PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The busy holiday cooking season is officially upon us. Are your appliances ready to work overtime?

According to a nationwide Angie’s List poll, more than 40 percent of respondents said they’ll host holiday dinners this year. That will put their ovens, refrigerators and garbage disposals to the test.

“When it comes to appliances, homeowners oftentimes take them for granted. We don’t take proper care of them and then we end up disappointed when they don’t work right,” Angie Hicks from Angie’s List said.

Eleven percent of the poll respondents said they’ve had an appliance die in the midst of preparing a special meal.

“People that haven’t tried their ovens for a month, two months, three months, or six months. The day before Thanksgiving they want to cook a turkey and their oven doesn’t work so we get emergency calls all the time,” Rick Cantleberry said.

“If you’re going to be hosting dinner over the holiday season be sure to do a test run before the big day. Do it at least two weeks ahead of time,” Hicks said.

Your refrigerator runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so simple maintenance is key.

“The only thing you can do besides wiping it down and keeping it clean. Your kick plate down here, you can pull it off. If you have coils underneath there you can vacuum them and keep them clean,” Cantleberry said.

If one of your appliances does break, be sure to do your research.

Home appliances are expensive, and you want to ensure the company you hire is reputable and has the skills required to complete the fix in a timely and efficient manner.

“A basic service call on an appliance is going to cost anywhere from $60 to $100. Keep in mind that does not include parts and labor,” Hicks said.

Here’s what you shouldn’t do before the holidays: run your oven’s self-cleaning cycle.

Self-cleaning cycles cause the oven to run at extremely high temperatures, which could cause them to fail.

Another way to keep your oven clean is to wipe it down after each use with soap and water.

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