Oven Bottom Drawer: Warming, Broiler or Storage? | Austin TX

Oven drawer for storage

Is Your Oven’s Bottom Drawer a Warming Drawer,
Broiler, or Just Storage? (Austin & Georgetown Homeowners Need to Know)

How It Works Series | NEU Appliance Repair

If you’ve ever opened the bottom drawer on your range and wondered, “Is this thing actually useful, or just a fancy pan graveyard?” — you’re not alone. Every week in Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, and Pflugerville we get calls from confused homeowners who have no idea what that drawer is actually for.

NEU Appliance Repair technician showing the difference between a warming drawer and storage drawer in an Austin-area home

The 3 Types of Bottom Drawers (and How to Tell in 5 Seconds)

1. Storage Drawer
Thin metal walls, no heating element. No control panel setting for it. Designed purely for pans and baking sheets.

2. Warming Drawer
Thicker, insulated walls. Separate “Warm” or “Proof” setting. Temp 140–200 °F. Keeps plates hot or proofs dough.

3. Broil / Warming Combo
Visible broil element at the top of the drawer. Control panel has “Low Broil” or “Warming”. Crisp casseroles or keep food warm.

Quick Test: Open the drawer. Look up — see a red broil element? → Broiler/warming. Thick walls? → Warming. Thin metal? → Storage.

What You Should NEVER Put in That Drawer

  • Plastic cutting boards or lids (melts & toxic fumes)
  • Paper towels, cardboard, matches
  • Aerosol cans or chemicals
  • Pans with plastic/wood handles

Clever Ways Austin & Georgetown Families Use Warming Drawers

  • Proofing pizza or bread dough in half the time
  • Keeping Thanksgiving sides hot while the turkey rests
  • Warming plates so food stays hot longer
  • Emergency slow-cooker for chili on game day

Oven or Range Issues in Austin or Georgetown?

Give us a call at (512) 942-0767 to schedule your appointment.
We proudly serve Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, and Pflugerville.

Proudly serving Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and all surrounding Central Texas communities with honest, expert appliance repair.

Why Your Washer Shakes & Walks Across the Floor | UE/UB Error Fix

WasherShaking

Why Your Washing Machine Sounds Like a Jet Engine
(And Walks Across the Laundry Room Floor)

How It Works Series | NEU Appliance Repair

If you live in Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, or Pflugerville, you’ve probably heard it: a top-load washer that suddenly starts slamming around like it’s trying to escape the laundry room during the spin cycle. One minute it’s fine, the next it’s “thump-thump-BANG” loud enough to wake the neighbors.

NEU Appliance Repair technician demonstrating worn suspension rods on a shaking top-load washer in an Austin-area home

The Real Culprit: Unbalanced Loads + Worn Suspension Rods

Modern top-load washers spin at 700–800 RPM. That’s fast enough to fling water out of clothes in minutes — but only if the tub stays perfectly centered.

Your washer has four suspension rods (or springs on older models) that act like shock absorbers for a car. When they’re new, they keep the tub stable even with a slightly uneven load.

When they wear out (usually 5–8 years), the tub starts swinging wildly. The machine detects the imbalance, slams on the brakes, and either stops mid-cycle or tries to “re-balance” by banging itself against the cabinet — sometimes hard enough to walk across the floor.

Why Comforters & Towels Are the Worst Offenders

Heavy, absorbent items soak up water unevenly. One side gets heavier → tub tilts → suspension rods can’t control it → violent shaking.

The washer’s computer sees this as dangerous (it really can damage the machine) and throws an “UL” or “UB” error code, or just stops spinning altogether.

Quick Tests You Can Do Right Now

  1. Rock Test – Push down on opposite corners of the washer. If it wobbles or one corner lifts easily → it’s not level (or legs are seized).
  2. Tub Drop Test – Open the lid, push down hard on the tub, then let go. If it bounces more than once or twice → suspension rods are shot.
  3. Comforter Test – Run a bulky load. If it stops with a UE/UB error every time → classic worn suspension symptom.

How to Prevent (and Fix) the Problem

  • Always spread heavy items evenly around the agitator
  • Don’t overload — leave at least a hand-width of space at the top
  • Level the washer (use a bubble level on top — adjust front legs until perfect)
  • Replace suspension rods before they completely fail (much cheaper than a new transmission)

The Hidden Danger Most People Miss

An out-of-balance washer doesn’t just make noise — it stresses bearings, drive systems, and can eventually crack the outer tub. Water leaks + electrical components = real fire risk.

We see it all the time in Austin-area homes: a suspension rod kit prevents an $800+ repair bill later.

Washer Banging or Walking in Austin or Georgetown?

Give us a call at (512) 942-0767 to schedule your appointment.
We proudly serve Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, and Pflugerville.

Proudly serving Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and all surrounding Central Texas communities with honest, expert appliance repair.

Why Your Dryer Takes Forever to Dry Clothes | Lint Buildup & Fire Risk

Dryer taking forever to dry

Why Your Dryer Takes Forever to Dry Clothes
(And How Lint Buildup Can Start a Fire)

How It Works Series | NEU Appliance Repair

If you live in Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, or Pflugerville, you’ve probably noticed your dryer needing two or three cycles to get clothes dry — even though it’s getting hot. You clean the lint screen every load, so what’s the problem?

NEU Appliance Repair technician showing hidden lint buildup behind dryer vent in an Austin-area home

How a Dryer Actually Dries Clothes

A dryer doesn’t “bake” clothes dry. It works by blowing hot air through the tumbling load, picking up moisture, and exhausting it outside through that big silver duct.

For that to work:

  1. Hot air must flow freely through the clothes
  2. Moist air must exit quickly through the vent

When lint clogs the path, hot, humid air gets trapped inside the drum. Clothes stay damp, cycles run longer, and the trapped heat + lint = a real fire risk.

Where Lint Hides (Even If You Clean the Screen Every Time)

  • Inside the lint screen housing (deep behind the screen)
  • In the blower wheel (under the drum)
  • In every bend of the exhaust duct (especially flexible foil ones)
  • Behind the drum in the heating element area

The Fire Danger Is Real

The U.S. Fire Administration estimates 2,900 dryer fires per year — most caused by lint buildup in places homeowners never clean. In tight Central Texas neighborhoods, a dryer fire can spread fast.

Quick Test You Can Do Right Now

  1. Run a timed-dry cycle on high heat with a normal load
  2. After 15 minutes, feel the outside exhaust vent
  3. Strong, hot airflow → Vent is probably clear
  4. Weak or lukewarm → Major restriction somewhere

How Often Should You Deep-Clean?

  • Lint screen: Every load
  • Exhaust duct & blower area: Every 1–2 years
  • Full teardown & cleaning: Every 3–5 years or when drying time doubles

Pro Tip From Our Austin Techs

Never use flexible foil or plastic vents — they trap lint in the ridges. Rigid or semi-rigid metal duct is safer and lasts longer.

Dryer Taking Forever in Austin or Georgetown?

Give us a call at (512) 942-0767 to schedule your appointment.
We proudly serve Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, and Pflugerville.

Proudly serving Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and all surrounding Central Texas communities with honest, expert appliance repair.

True Convection vs Regular Convection | What It Really Means

Basic Convection Oven

What “True Convection” Actually Means
(And Why It Matters in Austin & Georgetown Kitchens)

How It Works Series | NEU Appliance Repair

If you’ve ever stood in front of a wall oven in an Austin or Georgetown home wondering why one model costs $800 more just because it says “True Convection” or “European Convection” – you’re not alone. Most people think it’s just a fan. It’s not.

NEU Appliance Repair technician explaining True Convection oven technology to a homeowner in Austin, TX

The Real Difference: Regular Bake vs. Convection vs. True Convection

Regular Bake – Heat comes only from the bottom element (and a little from the hidden broil at the top). Hot air rises, cools around your food, and creates hot/cold spots. You rotate pans and still get uneven results.

Basic Convection – Adds a fan in the back wall. Better airflow, but the fan is just pushing air that was already heated by the bake element. Improvement? Yes. Perfect? No.

True Convection (European Convection) – Adds a third heating element that surrounds the fan itself. The air is heated before it hits your food, then forcefully circulated at a constant temperature. Result: perfectly even 360° heat, 20–30 % faster cook times, and restaurant-level browning at home.

Why True Convection Cooks Faster & More Evenly

Still air is a terrible conductor. Moving air transfers heat dramatically faster. When that moving air is actively heated by its own dedicated element, you eliminate cold pockets completely. A Thanksgiving turkey in a True Convection oven in Georgetown can finish 25–30 minutes sooner with juicier meat and crispier skin – no rotating required.

Foods That LOVE True Convection

  • Roasts & whole poultry (even browning, juicy inside)
  • Multiple trays of cookies or appetizers (all bake identically)
  • Vegetables & potatoes (perfect caramelization)
  • Pizza, bread, anything needing a crispy bottom

Foods You Should Never Cook on True Convection

  • Custards, flan, cheesecake (fan creates skin & cracks)
  • Soufflés & delicate cakes (uneven rising)
  • Quick-cooking fish or thin foods (dries out)
  • Anything where gentle, still heat is required

Pro Tip From Our Austin Techs

When using True Convection, drop the recipe temperature by 25 °F and start checking 10–15 minutes early. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Oven Not Heating Evenly in Austin or Georgetown?

Whether it’s a bad heating element, faulty convection fan, or something else — we fix it fast, same-day in most cases.

Give us a call at (512) 942-0767 to schedule your appointment.
We proudly serve Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, and Pflugerville.

Proudly serving Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, and all surrounding Central Texas communities with honest, expert appliance repair.