New Vogel Appliance Web Site

Our marketing department has been hard at work to launch the new Vogel Appliance Service web site: www.vogelappliance.com. That’s right folks, we are now a proud participant in the 21st Century wave of technology! If you have a friend who needs an appliance repaired, send ‘em our link. If you have an appliance that is finicky, bookmark our page. Or if you’re bored and want to brush up on your Vogel Appliance Service trivia, well…you get the drift. Happy surfing!

Pre-rinse Cycle

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted on the Vogel Appliance blog. I guess I haven’t come across anything quite as noteworthy as this.

If you have an older (or cheaper) dishwasher, pre-rinsing your dishes can be a very important part of the process. Some people use the sprayer on their sink, a dish rag, or even just run their dishes under the faucet to remove excess food. Here’s is what we use in the Vogel Appliance household:

This is not recommended for pre-rinse units over 15 lbs. Floor models are available. If you’d like to test out our pre-rinse unit before investing in your own, just let me know when you call to schedule your next appliance repair!

Celebrity for Hire

If you’ve been dragging your feet about calling to get one of your appliances fixed, you’ll want to do so soon. Chris from Vogel Appliance Service is now a celebrity! Check out his appliance care tips on Indy Style.

Dam Ice

We’ve had no shortage of ice and snow this winter, so much so that many of us have seen damage-causing ice dams in our gutters and drains. One other place to look for pesky ice and snow is around your dryer vent. When your dryer releases all that warm air into the great outdoors, it also creates moisture that may re-freeze on and around your vent. If your vent is iced over, the dryer won’t have proper air flow, causing it be be inefficient.

Of course, there are many causes of poor air flow with dryers. Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of ‘em – underwear, underwires, pillow stuffing, critters, critter nests…. If that’s the case, it may be a job for a professional.

One Guy and a Wrench

If you’re planning a move anytime soon, whether you do it yourself or hire a service, be sure to take proper precautions when moving certain appliances. Front load washing machines come with shipping bolts that you’ll want to re-install before moving your washer. Otherwise, you risk damaging the washer’s shocks which will require a visit from your favorite appliance repair guy. I’d love to see your new home, but wouldn’t you rather see me under different circumstances?!

Vogel Appliance in the News

Check out the recent story Vogel Appliance did with WTHR Channel 13 here in Indianapolis.

Thanks to WTHR for featuring us on your story. Thanks to long time customers the Weishaar’s for letting us do this at your house.

Dishwasher detergent formula change brings cloudy glasses – 13 WTHR.

No Love for Phosp-hates

Noticed your dishwasher not cleaning your dishes like it used to? That’s because several states (including Indiana) have adopted a phosphate ban on all dishwasher soaps as of July 1. Phosphates were previously the main cleaning ingredient in dishwasher and laundry soaps. They are also doing severe damage to our environment. Phosphates promote algae growth in our water systems which damages these delicate ecosystems and the fish and animals that live in them. While the ‘fix’ for your dirty dishes is still up for debate, there are several things you can do.

Find a good soap, check out consumer reports for the best ones.

Use less of that soap, the hot water alone does a lot of the cleaning.

I have found that using a small amount of citric acid in with the soap helps keep the film off.

Or, call Vogel Appliances and have us come out and give your dishwasher a thorough cleaning and give you some other tips that you get when you call the experts out.

Ditch Your Fridge and Chill Your Bill

That old energy-hogging fridge in your basement or garage may be good for keeping your excess beverage supply cold, but it’s also costing you a pretty penny.

If you have an older, second refrigerator or freezer sitting in your basement or garage, it is likely using up to five times as much electricity as a newer, more energy-efficient model. And that can be costing you almost $100 a year!

Save money on your energy bill by letting Indianapolis Power & Light haul that old refrigerator or freezer away for FREE. And, IPL will give you a $30 check for choosing to save energy!

You qualify for this program if:

• You are an IPL residential customer.
• Your old fridge or freezer is working and will be empty at the time of pick-up.
• Your old fridge or freezer is between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size.

Blame It One The Rain

The Indianapolis sewer system can only handle so much. Especially when heavy rain moves in, it’s prime time for flooding. But don’t just runoff and do nothing. Help alleviate strain on storm sewers and prevent pollutants from seeping into our waterways by limiting your demand on water during rainy days.

• Limit laundry, dishwasher use, flushing and showering during heavy rain. Indy’s wastewater treatment plants can only handle so much before they overflow into our waterways.

For more information on protecting our waterways, check out tips from Green Piece Indy and the Indianapolis Clean Stream Team.

Gasket Case

It was 90+ degrees in Indianapolis last weekend. One good way to keep your cool is to test your refrigerator gaskets to be sure they’re sealing properly. If they’re not, you may need a visit from your favorite appliance repair guy sooner than later. Here’s an easy test for your fridge.

Close a dollar bill in your refrigerator door. Gently pull on the dollar bill. There should be a tug. If the dollar bill slides right out, then you likely need a new gasket. Be sure to do this test around the entire seal of the door.

A weak gasket means your refrigerator will be working on overdrive to keep cool. And that’s not cool.