Wednesday Weekly Stock: Range Elements

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 things heat up with a variety of range elements.

When fall arrives, we head into range season. During the time leading up to all the end of year holidays, people begin cooking more indoors. Thoughts of roasted turkey, prime rib, pies and cookies come to mind. Delayed repairs to the oven have now come due. We have some help for you on getting that oven repaired, which we will get to in a moment. We also have help for you if you have a problem with the surface burners on your range.

660533

Most Whirlpool ranges that do not have a glass cooktop use the same plug in elements for surface cooking. The 8 inch 5 turn element has a "Y" support (as opposed to a "delta" support). Whirlpools elements are also know for having closed loop connectors. It's part number is 660533.

660532

The smaller brother to the 8 inch surface unit is the 6 inch 4 turn unit, with a "Y" support. We are featuring that element this week as well. Ask your account rep for part 660532.

WB30M1 & WB30M2

GE has many different surface elements they have used over the years. Lately they usually use a similar surface elements to the Whirlpool version. GE also has a "Y" base with standard 6 inch 4 turn and 8 inch 5 turn sizing. The big difference is in the connectors. Instead of a closed loop, GE uses a push in tap style of connection. For the 6 inch ask for part WB30M1 and the 8 inch is part WB30M2.

5303935058

We have featured items from GE and Whirlpool to revitalize an ailing electric range. Electrolux also has a lot of ranges out in the world. From Electrolux, we are featuring a "universal" surface burner receptacle, part number 5303935058. This is the piece that you plug your element into. This part works for many of Electrolux's products. This kit comes with hardware that allows the part to work on ranges made by many other manufacturers as well.

WB44x200

Something we notice that comes with the holiday season are calls about older ranges. Often these ranges have been the workhorse for decades of holiday dinners. It is important to the consumer that the appliance is repaired. Luckily, many parts for these older ranges are still available.

For example,consider this GE bake element, part number WB44X200. No longer used in new products, for a long time GE was using this bake element in many of their models. The element measures a width of 13-1/2 inches, length of 16-5/8" inches, and a depth of 2-1/2 inches. The terminal ends are spaced 1-1/4" apart. It is hinge mounted, It was used on GE, Hot Point, RCA, Kenmore and a few other brands. We still get calls for it everyday. We recommend this element for truck stock as we approach the holidays.

308180

Another common older element that we get lots of calls for is Whirlpool's 308180. It is a closed hinged style bake element is 15-3/4 inches long and 16-5/8 inches wide. The terminal depth is three inches and they are 1-3/4 inches apart. This element appears on several hundred models produced by Whirlpool, Roper, Kitchenaid, Kenmore and more. If you have this part in stock as the holidays approach, it will get used. We recommend having one (or more) on hand.

326791

Another common bake element for Whirlpool produced brands is part number 326791. This element is a replacement for a variety of elements that Whirlpool has used in the past. Part numbers 310216, 257987, 660542, 255103, 257376 & 14210176 all are replaced by this element. This part measures: Width 15"x Length 15-5/8". This is an open terminal element. The space between terminals is 11-7/8".

5303051519

The last element that we feature this week is from Electrolux. Another bake element, part 5303051519 was used on many models. Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Kenmore, Tappan & White-Westinghouse have ranges that use this element. This part measures: Width 19-1/4"x Length 15". The terminals do not come together at a mounting plate, on this element either. The space between terminals is 13-3/4".

If you are part of an active service  company, any of these parts would make a fine addition to your inventory. Remember, the holidays will be here soon. Not having parts on hand can cause return trips to finish service calls. Be ready with inventory on hand and keep your rate of first call completions high.

           For more education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Home on the Range

Hey, All!

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Now that the weather is (FINALLY!) starting to cool down, dinner thoughts are turning to those warm and savory meals.  I know we have actually started using the oven again (the Traeger is still tops for cooking meat!) and now is the time to start looking at your stove again.

Take a look at your surface burners and drip pans (if you have them) - are they in good working condition?  Do your drip pans need to be replaced?  Most are inexpensive, but we will need you model number to look up the correct ones.  Beware of the ones offered in variety stores.  These will fit some, but not all, stoves.  If something is not working right, contact your favorite appliance repair technician to come and fix them.  The closer to the holidays, the busier they get, so get a jump on this.

Creative Commons license on image.

Check out your oven - does it need cleaning?  If you have a self-clean oven, run it now.  Self-clean ovens have an unfortunate habit of blowing computer boards and you do not want this happening right before cooking the holiday meals and treats.  The boards could be a factory order, or no longer available and it is way better to find that out now, rather than the week before Thanksgiving and having to go buy a new stove, right?

German Chocolate Cookies

Also, Facebook and the internet are crawling with some great recipes - now is a good time to check these out and use your family as guinea pigs to see if it is a recipe you want to serve during the holidays.  My #1 son made a wonderful wild rice stuffing that we paired with some pork loin and it was FABULOUS!  I will post the recipe as soon as he sends me a link to it.  Definately a keeper!  I also just found a recipe for German Chocolate Cookies that I can't wait to try - yum!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.– H. Jackson Browne

               For more education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Throwback Thursday: News Recap September 24, 2015

If you have been reading the W.L. May Blog but haven't checked us out on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, you may not be getting the whole story. We use all of those social media outlets to share news stories that relate to our industry as well as appliance tips we have found from other sources. Here is a recap of some of the top stories we have seen lately. So without further ado:

We start with some consumer friendly articles we feel would be great for sharing:

• Valley News gave us some tips on common refrigerator problems. LINK
• Capital Gazette explored some trends in appliance development. LINK
• Mother Nature News shared a wide variety of cleaning tips in this article. Some about appliances, some not. LINK
• Press herald published tips to get the most out of your freezer-and a green bean recipe! LINK
• Its Nation Food Safety Education Month. Rye's Hamlet Hub had tips for you. LINK
• Columbia Daily Tribune posted some ideas to help your laundry process "go green". LINK

Next, we look at the manufacturers and how they have been in the news recently:

• Haier is introducimg a new refrigerator in Europe that has doors that become see through as you approach the appliance. LINK
• Whirlpool is making a push for larger worldwide market share. LINK
• Later this month, Electrolux will be in court defending the proposed GE merge. Here are some of the  key points they hope to make. LINK

We found some articles that might be of interest to those of you who love all thing appliances:

• An inventor came up with a solution to the old "missing sock in the dryer" problem.LINK
• Recently we told you about a cosmetic overlay to make a refrigerator look like a Game Boy. This kid has made an operating version. LINK
• Usergizmo told us about a hand powered dishwasher. LINK
• The Dunn County News considered environmental regulations and the effext they have on appliance design. LINK

Sometimes, the links we post are related to technology, business or happenings on the Internet:

• We looked at one of the platform that will allow smart appliances to communicate with each other. LINK
• Alphr reported on a plan for laundry in space-and fitness for the astronauts too! LINK
• We shared a link to a wealth of useful links on business. Bookmark the ones you like, it looks like the pages host will be shutting down at the end of the November.LINK
• BT talked about how technology will be transforming your home in the near future. LINK

We close with few just for fun stories:

• A reporter learned you should always be nice to your appliances. LINK
• We shared a look back to the wash days of yore. LINK
• People in our business move refrigerators everyday. It easy to forget how intimidating that can be for folks outside of our industry. LINK
• We read some reflections on how an empty nest is reflected in a refrigerators contents. LINK

For more education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Happy Autumn

Creative Commons on Flickr

W.L. May Company wishes you and you family Happy Autumn!

Kelly's Korner - Dishwasher Dilema Part Deux

Hey, All,

Last week I wrote about the issues I was having with my dishwasher.  Water was not coming into the tub and my dishes were not getting clean.

So I talked to one of my favorite techs, Patrick, and watched a couple of troubleshooting videos on it and pulled up my big girl panties to go home and see what I could find.

When I got home I opened the dishwasher - yup, still dirty dishes! - and took the bottom rack out and set it on the floor.  Then I gently grasped the float (that's the white round dome thing in the corner of your dishwasher floor) and carefully raised and lowered it listening for a click.  The float works kinda like the float in your toilet tank - once there is enough water to float the float, a switch below clicks off to shut off the water flow into the tub.  I heard it click!  Yahoo!  If it didn't click then I had Patrick on speed dial.


So then I closed the door and turned it on for about half a minute - it was running....  So I opened the door and looked to the side and bottom of the tub to see if there was water coming into the tub - THERE WAS!!!!

OK, so now I'm totally confused, right?  There hadn't been any water coming into it before and now there is?  What's up with this?  So I put the bottom rack back in, put in detergent, closed the door and let it run.  Guess what?  I had clean dishes!

On one hand, I'm glad that Patrick didn't have to come over and do a more thorough diagnosis and that I wasn't going to have to pay for a repair.  On the other, I was totally frustrated that after all the worry and whatever, the darned thing was working again!  I told Patrick I think I scared it into working again by threatening it that he was going to come over and tear is apart if it didn't behave.  He thinks I may have had a stuck float switch and me fiddling with it got it working again.  Have you ever had something go wonky and when you get it to the repair person, it runs fine?  ARGH!

So now I have clean dishes and no repair bills, but I think I need to make Patrick some cookies for being there for me.

Hope all your dilemas are as easily solved!

K

Wednesday Weekly Stock: Dishwasher Parts

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 help you clean up with dishwasher parts for a variety of machines.

675576 (Blue) and 676453 (White)

Often we get call from do-it-yourselfers who want to replace their dishwasher rack. These folks are often surprised at the cost of dishwasher racks. Sometimes they even think that the cost of a new rack is enough to drive them to replacement the dishwasher.

Wear and tear on the rack that can lead to spots where the racks coating wears away. that is not usually enough to condemn the rack to the scrap heap. Dishwasher racks can be spot painted with touch up paints designed specifically for the conditions inside of an operating dishwasher. This week we feature both the blue, #675576, & white, #676453, touch up paints.

Not a featured item this week, but another useful repair piece that often goes with rack touch up paint are tips that slip over tines on the rack. Naturally these are called tine tips and are sold in packages of 125. These are available in white #675679, blue #12022, or grey #676458.

675813

Modern Whirlpool dishwashers generally have a control board in stead of a timer. That board frequently is designed to have a thermal fuse to protect it from overheating. The nice thing about this arrangement is that if the fuse blows, it can be replaced without servicing the whole board. For that thermal fuse your part number is 675813.

We have several other dishwasher parts featured this week as well that we have told you about in the past, such as install pieces, cords and Dwip Pans. For dishwasher parts, or for any other home appliance part, give us a call. We will be happy putting our experience to work serving you.

For more education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Dishwasher Dilemas

Hey, All,

Well, this seems to be the week for dishwasher dilemas.  Mine decided not to wash the dishes that are loaded in there!  Argh!  And a co-worker is moving into a new place and his isn't working either.

I have never worked on a dishwasher and may be calling a couple of my favorite techs for help, but I think that it may be the water valve.  I am not getting water into the machine - but it could be something else.  When you are having an issue with one of your appliances there could be a couple of different reasons it's not doing what it is supposed to.  That's why calling a qualified appliance technician is vital to getting your machine repaired correctly and with a minimum of time, trouble and expense.  If you are trying to do the repair yourself, you can by-guess and by-golly all the parts you want, but if that doesn't fix the problem, most parts places won't take them back if they've been installed.  Call a tech!

Creative Commons license on image.

W L May is also running a weekly special on some common dishwasher parts this week - the always popular Dwip Pan , rack maintenance vinyl paint (for those spots on your racks that have chipped away and are showing the wire), hoses, and a few other things.  Don't forget to pick up some dishwasher cleaner, too.  W L May sells several different cleansers for the dishwasher - these help clean mineral deposits and get rid of smells from food particles that may be not completely washed out of the pump and hoses.  Don't forget to clean the door, too, especially around the gasket area.  Make sure the gasket is in good shape and replace if needed or you might have some unwanted leakage.

I will let you all know what the problem and solution to my dishwasher dilema next week - cross your fingers!

Have a great week!

Throwback Thursday: News Recap September 10, 2015

If you have been reading the W.L. May Blog but haven't checked us out on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, you may not be getting the whole story. We use all of those social media outlets to share news stories that relate to our industry as well as appliance tips we have found from other sources. Here is a recap of some of the top stories we have seen lately. So without further ado:

We start with some consumer friendly articles we feel would be great for sharing:

• Huffington Post said that you are doing laundry wrong. LINK
• HER.IE offered some tips on stretching items that have been shrunk in the wash. LINK
• With kids headed back to school, more Mom's are packing lunches. Consumer Affairs had some thoughts to keep in mind about food safety. LINK
• The tech reporter from the Ventura County Star recommended against using your dishwasher to clean your computer keyboard. LINK
• SFGate told us about 13 items you might be surprised can be cleaned with a dishwasher. LINK
• Good Housekeeping shared 13 items you should NOT clean with your dishwasher. LINK
• Everyday Cheapskate considered whether HE detergent is really needed for a front loader. LINK

Next, we look at the manufacturers and how they have been in the news recently:

• Haier America expects to create 410 jobs after expanding refrigerator plant outside Camden. LINK
• GE unveiled a new top load washer with the largest capacity agitator. LINK
• Ad week named a Whirlpool ad "Whirlpool Go" as US Ad of the Week. LINK
• Android Central told us about a workaround from LG for making old appliances into "smart appliances". LINK

We found some articles that might be of interest to those of you who love all thing appliances:

• Yanko Design showed us a washing machine that uses no water OR detergents. LINK
• Rocket News 24 showed us a fun way to revive the look of your home appliance. LINK
• Huffington Post suggested how often you should be washing towels and sheets. LINK

Sometimes, the links we post are related to technology, business or happenings on the Internet:

• A teacher invented an at-home salad bar. LINK 
• Inman ran an article aimed at property mangers seeking to employ "smart home" technology. LINK
• Google announced that they will be starting to include tweets in their search results. LINK
• Despite perceptions, manufacturing has been slowly growing in the US, according to this report in the Boston Globe. LINK

We close with few just for fun stories:

• Atlas Obsura gave us a very interesting read about the history and future of shipping. LINK
• Paste gave us an interesting history of frozen food. LINK

For more education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Wednesday Weekly Stock: "Universal" Refrigerator Parts

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 celebrate labor day with refrigerator parts that can "labor" on a variety of machines.

Regular readers of this blog will remember that whenever possible, we advocate using OEM parts from the appliances manufacturer. Even though the parts we are describing today are "universal", our intent is that these be used in places where the manufacturers OEM is no longer available.

SL300T

Our first item this week is actually a piece of testing equipment. Determining the behavior of a malfunctioning refrigerator can be a time consuming process. Observation of the refrigeration cycle could leave a tech idle waiting for a while while they wait to observe the part of the refrigeration cycle that is acting up. A solution for that problem is a data logger.

For years, the common data logger was a large device, about the size of shoebox that had round paper discs with a graph that rotated. As the graph rotated pens marked the temp and time settings of the various stages of the refrigeration cycle.

Technology has greatly improved temperature data logging. These days the Supco data logger, part SL300T is a great solution. Much smaller than the old style of loggers, this unit is little more than a sensor. It is somewhere in size between a Zippo lighter and a cassette tape. The idea being you can leave the unit behind to take more detailed reading than the larger old mechanical loggers.

When you are ready to analyze the data, Simply plug the unit into the USB port on your computer. Using the included software a variety of analysis can be applied to the data, taking the guesswork out of refrigerator diagnostics.

SC1002

Cold controls that regulate the temperature in a refrigerator are one of those parts that usually stay available longer than many components in a refrigerator. Even though that is true, every day seems to give us calls for situations where the manufacturer is no longer producing the OEM cold control. A good fix for those scenarios is the Supco universal cold control, part# SC1002.

Designed for freezer installation, the SC1002 is good for a range of -6°F to 39°F (-21°C to 4°C). It is intended for temporary usage and can be mounted via suction cup, Velcro or screw mounts.

URCO410 & URCO810

A hard start is a device that helps the compressor out with a surge of power to increase the starting torque. Some technicians love these as they can help extend the life span of a refrigerator that may be on its last legs. Others feel that it does not do enough to address the root problem, and have fears of detrimental impact on the compressor. Regardless of opinion, we sure get a lot of demand for them.

The long standing favorite hard start was the 3-in-1 RCO series from Supco. As newer refrigerators do not always have a start capacitor, Supco introduced a new line of starters that can be used on machine with AND without start capacitors. For 1/4-1/3 HP compressors use URCO410. Smaller compressors in the 1/12th-1/5th HP range can use the URCO810.

SM999

Like the cold controls mentioned earlier, evaporator motors tend to stay in production for longer than many other refrigerator parts. Sometimes, though, the manufacturer discontinues even these common motors. When that happens, most refrigerators can be brought back online using the Supco SM999 universal motor kit. With an assortment of fittings this motor can be configured to mount in many ways.

UET120

Defrost timers are a part that is becoming less and less common. New designs of refrigerators often will incorporate the defrost timer into a "mother board" or they will provide a board specifically dedicated to defrost, called an adaptive defrost control or ADC for short.

Still, a lot of older refrigerators have timer failures. When you just can't get the original timer, the Supco UET120 universal defrost timer is a good fit. It is an electronic timer that can be programmed for the most common defrost settings and plugs in like a traditional manual timer. This is an item every servicer should keep on hand.

SL249

While we are on the subject of defrost system parts, here is another item you might not have considered. Defrost thermostats are frequently pretty cookie cutter in size. It is merely the temperature rating that can make the difference. That's what makes Supco# SL249 so handy. That part number gives you a 3-pack of clips used to secure defrost thermostats of a variety of temperatures.

84042

Water fittings can be a tricky item to look up. They can often be fairly well hidden in a parts breakdown. So keeping a few of these fittings on hand can be a real time saver. The part number is 84042 and it is a 1/4" OD fitting.

SH250

The last item this week is usually asked for with a request along the lines of "you know, that little t-shaped heater for the drain line." Yes, we do know. That is you part SH250, we keep it in stock for you-along with whole lot of other parts. If you have a need for a part for your appliance, just let us know. We are here to help and serve you!

For more education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - It's the Little Things...

Hey, All,

Wow, I don't know about your area, but Fall has fallen here really fast.  Labor Day weekend, football games, kids back to school and COOLER WEATHER!!!!!  I actually got chilly and had my fuzzy slippers on last night.
 

Creative Commons license on image.

With Fall staring us in the face and Winter coming, people will be gearing up to get their appliances ready for more hearty everyday cooking and the holidays (yipes!).  I just want to point out a few small things that W L May can provide for you to help you with that.

Creative Commons license on image.

For our account customers:  We used to publish and mail out a monthly flyer with our top selling items.  Thanks to the digital age we have this flyer on our website.  It is called "Every Day at W L May"  and list the top parts for all appliances and the manufacturers that we carry.  This is a great tool for your stocking items and can be downloaded in several formats - reference in pdf, Excel for inventory purposes, and CVS import.  Prices are good through the end of the year unless one of the factories raise prices unexpectedly.  You will find this under the "Flyer Pricing" tab on our website.  If you are an account customer but don't use our site for whatever reason, or just would like to have a paper copy, let your account manager know and we can email or snail mail you a copy.

Creative Commons license on image.

And it's not too early to get stocked up on those high volume items:  Bake elements, ignitors, drip pans, maintenance kits, belts, pumps and all that.  If you are not getting notifications of our weekly specials, let us know.  These are items usually found on the flyer that we've discounted even more for the week.

And for you other people out there - if you need work done on your appliances call your local tech now and get those repairs scheduled.  The closer to the holidays it gets the busier they are, so get a jump on it and get that repair scheduled.


Have a great week!

Happy Labor Day

W.L. May Company wishes you and your family Happy Labor Day

Wednesday Weekly Stock: Washer and Dryer Maintenance

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 send the kids back to school and get started on some washer and dryer maintenance.

20752

This blog advocates using hoses with a stainless steel mesh wrap to avoid burst hoses and laundry room flooding. There are also hoses inside the machine. These do not usually have a wrapped version available. Due to lower water pressures involved, these hoses are not prone to bursting. Still, things happen, so it is wise to stay prepared.

A leak in the interior of you washer could cause a pool to collect, unseen under under the machine. This can lead to damage to your home. An easy preventative solution for that scenario is the use of a washing machine drip pan. Camco's part number 20752 is a 30"x32" pan that can be placed under most washing machines.

This drip pan can not only be used to contain any water spillage, but it also has "blank out" holes of 1-1 1/2" side or bottom outlet and a fitting allowing this pan to be connected to already existing floor drains if the laundry room has them. Being a made of white polypropylene plastic, it will not rust, corrode or crack.

VA1

While we are under the washing machine we can also address an issue that many front load washer users experience. Due the high speeds involved in running a High Efficiency Washing Machine intense vibrations have been known to occur. Stable flooring and a well balanced machine can do a lot to minimize that problem. Even after balancing, some machines still vibrate excessively and on occasion the machine actually shimmies across the floor.

A solution is offered for this problem with the Vibe Away pads, part VA1. These are basically foam pads that fit under the legs of the washing machine that act as a damper, absorbing the excessive vibrations.

70143

Here is another simple solution to a problem that is not uncommon. In many water supplies, small debris can get into the pipes. When that debris gets into the valve, it can cause problems. If you know you have a water supply that is less than pristine, don't wait for the problems to come up. Be proactive and catch that debris where the inlet hose hooks up, by using Laloo/EZFlow screened hose washers. We stock part 70143, which has a 20x20 mesh and comes in a package of 100, making it a great item to keep in truck stock.

4392065

Jumping over to the other appliance in the laundry room, we have some dryer maintenance kits for you to consider. Any of these kits make a great truck stock item. Our first is from Whirlpool for 29" dryers. Part 4392065 comes with support wheels (349241T), idler pulley (691366) and belt (341241).

4392067

Another dryer kit is for Whirlpool 27" models manufactured since 1965, and Twin Thin models. The kit, number 4392067 includes a belt (661570), 4 support rollers  (8536974), an idler pulley (279640), washer (233520) and 9 tri-rings for the rollers(90997).

5304457724

Frigidaire, or Electrolux, also has a few kits for dryer maintenance. Newer dryers from 2002-present use kit number 5304457724. This kit includes a drive belt (134503600), rear drum bearing kit (5303281153),  idler pulley/bracket assy (131863000), front drum support/seal (5303937182), lower front felt seal (5303937183), high temp adhesive, the high temp grease, and photo instructions.

5304461262

For older dryers, Frigidaire has not forgotten about you. Machines built before 2002 camn generally use kit number 5304461262. This kit includes a drive belt (134503600), rear drum bearing kit (5303281153), idler pulley/bracket assy (131863007),  upper felt (5303937139), and lower felt (5303283286).

DVC101

No matter what brand of dryer you have, we cannot urge you strongly enough to keep those ducts as clean as possible, Duct fires are a very real thing and we do not want it to happen to anyone-especially people that we could have warned! There are a variety of solutions to duct cleaning, but the best bang for your buck that we have found is the LintEater vent cleaning system.

The kit, part DVC101 includes four 36 inch long flexible rods, self-feeding 4 inch diameter auger brush, blockage removal tool, 2 1/2 inch diameter lint trap brush, vacuum adapter, dryer adapter, operator's manual with detailed instructions, illustrations and tips for dryer safety and maintenance.

TB123A

The last featured item this week is not a maintenance kit of any type. It is a tool that any repair person should have, yet few know the part to ask for. TB123A is the spanner wrench used to remove the tub nut on many Whirlpool, Maytag, and GE washing machines. If you are doing maintenance and find other needed parts (such as cosmetic or trim pieces), call us with your model number and we will be happy to help get you what you need.

Kelly's Korner - In the Dark

Hey, All,

Creative Commons license on image.

We here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest just experienced our first storm of the fall season.  Thunder, lightning, wind, rain - we had it all.  And with all that, there were also power outages.  Luckily, I wasn't one of the powerless ones, but there were quite a few without for most of Saturday and into Sunday.


Now what does this have to do with appliances?  Well, let me enlighten you.  With all the electronics in today's appliances, power surges and outages can blow those boards faster than heck.  You may have your computer and TV on a power strip/surge protector, but is your microwave, refrigerator, stove, washer/dryer and dishwasher surge protected?

Creative Commons license on image.

For appliances that run on 110 volts (everything but your stove and dryer)  it is easy enough to plug these into a regular power strip/surge protector.  It gets a bit stickier with the 220 volt appliances - stove/oven and dryer.  For these I would recommend contacting a qualified electrician and seeing what he would recommend - do not try doing this yourself.  It could be a whole house surge protector, new breakers in your breaker box or something else.  The age and situation of your wiring will dictate what can be used, hence the certified licensed electrician.  When you compare the cost of the electrician and equipment installed versus the cost of repairing or replacing your appliances and other electronics, you will find that it is a very inexpensive investment.

Of course, there is the common sense way of shutting down electronics when there is a storm blowing through, but not very convenient for everyday life.  So add to your Fall to-do list a call into your favorite electrical company to come and have your home checked out.  You will definately save some bucks in the long run.

Have a great week!

PS:  Thanks to all the electricians that worked overtime and in rough conditions to get power restored to everyone!