Dishwasher Brand Recommendation

Name: Jan 

City: Canton MI

Inquiry Type: Appliance care tip

Comments: I am in need of a new dishwasher and have checked various sites to review them and seem to get more confused than ever. Do you recommend a stainless steel interior?  Is there any brand you could recommend? I'm looking for a middle of the line variety, not high end, but one that would give good service.  Currently leading toward a Kitchen Aid or GE Profile.

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the note. If not a Bosch,go with the Kitchen Aid.

Regards,

Joe Gagnon

Consumer Question: Cleaning Dishwasher

Hi, Joe,

You were on the Inside Outside Guys talking about something you could add to your diswasher to help with cleaning the dishes. Could you tell me what that is and where I could buy this?

Thanks,

Karen

A: Hi, Karen,

Thanks for your note. 

The product is called Lemi-Shine and it is available at Kroger and Meijer. It really does work great!

Regards,

Joe Gagnon

Consumer Question: Cleaning Dehumidifier Coils

Hi, Joe,

What is the best way to clean the coils in my dehumidifier?

Thanks,

Betty

A: Hi, Betty,

Thanks for your note. 

Take it to the local car wash and spray it gently front and back. Let it dry before you plug it in. A couple of days in the hot sun should get it dry.

Regards,

Joe Gagnon

Consumer Question: No Dryer Heat

Hi, Joe,

My Maytag stacked Dryer (SE 1000 - 1985)  is not heating the air. The motor works, I can air dry stuff, and all the lights on the control panel work but there is NO heat. Where do I start to fix it?

Many thanks!

Sally

A: Hi, Sally,

Thanks for your note. 

Before you do anything with the dryer, please check to make sure you have 220 volts to the product. Check fuses or circuit breakers to make that is OK. Then look at the dryer which may have a burnt out heating element. The front comes off and the element is in a casing. Look for a broken wire and make sure you pull the plug before you start. If you need service you can contact my son at 734-953-6991.

Regards,

Joe Gagnon

Consumer Question - Tang Formula for Cleaning Dishwasher

Q: Hello Mr Gagnon,

 
Could you tell me the formula for the Tang treatment to clean dishwashers, please? Is this done only if the dishes don't seem to be as clean or as a regular cleaning treatment?
 

Thank you,
Michele

A: Hi Michele,

Thanks for your note. I’ve had several consumers asking about the Tang story and the Tang formula treatment. Here it is...

Recipe for Cleaning a Dishwasher - Joe Gagnon's Tang Treatment
Way back in the 1960s a service technician working for me broke a glass bottle of Tang breakfast drink in a customer’s dishwasher. He picked up all the glass and left all of the powdered Tang product lying in the bottom of the dishwasher. He ran the dishwasher and the Tang had disappeared so he didn’t worry anymore about it. The next day the customer called me to advise me that her dishes seemed to be so much cleaner and the dishwasher smelled great inside.

I then purchased several containers of Tang and experimented on my dishwasher and a few of my neighbors' dishwashers. I found that the undisolved detergent which forms a scum on surfaces was all gone and the motor impellers were as clean as new! This allowed the impellers to move more water through the spray arms giving a better wash affect. The removal of undisolved detergent from the inside cabinet allowed the door seals to seat better against the inside walls preventing door leaking problems.
 

Treatment Twice a Year
Turn on the hot water faucet until the temperature is at its maximum (140 degrees.) This should always be done every time you turn on the dishwasher.
 

Turn on the dishwasher and let it run for 6 or 7 minutes (empty of dishes.)
 

Open the door and pour in 12 oz. of Tang orange powdered breakfast drink directly into the water lying in the bottom of the dishwasher.

Shut the door and let the dishwasher run through its complete cycle.
 

Drop me note and let me know how it worked for you!

Regards,

Joe Gagnon

Things to consider when purchasing a new clothes dryer

If you’re in the market for a new clothes dryer, consider these tips:

• Check for the highest energy factor number when comparing different models. Remember that there are two costs to an appliance - the initial purchase price, and the cost of operating that appliance over the many years you own it.
• Know whether your laundry room has gas or electricity hookups. If you need to add a gas line and a vent to operate a gas dryer, you may spend more on adding the hookup than you'll save with the cheaper operating cost of gas.
• Look for a clothes dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry. Not only does this save energy; it reduces wear and tear on clothes caused by over-drying.

The best dryers have moisture sensors in the drum for sensing dryness, while most only estimate dryness by sensing the temperature of the exhaust air. Compared with timed drying, you can save about 10 percent with a temperature sensing control, and 15 percent with a moisture sensing control.

• Look for a dryer with a cycle that includes a cool-down period, sometimes known as a "perma-press" cycle. In the last few minutes of the cycle, cool air, rather than heated air, is blown through the tumbling clothes to complete the drying process.

Here are ways to cut the amount of energy and money you spend drying clothes:

• Locate your dryer in a heated space. Putting it in a cold or damp basement or an unheated garage will make the dryer work harder and less efficiently.
• Make sure your dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest and shortest metal duct available. Flexible vinyl duct isn't recommended because it restricts the airflow, can be crushed, and may not withstand high temperatures from the dryer.
• Check the outside dryer exhaust vent periodically. If it doesn't close tightly, replace it with one that does to keep the outside air from leaking in. This will reduce heating and cooling bills.

• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation. Regularly clean the lint from vent hoods.
• Dry only full loads, as small loads are less economical; but do not overload the dryer.
• When drying, separate your clothes and dry similar types of clothes together. Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much more quickly than bath towels and natural fiber clothes.
• Dry two or more loads in a row, taking advantage of the dryer's retained heat.
• Use the cool-down cycle (perma-press cycle) to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.

Article originally posted on http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/

Dryer Fires Still a Hot Topic!

I did an interview on The Joe Madison Show last week which reaches a worldwide audience on Sirius Satellite radio. The subject matter was the recent death of a 10 year old boy caused by a clothes dryer catching fire in his home. This needless tragedy is repeated more than 20 times a year in this country directly attributed to the product called, “the clothes dryer.” Let me ask a few questions of all readers of this column.

Should the person responsible for a home take the necessary precautions with clothes dryer? Should that person take it apart or have a technician take it apart to clean the inside? Shouldn’t someone make sure the vent line is properly installed and cleaned at least once on a yearly basis? That little boy died because his guardians didn’t know of these questions or simply was not cognizant of how dangerous a clothes dryer really is.

There are 42 dryer fires every day in this country and those are only the ones reported to a fire department. I believe the number may be as high as 3 times this amount which is fortunate for those folks who were there to extinguish the fire. Some of these fires could have been caused by a malfunction of the dryer itself but I think that number is very small. I know for a fact that the majority of dryer fires occur because a vent line is packed with lint, the inner cabinet of the dryer is filled with lint in every crevice possible or the vent line is made of the wrong material or possibly travels too long a distance.

I received several emails from my recent radio interview and most of those were from people who didn’t have a clue how serious problem dryer fires have become.

Some 20 years ago when I first began investigating dryer fires and Frank Felts the Fire Chief of Garden City reported there were 12 dryer fires in the city that year, I could well imagine how big this problem was across the country. When I helped draft and write the law for the State of Michigan pertaining to the outlaw of plastic (vinyl) or tinfoil vent line, it became a national story. I am sure the efforts have saved lives but yet that effort was not enough. Several times a year I hear or am involved in litigation caused by tragedy of some sort dealing with dryer fires. I sometimes feel so useless in my endeavors to prevent any of the current 42 dryer fires that occur each day. I need help from every person possible. I wish the manufacturers would do more and they can. I need people to make this subject important in their daily conversation at the water cooler or a lesson at the dinner table. If you had a killer in yours or your children’s laundry room, wouldn’t you take the necessary steps? The following are facts for discussion.

Plastic, vinyl vent line is against the law. Solid metal or flexible metal is the proper vent line to use. Tin foil is not considered metal according to State codes. Vent line should be no longer than 16 feet with the use of only 2 elbows. More than 2 elbows equate to a vent line that is too long and only 4 inch vent line is permissible. Clean the vent lines completely a least once a year and scrub the lint filter with water and brush every few weeks. Once every two years take the dryer apart and vacuum all excess lint built up throughout the interior of the cabinet. Remember, it’s the lint that first ignites to give you a fire. When the dryer begins to make noises it should not, consider that a warning sign and a fire alert. Take the necessary steps to have it repaired. There should be smoke detector installed above clothes dryer. Never leave the house of go to bed with a clothes dryer in operation. Please understand my passion on this subject and help me save lives.

Stay tuned.