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Offering information and fun for the appliance repair industry and interested do-it-yourselfers since 2013.

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Phone: 1-800-377-8881
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Showing posts with label venting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label venting. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Kelly's Korner - For The Birds

Hey, All,

Not all dryer vent clogs are caused by not cleaning them regularly.  Those open vents for your dryer are a prime place for birds to build nests.

Think about it - these vents are usually placed high enough that marauders can't get in them.  And they are pretty protected from the elements with a nice warm stream of air to keep those little chickies warm.  Perfect place to raise a family, right?

For them, yes - for you, not so much.  So how do you keep your feathered friends out of your vents?  Contrary to popular belief, birds are not birdbrained.  They are very clever and can figure out a lot of ways to get into what they're not supposed to, but W L May has a couple of different products to help you with that.

PB50
One is a bird guard wall cap - part number PB50.  This will fit nicely over your 4" vents.  Inside dimensions are 7" x 7" so it will fit over larger venting, too.  And all you need to do is screw it to the wall.

PMH4WXZ
Another item is PMH4WXZ in white, or the PMH4BXZ in brown.  This does the same job as the bird guard but has a 4" rigid aluminum vent tube to go through your wall.


These two products will deter the birds from making your home theirs, and keep them in the trees where they belong.  It is a good idea to check your whole exterior for any other vents (or unauthorized openings) you have - range hood, bath fan, attic vents, and even your gutters.  Don't forget to check for the four-footed varmits, too.  Your attic makes a great place for squirrels to hide their winter stash of nuts and they will chew through wood and plastic to get where they want.  Get rid of these freeloaders (I just wished they worked for grown children still living at home lol!).

Have a great week!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Wednesday Weekly Stock: Dryer Kits, Venting, and Cords

Every week at W.L. may we have several items we feature as good parts to consider adding to your stock. These parts also have special pricing available. For pricing details, ask your account representative for more information. This week we return to the laundry room to look at a few things for dryers.

A clothes dryer is traditionally pretty simple technology. As a result, many dryers can keep working for years. After many years of use some of the softer and more involved with friction parts naturally will wear.

A dryer maintenance kit will offer several of those "high wea' items in one convenient package. The idea is, if you are in fixing one of the items in the kit, likely the other items included in the kit will also be showing signs of wear. It only makes sense to replace all of those parts while you are inside the machine making your repair.

Dryer maintenance kits offer a convenient grouping of related parts, which make the a great choice for the do-it-yourself crowd. It is usually true that the kits a re less expensive than buying the parts included individually. From a marketing perspective, maintenance kits can also help persuade consumers to allow full maintenance servicing (which, as we already mentioned, is probably a good idea anyway), when the initial call may have been for only one of the parts in the kit.

4392065
Whirlpool, for years, has offered a few dryer maintenance kits, depending on the size of the dryer being serviced. For 29" dryers built after 2007 the kit is part number 4392065. The kit includes a belt, idler pulley and a pair of support rollers with clips. You also get instructions which if you are professional repair person you probably will not need.

4392067
On smaller 27" Whirlpool dryers made after 2007 a different kit is used. Like the kit for the 29" units, this comes with a belt. Differences include 4 instead of 2 support rollers. Also the idler is pulley only. No idler arm included. The part number for this kit 4392067.
5304461262
Electrolux also provides maintenance kits for it's dryers. The Frigaidaire (and related brands) dryers produced from 1992-2001 use kit number 5304461262. Included in the kit is a rear drum bearing kit. The kit also provides new upper and lower felts for the front of the drum. To round out the kit a belt, idler pulley, high temp advesive, lubricant and instructions are included as well.
5304457724
Design changes on the 2002 Frigidaire dryers prompted changes to the kit. For models 2002-present, the kit to use is part number 5304457724. This has the newer style of front bearing as well as the lower front felt, rear drum bearing kit, idler pulley, belt, adhesive, lubricant, and instructions.
DVC202
The kits we have been looking at so far have to do with maintaining the mechanics of the dryer. For a dryer to work properly, however, not only do the mechanics have to be in order but you need good air flow. 

Air flow can be impeded by lint build up in the vent hose. Not only will this cause your dryer to perform poorly, but it can also present a very real fire hazard. In fact, lint build up is the number one cause of dryer fires and dryer fires themselves are one of the most common causes for home fires.

To reduce the risk of fire, it is recommended that you clean your dryer vent lines periodically. Many service companies offer this service. W.L. May Company stocks a kit that make those service calls easier and also is consumer friendly. 

Linteater is the name of the product and its part number is DVC202. Included in the kit are 2 line clearing brushes in 2 1/2" and 4" sizes. You get 4 36" flexible rods to connect to those brushes on one side and your cordless drill on the other. Also in the kit is a blockage removal tool, adapters for both a vacuum and the dryer and instructions on how to make it all work. This really is a great product.
E4E
Installing a dryer sometimes requires more than elbow grease. Sometimes it requires an actual elbow-for the vent line. When that happens the E4E comes into play. This is a 4" hard pipe elbow for dryer vent lines.

CS400

Working with the ducting also may require some duct hose clamps. We stock both worm screw and pinch types of clamps. The pinch clamps are part number CS400. These can be purchased individually, but for stock you might consider getting a bundle of 50, that's how they come from the manufacturer.

WX09X10002
The lastitems we are looking at, but far from least important, is power cords, or pigtails. For a 4 foot 3 wire 30amp the pigtail part number is WX09X10002.
WX09X10018

In some jurisdictions, building codes require using a 4 wire power cord. The 4 foot 4 wire 30 amp cord is in stock under part number WX09X10018.

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Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Kelly's Korner - Fall Cleaning and Maintenance

Hey, All!

Well, with the summer winding down, vacations over and school starting back, now is a good time for an appliance overhaul and here's a list you can check off:

Washer:  Any leakage?  Check hoses - both in and out - for cracks and wear and replace if necessary.  Run an Affresh puck through it to clean out internal gunk and leave it fresh smelling and give the outside a good wipe down.

Dryer:  Clean your venting system - unplug and move away from wall and clean out lint from exhaust tube then all your venting to the outside - now may be a good time to replace the venting - especially if you are using that old vinyl stuff - and replace it with rigid or semi rigid venting.  We have all this at W L May including brushes to clean.  Also, clean out any of that lint that is behind, under and in the dryer and give it a good wipedown.

Refrigerators/freezers:  If you have a water connection check for leaks.  Check your temps and make sure your food is staying cold enough (we have thermometers for this!) - also a good time for cleaning the inside and replacing filters.
Good time for a defrosting and clean out of old stuff.  Hunting season is upon us and we are expecting you hunters to bring home the venison!  Or, if not, stocking up on meats that usually go down in price this time of year.

http://www.likenuappliance.com/  Thanks, Robin!


Dishwashers:  Again, check your water connections - any little leak anywhere can really add up on your water bill not to mention damage to your flooring, substructure and foundations.  Check your racks for nicks and come on down to get "Goop" if you need it.  Run Affresh for Dishwashers and Disposals through to clean out deposits and leave it smelling good.

Ranges, cooktops, ovens: With the holidays looming (ick!) and regular dinner schedules back make sure everything is heating properly - we have thermometers for ovens, too! - and give everything a good cleaning or replace what is needed.

If you need repairs, call your repairman now.  As the holiday season (wince!) gets closer they get booked up fast.  And W L May has a great inventory of parts and cleaning supplies for your needs.

If I seem to be harping on cleaning lately it is only because preventive maintenance and cleaning will help your appliances to run longer and more efficiently.  Now I just need to take my own advice and get busy!  lol

Have a great week!