April Showers May Bring Power Outages

Mr. Appliance® has tips to save refrigerated and frozen foods while the power is off

(Thursday, April 20, 2006) - When a thunderstorm moves on, it can leave the electricity knocked off and homeowners scrambling to keep the food in their refrigerator and freezer from spoiling. "Reacting quickly and resourcefully is essential if homeowners plan to keep their food safe during power outages," said Doug Rogers, president of Mr. Appliance. "But they also need to know what to do before the electricity is knocked off." With the power out, homeowners can still plug into these tips from Mr. Appliance to keep food edible as long as possible: Keep doors shut to minimize loss of cold air and maximize the time food stays refrigerated or frozen o If unopened, food in most refrigerators should be safe for four hours o Most full freezers keep food frozen for two days if doors stay closed If freezer is half-full, group food together because it may only stay frozen for a day o Put trays underneath food in case they thaw and start to leak o As a preventative measure, don't leave freezer low on food, but if it is always near-empty, fill jugs with water and keep them in the freezer Unplug refrigerator if the electricity comes back on and it makes noises but fails to start o Wait five to 10 minutes and plug it back in o If it still doesn't start, unplug again, keep doors shut and call a qualified appliance technician o Add ice to refrigerator and freezer if the technician can't come immediately If homeowners are still doubtful or worried about the quality of the food once the refrigerator and freezer are back on, they should throw it away. About Mr. Appliance®: Established in 1996, Mr. Appliance is the only franchise providing full-service appliance service and repair, both commercially and residentially. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its "Franchise 500," "Top New Franchises" and "Top 101 Home-Based Franchises," Mr. Appliance franchisees provide services to both residential and commercial customers at more than 90 locations worldwide. Mr. Appliance is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information or to find the location nearest you, visit our Web site at www.mrappliance.com. About The Dwyer Group®: The Dwyer Group, Inc., based in Waco, Texas, is a holding company of six franchise businesses, each selling and supporting a different franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter® (Drain Doctor® in the UK), and Rainbow International®. Collectively, these independent franchise concepts offer customers world-wide a broad base of residential and commercial services. The Dwyer Group also owns Harmon Solutions Group™, a third party administrator for the insurance community. The Dwyer Group is a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, a private equity firm with offices in New York, Cleveland, Dallas and San Francisco. For more information on The Dwyer Group, or its franchise concepts, visit the company's Web site at www.dwyergroup.com.

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