning to use appliances more efficiently and having certain appliances serviced periodically can help you save money. Below are just a few tips from your local, professional appliance repair experts.

Learn more about your refrigerator

• Fill up the refrigerator – having lots of food in your fridge keeps it from warming up too fast when the door is open so your fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to stay cool. (Make sure you do not restrict airflow.)
• Don’t keep the refrigerator or freezer door open for long periods of time – opening the refrigerator door repeatedly and standing there while you debate what kind of food to make requires your refrigerator to work harder to remove the heat.
• The experts recommend that you should consider keeping refrigerators with rear external condensers at least two to three inches away from the wall. This allows more breathing room and better airflow around the condenser coils, which helps the refrigerator cool more efficiently.
• When was the last time you had your refrigerator’s condenser coils cleaned? The appliance experts state, "The coils are notably less vulnerable to problems if cleaned every twelve to eighteen months." Contact them today to schedule your service.
• Help prolong the life of your appliances. Don’t store refrigerators and freezers in a garage or carport because the heat in there will certainly reek havoc on you appliance and your electric bill too?
• The professional appliance experts recommend that you don't overlook your freezer and refrigerator door seals. Tight and clean door seals keep the cool air inside and make the compressor do much less work.

Simple tips regarding your air conditioning units

• The experts suggest that you replace air conditioner filters monthly for maximum benefit. A good reminder is to pick the same date each month so that you make it a habit to replace your air filters. A clogged air conditioning filter can restrict airflow which can lead to costly A/C repairs later down the road.
• During the summer months the air conditioner professional recommend that it is best to keep the thermostat set to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Another option to make this automatic process is to purchase a programmable thermostat. The experts can easily install these in a short period of time.
• Are you aware according to the experts, that ceiling fans can make you feel three to eight degrees cooler, allowing you to dial your A/C to a higher temperature and still feel just as cool. Contact your general electrical contractor to have one installed in your home today.

Learn more tips from the expert for your washing machine.

• Do your laundry efficiently by using the warm or cold water setting on your washing machine for washing your dirty clothes.
• The dryer professional experts recommend that it is always a god idea to use cold water to rinse clothes.

Help extend the life of your clothes dryer and help save money too.

• When you need to use your clothes dryer, it is has been suggested from the experts to run full loads, using the moisture-sensing setting.
• Do forget to clean the clothes dryer lint trap after each use. The Arizona, ToFixIt experts suggest that you keep a small garbage can on top of your dryer as a visual reminder. Do you know that built up lint can cause a fire in your clothes dryer? Contact the dryer vent experts today and know that your family does not have an accumulation of lint.
• Keep the clothes dryer’s outside exhaust clean to prevent dryer fires and reduce drying time, which saves energy.
• Keep your clothes dryer at least four inches away from the wall to prevent kinks or tears from forming in the exhaust vent.

Here are some common errors that the experts recommend that you avoid when using your dishwasher.

• The appliance experts in Arizona suggest that you should avoid using the “rinse hold” on your dishwasher for just a few soiled dishes. Did you know that it uses three to seven gallons of hot water?
• Run your dishwasher with a full load, but the expert's caution that you don't overload.
• Conserve energy by running your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded, and turn off the dry cycle and air dry dishes instead.

Don’t forget about your oven or stove.

• If your stove has radiant or halogen burners, always have a pot or pan on the burner when you turn it on to allow the pot and burner to heat at the same time. A cold pot coming in contact with a hot burner could cause a crack.
• If you’re cooking a dish that has a long cook time, such as a turkey, put the dish in as the oven is heating up. Then turn the oven off early and allow residual heat to finish the job.

The experts often recommend the best way to deal with appliance problems economically, is to hire a qualified repair company. One could aggravate the problem by performing the repairs personally. A certified professional has what it takes to rectify the problem.