Thursday May 17, 635pm
Saturday May 19, 705pm
Monday May 21, 635pm
Wednesday May 23, 1105am
Tuesday May 29, 635pm
Thursday May 31, 635pm
Monday  June 4, 705pm
Thursday June 7, 705pm
Tuesday June 19, 705pm
Thursday June 21, 705pm
Wednesday June 27, 705pm
Friday June 29, 705pm

April 3, 2012

Dear Valued Viking Customer:

Our records indicate that you may have previously purchased a Viking Range Corporation 24" Dishwasher. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Viking is recalling certain Model 325 and Model 450 Viking 24" Dishwashers manufactured between May 26, 2010 and September 15, 2010. Viking will repair all affected dishwashers free of charge in your home.

In Model 325 and Model 450 dishwashers manufactured between May 26, 2010 and September 15, 2010, an electrical connector to the dishwasher heater may fail, creating a risk of fire. Viking has received reports of 21 incidents, five of which resulted in a fire causing minor property damage. Viking has not received any reports of injury.
Consumers should immediately stop using the listed model dishwashers and contact the repair hotline for a free repair.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR DISHWASHER IS SUBJECT TO THE RECALL:
Please locate the model and serial number of your dishwasher which are located on the identification plate mounted on the left side of the dishwasher door opening:

If your model number is identified in the chart below, locate the first six numbers contained in the serial number. The first six numbers contained in the serial number correspond to the manufacture date of the unit in [mm][dd][yy] format, e.g., serial number 052710D00016765 was manufactured on May 27, 2010.
If the first six numbers contained in the serial number correspond to a date within the date range identified in the chart below, your dishwasher is subject to the recall.
Model Numbers Beginning With* Date of Manufacture Date Codes
VDB450 DFB450 VDB325 DDB325
Units manufactured between 05/26/10 and 09/15/10
052610 through 091510
*Models VDB450E, DFB450E, VDB325E, DDB325E and dishwashers purchased before 05/26/10 are NOT recalled.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS IN ORDER TO SCHEDULE A FREE REPAIR OF YOUR DISHWASHER:
Write down the model and serial number of your dishwasher, which are located on the identification plate mounted on the bottom left side of the dishwasher door opening. Please call our toll free recall number, 1-800-241-7239, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST.

Please be prepared to provide the call center with the following information:

1. Name, address, telephone number and email.
2. Model and serial number of your dishwasher.

Viking will arrange for an authorized service representative to contact you to schedule a repair.

Please call our toll-free number or visit www.vikingrange.com for additional information.

Viking Range Corporation apologizes for the inconvenience, but on behalf of its employees and partners, appreciates the opportunity to remain your preferred brand of professional-grade kitchen appliances.

If you have any questions about these instructions, please call Viking Customer Service at 1-800-241-7239. We can be reached from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

Thank you for your understanding and for purchasing a Viking product.

Sincerely,

Viking Range Corporation

Chocolate & Candy Stain Remover Treatments

By Dean Landers, Landers Appliance

With Easter coming up I decided to do some research to help our customers be prepared in the event they need to remove any Chocolate or candy stains.

General Tips: Treat the stain as soon as possible. If you can't begin the total treatment at least soak the garment in cold water.

Never dry pieces of clothing in a dryer unless the stain is fully removed or you are convinced that what remains will never come out. Once you dry a stain in the dryer it probably never will come out!

Here are a few of what I thought were the best methods offered:

Chocolate Stain Removal

•  Remove excess chocolate. Use a dull knife or a spoon to remove any excess bits of chocolate from the fabric. Work carefully to make sure you don't spread the chocolate to clean parts of the clothing.
• Rinse with cold water. Using cold water, rinse the back of the stained area. This allows the stain to travel back through the least amount of fabric possible.
• Rub in some liquid laundry detergent. Gently rub liquid detergent into the chocolate stain. Allow the clothing to sit for 5 minutes. Next, soak the clothing for 15 minutes in cold water, Every 3-5 minutes, rub the stained area between your fingers and thumb to loosen the stain. Rinse thoroughly. Continue until no more stain can be removed.

http://housekeeping.about.com/od/stainremoval/ht/Remove-Chocolate-Stains-5-Easy-Tips.htm

Follow these steps to remove chocolate stains from washable fabrics such as Acrylic Fabric, Cotton, Linen, Nylon, Modacrylic, Olefin, Polyester and Spandex:

•  Wipe up as much excess as possible without driving the stain further into the fibers.
• Flush the stain with club soda.
• Sponge the area with a spot lifter or cleaning fluid.
• Apply a dry spotter to the stain and cover with an absorbent pad dampened with the dry spotter.
• Keep the stain moist with dry spotter.
• Let it stand as long as any stain is being lifted.
• Change the pad as it picks up the stain.
• Flush with a dry-cleaning solvent.

If any stain remains:

•  Apply a few drops of dishwashing detergent and a few drops of ammonia to the stain, then tamp (the method of bringing a brush down with light strokes on stained durable fabrics and materials) or scrape.
• Keep the stain moist with the detergent and ammonia and blot occasionally with an absorbent pad.
• Flush well with water to remove all traces of ammonia.
• Allow to dry or launder as usual.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-remove-chocolate-stains2.htm

Chocolate is a combination stain - a bit of an oil stain, a bit of a dye stain. Begin by rubbing heavy-duty liquid detergent or a paste of powdered detergent and water into the stain. Wash garment as usual with an all-fabric bleach and detergent. Check for stain before drying. If it is still present, repeat steps BEFORE drying.

If the garment is dry clean only, point out and identify the stain to your professional cleaner. If you are using a home dry cleaning kit, be sure to treat the stain with the provided stain remover before putting the garment in the dryer bag.

http://laundry.about.com/od/stainremoval/f/removechocolate.htm

Candy Stain Removal Hints

Candy stains can generally be removed by using a good pre-soak, and laundering in warm, sudsy water. Never dry any garment in the dryer before you insure the stain is gone, as the heat from the dryer will set the stain. If the stain persists after a general washing, pre-soak once again and add a few drops of ammonia to the pre-soak. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, and rinse with cool water. Then, soak the garment in a solution of one quart warm water to one tablespoon of white vinegar for about an hour, rinse well, and launder per care label instructions. Remove candy stains from carpeting by scraping up the excess with a spoon, and sponge with warm water. Blot the stain with a white cloth until all evidence of the stain is gone. If the stain persists, use a wet spotter mixed with a little white vinegar, and let stand for as long as it takes to remove the stain. Rinse well with water to remove any trace of the cleanser, and blot until dry with an absorbent cloth.

1. Mix one teaspoon of a mild ph balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water
2. Blot
3. Mix one third cup of white household vinegar with two thirds cup of water
4. Blot.
5. Mix one teaspoon of a mild ph balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water
6. Blot
7. Sponge with clean water
8. Blot

Note: Always test an inconspicuous area for colorfastness, etc. before treating the exposed area. Also note that certain stains are permanent.

Article by: www.doityourself.com

http://cleaningtipsforhomes.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/candy-stain-removal-hints/

Tide Solution for Candy Stains

1. Brush the excess stain off the surface of the fabric.
2. Rinse in water to dilute the stain.
3. Pre-treat with Tide® Liquid. Pour Tide on to cover stain and let set for 20 minutes.
4. Wash in warm water with 1 use of Tide.
5. If stain remains, repeat steps before drying. Before treating any garment, refer to the instructions on the care label. Always test solution on a hidden area first. If treating washable silk or wool, follow basic instructions, but hand wash

http://www.tide.com/en-US/stains/result/candy.jspx?id=19

Not drying well:

• The first thing to check is your lint screen.  Make sure that the the lint screen is cleaned after every load.  A blocked lint screen will cause poor air flow and will increase your drying times.
• Along with a lint build up on the dryer screen we have actually seen dryer sheets cause a clear film on the lint screen that can have the same affect. A good way to test this is to take the lint screen to a sink and run water over it. If water starts to pool you can use a brush to clean this film off. Be careful not to tear the lint screen when cleaning it though.
• Another possible cause may be the outside vent cap being clogged or not opening. Depending on the time of year there is a potential for a bird to build a nest in outside part of the vent, a large lint buildup in the end of the vent cap, something leaning up against the cap not allowing it to open,  or for the vent cap to be frozen shut during the winter months.
• One of the most common problems that causes a "not drying well" complaint is a clogged vent or pinched vent. Vinyl and aluminum foil vent are not only very serious fire hazards but they also have a tendency to pinch closed behind the dryer. Here is a link to the CPSC regarding dryers http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5022.pdf.

Award reflects businesses’ consistently high level of customer service

Andy’s Appliance Repair has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

“We are very proud to have chosen for this award,” said Andy’s President, Tanner Andrews.  “This is a testament to a great staff and a consistent approach to always taking care of our customers.”

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Andy’s Appliance Repair can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to business names in search results on AngiesList.com. 

Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

How long should I preheat my oven?

Making sure your oven is heated properly can make all the difference between the perfect meal and a meal that’s the perfect disaster

When you open up your oven to take out the meat loaf, garlic bread, pot roast, or those holiday cookies, the last thing you want is for your food to be under or overcooked. If you’re like everyone else in the world, there aren’t enough hours in the day and squeezing in time for cooking is already difficult enough without the frustration of having a sub-par outcome for you and your family.

After 40 years in the appliance repair business, I have learned a lot when it comes to knowing the little secrets about your appliances that can dramatically affect the outcome of your recipe. So, if you’ve been dreaming about that perfectly browned roast or expertly made batch of cookies but just haven’t quite gotten there, then read on!

Start with the basics: get a thermometer!

The first thing you need to ensure is that your temperature readings are correct. Make sure you have a GOOD digital thermometer. Unfortunately, if you want perfection, the thermometer you picked up at the dollar store just isn’t going to cut it. You get what you pay for with those things, and the temperature readings from your $1 thermometer can be highly inaccurate and lead to:

•  Burnt food
•  Undercooked food, and
•  Unhappy eaters!

Don’t have a good thermometer, do the cake test

Cooking a basic white cake is the perfect test to see if your oven is heating up correctly. If the cake is not cooked all the way by the time stated on the box, then your oven isn’t heating up correctly. Be sure to use the correct pan for the time listed. A larger or smaller pan will affect the cooking time. Before you run to the cupboard for your cake test, however, there is more to it than just your oven. Read on to “The human element,” first.

The human element: make your cooking process perfect

When it is time to cook, here’s how to do everything in your power to make that food cook right. Turn the oven to your set temperature and give it a good 20 minutes to heat up. It’s preheat ringer will go off after about 10 minutes or so to let you know it’s up to the right temperature. Disregard the ringer! Don’t put your food in just yet. The oven’s ringer goes off when:

• The air inside the cavity has reached the temperature you requested, however
• Those cold walls inside the oven have not absorbed all the heat.

The oven will actually fluctuate up and down in temperature after it reaches the correct heat. That is normal, so don’t be alarmed. On average, ovens fluctuate between 20 and 30 degrees up and down while they go through the preheating cycle. If you put your food in right after the oven ringer goes off (and don’t wait the full 20 minutes) then the oven is:

•  Not going to hold that initial temperature very long, and
•  Cycle back on to bring the temperature back up.

When this happens it throws your cooking time off and there’s a good chance it will lead to uneven baking. So, let your oven preheat for at least 20 minutes to fully bring the ENTIRE oven to its correct temperature before you put your food in.

No peeking: keep that door closed

Every time you open the oven you lose approximately 50 degrees of heat. So, use your oven light and trust your recipe (that’s what they’re there for). If you must open the oven – say, to put in your next batch of cookies – have that next batch right by your side. Be ready to take the first batch out and put the next one in as fast as you can. If you open the door, walk across the kitchen, grab the next batch, and then walk back to the oven to put it in, all you’re doing is:

• Messing with the oven’s temperature and
• Affecting the final outcome of your recipe!

What if you find out your oven’s temperature is not working correctly?

There are a couple of things you can check to help this situation. First, make sure there are no foil liners on the bottom of your oven. I know, I know, they help keep it clean. However, if you have a gas oven, that aluminum foil will:

• Block the air/gas mixture, and
• Disrupt the ignition process

This can cause a delayed ignition. The aluminum foil can also cause a gas build up in your oven, which will create a mini BOOM when it does ignite. Not a good thing. If your oven is electric, the aluminum foil can short out the element or thermostat, which will only leave to unneeded headaches. So, in a nutshell, get rid of the aluminum foil!

Second, if the temperature of your oven is consistently off by a specific amount, there are some calibration measures you can adjust on your own. As time passes, components may change or wear a little, which can adjust the temperature readings in the oven. On older units:

• You'll take the temperature knob off first,
• Then, on the back there is a screw that you can loosen and adjust the knob accordingly.

New units, with digital clocks, often have the option of adjusting the temperature +/- as needed.  The directions vary for each model. The directions for your particular model will be in your Use & Care Guide.  If you have misplaced your guide, or thrown it away (like I have been known to do) you can access that information on the manufacturer's website.

Turning to an expert

If you’re oven is still having a problem keeping the correct temperature and your food is coming out more or less cooked than it should be, call a reputable service company. To find a good company, inquire at places like:

• The Better Business Bureau
• Angie’s List, or
• Get a referral from a friend.

It’s important to be careful whom you choose to do your service. Ask questions and establish exactly how much it will cost for them to send a technician to your home and get an estimate.

DO NOT assume that if there is no service charge mentioned over the phone that it is free. Ask what the service charge is! ALL reputable service companies that come to your home have to charge a fee to bring their company to your door.

Getting a quality company to service your appliance right!

When you’re inquiring about a company, make sure they are:

• Established and that they do factory service for your brand and
• Undoubtedly more knowledgeable than “the other guys,” because in the world of appliance repair there are a lot of “other guys” out there

Getting a quality company might cost you a little more but – just like passing on the dollar store thermometer and going for a quality digital one – you get what you pay for. You don’t want someone to come to your home that doesn’t have a clue how to work on your appliance!

I hope this information has been helpful and leads to more fruitful cooking adventures for you and your family. Please give us a shout out on our Facebook Page if this has been helpful to you or just stop by the page to say hello. Happy Cooking, readers!

We've got you covered. For more tips visit Andy's Interactive Kitchen

First the problem:

• As of July 1st, 2010 detergent manufacturers had to remove phosphates from their soap.  Phosphates helped to clean the dishes and they also neutralized minerals in the water to keep this white film from appearing.

Now the solution:

• First we need to clean all of the soap residue out of the dishwasher.  To do this we have a Dishwasher Cleaner that we sell at our Lincoln & Omaha locations.  This needs to be done because all of the soap and soap deposits need to be removed from the dishwasher.  You can't mix different brands of phosphate free soaps or it will make the problem much worse.
• Next we need to change our soap use.  The brand that we recommend (as well as Bosch, Whirlpool & Maytag) is Finish.  Finish has replaced phosphates with enzymes and it works very well.  I use it and can tell you it has made a tremendous difference.
• Finally, when using Finish it is important not to rinse your dishes before putting them in your dishwasher.  I know, this sounds crazy, but it is true!!  The dishes still need to be scraped but the residues need to be left on the dishes for the soap to work properly.  The enzymes need something to wash and if you rinse first then it simply won't work properly.

 Get Creative: While you may not have the cash to make a large contribution there are other ways to help that just take a little imagination and work to pull off. For instance we have done several Food Drives over the past 2 years for the local missions and food banks. The creative part was trying to figure out how we could collect as much food as possible, while giving something to our customers at the same time. What we came up with was for a donation of 3 cans of food, we would take $10 off of their service call. Our company visits hundreds of homes every month to fix their broken appliances, so why not use our technicians to collect food and also save our customers a little money at the same time. You would be amazed how customers not only donated the food but donated more because it made them feel like they were helping out. While a single donation of 3 cans may not make a huge difference, you multiply that by 400 and now you have really made a significant contribution. People like being a part of a project like this and will not only embrace it but promote it as well. Last October we donated over 1,300 lbs of food to the Lincoln Food Bank and in August we donated over 1,500 lbs to the People’s City Mission and Omaha Open Door Mission. We are doing the same type of promotion this month with the Lincoln Food Bank and Omaha Open Door Mission. It will definitely be an annual event.


Another promotion that we just offered was a Facebook “Like” drive. Andy’s Appliance Repair has teamed up with Matt Davison’s Foundation, Creating Captains (http://www.creatingcaptains.org/). If Andy’s Appliance Repair gets 1,700 likes on our Facebook Page we will donate $1,700 to Creating Captains. Creating Captains also works with the local backpack programs to help local youth with food over the weekend. Many kids right here in Nebraska don’t eat a real meal from the time they leave school on Friday to the time they go back to school on Monday. This program sends a backpack of food home with them on Friday so they have something to eat and not have to worry about being hungry. School and life for these kids is hard enough as is, just giving them food makes a difference. If you would like to participate click here and simply like the page. Just one click makes a huge difference and pass it along to your friends.

Lead by Example: I heard Matt Davison speak at a local event and part of his message was on leadership. He said that everyone falls into one of two types of leaders. The voluntary leader who is the vocal leader that chooses to lead. The other type was the involuntary leader that leads by example. Not all people lead in positive ways but everyone leads in one way shape or form. Your actions, what other people see, will influence how others around you act. You can either have positive actions which lead others to act in a positive manner or negative actions which can lead others to act in a negative manner. To illustrate this a little better think of that commercial where a person sees someone do positive deed and they in-turn do one and the circle continues. Just by trying and doing something positive you are influencing others in your community to do the same. It just happened to me by listening to Matt speak. His message continued to motivate me even further, thus the new Facebook Promotion. While we all may not be vocal leaders we all can control our actions and how we influence others around us.

Remember, everyone can make a difference and I feel blessed to be in a community that embraces this and takes it to heart. I hope that this post influences someone to think outside of the box and make a difference in their community. Believe me, I talk to the organizations that we work with and they are very appreciative of everything little bit.

Thanks,

Tanner

However, with all of these innovations come new problems. Appliances simply are not going to run 5 years without some kind of issue. Not that these issues cannot be fixed but a lot of service companies do not go through the proper training to know how these appliances work. Our company, takes the extra steps to get the training, actually right now I have 9 technicians at a Viking Training seminar. Puts us a little behind for the day, but the training is a necessity.

So to answer the question, "What brand of appliance should I buy?" I answer it like this, find one that you like and go with it. All brands have issues, so go with what you are comfortable with. We provide factory service for almost every brand, except Maytag and Whirlpool, so we let our customers know this, so they can use us for warranty service. If you have a dependable service company that you trust, call them and see what brands they are comfortable with and authorized for and steer towards those brands. Like I said, all brands have their issues and good service is hard to find. The person to ask for a recommendation is the company that fixes them, not the company that sells them.

Hope this helps,

Andy

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