November 15, 2010 | eSpares Updates | No comments
Today we’ve been mostly working hard editing videos and generally catching up with the weekend. We’ve also been looking forward to the watching the International Space Station pass overhead at about 5pm. If you’ve got Monday blues, this photo’s for you. A mountain in the Andes mountain range taken from aboard the ISS.
November 10, 2010 | Dishwasher Repair, Help & Advice | 1 comment
One of the most common appliances mishaps we hear about is the leaky dishwasher. If you’ve experienced it, you’ll know what a pain a waterlogged kitchen and a big stack of washing up can be.
Fear not though, because there is a silver lining – it’s not necessarily a job for the plumber. One of the most common causes of a leaking dishwasher is a damaged lower door seal. Here, Josh shows you how easy it is to repair a dishwasher leak in this video…Read more
November 10, 2010 | Uncategorized | 1 comment
One of the most common appliances mishaps we hear about is the leaky dishwasher. If you’ve experienced it, you’ll know what a pain a waterlogged kitchen and a big stack of washing up can be. Fear not though, because there is a silver lining – it’s not necessarily a job for the plumber. One of the most common causes of a leaking dishwasher is a damaged lower door seal. Watch Helen show you how easy it is to repair in this video…
November 8, 2010 | eSpares Updates | No comments
The main objective with the redesign of our product landing pages was to get rid of all the clutter. Have a look this is the old design…
And now for the new….
We decided to get rid of the ‘Related Products’ column at the left of the page to allow the focus of the page be completely on the product you clicked on.
Another important area we wanted to look at was the “Fits the following Appliances” section:
The new design has appliance models listed in a table format. Once you select your model and appliance type you can easily find your model number and be sure this is the part you need.
One of our favourite new features is an add to basket box that follows you as you scroll down the page so you don’t have to waste time scrolling back to the top of the page to add it to your basket once you have made your decision to purchase the product.
Overall I feel the newly designed product pages will make it easier and quicker for customers to be confident the part fits their appliance, making their time spent on the website a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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
Follow these tips, and you are a safe and responsible chainsaw user. Congratulations!
