Author Archives: Warners' Stellian Appliance

Spotlight Series: Anna Johnson from Marketing

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This month we’re meeting Anna Johnson from our Marketing Team!


What is your role at Warners’ Stellian?
I’m the Digital Marketing Specialist.

Tell us more about your role.
I run and monitor all of our social media platforms; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat Ads and TikTok. I also run our social media ads which has equaled out to about 100 ads running at a time. With social media I am creating all the content that is posted.

What do you like most about your job?
I love the possibilities and resources we have here. There is also a lot of teamwork which makes making content and generating ideas for marketing campaigns really fun!

Tell us about your family.
I am the middle child with two brothers. I adopted my dog Savannah about 3 years ago and she is a spunky 4-year-old lab/shepherd mix who likes long walks after dinner and trips to the dog park. She enjoys swimming so we go up north to Cumberland, Wisconsin where my dad’s family is from, from time to time.

What was your first job?
My first job was at the Hudson Golf Club when I was 15 where my dad was the Superintendent and my boss. That made for an interesting experience (in a good way, ha!) as I was on the Grounds Crew there with my older brother.

What do you like to do on your days off?
On my days off I’m either visiting friends and family or managing a mental health non-profit, The Butterfly Path which I started 5 years ago to help fund for mental health resources and therapy sessions for families/individuals when insurance can’t cover it.

What three words would you use to describe Warners’ Stellian?
Family, Community, and Integrity.


What’s your favorite appliance, and why?
My favorite appliance is anything Smeg. I love that style and aesthetic.

Tell us something about you that would surprise us or that most people don’t know.
I used to want to be a teacher when I grew up but changed majors to marketing halfway through college. Once I got my degree, I was a substitute teacher in Hudson where I’m from before landing my first full time job.

What is the one thing you cannot live without?
Coffee! I can’t function without it.

If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Top the Tater. I could eat that all day, every day.

What is your favorite thing to do?
My favorite thing to do would probably doing anything with my family! My mom, two brothers, and sister-in-laws are really close and do a lot together whether that’s going out to dinner, Top Golf, or getting ready to welcome the first grand baby into the family! I’m very excited to add Auntie to my name.

How To Improve Indoor Air Quality This Winter

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Dreaming of a warmer spring day with the windows wide open? Yeah, well keep dreaming. Winter is coming, and for Minnesotans that means a few long months until we fling open our windows again to welcome the fresh spring air. In the meantime, our houses remain sealed tight, keeping the cold out and the stale indoor air, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and other winter allergens sealed in. Sound like something you’ve sneezed about in the past? We’re here to make it easy breezy to improve your indoor air quality at home while we wait for spring.

Change Your Air Filter

The first line of defense for good air quality in your home is a clean air filter! Check your owners’ manual for advice and directions on changing your air filter. Some should be changed every 6 months, others more frequently depending on your home environment. To ensure your HVAC system is firing on all cylinders, schedule a furnace tuneup.

READ MORE: Fall Furnace Maintenance Checklist

Add Some Humidity

Dry winter air, which is exacerbated by your furnace, can cause chapped lips, scaly skin and sore throats. The ideal in-home humidity level is approximately 45 percent. Adjust your humidity levels accordingly with a moisture or humidity gauge. To increase humidity, use a vaporizer or humidifier. Or you can add humidity to the air naturally by placing vessels of water on radiators or near vents.

Invest in Houseplants

kitchen with Thermador appliances

Image via Thermador

Clear the air of indoor pollutants using houseplants. Studies show that houseplants can filter VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air, helping you breathe easier. If you can keep them alive, this list of plants helps purify the air of common indoor pollutants that come from our carpeting, paints and cleaning products.

Vacuum on a Regular Basis

Invest in a quality vacuum that uses a HEPA filter. Dust/dust mites, pollen and chemicals trapped in your carpet can be sneaky culprits causing you to cough and sneeze. Check out our vacuum cleaner buying guide to see which vacuum at Warners’ Stellian is right for you!

When Americans spend on average 90% of their time indoors, especially in winter, improving indoor air quality conditions proves to be a worthwhile cause. Breathe easier and sneeze less this winter with the tips above.

What advice do you have for improving indoor air quality? Share it in the comments section below.

Featured image via Rheem

Spotlight Series: Meet Service Foreman Al Brown

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At Warners’ Stellian, one of our core values is family, and each new employee becomes a member of our family. In our Spotlight Series, we plan to share a deeper look into the talent that contributes to our success each day. This week, let’s meet Service Foreman Al Brown.

How long have you worked at Warners’ Stellian?

I’ve been with the service department for 14 years. However, I worked for a service company that closely supported Warners’ for 20 years before that… which reminds me I’m getting old!

What did you want to be growing up, and how did that change/evolve?

I wanted to be a train engineer! I still love everything about trains. I grew up in Superior, Wisconsin, where the railroad and shipping rule. My father worked for a creamery in Superior and was taking a night course on refrigeration at the tech college. He talked me into taking one of the courses with him when I was still in high school. I found it really interesting and went to school for it after graduation. I obviously enjoyed it, because here I am.

What is your advice for other people considering a career as an HVAC or appliance technician?

Embrace change. That was the best advice I got from my instructors. When I started in the field, electronics were just starting to take the place of mechanical controls. A lot of coworkers didn’t want to commit to learning new systems and quit. It’s changing faster than ever now with smart appliances and connected Wi-Fi.

Can you talk more about how the industry has changed during your career?

Technology is so much better; appliances can use much less water and electricity. A refrigerator, for example, counts how many times you open the door and what the room temperature is to set fan and compressor speeds. There’s even a refrigerator that takes a picture every time you close the door and sends it to your phone, so you never have to wonder if you’re out of milk when shopping.

What’s one thing about you people would be surprised to know?

I only have nine toes! I had a hunting accident seven years ago and was shot in the foot. Without going into too much detail, I will say it was Warners’ Stellian Field Service Manager Bill Forga who accidentally discharged his rifle – still some doubt as to if he was aiming it or not!

What is your favorite season, and why?

It was always fall for the changing colors and hunting, but summer is starting to take over because my granddaughter loves the water and we spend a ton of time swimming and boating together.

Are you interested in joining the Warners’ Stellian family? Apply here!

Asian-Style Barbecue Pork Taco Recipe

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Celebrate National Taco Day (also known as every night in our kitchen) with this delicious barbecue pork taco recipe from our friends at GE. This recipe makes about eight tacos, so adjust as needed.

Barbecue Pork Taco Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin
  • 8 Asian steamed buns

For the seasoning:

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For the coleslaw:

  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

For the barbecue sauce:

  • 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (or more, to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Directions

  1. Season the pork tenderloin (on all sides) with the mixture of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  2. Place the tenderloin on a metal tray, and fold the thin end of the tenderloin under itself to cook evenly with the rest of the tenderloin. Cook your pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
  3. While the tenderloin is cooking, prepare your coleslaw by combining shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced green onion, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl, tossing well.
  4. For the barbecue sauce, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Stir the mixture, microwave for 30 seconds, then stir again.
  5. When the pork tenderloin is done cooking, allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the tenderloin (about 16 slices), place in a shallow bowl and coat well with the barbecue sauce.
  6. To serve, heat the Asian steamed buns for 10 to 20 seconds. Split open the buns, spoon a couple slices of the barbecue sauce-coated pork tenderloin into each bun and garnish with  coleslaw to taste. Enjoy!

Taco Recipe Tips

Asian steamed buns can be found in the frozen section of an Asian market. Substitute with flour or corn tortillas if desired.

5 Tips for Keeping a Cool Refrigerator this Summer

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You owe your refrigerator major props for keeping your food from spoiling and always having a cold one (beer, water, lemonade – whatever your preference) waiting for you at the end of a long day. To show your appreciation, take these steps to help your refrigerator keep its cool during the dog days of summer. Your energy bill will thank you.

1. Check the Seal

Make sure your refrigerator seal (gasket) is airtight. An easy way to do this is with the dollar bill test. Close a dollar bill (or just a sheet of paper if you don’t carry cash) in the fridge door. If the door holds the dollar securely in place, then the seal is tight. If the dollars falls out or can be removed easily, the seal is too loose.

Before replacing the gasket, look for any obstructions that may be causing the faulty seal. If that doesn’t do the trick, repair your refrigerator seal with Vaseline by applying a thin layer on the part of the seal that connects to your fridge or freezer.

2. Clean the Coils

Dust and dirt accumulates on your fridge coils over time, and rather quickly if you live with shedding pets. New refrigerators have self-cleaning condensers, but for older fridges, you need to remove the dirt yourself. You might have a vacuum attachment that will work on the coils, but if not, purchase a coil brush. Then clean your coils; your fridge will breathe a sigh of relief!

3. Stock the Fridge

Thermador-traditional-kitchen-coffee-machine-refrigeration

Photo via Thermador

I know it sounds counterintuitive; more food seems like more work. But that’s not true! It actually takes more energy to cool an empty fridge. Of course you don’t want to stock more than you can eat or load it up with groceries before taking a summer vacation.

Quick tip: Fill those empty spaces with pitchers of water. Then you’ll always have a cold, refreshing drink when you need it!

4. Set the Temperature

Make sure your fridge and freezer are set to the correct temperature – cool enough to keep your food safe, but not working harder than needed. The recommended temperature for a refrigerator ranges from 35 to 38 degrees. The ideal freezer temperature is between 0 and 5 degrees.

5. Change the Filter

Your filtered water won’t be very clean if it’s pulled through a dirty “filter.” Your fridge might have an indicator that tells you when to change the filter. Either way, your refrigerator water filter should be changed about twice a year (follow manufacturer guidelines for frequency). Change the filter if it’s time. Not only will you benefit from cleaner water, your ice maker will run more efficiently.

Featured image via Beko

What tips do you have to help your refrigerator keep its cool? Share them in the comments!