Dishwasher recall

Maytag Inadvertantly Ships Dishwashers Which Do Not Burst Into Flames
Submitted by advisor on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 11:29pm.
Maytag has been rightly proud of nearly 16 consecutive years, 1994 - 2010 (except for 1996) of shipping dual function dishwashers which both wash dishes and burst into flames. Proud that is, until it was recently brought to their attention that Maytag inadvertantly shipped dishwashers for five of those years, 2001 - 2006, which can only wash dishes.

A Maytag spokeman reached for comment apologized to Maytag customers, and indicated that each of the effected models will be recalled and retrofit with incendiary devices to provide the level of quality and dependability we have all come to expect from Maytag.

Of the 3.4 million dishwashers produced in the period 2001 - 2006, the spokesman estimated that up to 465 units are still functioning at some barely acceptable level, with 265 additional units languishing lost and unsold in the darker areas of Maytag's distribution network.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10255.html

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07094.html

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/PRHTML96/96005.html

www.sobellas.com

915-585-2811

Clean your oven

Its that time of the year again. Its when all the moms can be seen with a little more of a smile on her face and an extra skip in her step. That right its the most wonderful time of the year. Schools back!!! Almost.. Kids are gone.. You can almost breath again.. You will soon find some more time for yourself during the day anyway.
This might be a good time to clean your oven. You don't have much time, the holidays are just around the corner. 3 months..
If you have a self clean oven, use this feature now not later. October 30 is the last day I recommend using this feature until after the holidays.
While in a clean mode the oven gets very hot around 900 degrees. If there is a problem with the oven the high temps will expose failures. If you wait until November and it fails, we might not have the time to get the parts and repair your oven for thanksgiving. Unless that was the plan. Now you can push the cooking problem to someone else.
If you don't clean it by October 30 just wait until after Christmas.
Its very important to follow the directions in your use and care manual.
see us on facebook and www.sobellas.com 915-585-2811

What's your dishwasher doing today?

If a liquid dish soap was inadvertently used inside the dishwasher or you used too much rinse aid, you might notice your dishwasher is now spewing suds or water onto your kitchen floor. For the men out there, this is how you get out of doing dishes. Your first thought would be to call a repair company. Why don't we try this first? Turn off the dishwasher and get yourself about a quarter cup of cooking oil, whole milk or coffee creamer. Pour your product of choice directly into the dishwasher and start it. Operate the dishwasher for about two minutes and the fat in the oil or milk will bond with the soap allowing it to drain. When all traces of suds are gone, run the dishwasher again using the proper amount and type of detergent. Quality automatic dishwasher soap will not cause soap suds, unless they contain rinse agents, or other grease fitting chemicals. Use a high quality basic soap.

Many will argue the amount and type of dish soap. I suggest a basic name brand soap. Look at the percentage of phosphates in the soap. The higher the number the better is washes. With today's washers using less and less water it is imperative that you use a good quality soap. Poor quality soaps will not work. If you use a standard automatic diswasher soap, you really cant use too much. The harder your water, the more you need. If you use the little packets with rise agents in them limit your number to 1 only. More could cause leaks. If using powder or liguid fill up both the main wash and the prewash dispensors.

Ill leave you with one last tip. The minimum water temperature to effectively wash dishes is 129 degrees Fahrenheit. What does this mean to you? Your job is to make sure the inlet water to your dishwasher is at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Any less and it won't wash. Don't have a thermometer? Run your hot water at the kitchen sink. Hold your hand under the hot running water. Does it burn? If not it won't wash. Turn up your water heater. Always run the kitchen faucet (on hot) before starting the dishwasher. Remember, hot water and good soap are the two keys to a good dishwasher.

Mike www.sobellas.com

Appliance maintenance

Here are a few tips to make your appliances last longer.

Washer--Don't over load the machine. Use less soap not more. Keep fabric types separate. Replace your hoses every 5 years. Use a cleaning product once a month like Afresh. Keep the gaskets clean.

Dryer--Don't over load the machine. Clean your lint trap after every load. Clean inside your dryer once per year. Clean your venting duct work once per year.

Refrigerator--Clean your condenser once per year. Clean out old food once per month. Dump your ice once per month. Change your water filter every 3 months. Clean the gaskets and shelves with soap and water at least twice per year.

Dishwasher--Use high quality soap. Don't over load the machine. Scrape food before you put it in the dishwasher. Use a cleaning product like vinegar 2-4 times per year.

Microwave--Do not clean with ammonia based cleaners. Keep the microwave free of grease. Cover food while heating. Never operated the unit empty.

Ovens and cook tops--Use a good quality cleaner designed for hot surfaces to keep appliances clean. Use the self clean function as needed.

www.sobellas.com

Liquid fabric softener vs. Dryer sheets

While it may be nice to have clothes that feel soft,
smell fresh and are free of static cling, both types of
products contain chemicals known to be toxic to people
after sustained exposure.
Since fabric softeners are designed to stay in your
clothes for extended periods of time, such chemicals
can seep out gradually and be inhaled or absorbed directly
through the skin.
For those who don’t want to give up the benefits
of fabric softeners but are afraid to risk exposure
to potentially toxic chemicals you can add
either a quarter cup of baking soda or a quarter
cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. Either
one will soften clothes, while the latter will also
address static cling. (Be sure not to mix either
with bleach, though, as resulting chemical reactions
could cause noxious fumes.) If eliminating
static cling is your top priority, try drying natural-
fiber clothes separately from synthetic materials.
The combination of cotton and polyester is
often the culprit behind static cling. Another choice would be
natural fabric softeners
that rely on vegetable products
and natural essential oils instead of harsh
chemicals to get the job done.
Whichever you choose there is no real good choice. Dryer sheets clog up the dryer vents. Liquid fabric softener can ruin the your washer. Just remember which ever you choose, less is best.

Smart Appliance

General Electric began distributing a “smart” water heater this month. “Smart appliances” are officially on their way to American households.

This month, General Electric began distributing a type of hot water heater that can link into the smart electric meters being doled out around the country — the first such “smart appliance” sold commercially in the United States, industry experts believe.


What constitutes smart? According to Kevin Nolan, a vice president for technology at G.E.’s consumer and industrial division, the water heater — which is very efficient in its own right — contains a port resembling an Ethernet port that can, in theory, plug into a converter box that, in turn, connects to the utility’s meter.

At times of high electricity use, such as the late afternoons, the consumer or the utility will be able to switch to a different, electricity-saving mode.

But there is a catch. Right now, smartness has virtually no benefit to average Americans — or to their utilities. “Smart meters” — which help control these devices — are not present in most households, though millions are on their way.

Even when smart meters and smart appliances arrive, however, a third step — changing the way electricity is priced — remains to be taken before the new-style appliances can be truly useful. Right now, most homeowners in America pay essentially the same hour-after-hour price for electricity, whether it is 4 p.m. or 4 a.m.
www.sobellas.com
915-585-2811

Frustrated with Appliance Repair?

We all know the frustration when an appliance breaks down and we call to have it repaired. We’re given a window of several hours or half a day. The technician comes in, fiddles around for 10 minutes and then charges $150.

Or he says it needs a new part — for an additional $200 — and he’ll check to see if it’s on the truck.

“When people go to a doctor, they’re paying for knowledge; the same is true with a technician,” said Vernon Schmid

Mr. Schmidt, who works out of Indianapolis, likes to tell a story to demonstrate what he means: “A guy comes in to fix something and he hits it with a hammer, and says, ‘That’ll be $250.’ The customer says, ‘What for? You just hit with a hammer.’ The guy says, ‘That’s $50 for hitting it with a hammer, and $200 for knowing where to hit it.’ ”

That’s a humorous way of saying that repairs may look simple, but they’re often not.
Mr. Johnson is an authorized service provider for many companies, including Jenn-Air, Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag.

“At least twice a year, I travel out of town to attend training on new products and service pointers,” Mr. Johnson said, adding that he is responsible for all his travel costs and hotel stays, if necessary.

Also, of course, there is insurance, liability, truck maintenance, office equipment and other fixed costs that people don’t think about when the serviceman arrives at their door.

Most service technicians charge a flat rate to diagnose a problem, and if they can’t fix it on the first visit, will not charge for a second visit. You will still, however, have to pay for any parts and labor.

Mr. Schmidt, who usually works with high-end appliances, charges $119 for a visit. He said the national average is about $70 to $80 for the initial visit for the most common (not high-end) appliances. He said he would be suspicious of the work quality of anyone who asked for substantially less and also suggested reading the fine print carefully if anyone is offering free service calls. There is usually a catch.
So the technician arrives and checks out your refrigerator or washing machine. He clucks his tongue, nods his head sadly and says it needs a new something. You don’t quite catch the word, but you have a feeling of dread. This is going to be expensive.