Why You Should Recycle Your Old Refrigerator

Do you have an old refrigerator or freezer sitting around taking up space? If you are thinking about getting rid of it, do not throw it away. Repeat: DO NOT THROW IT AWAY! Old appliances – especially refrigerators and freezers – often contain materials which are harmful to the environment; properly disposing of these materials and recycling the appliance is a much better option than simply throwing it away.

Here's why.

It's Environmentally-Friendly

By recycling your old, unused refrigerator, you are doing something good for the environment. The refrigerant used in older refrigerators and freezers is classified as a greenhouse gas, so it should be kept out of the environment whenever possible.

Rebates are Available

In many areas, government and private rebates are available as an incentive for recycling old refrigerators and freezers. Depending on the city and state you live in, you can earn up to $50 for recycling your appliance – plus, they will usually pick it up from your house and haul it away for free!

It's the Law

Because of the refrigerant contained within these appliances, old refrigerators are defined as hazardous waste, and improperly disposing of them is a punishable offense in the court of law. At the very least, the freon needs to be removed from the condenser coils by a licensed technician, but it is usually best to just have someone haul the entire thing away to completely take it off of your hands.

Want to know how to recycle an old refrigerator in your area? Click here!

Is your refrigerator malfunctioning? Don't throw it away just yet! Speedy Subzero Repairs may be able to fix it for a fraction of the cost of a new model. We have been serving the residents of Long Island and New York City for more than 75 years, providing one-hour service for all refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, and wine cooler repair needs. Visit our website for more information or call us at 866-782-9376.

Freeze! Did You Know About These Ways to Use Your Freezer?

Open your freezer door, what do you see? Chances are your freezer is filled with a little bit of ice and a whole lot of food, but did you know there are other things you can use it for? Check out some of these nifty ways to use your freezer for things other than food!

• Open a sealed envelope. Have you ever prematurely sealed an envelope and realized that you forgot to include something? Stick the closed envelope in the freezer until the glue freezes, you should be able to open it and reseal it without causing any damage.
• “Wash” your jeans. Looking to clean your jeans without fading the color or shrinking the fabric? Put them in a Ziploc bag and throw them in the freezer for about a week; this should kill all of the bacteria as well as eliminate any odors.
• Make your candles last longer. Premium candles come at a premium price, and no one wants to spend that money on something that burns out quickly. Extend the life of your candles by freezing them before burning; this works especially well on long, skinny types.
• Kill dust mites. Get rid of dust mites by putting your stuffed animals, pillows, bed sheets, and blankets in a plastic bag and freezing them overnight. Then, wash them with extra hot water for a thorough clean.

Looking for more creative ways to use your freezer? Check out this article from Wonder How To.

All of these ideas are contingent on the fact that your freezer is operating properly, but what if it isn't? If you live on Long Island, you can call the refrigeration experts at Speedy Subzero for a quick fix. Our technicians keep their vans fully stocked, which allows us to provide same-day repairs and one-hour service to anywhere in Nassau or Suffolk County. For all refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, and wine cooler repairs, call us any time at 866-782-9376.

Why You Should Put Ice Cubes in the Cup First

Who doesn't love a cold, refreshing drink on a hot summer day? Unfortunately, sometimes our drinks aren't as chilled as we'd like, so we reach for a handful of ice cubes and drop them in our beverage.

Putting ice cubes in our drink is something that we don't think twice about, but there could be a better way to do it. In fact, placing your ice cubes in an empty glass then pouring your drink in actually offers a few benefits, such as:

• The perfect amount of liquid, every time. Basic physics tells us that when we place ice cubes in a cup of water, the water level rises. If you are looking to maximize the space in your glass by filling it to the brim, putting your ice in first removes the guesswork of how much the water level is going to rise.
• No splashing from dropping ice cubes. The biggest problem about dropping ice in a full cup is the splashing that it is sure to create. If you have ever stained a white t-shirt because some fruit punch splashed on it when you dropped in an ice cube, putting the ice in first is a sure way to avoid repeating this mistake.
• Putting the ice in first helps your drink get cold faster. Okay, this one is pretty minuscule, but on a hot day even the smallest difference is still a difference. The higher the ice:water ratio in a cup, the more effectively the ice chills the water. When you start with ice in a cup and slowly pour in your drink, it will cool slightly faster because there is a higher ice:water ratio (until the cup is full, at which point there is no difference).

As refrigeration experts, we at Speedy Subzero know a thing or two about ice. That's why Long Island residents have depended on us to repair their ice makers, freezers, and refrigerators for more than 75 years. If your fridge is on the fritz, give us a call anytime at 866-782-9376.

Slow Down! Why You Should Let Your Leftovers Cool Off

What do you do with leftover food when you are done cooking it? Do you throw it in the refrigerator right away? If so, take a minute to read why this isn't such a great idea.

By placing a large container full of hot food straight into your cold refrigerator, you are disrupting a climate which your appliance has been working very hard to maintain. This can have all kinds of negative effects on your appliance, your food, and even your health.

Here are three negative consequences of placing hot food in your refrigerator:

• Increased workload on your compressor. Your compressor is the heart of your refrigerator; you want to do everything possible to keep its workload as light as possible. By placing hot food in your fridge, you will send the compressor into overdrive, causing extra wear-and-tear while also increasing your energy consumption.
• Potential spike in bacteria growth. To limit bacteria in your food, your refrigerator should be set to a temperature between 34-39° F. After 40°, bacteria growth rates begin to skyrocket. If your refrigerator is already near or at 39°, introducing a hot batch of food could cause the whole interior to climb above 40° – also known as the “danger zone”.
• Soggy leftovers. Placing hot food in a cold fridge will cause it to produce a lot of steam due to the rapid temperature change. If your food is in a sealed container, this steam will have nowhere to go and turn into a significant amount of condensation. This water will be left sitting in your food, sometimes it is enough to form a small puddle at the bottom of the container.

Looking for more refrigerator tips to use in your every day life? Follow Speedy Subzero Repairs on social media – we are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Why Choose Speedy Subzero for Your Next Refrigerator Repair

Is your refrigerator warm, leaking, making loud noises, or otherwise malfunctioning? If so, it is clear that you need a repair. But who can you trust to get the job done right? That answer is not so clear, unless you live in New York.

For the past 75 years, residents of Long Island and New York City have depended on Speedy Subzero for all of their refrigeration repair needs. Here is why you can depend on us too:

Around-the-Clock Service.

Your refrigerator is the only appliance in your house that works around the clock, which is why we do too. Nights, weekends, holidays – it doesn't matter! Our experts are available for service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Experience With All Brands & Models.

Our highly-trained technicians are familiar with all makes and models of refrigerators, standalone freezers, ice makers, and wine coolers. We specialize in repairing the Subzero brand, but that doesn't mean that we can't fix your Amana, Whirlpool, or anything in between.

Same-Day, In-Home Repairs.

When your refrigerator breaks down, time is of the essence. If you wait around too long for the repairman, you could end up with a fridge full of spoiled food. We didn't choose to name our company Speedy Subzero because it sounded good, we did it because we promise lightning-fast service to our customers. In fact, we guarantee one-hour service to everyone in Long Island and New York City!

Guaranteed Protection.

Refrigerators are more than a giant box of ice; they are highly complex machines, and all repairs should be left to the professionals. Don't trust just anyone to handle your fridge – trust Speedy Subzero. In addition to 75 years of experience, all of our technicians are fully licensed and insured, so you won't be held personally liable if one of them were to get injured on the job. Plus, we fully stand behind all of our work with a 100% guarantee.

If you are experiencing problems with your refrigerator, give us a call today at 866-782-9376. We service all of Nassau County, Suffolk County, New York City, and select parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. What are you waiting for? Call now to schedule your same-day, in-home repair!

10 Tips for Keeping Food Fresh

Some experts estimate that Americans throw away up to 15% of the food they purchase, which adds up to well over $1,000 each year. People are always looking for ways to save money, but eating their food before it spoils is something that most of us generally don't think about.

If you are looking for ways to maximize the shelf life of your fresh foods, try these ten tips.

1. Keep raw meat on the bottom shelf. This area is usually one of the coldest spots in the refrigerator, which will help keep your meat fresh for longer. It will also prevent the meat from dripping down and contaminating the foods below it.
2. Store your apples on the counter-top. Keeping apples in the refrigerator makes them lose their flavor and causes them to become soft and mushy. Plus, keeping them in plain sight helps them get eaten faster!
3. Avoid storing milk and eggs on the fridge door. Because of the constant opening and closing of the refrigerator, the door can frequently reach temperatures higher than 40° F. Avoid keeping dairy, eggs, and other foods sensitive to spoiling here.
4. Store fruits and vegetables separately. Most refrigerators come with two separate crisper drawers – you should use one for fruits and one for veggies. The reason for this is that a lot of fruits produce ethylene gas as they ripen, which causes most vegetables to spoil faster.
5. Wrap your head of lettuce in damp paper towels. Without moisture, lettuce will quickly dehydrate and wilt. If your salad greens begin to dry out, soak them in ice water for a few hours to restore some crispness.
6. Know what goes in the fridge and what doesn't. There are a lot of common misconceptions about what is supposed to go in the refrigerator and what isn't – here are 5 foods that many people keep in their fridges, but shouldn't. 
7. Drop a few grains of rice in the salt shaker. Have you ever experienced clumping in your salt shaker? This is due to excess humidity in the air, prevent it from happening by putting a little bit of dry rice in your salt. 
8. Wash berries in water and vinegar. Washing your berries in cold water and a small amount of vinegar (about a 10:1 ratio) before putting them in your refrigerator can extend their freshness by several days. 
9. Don't put your bread in the refrigerator. Putting bread in the refrigerator causes it to harden quicker; for best storage, keep in an air tight plastic bag in a cool, dark place. 
10. Set your refrigerator to the right temperature. One way to guarantee that your food spoils before its expiration date is by storing it in a refrigerator which is too warm. For optimal freshness, you should keep your refrigerator between 34-39° F.

Is your refrigerator failing to maintain a consistently cold temperature? If so, help is just a phone call away with Speedy Subzero!

For more than 75 years, homeowners on Long Island have trusted our licensed technicians to repair their refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and wine coolers. We keep our vans stocked with spare parts, which allows us to provide one-hour service to anywhere in Nassau County, Suffolk County, and New York City. Call us now to schedule your same-day appointment at 866-782-9376.

Looking for more ways to keep your food fresh? Check out these 37 tips.