News

RECALL: Sagittarius Gas Grills

May 11, 2007 By NightOwl

Name of product: Perfect Flame Four-Burner Gas Grills

Units: About 36,500

Manufacturer: Sagittarius Sporting Goods, of China

Importer: L G Sourcing, of North Wilkesboro, N.C

Hazard: Some of these grills could be missing a hose that connects the grill manifold to the side burner, which poses a risk of fires and burn injuries to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: About 30,000 of these grills in inventory have already been inspected, and 17 units were found to have missing hoses and repaired. No injuries or consumer incidents have been reported.

Description: The recall involves 25-inch by 18-inch Perfect Flame brand, four-burner, stainless steel gas grills with date codes JU, JV, JW, JX, JY, or JZ. The name “Perfect Flame” is on the grill hood. The model number, 2518SL, and the date code are located on a label inside the left front door of the grill.

Sold at: Lowe’s retail outlets nationwide from September 2006 through February 2007 for about $400.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should inspect their grills before initial use to determine whether the hose that attaches to the side burner is missing.
If it is, do not use the grill and contact Sagittarius. Sagittarius will inspect the grill and install a free replacement hose.

Consumer Contact: Call Sagittarius toll-free at (888) 804-7455 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday.

Source

Recall: Char-Broil Two-Burner Gas Grills

May 4, 2007 By NightOwl

Name of product: Char-Broil Two-Burner Gas Grills Model 463720407

Units: About 600

Importer: Char-Broil LLC, of Columbus, Ga.

Manufacturer: Winmax, of China

Char Boil Grill Recall Hazard: The recalled grills could have an incorrect heat shield that does not fit the grills. Without the correct heat shield, the propane tank, hose, and regulator could overheat and damage these components, presenting a risk of fire and burn to consumers, if a propane leak occurs.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported. Five consumers have received grills without the correct heat shield.

Description: Only Char-Broil gas grills with model number 463720407 are included in the recall. This is a two-burner 360 square inch cooking surface gas grill with a 170 square inch swing-away rack, two side shelves and a condiment basket. Char-Broil’s logo is on the top of the lid of the grill. The serial number is located on the white rating label on the back of the upper front panel of the grill. The serial numbers range from G305040611002821 to G305040611003420.

CharBroil Grill Heat Shield Sold at: Big Lots stores nationwide from January 2007 through March 2007 for about $115 and $130.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should inspect their grill to determine whether the heat shield is properly installed. If the heat shield is missing or cannot be installed per instructions, stop using the grill and immediately contact Char-Broil. Char-Broil will send the consumer, free of charge, the correct heat shield and installation instructions.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Char-Broil toll-free at (866) 671-7988 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.charbroil.com

Recall: Coby Boombox

April 27, 2007 By NightOwl

Coby Boombox recall Coby Electronics Recalls Boomboxes Due to Fire Hazard

Name of product: Coby-Brand USB/MP3/CD Boomboxes

Units: About 13,800

Importer: Coby Electronics Corp., of Maspeth, N.Y.

Hazard: When left plugged into an electrical outlet and the off switch is not firmly in place, these boomboxes can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Coby Electronics Corp. has received 18 reports of these boomboxes overheating resulting in three reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled Coby boombox is a portable CD/MP3 player with an AM/FM radio. The USB feature allows it to be connected to a computer.
The boombox is primarily white with silver-colored speakers. The word “COBY” is written on the front and “DIGITAL” is written on the top. The model number, “MP-CD475” also is written on the top. The recalled units have serial numbers, located on the rear of the unit beneath the AC power cord plug-in outlet, in the following range limits:

0736000001 through 0736005000
0816000001 through 0816005300
0826000001 through 0826003500

Sold at: Discount, toy and office supply stores nationwide from August
2006 through December 2006 for between $20 and $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should unplug these boomboxes immediately, and contact the firm for information on returning the recalled units and receiving a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, call Coby Electronics Corp. at (800) 524-9219 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site.

Source

Recall: Holmes Oil-Filled Electric Heaters

April 27, 2007 By NightOwl

The Holmes Group Recalls Oil-Filled Electric Heaters Due to Fire Hazard

Name of product: Holmes® Oil-Filled Electric Heaters

Units: About 300,000

Distributor: The Holmes Group, of Milford, Mass.

Hazard: A poor electrical connection within the heater can lead to overheating. This poses fire and thermal burn hazards.

Incidents/Injuries: The Holmes Group has received reports of 59 incidents involving the recalled heaters. There were 12 reports of minor injuries including four reported burns. There were 36 reports of property damage including four fires that caused between $41,000 and $200,000 in damage.

Description: The recall involves Holmes oil-filled electric heaters with model number HOH2505 and HOH2520. The model number and “Holmes®” are printed on the side of the unit near the bottom.

Sold at: Discount department stores, hardware stores and other retailers from September 2005 through February 2007 for between $40 and $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heaters and contact the Holmes Group to receive a free replacement heater.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact The Holmes Group at (800) 306-2471 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site.

Source.

Appliance Life Span in the Home Varies – When to Replace

April 26, 2007 By NightOwl

Appliance Life Span in the Home Varies - When to Replace Appliances and materials that get daily use and lots of wear and tear eventually need replacing. Knowing their life expectancies may help you decide whether it makes sense to repair an aging appliance.

Here’s a general guideline:

6 years — trash compactor
9 years — dishwasher, microwave
8-10 years — carpet
10 years — clothes washer
11 years — freezer, water heater (electric)
12 years — garbage disposal
13 years — refrigerator, clothes dryer, electric range
14 years — range hood
10-15 years — air conditioner, garage door opener
15 years — gas range, kitchen faucets
15-25 years — laminate floors
20 years — medicine cabinet, tub/shower faucets
20-50 years — whirlpool tub
20+ years — water heater (tankless)
50 years — kitchen cabinets, vinyl floors
75-100 years — tile floors
Lifetime — wood floors

Read the full article.

Recall:Maytag and Samsung Front Loading Washer

March 21, 2007 By NightOwl

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Maytag and Samsung Brand Front Loading Washing Machines

Units: About 250,000 Maytag-brand units and about 20,000 Samsung-brand units

Distributor: Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa, and Samsung Electronics America Inc., of Ridgefield Park, N.J.

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., of South Korea

Hazard: Water leakage onto the electrical connections to the washing machine’s thermal sensor could cause an electrical short and ignite a circuit board, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received five reports of incidents involving ignition in the circuit board. Samsung has received one report of an incident involving ignition in the circuit board. No injuries, fires or property damage outside the washing machine have been reported.

Description and Models: The recall involves certain Maytag and Samsung brand front-load washers. The Maytag washers have model numbers beginning with MAH9700 or MAH8700. The Samsung model number WF306BHW or a model number beginning with WF316. Not all serial numbers are subject to the recall. The model and serial numbers are located on a tag at the bottom of the door opening. Maytag models with a serial number ending in the last two letters identified below are subject to the recall:

2005

2006

Sample Maytag Serial Number: 10123456GN

Samsung models with the six-digit number 100001 through 799999 prior to a letter at the end of the serial number are subject to the recall:

Sample Samsung Serial Number: 230854AL300026B

Sold at: Major department and appliance stores nationwide from April 2005 through August 2006 for between $1,000 and $1,200.

Manufactured in: South Korea

Remedy: Consumers should immediately contact the firm for information on how to receive a free repair. Consumers should not return the washing machine to the retailer where it was purchased.

Consumer Contact: For more information, consumers can call Maytag toll-free at (800) 868-5109 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go to Maytag’s Web site at www.washerrecall.com – Samsung customers can call (800) 515-7902 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go to Samsung’s Web site at www.Samsung.com/washerrecall

Maytag Media Contact: Monica Teague, (269) 923-7405 or monica.teague@Whirlpool.com

Samsung Media Contact: Deborah Szajngarten at (201) 229-4090 or dszajngarten@sea.samsung.com

Picture of Recalled Maytag Washing Machine Picture of Recalled Samsung Washing Machine

Internet Enabled Wall Ovens- Now your Blackberry can make dinner

March 8, 2007 By NightOwl

Ah those were the days. Mom in the kitchen cooking dinner (chops, potatos, peas) while we all played tag outside for hours until she finally called as the sun came down “Dinner” and we slowly worked our way back home for a family dinner. But what happens if the boys are at little league, the girls are at karate, dad’s stuck on the freeway, and mom is on the way to pick everybody up as she swings home from court? Well if you want to justify having those two incomes check out this super hot (or super cold) integrated refrigerated double wall oven with internet controls. Just buy a premade meal from one of those almost home cooked shops and toss it in the oven before you leave in the morning. Afraid of salmonella? no problem. These ovens have built in refrigeration. Program it to stay cold all day. When you walk out of court, you can pull up the browser on your blackberry, hit the oven over the wireless net and tell it to start cooking.

Pick up the kids, meet dad on the driveway, and dinner is waiting as you walk in. The Jetsons never had it so good.

Check it out here: SuperSmart Internet Enabled Wall Ovens

TMIO announced an expanded Intelligent Oven product line based on the original Connect Io double wall oven of consistent accolades. The original Connect Io double offers remote control by Internet and telephone, and comes with built-in refrigeration to keep foods fresh before and after cooking. These advanced remote features allow homeowners to communicate with the oven to give cooking, warming, and refrigeration instructions so that “dinner is ready when you are.”

Internet controlled wall ovens from IMIO

Here’s a link to TMIO: to read more

How to ruin your electric wall oven for under a buck

March 7, 2007 By WorkinMan

No matter how high tech our ovens, ranges and other appliances get, we’re sometimes still driven to try old fashioned fixes. I’m sure that you hate when your food overflows and spills on the bottom of the oven. You know its just gonna burn off and smoke up the joint before its gone. So you quickly try mom’s old trick of lining the bottom of the oven with foil. Maybe not such a great idea with today’s high powered, but delicately balanced ovens. I found this piece in a Missouri paper called the News Leader.

You want to keep your oven sparkling clean so you protect it by putting aluminum foil on racks, under food as it cooks, and down on the oven floor where food drops and burns to a crisp. But instead of helping, you’re hurting your oven.
Foil placed on the oven floor reflects and intensifies heat, which can cause the bake element to burn out prematurely.

Foil placed under foods on the racks is bad because it traps heat in the bottom of the oven, keeping it from circulating and reaching the heat sensor near the top. Severe overheating is possible; besides damaging the bake element, that could also affect insulation in the oven wall and discolor or even crack oven-door glass.

By disrupting temperatures and air circulation, aluminum foil messes up cooking times, too.

A quickie clean just isn’t worth it.

Whirlpool: If a FOOL would buy the stock, are you a fool to buy the washer?

February 12, 2007 By WorkinMan

whirlpool motley fool

Whirlpool announced its quarterly financial results today and Ryan Fuhrmann over at the MotleyFool seems to think that Whirlpool might just be a stock to invest in these days.

Although the company is reporting growth on overseas markets like Brazil (12%) and India (5-10%), it anticipates shrinking in its core North American and European markets (down 2-3%). The retreating housing market and tightening economy limit the available market size, and the company depends on a small group of stores (Sears, Lowes, Home Depot and Best Buy) for most of its sales.

So why buy if the company is shrinking? Because the company expects to get more efficient and cut down its cost base. Management expects to wring out hundreds of millions in “significant efficiencies” over the next couple of years, culminating in $400 million in projected savings in 2008. Where will these efficiencies come from? Whirlpool is counting on cost-cutting from last year’s acquisition of arch-rival Maytag.

With the acquisition Whirlpool“>Whirlpool wiped out a major competitor and boosted its place as a dominant appliance supplier. Hopefully its efficiencies and cost cutting will come in to form of eliminating redundancies, and not in the form of dropping engineering and manufacturing standards.

Time, and customer feedback will tell.

Over at the FOOL Ryan writes:

Fortunately, Whirlpool“>Whirlpool has proven adept at introducing appealing new products and controls a number of well-respected brands, namely Whirlpool, Kenmore, and KitchenAid, as well as Maytag, Jenn-Air, and Amana (acquired from Maytag). Overall, I believe a seasoned operating model, reasonable valuation, cost-cutting opportunities, and international growth prospects outweigh concerns about slow domestic growth and near-term housing woes.

So buy the stock, but keep an eye on the forums to see if you should buy Whirlpool products.

Hoover Sucked Up By Chinese Conglomerate

February 3, 2007 By Appliance

Another great American brand bites the Dust. Hoover got Sucked up by Chinese conglomerate Techtronic Industries (TTI) of Hong Kong.

Whirlpool washed its hands of its floor care products today and dumped the Hoover brand along with all of its assets to TTI. TTI already controls the Dirt Devil brand and is well on its way to being the major floor care brand. As more American brands outsource all of their manufacturing to China, its a short step to selling the brand outright to the factory.

Here’s TTI’s announcement:

Will Combine Hoover with Dirt Devil Creating Largest Floor Care Business in North America

HONG KONG, Jan. 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. today announced that it will complete its acquisition of the Hoover floor care business from Whirlpool Corporation (“Whirlpool”) when the transaction closes on 31st January, 2007 (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) pursuant to the terms of the definitive purchase agreement announced 7th December, 2006. TTI is combining Hoover with its existing Dirt Devil and Royal operations in Glenwillow, Ohio, U.S. to create TTI Floor Care, the largest floor care business in North America. Mr. Chris Gurreri will become president of TTI Floor Care, North America.
Under the agreement, TTI will purchase all of the assets of Hoover for US$107 million in cash. The purchase will be financed through TTI internal resources and existing lines of credit.
TTI noted that all appropriate regulatory reviews have been completed at both the federal and state levels. The applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, has expired. The State of Ohio also completed its review of the transaction.
As part of the sale:
— TTI will assume certain liabilities of Hoover, including accounts payable as well as accruals and long-term post-retirement medical and life insurance benefits for transferred bargaining-unit employees.
— Whirlpool will retain the liabilities associated with pension and post-retirement benefit plans for currently retired Hoover employees and those who retire prior to the final closing date.
— TTI Floor Care will assume in full the existing union contract that covers approximately 800 hourly workers at Hoover’s North Canton, Ohio, manufacturing facility and nearby distribution center. The contract runs through June 2008.
— TTI Floor Care will assess all operations of Dirt Devil and Hoover, beginning immediately, to determine its specific manufacturing and distribution strategies.
— Through an agreement reached with the State of Ohio’s Department of Development, TTI Floor Care will establish its North American floor care headquarters in Glenwillow and will build a new global floor care product research and development center there. The new global R&D center will house product design and engineering associates, including the addition of approximately 110 new jobs over the next three years.
“We intend to develop innovative products that enable us to become a market leader in every floor care category,” Gurreri said. “Between TTI, Dirt Devil and Hoover, we now have under one roof a passion for floor care as well as financial and intellectual resources, design and marketing skills, a commitment to product innovation, highly recognized brands, and established retail distribution and supply chain expertise. It is truly an energizing moment and one that is full of opportunity.

Consumers and retailers alike can look forward to exciting developments from our flagship brands — Dirt Devil and Hoover. The combined operations also create a strong commercial floor care business featuring the Royal and Hoover brands.”
Mr. Joseph Galli Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Techtronic Appliances Holdings Co. Ltd., TTI’s global floor care and appliances division, concluded, “This acquisition is an important step in building a global leadership position in floor care. We are pleased to have the support of the State of Ohio as we implement our plans for the combined operations.
With nearly 100 years of quality and innovation, the Hoover name is synonymous with floor care and is one of the most recognized brands in the world. The addition of Hoover to our existing floor care businesses allows us to invest much more significantly in research and development, new product innovation and marketing.”

TTI’s portfolio of global brands, among others, Milwaukee(R), AEG(R), Ryobi(R), Homelite(R), Royal(R), Dirt Devil(R), Regina(R) and Vax(R).

TTI is one of the constituent stocks on the Hang Seng HK MidCap Index under the Hang Seng Composite Index, the MSCI Hong Kong Index, the FTSE All-World Hong Kong Index, the FTSE/Hang Seng Asian Cyclical Index and the Dow Jones Hong Kong Titans 30. For more information, please visit http://www.ttigroup.com .