Kelly's Korner - When to replace an appliance

Hey, All,

I get a lot of calls from consumers about replacing appliances.  Whether remodeling and replacing all your appliances or you have one that has quit working, there are several factors to consider when you are thinking about replacing an appliance.

First of all, how much is repairing the appliance going to cost you compared to buying a new one?  There is a good article in Consumer Reports about the factors to consider.  But the basic rule of thumb is;  if the repair costs are over 50% of the cost of a new one, then replace.

Creative Commons license on image.

So you are looking for a new appliance?  What do you buy?  Are you brand driven?  Just looking at cost?  Or do you want all the bells and whistles?  What about repairs?  What is the warranty on what you are looking at?  Do the servicers in your area even work on the brand you are looking at?

With the influx of brands that are made outside the USA, there are a lot of servicers that won't work on them.  And getting someone out to your place to do any work and the availability of those parts might be more than you are willing to wait for.  Does the store you are buying the appliance from do service work?  Many of the "big box" stores do not - once it's out the door it's your problem.

So do your homework before you trot down to your local store to pick a new appliance.  Web crawl and get all the info on the brand(s) you are looking at.  Consumer Reports is a good source.  Also, if you have a favorite servicer, call and ask their opinion.  Better to be armed with information about the appliance you are buying than get surprised if you have issues with it.

Have a great week!

3 Dryer Makers and 6 Service Kits

A clothes dryer is probably the simplest of the major appliances. There are a limited number of moving parts, they are easy for the lay person to understand, and for the most part the same designs have stayed in place for years. Since a clothes dryer is so simple it can also be one of the easier things to service. As a pro repair person, its probably a job you love. The easy diagnostics and and easy servicing make it appealing, it also makes it the kind of project a do-it-yourselfer might try to tackle.

If you are looking to do one of these repairs, or if you are helping out a DIY person with parts, it makes sense to change out all the parts that are also likely to be wearing out when you do the repair. Luckily, most manufacturers offer kits that include all the parts that have a tendency to wear out. Usually, the kits cost less than buying the individual parts.

Here are maintenance kits for the three largest American appliance makers.

Whirlpool

• 4392065-Used on most 27" dryers. Contains  multi-rib belt (part 341241), drum support roller kit (part 349241T), idler pulley (part 691366), and installation instructions.
• 4392067-Used on some 27" dryers (frequently commercial machines). Contains multi-rib belt (part 661570), 4 support rollers (part 3396802), idler assembly (part 3388672), and installation instructions. 
• 4392068-Used on 24" dryers. Contains multi-rib belt (part 3394652) drum support roller kit (part 349241), idler pulley (part 691366) and installation instructions.

Electrolux

• 5304457724-"New Style" for machine from 2002-Present. Contains drive belt (part 134503600), rear bearing kit (part 5303281153), idler pulley/bracket assembly (part 131863000), upper front felt seal (part 5303937182), lower front felt seal (part 5303937183)
• 5304461262-"Old Style" for machine prior to 2002.  Contains 88" drum belt (part 134503600), bearing kit (part 5303281153), idler pulley (part 131863007), upper front felt seal (part 5303937139), and lower front felt seal (part 5303283286), needed adhesive and grease.

General Electric

• WE49X20697-Contains belt (part WE12M29), top bearing (part WE3M26), two white glides (part WE1M504), two green glides (part WE1M1067), and lower felt seal (part WE9M30)

The next time you are servicing a dryer, remember these kits. They can frequently save time by preventing further problems before they occur and by simplifying the parts ordering process. They can also save you money over the cost of buying the parts individually. Consider adding at least one of each kit to your inventory and remember to offer the kit to people doing their own service. Odds are that when they open the machine they will realize other areas that need maintenance as well and you will be the hero with foresight. Have a great day and happy repairing!

Kelly's Korner - Whirlpool Water Level Switch Change

Hey, all,

Last week I talked about some of the reasons why part numbers change.  This week I am going to talk about just one instance.


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Several years ago (2011 actually) Whirlpool had to change the water level switch (pressure switch) in some washers to meet DOE (Department of Energy) requirements.  I won't go into all the wording in the Service Memo, but suffice it to say that they had to make changes.  Whirlpool provided us with a list of model numbers affected so we could get you the correct new switch.

If the water level switch on the Whirlpool/Maytag/Kenmore washer comes up as a W10156252 it will not sub to another part number.  You need to call us to get the correct one because it all depends on what that particular model number is.  There are two different replacements for this so please do not assume you know which of the two are needed.  Please call us here at W L May and we will get you the correct one.

We strive to get you the most up to date information from the manufacturers and the correct parts all the time.  Not to say that we aren't human at times and make mistakes, but our success rate is second to none.  Please use our over 200 years of experience! (yeah, we've only been in business for 91 but most of our parts experts are into double digits in years here!)

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - A True Hell's Kitchen

Hey, All!

Saturday I was here at work and perusing my Facebook page and Viral Nova had pictures of "Cooking Fails" - things that people tried to cook and came out horrible wrong.  The first picture had me recoiling in horror.  It was really tough to even look at the rest but they weren't as bad.

http://www.viralnova.com/new-cooking-fails/

There are soooo many things wrong with this picture!  I certainly hope your kitchen/stove doesn't look like this!

1.  Obvious!  The oven hasn't been cleaned in so long that the ick on the bottom spontaneously combusts.

2.  Missing burner knob - bring in or call us with your model number and W L May can find a replacement for that!

3.  Foil being used for drip pans.  Oh, this is so dangerous in so many ways!  Grease and goo collect a lot more in this and can start a kitchen fire so much easier.  And the fact that this is a gas stove makes it more likely.  Also, the heat can be reflected up and create hot spots and shorten the life of your burners.  Drip pans are usually inexpensive and quick to change.  Check them out periodically.  I didn't think it had been that long ago that I had replaced mine, but when I was doing my staycation cleaning they were pretty bad (head hung in shame!).  Again, contact W L May and we can get replacements for you.

4.  I don't even want to guess at what they are trying to cook here much less eat it!

5.  Probably a good thing we can't see the rest of the kitchen....

If you do have a fire in your oven the best way to put it out if you don't have an extinguisher handy, is to dump baking soda on it.  DO NOT USE ANY OTHER BAKING INGREDIENT!  Flour make look the same but it is NOT.  DO NOT USE WATER!  Call 911 immediately if you can't control it immediately.

Now that I've turned your stomach a bit, take a good look at your stove and call us if you need replacement parts.

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - Superhero Book Add-ons

Hey, All,

Was going through my book and thought I'd list some more random part numbers that may help:

Electrolux:
Garage heater kit:  5304458930
Diode for primary water valve in SxS refrigerators:  5303918287
Corner gaskets for dishwashers:  154701001

GE:
5/16" tubing for waterlines:  WR17X2891
5/16" push on waterline connectors (John Guest):  WR02X10471
Heater for fill tube in dispenser:  WR49X10173
Fill tube heater for icemaker:  WR51X369

Whirlpool/Maytag:
Heater for icemaker tube:  4389174
60" x 5/16" waterline:  2256126
Dishwasher coupler repair kit:  285170
Dispenser ice door repair kit for SxS refrigerators:  8201756
Shelf support kit for refrigerators:  4388540

It is never too late to start your own Superhero Book!

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - Appliance Facelift

Hey, All,

Do your appliances work fine but look a little worn?  Tiny nicks, scratches, icky drip pans?  Well, there is a solution for this!

W L May carries or can get from the manufacturer's touch-up paint for your appliances.  Usually these come in either a little bottle with a brush or a paint pen.  Really simple to touch up those little boo-boos that happen (especially with small children and little cars that are run over every surface possible!).  But what if you have stainless appliances?  If it is true stainless (magnets won't stick to it)  W L May has a DIY kit called Scratch-B-Gone.  This is a kit that has all you need - plus an instruction video! - to take these small scratches off.  If it is a stainless look-a-like you may be able to get touch-up paint for this also - call us!

Stove looking a little grungy?  Replace those drip pans under the burner - usually fairly inexpensive but check with us as some are not.  We also carry a grate cleaner for gas stoves.

What about your dishwasher racks?  Has some of the plastic coating been knocked off and the underlying wire rack is rusting?  We have tine tips and plastic "goop" to cover those.  Way cheaper than buying new racks!

Call or come in with the model number of your appliances and we can help you give your appliances their "facelifts".

Have a great week!