RepairClinic.com Names The Top Three Most Overlooked Appliance Dangers

Last Updated: August 17, 2012By

RepairCLinicRepairClinic.com, America’s most popular online store with replacement parts for appliances and outdoor power equipment, today shared a list of the top three most overlooked home appliance dangers and tips on how families can protect themselves.

“People often forget about dangers associated with major home appliances because they’re as much a part of daily life as a toothbrush,” said Chris Hall, president of RepairClinic. com and appliance repair expert. “It’s important to be aware of these dangers and to take proper care to reduce risks and stay safe.”

Here are the top three most overlooked home appliance dangers and how to avoid them:


Dryer FireThe clothes dryer: Instant fire starter.

Every year, dryers cause thousands of major house fires in the U.S. People are often surprised to learn of the primary culprit: Lint. Dryer venting can become clogged with lint, causing a dangerous buildup of heat and an instant fire that spreads fast.

“If you notice that it’s taking longer for your clothes to dry, it’s likely that lint is clogging the venting system,” explained Chris Hall. “You should clean it out as soon as possible.”

How to prevent a fire:

A venting system should be cleaned out from inside of the dryer to the outside vent cap at least once per year. Professionals can be hired for this or homeowners can purchase a long brush like this and do it on their own. Also, vinyl venting should be replaced immediately with an aluminum equivalent. White vinyl no longer meets national fire code standards in the US. Dryer lint traps should be cleaned out after every load. For extra precaution, homeowners can use a bristled long brush to remove pieces of lint that collect there.

 


MowerThe lawn mower: Injury machine.

New stories about tragic accidents this time of the year are helping to raise awareness but the true dangers associated with lawn mowers are still not widely recognized. Push, self-propelled and riding lawn mowers all bear great risks so proper care and precautions are critical to family safety.

“Debris – pet and children’s toys, stones, plastic edging, wood chips, pieces of aged blades, etcetera – can be catapulted at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour,” said Jeff Linderman, RepairClinic.com’s on-staff landscaping expert. “Being hit with these objects at such a speed can be a fatal injury.”

How to prevent accidents:

The cutting blade located under the deck should be checked regularly for damage, bends, and dullness. Blades should be replaced annually to every two years, depending on its usage. Replacement blades are inexpensive and easy to install.

“Children and pets should always stay inside when the lawn mower is in operation,” said Linderman. “This keeps them safe from flying debris. Also, when using a riding mower, it’s particularly difficult to spot children who may venture too close to the mower.”

It’s important to remember to consult the mower’s owner’s manual.

“Many people often remove or adjust the position of their mower’s deflector, despite warnings against this in the mower’s owner’s manual,” said Linderman. “This is unwise because it can send debris flying at a longer distance.”

Another protective mower safety feature is its rubber trail shield located at the back of the mower that prevents debris from flying out as the blade runs over it. Before each mowing season, mower owners should check to make sure this is working properly and free of tears.

 

microwaveThe microwave oven: Repairing & electrocution risk holder.

Fortunately, a microwave oven remains safe, unless you attempt repair, which may be a fatal mistake. Despite its small size compared to other home appliances, the microwave oven stores thousands of volts of electricity in its capacitor, even after the microwave oven has been unplugged. That’s more than 30 wall outlets combined.

How to prevent accidents:

Replacing electronic parts in a microwave oven can be extremely dangerous. This should be left to a repair professional. However, the cost to purchase a new microwave is often comparable to the cost of replacement parts so a new unit is most often the best solution. Non-electronic microwave parts like door latches, glass trays and their associated parts are inexpensive and easy to replace.

 

Since 1999, RepairClinic.com has been America’s most popular, trusted online store with replacement parts for major household appliances.

In 2011, the company expanded its offerings to include parts and accessories for outdoor power equipment including lawn mowers, string trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers and more. Free repair resources including more than 600 how-to videos empower people to fix their appliances and outdoor power equipment on their own. To date, the videos have been viewed more than 7,100,000 times.

About the author

Chris HallAs co-founder of RepairClinic.com, Chris Hall fulfilled his vision of providing do-it-yourself consumers with an online venue for home appliance and outdoor power equipment repair. As president of the company, now celebrating its thirteenth anniversary, Chris serves as an integral part of the management team in addition to overseeing marketing, public relations and business development.

Chris has extensive domain expertise gained from his 10 years experience as both an entrepreneur and executive in the appliance repair industry. His understanding of the intricacies of the market, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, helped form his vision for RepairClinic.com. Chris discovered that many customers would be willing to fix their own appliances, but did not have the experience or knowledge to do so. In addition, customers did not want to make a high time commitment to searching out and purchasing the correct part. Thus, the concept for an Internet site that offers expert troubleshooting advice, a user-friendly parts locator and online parts ordering capabilities became RepairClinic.com.

Chris devotes a portion of his time to developing the skills needed to succeed as an Internet entrepreneur. A dedicated do-it-yourselfer, Chris regularly contributes content and advice to writers of magazine, newspaper and television articles and stories. He attended Eastern Michigan University and later graduated from Cleary University in 2002.

About RepairClinic.com

RepairClinic.com® makes fixing things easy for millions of people. Since its founding in 1999, it’s been America’s most popular, trusted online store with replacement parts for major household appliances and outdoor power equipment. Free repair resources including more than 600 how-to videos empower people to fix their appliances and outdoor power equipment on their own. Its how-to repair videos have been viewed more 7,100,000 times. One million parts for 130 brands are stocked at its 86,000-square-foot facility in Canton, Michigan. Do-it-yourselfers also appreciate its generous, no-hassle 365 Days. Period. ™ return policy. In-stock parts are guaranteed to ship the same business day. Visit www.RepairClinic.com for more information.

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