Icemaker Problems?

June 2007 eKBDC.com Newsletter

Refrigerator Icemaker Tips

The two largest problems causing smelly ice are caused by uncovered or unsealed food in the refrigerator or freezer, or poor water quality
To prevent food odors from affecting ice, put all food products in tightly sealed containers. This is especially true for very strong smelling foods like onions and garlic
Water quality is also a factor. To have the best smelling cubes you need to start out with fresh, clean water. If your refrigerator is equipped with a built-in water filter, be sure to replace it every six months, even if you haven't used much ice or water. If your refrigerator doesn't have a built-in filter it's easy to add one to the water supply line. A water filter removes impurities and filters out sediment and particles that will clog your water inlet valve
Icemakers have a molded tray that fills with water to create ice cubes. The tray temperature needs to be 10 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit before the icemaker will dump the ice. There are several factors that prevent the icemaker from reaching this optimum temperature
1) Freezer or Refrigerator Door Gasket: Check the door gaskets for gaps or tears, replace if damage is found this is preventing a tight seal around the door
2) Condenser Coils: The condenser is usually located underneath the refrigerator behind the front toe-kick panel and looks like a series of tubes with fins attached, like a radiator. Use a condenser cleaning brush and your vacuum cleaner to remove any lint or dirt build-up
3) Usage Patterns: Monitor how often the freezer door is being opened, and whether family members are accidentally leaving it open. Refrigerators are slow to recover from these activities
4) Proper Loading: Investigate how the freezer is loaded; an improperly filled freezer blocks air circulation. Be sure not to stack food against any vent ducts or holes
5) Location, Location: If the ambient temperature of the room fluctuates widely, like a garage during the summer, consider relocating the freezer to a more consistent, lower temperature

Barbecue Season

After four long months of cold and winter, we are finally coming up to summer and BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking, as it's the only type of cooking a real man will do, probably because there is some of danger involved.

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ, the following chain of events are put into motion:
1) The woman buys the food.
2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.

Here comes the important part:
4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning.
He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.

Important again:
7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, and sauces and brings them to the table.
9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:
10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." And, seeing
her annoyed reaction concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

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