Flooding and your appliance – what you need to know

To determine whether to repair or replace an appliance after a flood, consider the following factors:

• The amount of water that has come in contact with the appliance.
• The length of time the appliance was in contact with water
• The cost to repair versus replace
• Coverage provided by your home or flood insurance (appliance warranties and protection plans typically do not cover acts of nature, such as flooding.)

First, before entering a home after a flood, be sure that the electricity to the dwelling has been completely shut off.

Before scheduling a repair visit, make sure

Rescue Tape – multi-purpose repair tape great for emergencies in your home, car or boat

Before you head out in your car or boat for the weekend, make sure your have Rescue Tape in your trunk or toolkit and keep a few rolls in your home as well.  

Rescue Tape is a self-fusing silicone tape that can create a permanent airtight, watertight seal in seconds. This multi-purpose repair tape is great for emergency hose repairs and can waterproof electrical connections and terminals. 

Rescue Tape has 950 psi tensile strength, insulates 8,000 volts per layer and can withstand 500-degree Fahrenheit heat and remain flexible to minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s a better solution than

Why does my gas oven not heat up?

If your gas oven is not heating up it might be due to your gas oven’s timer controls or electronic controls, glow-bar ignitor or safety valve.

WARNING: Before attempting to work on any appliance, make sure that all power (electricity) and utilities (water and gas) have been turned off and/or disconnected on the appliance. The insides of appliances have sharp parts and pieces that could cut or otherwise injure you. Use caution when working inside appliances.

First, check your oven’s timer controls. Are they on and getting power? Even though your oven uses gas, some parts need electricity in order to power on, create a spark, heat up or otherwise operate. Make sure the controls are in the proper position and you are not getting any error code messages on your oven display.

Is the door to your oven unlocked?  If yes, open your oven’s door to see if your oven light comes on. If it does, then you have power to your oven.

Check your oven’s display. Are you getting any error codes? You can also

Appliances and homes designed for seniors and aging in place

As the baby boomers age and retire, they are not only customizing their homes, but also choosing appliances with features which will allow them to age in place while remaining safe in their homes.

Both homes and appliances are incorporating the aspects of universal design into their products. Universal design means designing products and spaces that are accessible to people with different levels of abilities.  Along with the increasing numbers of aging baby boomers, there is also a growing trend of multi-generational homes. According to the HuffingtonPost.com, “more than 51 million Americans  find themselves dealing with life in a multigenerational home, or a household with three or more generations living under one roof.”

A story in the Washington Post talks about one such couple designing their home so they can age in place; Tom and Susie McSweeny of Maryland, who  built their home with wide doorways to accommodate a wheelchair and a flat, no-step entryway. They also designed their kitchen to include plenty of room to allow for easy access to all food prep areas and appliances. Their laundry room is on the first floor, eliminating unnecessary steps to reach this area.

“You have to be realistic,” says Susie in the Washington Post story. “You don’t know what health issues you may develop as you get older, but you try to plan for it so that you can enjoy your later years.”

The AARP reports that most older Americans want to stay in their homes permanently and live independently. In order for this to happen, homes and appliances must be designed to be accessible and safe for those with future mobility, vision and health problems.

Appliances designed to eliminate bending, reaching

The placement of appliances is important, as are the features. For example, 

Where to find appliance repair help and how-to videos to fix your appliance yourself

We’re busy working on improving our appliance repair section and producing how-to, step-by-step repair videos in order to help you fix your appliance yourself.

We recently started up an appliance repair YouTube.com channel where we provide how-to part replacement videos. Currently, we are demonstrating on a Whirlpool dryer (model number WED4800XQ0) but we will also be adding additional appliances, brands and model types as well. We will also be adding our videos to our appliance repair section as well. Check out some of our videos:

Our appliance repair section features repair help for refrigerators, washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, ovens and stoves. We list common problems associated with these appliances and provide a list of possible causes and repair solutions.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube.com channel and visit our appliance repair section whenever you need appliance repair help or advice.

What type of repair videos would you like to see?

Protect your boat, RV, or other valuables with portable mini-dehumidifiers

Your basement has a dehumidifier, but what about your boat, RV, closet or safe? Protect your investments and improve the air quality in these small spaces with an Eva-Dry mini-dehumidifier.

These are made to work in small, confined spaces such as a closet, boat, carrying case or storage bin. You can even place one under a sink to keep the area dry and mold free.

Eva-Dry Renewable Dehumidifier required no batteries or cords, Just plug into the wall to renew in ten to twelve hours. The silicon pack is non toxic and eco friendly lasting up to ten years before replacement.

The Eva-Dry 333 Mini-Dehumidifier works in areas up to 333 cubic feet, requires no batteries or cords for use and is 100% renewable.  It works up to ten years, is compact/silent, spill and mess free and is non-toxic.  The unit measures 6 1/4″ L, 1 ¼” W, 4 ¾” H.

Use in your boat, RV, closet, laundry area, or in cabinets under sinks to prevent mold, musty odors and moisture damage.

Eva-Dry compact dehumidifier works great in areas of 1100 cu ft. such as basements, storage spaces, bathroom and laundry rooms.

The larger Eva-Dry 1100 Petite Dehumidifier is perfect for storage spaces, bathrooms, laundry areas and spaces that are up to 1,100 cubic feet. It features a removable water tank and an automatic water level detector switch to indicate tank is full. The unit measures 6″L x 4 ½”W x 8 ½”H.

Areas that might benefit from a portable mini dehumidifier:

• Bathrooms/Laundry Rooms: Eva-Dry absorbs excess moisture form vapor related activities, and helps dry fabrics faster.
• Musical Instrument cases and storage bin of clothing: Prevents damage caused by excess moisture.
• Gun Safes: Prevent rust to guns and expensive ammunition and other damage caused by excess moisture.
• Basements: Protects stored clothing and tools from damage caused by excess moisture.

 

Washer does not fill or fills slowly with water

If your washing machine doesn’t fill or fills slowly with water, it could be a problem with the washer fill hoses or water-inlet valve.

WH13X10024 GE Water Inlet Water Valves. Washing Machine Part

A slow filling washer is usually caused by a clogged screen either on the end of your washer fill hose or on the water-inlet valve, a part inside your appliance. Sediment and minerals in water (especially well water) can clog up either one or both of these screens, blocking water from reaching your washing machine. This more commonly happens in the cold water hose, but sediment and mineral deposits can build upon the end of both hoses and on both screens.

First, turn off the water supply to your washer. Next, unscrew the water fill hoses from your washer. Check the end of each hose to see if there is a screen inside. If there is, use a tweezers to remove it and clean, or try using a cotton swab to clean the screen inside of the hose. If this is not possible, replace the inlet hoses with new ones. Consider upgrading to stainless steel braided hoses which are more resistant to bursting.

Next, check the back of the washer where the washer hoses connected and look at the fill valve screen. If the screen is clogged with dirt or sediment, replace with a new water-inlet valve.

To find the right part for your washing machine, locate its model number and use that when searching or ordering your part from www.pcappliancerepair.com. For more washer repair help, visit the Washer Repair Help Section.