FAQs

1. What is your location?
Our main office is located at: 1255 Cortez Drive # 3, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. We also have locations in San Mateo and San Jose.

2. How many years have you been in business?
We have been in business since 1998.

3. What areas do you service?
We serve San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and Alameda County.

4. What kind of insurance does Quick Appliance Service have?
We have a commercial general liability insurance.

5. What form of payments does your company accept?
We accept checks, Visa, and Master Card.

6. What does Quick Appliance Service do?
Quick Appliance Service repairs and services all major appliances in heating, cooling, refrigeration, and water heaters. We service both residential and commercial areas.

7. Can I put my refrigerator up against the wall?
Yes, as long as there is no metal grid on the back of it. If there is one, you should make sure you leave a space between the unit and the wall. Make sure you check your Owner's Installation Manual.

8. What can I do? I have an old refrigerator that doesn't work any more and I need to get rid of it?
The best option is to take it to your local landfill. However, the law does require that you have the refrigerator evacuated first. Your appliance service company should be able to do that for you.

9. Is repairing an old appliance really a good investment?
When asking “how much is a new one?” you need to consider both the quality of appliance you can afford as a replacement and the option of having your existing appliance properly repaired by a competent professional. QUICK APPLIANCE SERVICE can diagnose and evaluate your appliance to determine if it is in your best interest to repair or replace it and make a recommendation accordingly; give us a call at (650) 333-5145. Also another cost associated with buying a new appliance is the “aggra-dollar”. That is, the aggravation and time spent that goes along with shopping for a new appliance, having it delivered, getting it installed, and disposing of your old one. If you’ve experienced this joy recently, you will realize that the aggra-dollar is a very significant cost!

10. Should I repair or replace my existing appliance?
If you are comparing having your existing machine repaired or replacing it with a machine that is comparable in price with what you paid for your machine 10 or so years ago, you will not be making a valid comparison. The machines are neither similar in quality or durability for the same price. If you were to merely replace your existing appliance with one that costs about what you paid a decade ago, you'll be repairing or junking the new machine every three to four years. You'll either have to pay more up front for a new, high-quality machine that will give you another 10 years of trouble-free operation or you pay less up front for a low-end machine and then pay as you go for repairs.

11. What is the average amount of time it takes for a load of clothes to dry?
On the average, a large load of clothes should only take 45 minutes to dry completely. If you are noticing that your clothes are averaging more than 1 hour to dry, you might want to call us to check the unit. Make sure you clean the lint filter after every load. Also, you will need to have your exhaust duct cleaned yearly.

12. Why does my washer stop at the rinse cycle?
Most modern washers use cold water for rinsing clothes, you might want to call us to check the unit. We recommend that you must remove the hoses and clean the intake screens, replace the water supply hoses every five years, avoid overloading the washer and finally, check the water valve and the timer.

13. How do I keep my garbage disposal from smelling bad?
You can prevent garbage disposal “bad breath” by regularly running the disposal while putting ice cubes and cold water through the system. To improve both odor control and the water flow, feed all those left over lemon or lime peels.

14. Why do my glasses come out of the dishwasher foggy?
Do not use too much dishwasher detergent and use additive products such as Jet Dry.

15. What can I do to keep my water heater longer?
Once a year, drain and flush the tank or give us a call at 1-877-96QUICK to do it for you.

16. What can I do to keep my refrigerator longer?
- Once a year clean the condenser unit to ensure that it works efficiently.
- Leave some space on either sides of the refrigerator.

17. What maintenance do you suggest for heating systems?
Replace the air filters twice a year (before summer and before winter)
CALL US AT (650) 333-5145 TO MAKE THE TUNE –UP which includes:
-Clean, wash, or replace standard air filter
-Clean and adjusted burner assembly
-Check thermostats calibration
-Clean condensate drains
-Measure temperature difference between supply and return air
-Tighten electrical connections
-Measure for correct air flow
-Adjust the pilot or ignition assembly
-Adjust gas pressure
-Monitor flue draft

18. What maintenance do you suggest for cooling systems?
CALL US AT (650) 333-5145 TO MAKE THE TUNE-UP which includes:
-Keep vegetation, grass clipping and leaves away from the condenser grill.
-The seal motors on newer units do not require extra oil.
-Clean the drain hole in the chassis using s stiff wire.
-Clean, wash, or replace standard air filter
-Check the refrigerant pressure
-Check thermostats calibration
-Clean condensate drains
-Measure temperature difference between supply and return air
-Tighten electrical connections
-Measure for correct air flow

19. What is Quick Appliance Service Corp.?
Quick Appliance Service is a full-service repair and maintenance company specializing in Refrigeration, Heating, Air Conditioning, Water Heaters, and Appliances .We offer services on residential and commercial.

20. Who is sent to my house to do the work?
A uniformed Quick Appliance Service technician will arrive at your home carrying his own tools in a clearly marked van. We carefully screen each of our employees before hiring, and they are insured and all possess a high level of skill and experience. Our technicians arrive on time, ready to work.

21. How do I schedule a service appointment?
You will need to telephone our main office number and provide to the receptionist your home address and information regarding the repair you are requesting. The other option we provide is going online to our website and request for an appointment by filling out the service request; we will call you to set up the appointment.

22. My PILOT LIGHT is OUT. What should I do?
Turn off the gas valve and electrical to avoid gas leak. Your Power Company will light it. If it still will not light give us a call.

23. My PILOT LIGHT is ON, but my furnace is not operating - what should I do?
First, check for power, check fuses and/or ON-OFF switch. Next, check thermostat for proper setting. If none of these approaches work call QUICK APPLIANCE SERVICE.

24. Why is my furnace blowing out cold air?
It could be a thermostat switch is in on setting; something is in the flue, transformer or "Main Board".

25. My furnace has a funny smell, what could it be?
It could be dust, pet hair and/or burning pollutants can cause an unpleasant odor. More seriously, it could be a gas leak.

26. How can I tell whether my furnace has a CARBON MONOXIDE leak?
Have Your Power Company or QUICK APPLIANCE SERVICE come out to check for cracks in heat-exchanger.

27. Why does my furnace not put out enough heat?
Improper combustion, restricted air flow, leaks in the duct work or improper design, could all play a role.

28. Why is my furnace so noisy?
It could be a worn fan belt, bad bearings or bearings in need of lubrication.

29. Why do the registers at the far end of my home have little or no air flow?
The duct work could be leaking or the TRUNK LINE could be the wrong size.

30. My allergies seem to bother me a lot at home. What can I do?
At least, change your AIR FILTERS. You might also consider having your AIR DUCTS cleaned. Much of the dust, mites and other debris that build up in the AIR DUCTS are circulated into the air of your home.

31. What are the benefits of an AIR FILTRATION system?
An Air Filtration system removes dust, pollen, spores and smoke. It can also reduce the cost of Furnace and Air Conditioner maintenance.

32. What humidifier should we purchase for our home?
It is very possible that more than one model humidifier may work for your home; Quick Appliance Service can help you choose the best for your application.

33. WHY IS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE NECESSARY?
Preventive Maintenance is essential to the proper functioning of HVAC equipment. If preventive maintenance is not performed regularly or if it is done haphazardly, the equipment will require extensive and costly repairs at a later date. This is not just a case of "pay me now or pay me later." It is a case of "pay me now or pay me considerably more, later," and loses reliability in the process.

Preventive maintenance of HVAC equipment, regular inspections each year. During these inspections, proper operation of the equipment is checked and verified. All mechanical equipment is designed to operate within certain limits. HVAC equipment is no exception, and if not properly maintained, the equipment will exceed its design limitations with the result being equipment failure.

34. Why must we replace air filters?
Air conditioning equipment is designed to operate with a specific quantity of air passing over its indoor coil surface. When air filters are not replaced, they clog and become coated with dirt. Similarly, the indoor coils get coated with dirt. This dirt reduces the amount of air through the unit below the design limit, leading to catastrophic failure.

In the cooling mode, if there is not enough air over the indoor coil, the coil temperature drops. When it drops below the freezing point, ice forms on the coil, which further reduces the airflow, which further reduces the coil temperature. The compressor within the unit is a pump, which is designed to pump a vapor. As the airflow through the indoor coil drops, there isn't enough heat being removed from the air passing over the coil to vaporize the liquid refrigerant inside the coil. Thus, instead of receiving a vapor, the compressor receives liquid refrigerant. This is called "liquid slugging". The effect of "liquid slugging" is similar to the effect of pouring liquid into the cylinders of a gas engine. As liquids are not compressible, cylinder pressure exceeds the design limits, of the cylinder, and the valves, connecting rods, pistons, or other internal components are destroyed. The units start out requiring that its filters be replaced. Now it needs a new compressor.

In the heating mode, low airflow causes the heat exchanger to overheat. Heat exchangers are designed to operate at temperature between 120°F and 200°F. At higher temperatures, the heat exchanger oxidizes, its life-span is reduced, or it cracks and breaks. In either case, it makes far more sense to replace air filters regularly than to replace a heat exchanger costing far more.

35. Why must we replace drive belts? (Usually Commercial)
Loose or broken drive belts cause the same problems that dirty filters cause. They cause the airflow through the equipment to be reduced below design limits. In addition, loose drive belts slip on the pulleys. This wears the groove in the pulley so that when the belt is replaced, the new belt is ruined in a short period of time by the worn pulleys.

36. Why must we clean condenser coils?
Equipment is designed to operate between certain outdoor temperature limits. Cooling and condensing of the refrigerant vapor is designed to occur with a particular volume of air flowing through the condenser at a maximum outdoor ambient temperature. (Usually 115°F) If the finned surfaces of the outdoor coils are fouled with dirt, the ability of these coils to transfer heat is reduced and the airflow through the condenser coil is reduced. When the ability to transfer heat is reduced, the operating temperatures and pressures of the unit increase. A unit, designed to operate at ambient temperatures of 115°F or more, may stop operating at an outdoor temperature of 90°F. Due to the reduced heat transfer capability, the operating temperatures and pressures within the unit exceed the manufacturer's safe limit and the unit shuts down. If the unit does not exceed the manufacturer's limits by enough to shut down, it will continue to run at reduced capacity and efficiency, and at an increased rate of wear due to the increased work load.

37. Why Inspect Relays and Contactors?
Electrical relays are designed to open and close a certain number of times with a particular current load, before the contact points are damaged and relay requires replacement. If more than the design current is passed through this relay due to a motor working too hard, or low voltage conditions, the contact points overheat and become damaged. If the electrical contacts in a contactor (large relay) begin to get pitted, and the contactor is not replaced, eventually the compressor motor or the fan motor controlled by the contactor will burn up and require replacement. Once again, if we exceed the design limitations of the device, or its anticipated life span, additional damage is caused.

38.Why Must We Lubricate Bearings and Rotating Components?
Bearings and other rotating parts are designed to have a useful life span of hundreds of thousands of hours, provided they are lubricated at appropriate intervals and are not overloaded due to vibration from defective drive belts or dirty blower wheels. If bearings are not lubricated regularly, they will overheat and seize. When this occurs, the bearings fall apart, and the blower wheel, shaft, and housing are destroyed. This is a prime example of a situation where inexpensive maintenance was neglected with catastrophic results.

39. Why Must We Check the Refrigerant Charge on a Regular Basis?
A unit operating with an insufficient refrigerant charge can ruin its compressor via two scenarios. The unit icing up due to a low-pressure condition causes the first type of failure, causing the compressor to fail due to liquid slugging, as described before. The second type of failure is due to the fact that the compressor requires a certain quantity of cool refrigerant vapor to cool its motor windings. If the refrigerant charge is not sufficient, the motor within the compressor will overheat and burn up.

The scenarios described all cause damage to occur slowly, over a period of time, usually without being noticed by the occupants of the conditioned space until catastrophic failure has occurred.

Regularly scheduled preventive maintenance properly performed, in addition to lowering overall annual HVAC service costs, and reducing the number of emergency calls due to catastrophic failures, will also result in lower utility costs.

Properly maintained equipment operates more

 

Glossary of terms