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Laundry

Recall: Clothing Irons by Conair Corporation Due to Fire Hazard

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Name of product: Clothing Irons

Units: About 45,000

Distributor: Conair Corporation, of Stamford, Conn.

Hazard: The clothing iron can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Conair has received three reports of overheating, including two fires resulting in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Conair clothing irons with model numbers DPP1500, DPP1500R and DPP3500. The model number is printed below the soleplate. No other models are included in this recall.

Sold at: Department and retail stores nationwide from October 2008 through March 2009 for about $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately unplug and stop using the recalled clothing irons and contact Conair to receive a free comparable product.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Conair at (800) 687-6916 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.Conair.com

Fisher & Paykel Struggling – Whirlpool Not Buying, But Sears is Selling

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Appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel’s debt is predicted to rise to next month as a result of the depreciating New Zealand dollar and a drop in sales. Its profits were expected to drop up to fifty-four percent.

The New Zealand company told investors in February that it was in talks with a number of parties in a bid to raise capital to help with debt levels, Whirlpool was thought to be one of the contenders.

David Graham, Whirlpool general manager of marketing for Australia and New Zealand, told the New Zealand Herald his company would not be the white knight. “At this juncture we are not seeking to acquire Fisher & Paykel New Zealand,” he said.

Commentators said there was only a small chance Fisher & Paykel would find a cornerstone investor to help take on more than $500m in debt when many companies were struggling themselves.

A Government bailout was unlikely and a capital raising from shareholders was the only real option for Fisher & Paykel, they said.

At the same time, Fisher & Paykel Appliances will launch a new brand of home appliances at Sears outlet stores beginning in April. The new Elba by Fisher & Paykel brand will be manufactured in Fisher & Paykel’s North American facilities.

Commenting on the new brand launch in the U.S., Mike Goadby, North American president for Fisher & Paykel Appliances, said, “The company is adapting a strategy it employed in the New Zealand market for the past 12 months with promising results. Fisher & Paykel’s decision to extend its brand is necessary to continue to promote company growth.”

GE $2500 Sweepstakes

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This is just like winning a new appliance in retroactively. All you need to do is register your GE appliance, and you will be automatically entered in a monthly drawing for $2500 from GE. The contest lasts until October 2009 and winners will be awarded a check for the full amount. You can enter the appliances you already own, no new purchases required. Just use the GE online registration or follow the instructions on their website.

Hate Ironing? Hate Wrinkles? Try Steam.

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Steam is the latest thing in the laundry room.  You can get steam enhanced washers and dryers and although they’ve been around for years, clothes steamers are making a presence lately.  In the past they were most often seen at cleaners or tailors.  You could drop off your suit for pressing and steaming, picking it up in a day or two.

Today, steamers come in a variety of styles and the cost makes them practical to have around the house.  One that has caught my eye is Rowenta’s Ultra Steam Steambrush.  It has a compact electric pump that delivers continuous steam that can be adjusted to different fabrics.  It also has dual heating elements to accommodate voltage of 120 or 230 volts without a problem.

The brush on the Steambrush is removeable and the unit comes with a removable lint pad. It weighs about 1.5 pounds and comes with a travel bag for taking it where ever you go.

The Steambrush retails for around $35.

Haier’s Compact Dryer

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Last month we wrote here at appliance.net about Haier’s portable, compact washing machine.  For those of you who trek regularly to a laundromat, and have a small space to store one, check out that story.  If you’ve already made up your mind that a compact washer is just what you need, Haier has the dryer to go with it.

This compact electric dryer has a 2.6 cubic foot interior and can be mounted to any wall.  Just be sure you have an electrical outlet nearby.  It has three temperature settings, delicate, heavy and normal along with an air-dry option.

The portable washer and dryer are not stackable, but the washer can be placed beneath the wall mounted dryer to create a similar spacesaving configuration.

This dryer retails for about $270.

Appliances Don’t Last a Lifetime, Neither Does the Warranty

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It used to be, back in our parents and grandparents time, that a large appliance was a once in a lifetime purchase.  The white, round cornered refrigerator in your great-Aunt’s kitchen was the one she got for Christmas the first year she was married and it was the only one she ever needed.

Boy have times, and appliances changed.  Today, you might get nine years out of your dishwasher and microwave, ten from your washer, and if you’re lucky thirteen out of your dryer and refrigerator.  We’ve detailed the average lifespan in this article if you’d like find out about a specific appliance.

The other issue today is the reduced warranties that the manufacturers are now providing.  Gone are the extended warranties on components.  Now one year is all that is being given.  Not only that, but the service from these manufacturers has declined as well.

Hometownlife.com reports that a reader called to report that her 12-year-old dishwasher ran all night. Her husband turned it on when they went to bed around 10 p.m., and when she walked into the kitchen at 7 a.m., it was still running. She opened the door and the blast of heat was like opening an oven door. She called the manufacturer who sent out a service technician who couldn’t tell her why the dishwasher didn’t shut off. The manufacturer then told her they couldn’t do a thing for her because it was well out of warranty and besides that, they told her the average life span of the dishwasher was six years. They offered her $50 towards the purchase of a new dishwasher provided it was their brand.

Although the dishwasher was not new, one should expect that it would at the least run safely and that the response from the manufacturer would be more helpful.

Here’s a second situation:

“I am having a problem with my Jenn Air oven. It is a double oven. It is also a convection oven. It was manufactured in 1996. The past two nights the bottom oven has been turning on by itself. This morning the bottom oven broiler was on. I called Jenn Air and a service tech is coming out. Jenn Air will pay for the diagnosis but says that the oven is no longer under warranty.”

A person’s home is their haven; they should feel safe there.  Do we have to lie awake at night wondering whether the oven is going to turn itself on and set the house afire?  An appliance should enhance and simplify your life, not add to your list of worries and stresses.

Who Started it?

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We are all so accustomed to having a microwave and dishwasher in the kitchen these days, but did you ever wonder who started it all?

In some cases the answer is Whirlpool, and they are proud of it.  Whirlpool introduced the first the countertop microwave and automatic washing machine. KitchenAid which is now owned by Whirlpool, brought us the automatic dishwasher.  Whirlpool also unveiled high capacity, front-load laundry units in the U.S.

Just a little bit of appliance history brought to you today by appliance.net.

DryerMiser Promises to Cut Dryer Energy Use in Half

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Here’s an interesting new twist on the clothes dryer:

A device that says it can cut dryer energy use and reduce drying time has passed safety tests and will be available this year.

The DryerMiser, developed by Hydromatic Technologies Corporation, changes the way the air inside dryers gets heated up. By using heated fluid instead of a gas flame or electric heating elements, the DryerMiser halves how much energy a dryer needs and can dry loads in 41 percent less time that typical dryers.

The device has recently passed tests by product safety certification organization Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Although the Underwriters Laboratory mark is not required for equipment put on the market, it shows consumers and companies that a product has met certain standards.

The DryerMiser will first be available as a $300 conversion kit that takes about an hour for a trained service provider to install, and the company says it is in talks with appliance makers to integrate it into new dryers.

Hydromatic Technologies also hopes its device will help put in place Energy Star standards for dryers. Although clothes washers can carry the Energy Star label, Energy Star does not label clothes dryers, it says, “because most dryers use similar amounts of energy, which means there is little difference in the energy use between models.”

This comes from GreenBiz,com if you want to visit them, click here.

Extend the Life of Your Appliances

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One of the easiest ways to extend the life of your appliance is with some preventative maintenance. Don’t spend your hard earned money on new appliances when applying some of these simple tips can keep your laundry, kitchen and small appliances running smoothly.

Washing machine – Make sure this is set up on an even flat surface. Unbalanced machines cause uneven distribution of wash loads and may cause the appliance to “walk” or move little by little, which can eventually damage the barrel.

Don’t load your wash to above the maximum capacity. Every six months, check the hose for leaks and kinks, and replace promptly if needed as cracked hoses waste water. Periodically clean the lint screen by turning it inside out and washing it with soap and warm water to eliminate buildups. Check the hose vent for clogs.

Refrigerator – After delivery of a new refrigerator, wait at least eight to 10 hours before plugging in. Let the Freon settle down first. If you live in areas where electricity fluctuates, protect your fridge with an auto-voltage regulator (AVR).

Twice a year, clean the condenser coils located either at the back (for older models) or the front (newer models have grills that cover the coils near the bottom) of your refrigerator.

When defrosting freezers, never scrape ice from the walls to avoid damaging the appliance. Merely it turn off and remove all the food. Clean the refrigerator’s interior while you’re at it. To check the gasket, close the door on a piece of paper and pull. If it easily slides out, it’s time to replace the seal.

Air conditioner – Always follow the rule of starting the unit in fan setting for a minimum of three minutes before turning it up to high-cool to avoid overworking the compressor. Sustain airflow by cleaning the filter monthly with soapy water and a soft toothbrush. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth and remove all debris from the central air unit to maximize air current.

Electric fan – Once a week, remove and clean the blade and grills. If you are adept at dismantling things, you can remove the shaft and apply industrial grease/oil to postpone wear and tear of the bushing parts. Let the grease dry for about three hours before using the unit again so the oil won’t enter the motor.

Television and DVD player– Avoid placing the TV near a window where splashes of rain could damage the circuits. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth. Clean DVD players using a commercial disk cleaner once a month and remember to wipe CDs thoroughly with a soft, non-abrasive cloth before playing. Take good care of the remote controls as well.

Microwave – Never put any metals inside and don’t let splattered food stay inside for long. Use only microwavable dishes for heating. Before cleaning, heat a cup of water with a teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl for three minutes. This makes it easy to wipe off all sticky food particles with a sponge or soft cloth right after. Don’t forget to clean the door gasket too.

Rice cooker – Dry the bottom of the pot before putting it over the hot plate every time you cook rice. Position the cooker on a flat, even surface. Clean up any overflow on the sides right after cooking.

Electric air pot – Always boil water at the correct water level. Avert or remove hard water deposits by pouring pure white vinegar just above the water stain. Boil in one cycle, leave overnight, then clean as usual. Remind members of the family to gently press on the controls so as not to damage the pads.

It may take some extra effort, but you’ll find the both savings and the piece of mind of knowing everything is running smoothly are worth it. You can read more here.

Haier’s Portable Washing Machine

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If you lack space at home for a full size washer, and are tired of having huge dry cleaning bills, or lugging pounds of washing back and forth to the laundromat, here’s a small product with the answer to big laundry problems.  A portable washing machine.  These compact units hold less than full size washers, but they do they same job.

Haier makes three styles of portable washing machines.  These little numbers claim to do the work of the larger machines while taking up very little space in your home.  They are recommended  for apartments as well as houses.  These units don’t require a dedicated laundry room, they plug into any standard wall unit and the hoses attach to any faucet.  The catch is that you must move (drag, tug, maneuver) the unit into place by a sink.

Haier’s three units are sized 1.0 cubic feet, 1.46 cu. ft. and 1.7 cu. ft.  and come with up to four water level settings and a variety of wash settings including delicate.  Only the 1.7 cu.ft. model has bleach and fabric softener dispensers.

We found them to retail for between $180 to $280.

Haier also makes a matching set of dryers for these models.  Look for more on them here at appliance.net.