Appliance Repair in 19057 · Levittown, Langhorne & Yardley

When severe thunderstorms or a winter nor'easter bring down lines, refrigerators and freezers are the first concern. A closed refrigerator generally keeps food cold for about four hours, and a full freezer holds for longer than a half-full one. Keep the doors shut, and use an appliance thermometer so you know the actual temperature when power returns rather than guessing.

The return of power is when some appliance problems begin. Voltage surges and brownouts can damage electronic control boards, and a refrigerator that restarts while the compressor is still under pressure may click repeatedly before settling. Unplugging sensitive appliances during an outage, or switching off their breakers, and plugging them back in once power is stable reduces that risk. Give a refrigerator several hours to recover before deciding it has failed.

Portable generators bring their own cautions. Run them outdoors only, well away from windows and doors, because of carbon monoxide. Connect appliances with a heavy-duty cord sized for the load, and never back-feed a house through an outlet. A refrigerator on a generator should be fine if the generator can handle its starting surge. If, after power returns, a range clock blinks but the oven will not heat or a washer shows an error code, a reset at the breaker sometimes clears it; if not, the control board or a fuse may need testing.

Tell us how long the power was out and what the appliance did when it came back, including any codes or sounds. Note whether other circuits in the house are working normally. After a storm, downed branches may block driveways, so let us know where to park and which door to use.