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Recall:Goodman Company Reannounces Recall of Air Conditioner/Heat Pump Units Due to Fire Hazard

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.

Name of Product: Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner/Heat Pump (PTACs) Units

Units: About 30,000; previously recalled in August 2008

Manufacturer: Goodman Company, LP, of Houston, Texas

Hazard: The power cords on the PTACs can overheat, posing a burn or fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Goodman has received eleven reports of smoke or fire associated with the PTAC’s power cords. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall includes 5.0 kW Amana-brand, Comfort-Aire-brand and Century-brand Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner units with model numbers PTxxx3x50xx (Amana) and EKTxxx-150x (Comfort-Aire and Century) and serial numbers 0702112056 through 0804237539. The model and serial numbers are located on the control board plate found under the PTAC unit’s front cover.

Sold at: Goodman and heating and cooling equipment dealers nationwide from February 2007 through June 2008 for between $700 and $1,000.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should contact Goodman to receive a free replacement power cord. Commercial and institutional owners will be contacted directly and will install the power cord.

Consumer Contact: For additional information regarding Amana-brand units, contact Goodman at (800) 366-0339 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday; for Comfort-Aire and Century-brand units call (877) 442-4482 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday; or visit www.regcen.com/ptaccord for all products.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

Win a Hoover WindTunnel Vacuum

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Hoover in conjunction with Woman’s Day Magazine is giving away ten Hoover WindTunnel vacuums, valued at around $130.

The hi-tech Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Bagless Upright vacuum features patented WindTunnel technology with air passages that trap dirt and channel it into the dirt cup, significantly minimizing blowback or scattering back onto the floor.

The model has an automatic 27-inch rewindable cord for quick and easy wrap-up with a convenient cord clip on the back of the unit. You can also adjust height to five different settings to ensure roll brushes are at the proper height. Other features include a lifetime HEPA filter that can be cleaned by rinsing under running water; easy belt change system and brushroll access that simplifies vacuum maintenance; convenient, reachable, fingertip controls; an 8-foot stretch hose for above-floor cleaning; a system check indicator that visually alerts the user when the filter needs to be cleaned or checked; and a no-scuff bumper.

Along with the vacuum, you’ll get several accessories, including the Turbo Tool that maximizes attachment power; a 12-inch extension wand that extends the reach of the hose; a crevice tool to help clean nooks and crannies; and an upholstery/dust brush.

Click here to enter.

Jenn-Air to Move to Sears From Lowes and Home Depot

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According to an article at Remodel.net, Sears will become the sole national retailer of Jenn-Air appliances after the new year, supplanting existing distribution deals between the super-premium Whirlpool brand and Lowe’s and The Home Depot.

Sears, the nation’s No. 1 appliance retailer, said it will introduce 17 Jenn-Air refrigerators, dishwashers and cooking products by mid-month at 255 of its largest stores. Jenn-Air will continue to be available to independent dealers and regional chains.

This presents Sears with a prestige kitchen collection just as consumers begin planning their holiday entertaining.

Price points for the luxury line run as high as nearly $10,000 for some built-in refrigerator models.

Sears has recently beefed up its high-margin premium portfolio with the addition of Bosch appliances and the expansion of its private-label Kenmore Elite collection.

“Sears continues to listen to our customers who have voiced their desire for a super-premium line,” said Sears’ home appliances president Doug Moore. “Our relationship with Jenn-Air to carry its luxury line of kitchen appliances is another great example of how we continue to enhance our brand offerings.”

$300 Million? When Will the Rebates Start?

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Our article about the government’s $300 million dollar rebate program which is part of Obama’s economic stimulus package hasn’t begun and consumers across the nation are wondering if it is ever going to happen.

Unlike the $3 billion clunkers rebate blitzkrieg that boosted new-vehicle sales last summer, this program has proceeded more slowly and is aimed at longer-term household investments. It’s also being run differently, with each state deciding what kind of equipment will qualify for rebates.

The federal Department of Energy said last summer that only residential appliances that carry the Energy Star designation would qualify for a rebate. It suggested that rebates could be applied to water heaters, refrigerators, central air conditioners and other big-ticket appliances.

After talking with several people familiar with the program, it now appears details will be released by the end of the year on exactly the types of equipment each state will include in its rebate program as well as the amount of the rebates.

If you can’t wait for your state to start its program, you might want to look into the possibility of getting a Federal tax credit by visiting the government’s energysavers.gov.

GE Appliance Rebate

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GE is offering a rebate of up to $500 on its Profile and Cafe lines. The offer is good until December 31, 2009, so if you plan to update your appliances, now might be a good time.

Pick any 5. Get $500
Pick any 4. Get $300
Pick any 3. Get $200
Pick any 2. Get $100

Check out the GE site for entry and more details.

Will That New Appliance Really Save Energy?

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If you are shopping for a new, energy efficient appliance, and thought all you needed to do to was look for the yellow EnergyStar tag, think again.

The Department of Energy has released new findings that show a handful of appliances may not be as energy efficient as advertised because of problems with the “energy star” labeling program.

That little yellow sticker you see on some new appliances is supposed to guarantee an appliance is in the top 25% of energy efficiency, but an internal audit, just released, shows that the Department of Energy has not been properly tracking how the star has been used.

Initially manufacturers would self-report whether their products met the energy star guidelines, but with the new revelations, that’s changing.

Industry watchdogs are quick to point out, despite a few problems, the energy star program is not a washout.

“It’s not like we found rampant cheating and mis-representation in our testing,” said Celia Kuperszmid Leharman of Consumer Reports. “I think that for now that the stickers are pretty reliable, and they’re good comparative things from one product to the next.”

Before you purchase a new appliance, check out the Department of Energy’s consumer’s webpage for news on energy efficient appliances.

Whirlpool gets US Grant for Smart Appliances

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Whirlpool has announced that it is the recipient of stimulus funds as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Smart Grid Investment Grant program.

The grant of $19.3 million over a two year period – which Whirlpool will match with its own investments – will help the company accelerate its work to deliver to consumers smart appliances that can connect with the smart grid. For example, the company recently announced that in 2011 it would deliver one million U.S. manufactured smart dryers capable of reacting intelligently to signals from the smart grid by modifying their energy consumption to save consumers money on their home electric bills. In markets where utilities offer variable or time-of-use pricing, these dryers could save a typical consumer $20 to $40 per year, while also benefitting the environment.

“The grants announced today are a great example of public and private partnerships that will create the next generation of energy saving solutions,” said Mike Todman, president, Whirlpool Corporation North America. “Smart appliances combined with time of use pricing offer consumers the greatest ability to save money on energy costs while benefiting the environment.”

In addition, the funds will complement the company’s commitment that by 2015 all of the electronically controlled appliances it produces – everywhere in the world – will be capable of receiving and responding to signals from the smart grid. This commitment is dependent on two important public-private partnerships: the development by the end of 2010 of an open, global standard for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a home appliance; and appropriate policies that reward consumers, manufacturers and utilities for using and adding these new peak demand reduction capabilities.

The Appliance Bermuda Triangle

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Most of us have at least one- you know yours- the appliance you were sure you needed, used once or twice and relegated to the back of a closet. It disappeared into your home’s own appliance Bermuda Triangle.

Tamar Haspel who blogs at starvingofftheland.com writes about her’s and her mother’s appliance mis-purchases.

A Champion juicer is a big, heavy powerful appliance that reduces fruits and vegetables to their constituent parts: juice and sawdust.

A Champion juicer is not inexpensive. These days, they retail for a little over $200. Although other juicers cost less, other juicers do not have the power to juice the furniture.

When my mother got it, we tried it on everything but the furniture. I even wrote about it, in an article entitled, “How to Make the Most Mess with the Fewest Appliances.”

But it didn’t take. Before long, the Champion was relegated to the Closet of Appliance Mistakes, where it nestled up against the gelato maker. (First, of course, my mother offered it to me, but I’m not stupid enough to take a big, heavy appliance destined for the Closet.)

I’ve learned many things from my mother, and one of them should have been not to buy a Champion juicer. But when I saw a barely used one at a yard sale for $12., I couldn’t resist. Twelve dollars! That’s five percent of its retail price! Besides, I don’t live in a tiny apartment any more. When you have an entire Basement of Appliance Mistakes, you can branch out.

Still, I wasn’t sure. “I’m not sure,” I said to Kevin as we contemplated the juicer.

“If you don’t like it, you can put it on Craigslist and you’ll probably get your twelve dollars back,” he said. Although this was true, I think he just wanted to make sure I went home with something substantial, since he had just bought a windsurfer that came with three sails, two masts, a boom, and a harness.

I should mention that the Basement of Appliance Mistakes is also the Basement of Water-sports Mistakes. If this windsurfer joins the other two that are already down there, there won’t be much room for the Champion juicer.

The gist of starvingofftheland is that Ms. Haspel and her husband are attempting to feed themselves at least one food a day that they have a direct connection to. They might have grown or raised it themselves, or possibly fished, hunted or traded for it. In this spirit, the couple has begun raising chickens.

The chickens clinch the juicer sale. “What pushed me over the edge was the thought that the vegetable pulp, which still has considerable nutritional value, could be fed to the chickens. Everybody wins.

I forked over my twelve dollars, and took my juicer home. All the parts were there, and it hummed smoothly when I turned it on. We had half a bag of carrots in the refrigerator, and we used them for the test ride.”

We ended up with two glasses of carrot juice. It tasted exactly like the carrots it came from — fine but a little bitter. We also had a nice plate of carrot crumbles for the chickens, and we headed out to the run.

We expected an enthusiastic reception, but the chickens wouldn’t touch the stuff. They gave one or two experimental pecks, and then looked reproachfully at us. “This isn’t carrot,” they were obviously saying, “This is sawdust.” This, from birds that eat rocks, charcoal, and tree bark.

Apparently, you can’t drink your carrot and feed it to your chickens, too.

I’m not giving up on the juicer just yet. I’m very fond of beet juice with ginger, and I’ll give that a whirl. And if anyone out there has any brilliant uses for it, I’m all ears. But if you’re in the market for a Champion juicer, you might want to keep an eye on Craigslist.

Manufacturer Rebate vs Government Rebate

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We’ve been getting questions regarding when the Government’s promised 300 million dollar appliance rebate will become available. The problem is, unlike the cars Cash for Clunkers program, this appliance stimulus plan is designed and administered by the individual states.

Under a population-based funding formula, Ohio was allocated $11 million, Kentucky $4 million and Indiana $6 million for the rebates.

Today is the deadline for the states to submit their rebate plans. The federal government has until the end of November to approve them.

But most states aren’t expected to launch their rebate programs until early next year.

Jim Recker of Recker & Boerger Inc. appliance stores in Ohio and other appliance retailers say there are plenty of manufacturers rebates already available and some retailers are piggy-backing with their own rebates.

“People will wait for (the government program), but if they bought now, they could take advantage of rebates already in place and save on less energy used by the new appliances in the meantime,” said Recker,(Cincinnati.com) whose firm has stores in Springdale, Montgomery and Anderson Township.

Some examples: Frigidaire has extended a $100 cash back offer on Energy Star-qualified dishwashers through the end of October. Electrolux is offering $100 pre-paid Visa card on Energy Star-rated refrigerators purchased through November.

Another wrinkle in the appliance rebate program is that the federal guidelines encourage the states to team-up with recyclers to remove old appliances from the market, although it isn’t mandated (as it was in the Cash for Clunkers program).

Affresh Tablets for the Dishwasher and Garbage Disposal

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While the aroma of baking pies and browning roasts are welcome in the kitchen, dishwasher and disposal odors are not. To keep smelly kitchen odor at bay and ensure appliance workhorses run smoothly, Whirlpool introduces the new affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner, the only national two-in-one cleaner for dishwashers and garbage disposals.

If not properly cleaned as indicated in the Use & Care guide, all brands of dishwashers and garbage disposals have the potential for odor. Dishwashers in particular can be a problem when dirty dishes sit for multiple days or when food residue is not completely rinsed away. Until now, no product on the market removed both dishwasher and garbage disposal odors.

An extension of the affresh washer cleaner brand, the affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner is simple to use. Simply place one tablet in the main dishwasher detergent tray and another tablet in the prewash tray or in the bottom of the dishwasher. Run on the heaviest cycle – without dishes – using the hottest wash temperature to activate the affresh chemistry to dissolve and neutralize odor, leaving behind a crisp citrus scent. If consumers have a garbage disposal, they should follow up with a tablet in the disposal to remove odor in the drain pipe, which connects to the dishwasher. To clean the garbage disposal, place one tablet into the disposal, slowly run hot water through the disposal for 15 seconds. Turn off water and disposal, and wait 30 minutes before flushing with hot water.

Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner is safe for septic tanks, dishwashers, disposals and plumbing, and is the #1 recommended cleaner by KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag and Amana brands. For more disposal and dishwasher maintenance tips, consumers should review their appliance Use & Care guides.

The MSRP for a package of six affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner tablets is $5.99 and is available at major home appliance dealers.