Archives for November 2008

Should You Fix the Old Appliance or Buy a New One?

November 7, 2008 By NightOwl

It’s a common question – when your appliance needs repairs is better to fix it or start looking for a new one? Often fixing the broken appliance can take days or even weeks if the parts are not available. A new one can often be purchased and installed within hours. But is buying a new appliance the right choice?

“We surveyed 13-thousand of our subscribers, covering more than 20-thousand broken products, and plenty of them had complaints about the repairs they got,” said Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman from Consumer Reports.

The biggest problems were with electric cooktops and wall ovens.

“The parts were very difficult to find and the repairs often took two weeks or more to get done,” said Kupersmid-Lehrman.

When it comes to dryers, washers, and other larger appliances, the survey showed people have much better luck using an independent shop once the warranty is up, rather than a factory-authorized service center.

But Consumer Reports says sometimes an appliance just isn’t worth fixing.

“You should replace it if the repair is going to cost more than half the price of a new model.” said Kupersmid-Lehrman.

Additionally, Consumer Reports says that it is not necessary to buy an extended warranty, as the cost for repairs, if needed will likely be about the same as the cost of the warranty.

Recall: Fit & Fresh™ Mixers by MEDport LLC Due to Laceration Hazard

November 6, 2008 By Appliance

Name of Product: Fit & Fresh™ Smooth Blend Mixers

Units: About 54,500

Importer: MEDport LLC, of Providence, R.I.

Hazard: While placing the cup on or off the base of the mixer, the mixer can be unexpectedly turned on, activating the blade. This can pose a serious laceration hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: MEDport has received one report of finger lacerations that required medical treatment.

Description: This recall involves Fit & Fresh™ Smooth Blend Mixers with item number 770FF and model number SB-19. The white mixers have four components – a base unit, blade assembly, blending cup and cap. Fit & Fresh™ is printed on the front of the base. The recalled mixers can be identified by the date code, a four-digit number located on the bottom of the base. Date codes included in the recall are: 2707, 4407, 5207, 0308 and 0508.

Sold at: Longs, GNC and Vitamin Shoppe stores nationwide and at www.amazon.com from September 2007 through August 2008 for about $25.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the mixers and determine if their product is subject to this recall. Consumers with the recalled mixers should return the product to the place of purchase or contact MEDport LLC to arrange for a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact MEDport LLC at (800) 858-8840 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.medportllc.com

Energy Star Might Not be Such a Star

November 3, 2008 By NightOwl

Most consumers who are shopping for a new, energy efficient appliance know to look for the Blue EnergyStar label. The Energy Star label alerts shoppers to supposedly very energy efficient appliances. Many appliances also have a yellow energy guide label. That label tells shoppers specifically how much energy they can save by buying that particular appliance.

Buying an efficient appliance really can help save money by saving energy. Over the past five years, the nation has saved over $61 billion according to the Web site EnergyStar.gov. That translates to a reduction of greenhouse gases equal to taking half the country’s vehicles off the roads for one year.

There’s a problem though, according to Business Week, consumer and environmental groups say it’s often too easy for companies to win the right to display the star. According to descriptions from the Department of Energy (DOE), which manages the Energy Star appliance program, the coveted logo should ideally appear on dishwashers, refrigerators, and other appliances that score in the top 25% for energy efficiency in their categories. But in 2007 some 60% of all dishwasher models on the market qualified, the DOE says. The year before, 92% of them hit the mark. “If the DOE gives Energy Star to everyone, eventually it’s worthless,” says David B. Goldstein, a director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

NO INDEPENDENT AUDITS

This past summer the nonprofit Consumers Union complained that some companies were gaming the system. Its testing labs discovered that two refrigerators—one from Samsung and one from LG Electronics—displayed the logos but only measured up if their icemakers were switched off. When the icemakers were on, the machines exceeded the power consumption stated on their Energy Star labels by 65% and by more than 100%, respectively. “Consumers don’t buy a fridge with this sort or feature to leave it off,” says Steven Saltzman, a deputy editor at Consumer Reports. It turned out that when the refrigerator rule was revised in 2001 and 2004, the icemaking feature was rare for this type of model, and there was no requirement to turn it on during the tests. Spokespeople from both LG and Samsung say the companies are in full compliance with DOE standards.

Critics also gripe that there is no independent auditor for appliance testing. The DOE can spot-check products, but it mainly relies on companies to test rivals’ wares and to complain if something looks fishy. Such complaints are rare—and it’s not just consumers who suffer. Federal and state governments require the Energy Star for billions of dollars of purchases each year. Last month, Texas offered a statewide sales-tax-free day for Energy Star goods. If the mark loses credibility, that could weaken official efforts to improve efficiency.

Until this issue is resolved, read those yellow labels carefully, the fact that an appliance carries the Energy Star label no longer seems to mean that it meets the highest standards of efficiency.