Yearly Archives: 2010

The Cooker Hood is Your Friend

November 2, 2010 | Kitchen Appliances Repair, Help & Advice | No comments

Cooking can generate all kinds of smells – some delicious, some not so delicious. However, one thing is constant. When your delicious beef bourgignon or sausage casserole has been consumed, the last thing you want is its scent to linger.

And that’s where our trusty friend the cooker hood comes in. Now a staple in the majority of kitchens, the units are usually a sleek stainless steel or more rustic shade, depending on what you’re going for. There’s a hob-facing cooker hood lamp in them too – handy, functional, and good lookin’.

A decent hood can extract all kinds of odours and get them out of your kitchen and with multiple speeds and settings they are very often capable of doing this quickly and efficiently. One area where they are particularly useful is in small flats or homes where the kitchen backs on to the living area – after all who wants to sit in front of the TV with the smell of last night’s curry in the air.

However, when the the odours appear to be going nowhere and smells seem to linger even when the hood is cranked up to its highest setting, the time may have come to replace the filter on the unit.

We stock hundreds of cooker hood filters. You can get universal filters, which can be cut to size to fit your hood, and you can get genuine replacements, which are manufactured to specifically fit your model.

It’s always recommended that you get the genuine replacement, if there is one for your model. They’re generally a little more expensive than the universal filters, but the fact that they’re made specifically for your hood means they’ll generally do a better job of filtering the smells and grease effectively.

One Million 'How To' Views

October 22, 2010 | eSpares Updates | 2 comments

We recently passed a milestone that has left us all here at eSpares Towers pretty pleased with ourselves. The milestone? We surpassed 1,000,000 views of our ‘How To’ videos across the websites that we share them on.

One Million How To Views

October 22, 2010 | Uncategorized | 2 comments

We recently passed a milestone that has left us all here at eSpares Towers pretty pleased with ourselves. The milestone? We surpassed 1,000,000 views of our How To videos across the websites that we share them on.

Allow me to get slightly misty eyed for a moment. We created our YouTube channel back in December 2008 and uploaded a handful of videos that we recorded in eSpares staffers’ houses. Since then, we’ve seen the video operation grow so that we now have a permanent set, seasoned presenters who really know their stuff, a full time, dedicated video production staffer and 160 (and counting) How To videos.

Here’s to many more videos, and I hope that we can continue to help you all fix your appliances yourselves.

Moving Fridges and Freezers

October 19, 2010 | Kitchen Appliances Repair, Help & Advice | No comments

Should you leave them to stand after moving them?

I was recently asked about the correct thing to do when moving a fridge or freezer. Is it true that you’re supposed to leave your appliance to stand for some time before you switch it on again? I’m well aware of the advice but I really didn’t know whether it was based on any facts or was just an old wives’ tale. There’s certainly plenty of conflicting information on the Internet, ranging from scary assertions that your fridge will definitely blow up to outright dismissal as an urban legend.

Choosing The Right Laundry Detergent

October 12, 2010 | Laundry Appliance Repair, Help & Advice | No comments

There are a lot of different laundry detergents out there – but which is the right one for your clothes? You walk down the aisle in the supermarket and you’ve got Ariel here, Persil there, non-biological coming at you, tabs, powder, you name it. While many might use a ‘spray and pray’ technique when choosing detergent, it is possible to make a more informed choice. And that’s where I come in.

Biological. Non-biological. What’s the difference?

Biological detergents, the more ‘heavy duty’ of the two, contain enzymes which break down dirt and stains in a manner similar to the enzymes in our own bodies that digest food. It means clothes will get clean even at low temperatures – which is environmentally friendly. The flipside to this though is that the enzymes take a long time to degrade. Additionally, it’s also possible to suffer allergic reactions to these enzymes.

The gentler option is a non-biological detergent. These don’t use enzymes – they are more akin to soap. As such, they are kinder on the skin, and you are very unlikely to suffer reactions. They’re also kinder to fabrics, as the enzymes in biological detergents can cause damage over a prolonged period of time. The downside is that because the detergent has to work harder to remove stains, you’ll need to use a higher temperature to make sure your clothes are cleaned properly – this has an environmental impact.

Liquid, Tabs or Powder?

All three forms of detergent have their pros and cons. Powder was the only detergent form for many years, and historically has proved itself. There’re bleaching agents in powder which makes it suited to whites, but should be used with more caution with coloured laundry. Another potential pitfall of powder is that over time it can clog the washing machine dispenser drawer and pipes.

Liquid and tabs can be put straight in to the drum, so you’re not running the risk of a clogged dispenser, and it’s an added convenience too. These forms of detergents don’t contain bleaching agents, so are opposite to powder – a lot better suited to coloured laundry, and potentially not strong enough for whites, which may leave stains even after the wash has finished.

As for which brand you use, that’s more a matter of personal preference – which you think has the most pleasant smell, which is suited best to hard or soft water, which is the best value and so on.

Remember, no matter what detergent you use, we’ve got thousands of washing machine spares for over a hundred different brands.

Chainsaw Safety Tips

October 6, 2010 | Gardening Tips | 2 comments

When I say to people ‘we sell spare parts for home and garden appliances’, I usually get replies enquiring about fridges, lawn mowers and washing machines. What doesn’t spring to mind immediately is chainsaws. Now I know it’s not like there’s one in every household in the land, but certainly a fair amount of people do own them; particularly people living in rural areas with bigger gardens.

A chainsaw can make light work of heavy duty gardening, but it can also make light work of arms and legs as well. With that being said, here are a few safety tips…

Wear The Proper Gear

It’s essential that you protect your body as best you can whilst operating a chainsaw. This means wearing steel toe-capped boots and thick protective work gloves. It also means goggles or a visor to protect your eyes from stray chippings, and hearing protectors to insulate your ears from the noise of the chainsaw. Protective jackets and trousers should be worn too. If you lack any of these items, check out our range of protective gear.

Look After Your Chainsaw

Having a fully working chainsaw is a must. To ensure a cleaner and smoother action when sawing, sharpen the blades regularly and keep the chain well oiled. You must also make sure the chain stays at the correct slackness. Keep an eye on the bottom of the bar too; it’s susceptible to wear as it is the part where the most pressure is applied. When it starts to wear down, replace it. We sell loads of chainsaw spares, so you can always keep your saw in full working order.

Use The Chainsaw Responsibly

Whenever operating the saw, make sure that you’ve got plenty of space around you.
Make sure that you’re fully balanced – don’t ever bring the saw above your head or stoop down too low.
Never use chainsaws around children or animals.
Don’t attempt to saw branches or objects that are too thick, or too big – they could fall on you and trap you.
If you do want to get rid of a tree or a branch that is more than a couple of inches thick, seek professional help.

Follow these tips, and you are a safe and responsible chainsaw user. Congratulations!

How To Get Your Tumble Dryer Heating Up

October 4, 2010 | Laundry Appliance Repair, Help & Advice | 1 comment

As we edge closer to winter, the tumble dryer becomes an invaluable tool. But what happens if, after lying dormant for months, you discover it’s not heating up? The most common cause is a damaged element or thermostat. If you find yourself in this position, you may think it’s going to be a mammoth task to get your dryer drying again.

But guess what… it isn’t. Like many fix-it tasks, replacing an element and/or a thermostat in a tumble dryer is a lot easier than you might think. Check out this video, where I replace both.

If you need to get your dryer ready for winter, fear not; we sell thousands of tumble dryer spares for over a hundred different brands.

Brita Filters

September 30, 2010 | Foodie Tips | 3 comments

We recently came across a video which shows what a cup of tea looks like when made from water of varying states of filtration. My personal view is that this may need investigating by an independent source, snopes.com springs to mind.

However it did get me wondering what a cup of tea would look like when brewed with bottled water. I did think of conducting the experiment myself, a pound on a bottle of water is alright, but buying a brand new kettle just to make two cups of tea is a bit excessive, so I shall have to stick to guesswork.

So here is my guess: there would be so little difference you wouldn’t be able to notice.

What I can ascertain for sure though, is that if you want drinking water that is purer than the stuff coming out of your taps, Brita filters are your best bet – at about 20 quid for a jug, and then maybe a fiver every few months or so for a new filter. Compared to even 40p per bottle of water, there’s no argument.

What do you think? Do you think using bottled water will yield a better cup of tea? Have you got a Brita filter, a bottle of water, some tea bags and a couple of spare kettles? If you’ve got answers, get in touch.

Dubious?

The Digital Switchover…

September 29, 2010 | DIY & Home Improvement | General Appliance Care & Advice | No comments

The digital switchover is well under way. Have you switched over yet? If you’re not sure, Digital UK have a location checker on their website, which tell you if you’ve switched over, or if you haven’t, the year in which it’s scheduled. The switchover has been rolling out to various parts of the country since 2007; we’re currently about 60% through the process – it finishes in 2012.

This means that by the time the London Olympics roll round, wherever you live in the country, there’ll only be a digital TV signal. Make sure you’re all set for the digital switchover…

If you’ve got a really old, non-digital TV, you’ve got two options. The first is to upgrade to a digital model.
The second option, if you’re really attached to your non-digital telly, and don’t want to pay a monthly subscription, is a Freeview box. Just make sure you’ve got a SCART lead to connect it!
If you receive your TV signal in another way, for instance via satellite if you have Sky, or via cable if you are with Virgin Media or BT, then the switchover won’t affect you, and you’re good to go.
If you want a cool set-up to match, and like impressing your friends when they come to your house, a TV bracket is a perfect way to do that.

We also stock thousands of remote controls for hundreds of brands of TV.

Detergent Dispensers – All You Need to Know

September 23, 2010 | Kitchen Appliances Repair, Help & Advice | No comments

Detergent dispensers are a vital part of a dishwasher, without it you’re just pumping regular old water round the washer, and that ain’t no good if you want crockery and cutlery that’s meal worthy once the cycle’s finished. Like the cutlery basket, it’s a part of the dishwasher that’s getting used constantly. Constant use can lead to wear and tear, and sometimes wear and tear will lead to damage.

You’d have thought that replacing a dishwasher detergent dispenser is one of those pop in-pop out FIY jobs, but actually, it’s a little more involved than that. Luckily, you have the knowledgeable Helen on hand to guide you through fitting it. Enjoy.