Since 1974 Sargents Home Appliance Sales and Service In Reno and Sparks. (775) 358-4246

Appliance Installation.
 The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

            You’ve chosen your product, paid for it and now you need to decide about the install. Are you going to do it? Are you going to have your friend’s cousin Jed install it? Do you pay the professionals to do it? What is the best course of action? In this article, we’ll cover these different options and their potential benefits and downfalls.

            We’ve all seen the advertisements for “free delivery” and like me, you’re probably wondering what the catch is. Most of the time, there is no catch. You are getting exactly as advertised, free delivery; nothing more or less. As I like to say to customers, we’re going to take it off the truck at your curb and wave at you as we drive away. If you need a power cord, hoses or the unit brought inside your house, you’re out of luck. This is unfortunate for a lot of people because they have a heavy object sitting outside their house with no way of getting it hooked up. If you do manage to get it inside, what are you going to do about the hookups needed to get it installed? A lot of people will opt into using their old hookups; reusing hoses, power cords and venting. This is often dangerous because the manufacturer of these installation parts have recommended life spans for their equipment. If you’re using 10 year old washer fill hoses on your new machine, you may be looking at a very costly remediation bill when your house floods due to a rupture in the hose. Let’s say you had the product dropped off and paid for the additional hookups. Are you qualified to install a 220 volt power cord? If this isn’t done correctly, it could cause your appliance to breakdown prematurely or even catch on fire. If you find yourself in this situation and the delivery techs are still there, it may be in your best interest to offer them a tip for them to install your hookups. This way, you at least know that it was done correctly. I would say give them some beer, but we don’t need our drivers driving around with beer in their truck.

            Speaking of beer, what about your friend’s cousin Jed? He used to install appliances back in the 90’s and he’ll do it for a few bucks and a six pack. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes people know what they are doing and you should allow them to do it. However, sometimes they act like they know what they are doing, when in reality, they don’t. If you forget to secure a washer drain hose, it could pop out of the drain mid-cycle, releasing all the water from inside the machine on to the floor of your house. I have seen this many times and I’ve even been hired by insurance companies to inspect a flooded house to see exactly what went wrong. This, along with how to correctly and carefully move an appliance so you don’t damage it, are all things that professional techs take into consideration every time they enter a customers house. Granted, some companies hire these “cousin Jed” types and you know it as soon as you answer the door. Unfortunately, this is fairly common now-a-days and even the box stores have joined the trend.

            With all this being said, if you’re going to have a company install your appliances, how do you choose that company? If you want to feel comfortable, ask a few questions. If you’re at a local company, ask a few nice questions about their techs like what’s their name or how long have they been installing. Small companies don’t have much to hide in regards to their employees. If they are like me, they are proud of their employees and can’t wait to tell you about them. I could talk forever about my techs and what they bring to the table. Starting a conversation with your salesperson may make you feel a lot better about your upcoming installation and may put some of your worries to rest. Many people have had bad experiences with workers in their homes and are leery about most people entering their house. As a business owner, it is my job to ensure my techs give off good energy, so they don’t inadvertently offend or make a client feel uncomfortable. At my shop we call our install techs the last 30 feet. This means that our install techs are the last 30 feet the customer will see from our company before the interaction is over. If my sales person gives the client the best service they ever had and gave them an extremely good deal, but my install techs were late, rude and unprofessional, the client will forget everything up to that point and the bad service is all they will remember. It is a tough but real truth. They are the final face of the company and it is important to make sure you have the right person for the job.

           Now, what if you’re at a box store? The first things you should be asking is do they use their own techs, or is it a contracted business that will be doing the installs. Something I am not a fan of is the use of sub-contractors. For some projects or industries it may work great. In the world of appliances, it doesn’t work out so well. Box stores use sub-contractors for a few reasons. Hiring employees is hard. Hiring skilled employees is even harder. If they don’t have to worry about the hiring process of skilled employees, they can worry about other things. Another reason is liability. Since they aren’t the ones installing the appliances, they have no liability. If your floor or wall gets damaged or there is a flood, the box stores have zero liability because they didn’t touch the appliance. This also goes for service. Box stores don’t have a service department, nor do they want one. If something breaks, once again, there is no liability. When a problem arises with installation or with the product under warranty, they have no obligation to take care of you, and most likely will give you some sort of 1-800 number. Using sub-contractors doesn’t allow you to meet and have  relationships with the people that are doing your installs; The last 30 feet. This creates distension with your clients, and makes it difficult to take care of the customer when there is a problem. If you have a problem with your appliance and it was purchased and installed by 1 company, there is 1 phone call that needs to be made. If you purchased an appliance from one store, but another company installed it and another company will service it, you have many phone calls to make before you can potentially get a solution, if a problem arises. We call this silo management.

          In closing, there are a lot of things to consider if you’re trying to finalize the purchase of your appliance. Are you capable of installing your appliance to the manufacturer’s specifications when your product is dropped off? Do you have the means of moving your appliance into its space without damaging it? If you’re paying for install, do you know who is coming to your house to install your appliance and what company they actually work for? These are just a few things to consider before the arrival of your product.

          If you find yourself looking for advice, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help you out and answer any questions you find yourself asking.  

Good For The Environment, But….

How the newest Freon going into refrigerators is changing everything we knew about refrigeration.

     Refrigeration has been one of the greatest modern marvels of our time. Created in the late 1800’s, compressed vapor refrigeration or the process of compressing and then boiling a chemical to remove heat from a sealed space, has been something that truly brought us into the modern era. This process hasn’t changed much in terms of the components used to create the “cooling” effect. We still use a compressor that takes in gas and compresses it, a condenser that cools the hot compressed Freon, and an evaporator where the boiling takes place to remove the heat or start the cooling process. However, the chemical that we use in this process, known as Freon, has changed many times throughout the years. The first refrigeration system used a highly toxic and flammable substance called ether. We then moved to ammonia, sulphur dioxide and methyl chloride, all of which are toxic and not so great for anything it comes into contact with. In later years we began using more stable and less toxic chemicals like r-12 and r-22, which were very common in car and household AC systems. Some of these Freon were even used as a propellant in aerosol cans like hair spray. It was at this time world governments began discovering what effects certain types of Freon have on our atmosphere. In the 80’s and 90’s there was this big scare on holes in the ozone layer caused by certain elements in the chemical make up of the Freon. These Freon, known as CFC’s or chlorofluorocarbons, contain chlorine, fluorine and carbon. The chlorine in this compound is what they believed to cause the holes in the ozone layer. These holes were allowing harmful radiation into the planet that some believed to be the cause of certain cancers and ailments. In 1994 they changed over the CFC Freon to HFC’s, hydrofluorocarbon which contain hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. They removed the potential harmful chemical chlorine which made it to where our atmosphere wasn’t under constant attack. These Freon are known to be safe and effective for what they do. The only downside to these gases is the creation of the greenhouse gas effect, which is when radiation can enter into the atmosphere, but not exit.

     You may be wondering where I’m going with this. Now that we’ve laid the groundwork lets jump into the meat and potatoes of this article.

     As with all things, governments like to get involved and change things around when they don’t like something. Due to the greenhouse gas effect that has been linked to our modern Freon, world governments began enacting another change over of our refrigeration systems. This time, instead of using non-toxic, non-flammable gases to put into our household appliances, they began using r600a, also known as butane. Yes, the same butane that we use in lighters. If you’ve ever filled a refillable butane lighter, you would realize that there is a cooling effect that happens when the gas escapes out of the can. This makes it ideal for cooling as it has a fantastic cooling effect when used as a Freon. However, due to its flammable nature, r600a systems use a non heat technique of attaching connective tubing that has yet to be perfected. Whirlpool used this technique called LockRing in the late 90’s into the 2000’s and had a pretty high rate of Freon leakage. This technique uses a tool and ring system to pinch the tubes together where the tried and true system uses a gas torch to heat the pipes and a soldering metal to then connect them. This method has been around forever and is considered one of the best ways to attach copper tubing to each other. With the LockRing system, you need to make sure that you take each step slow to ensure you are doing it right and within the tool manufacturer’s specifications or you’ll have a Freon leak. The issue that we run into is that the tool manufacturer is changing the steps every few months. When we as techs were first being trained in using these tools, the time to wait between each joint was 1 minute. That time has changed several times and now we are at 10 minutes. If you don’t wait the correct amount of time, you get a Freon leak. In fact, if everything is not done 100% correct, you will get a Freon leak. This is a major problem because you don’t want to have a flammable gas leaking into your kitchen. Another issue that we are running into is the sophistication of the repairs needed with this new Freon. There are several steps that we need to take to ensure you don’t catch a refrigerator, a house or yourself on fire when you are working on an r600a system. I consider myself a top tier tech and I still struggle with doing repairs on these systems. I talk with other business owners and techs that have the same feelings I do and are struggling to get these refrigerators up and running 100%. What’s worse is the amount of these systems that have already gone bad and need a repair that involves getting into this sealed system. The technology hasn’t been out long and has been prevalent since around 2019. If we are already having a ton of issues with refrigerators that are 3 years old, it doesn’t look promising for the longevity of this design. My grandfather’s generation made appliances that could last 50 years. My father’s generation made appliances that could last 30. My generation makes appliances that last 15 years. I can foresee that my children’s generation will make appliances that will only last 5. It is a sad truth that if we don’t get a good grasp on, could cause a bunch of people a bunch of problems.

     If r600a is so bad, why are we switching to it? It has to do with the environment. This gas burns up in our atmosphere and does not hang around. Thus, we have eliminated the greenhouse gas effect caused by Freon. It is also cheaper to manufacture and the amount used in a system is far less than its CFC and HFC counterparts. Overall, it is better for the environment if you don’t take into consideration that refrigerators are going to the dump faster. It’s a hard trade off. It may be good for the environment but is it ideal for proper food management? In a world where food prices are on the rise, are we sure we want our refrigerator’s to be more temperamental? If you’ve ever had a freezer full of meat that decided to stop working, you understand the pain as you’re throwing away hundreds of dollars of food.

Sargents Maytag has been offering unbeatable appliance sales and repair service in Reno and Sparks, NV since 1974. Get the best appliances and repair services with us. Call now!

Cheap Product or Misuse?

            In the world of mechanical and electronic devices, there are written and unwritten rules on how to operate them to get the maximum life span out of it. Traditionally, there are user manuals that spell out how the manufacturer expects the product to be operated to reduce unexpected failures. With that being said, most people don’t spend the time to read the manual and use their past experiences to guide them with their new product. The amount of times I’ve heard, “I’ve had a refrigerator my entire life, I know how to use one.” or “I’ve been using a washer since I was little, there’s not much you can teach me.” Is enough to make me rip my hair out. To make things worse, these same people throw around the phrases, “I got a lemon!” or “my old one didn’t do this!” when something breaks. Unfortunately, most warranty service calls are caused by the client not using it correctly or doing something that causes the machine to break. In our experience, up to 50% of warranty jobs are caused by something other than the machine breaking or what we call, customer instruct calls. In the manufacturer’s eyes, customer instruct calls are non-warrantable and we as servicers are either on the hook for the service, or we need to charge the customer. Being a servicer of empathy, we unfortunately can’t charge a customer for something that is still under the warranty period. Instead, we try to educate them so it doesn’t happen again, usually to no avail.

            With such a large amount of service calls not really involving a broken part that needs to be replaced, what is the deal? Why does it seem that products are becoming usable for only a few years before you need to buy a new one? Although there are several answers to this, most of them can be summed up by the fact that most people become unhappy with a product after a single failure, whether it was the machine or misuse. Ask yourself this. Have you ever had a failure in a car, had it repaired and the first time you drove it you think there a different noise or something else wrong with it? This is due to you being hyper aware of your car now that it has had a failure. The odds are, that “new” sound was there before you took your car in, but you didn’t pay attention to it because it was actually a normal sound of operation. The issue is, now that you’ve had one problem, you think there is another one. Then when something else goes wrong, you start to incorrectly tally these failures and before you know it you think your vehicle has broken down 5 times. This happens with appliances as well. Let’s say you bought a new front load washer because you wanted to try something different than your old top loader. In the first few uses, you realize there are a bunch of soap suds, there’s a code displaying and it won’t unlock the door. A tech comes out, clears out the soap suds, checks the machine out and everything is working correctly, you just used too much soap. Unfortunately, most of the time people go to the old tried and true statement, “my old one didn’t do that.” Then when you ask if they checked out the manual, you get my other favorite statement, “I’ve been washing longer than you’ve been alive. I don’t need a manual.” This experience is going to negatively affect how the consumer views their appliance for the rest of its lifespan, and in some cases, cause it to be replaced long before it really needed to be. In the consumer’s eyes, the product should operate as they intend, in the techs eyes, the product is doing exactly what it should be doing, it’s just being misused.

            With that being said, we are living in a time where things are being made cheaper with the invention of more sophisticated manufacturing equipment. There are more electronic control boards, more plastic and that does cause things to breakdown faster if you are unaware of how to handle it. With manufacturing practices becoming more streamlined, more manufacturers and brands that haven’t made major appliance in the past, are starting to make major appliances. Manufacturers that once made only electronic devices are now starting to venture into the world of mechanical devices. Brands that have been around for 50 or even 100 years have been in constant research and development to make sure the parts that are going into their product can last the test of time. With newer brands, sometimes they will develop a product and a few years later, a part will fail because of a manufacturing flaw. In most cases, they will either send you the exact same part that has already failed, or go in a completely different direction; reinventing the wheel if you will. This is an issue because there is constantly a new product being made, instead of making the old one better. For instance, instead of having the Ford F-150 model lasting since 1974, we would be on the latest ideation, the Ford F-2450. This constant redesigning makes it to where a good idea that has minor flaws, is scrapped in order to make something new, usually with more innovative features, which doesn’t necessarily make it last longer. In years past, manufacturers like Maytag and Whirlpool would have the same design washer and dryer for 20 or even 40 years, with varying features like a quiet package or more buttons. Now a days, you’d be happy to find a design that has been around 10 years.

            Through my years of being an appliance technician, I’ve learned a lot about people and how they use their products. Most people mean well with their intentions; reading manuals, researching online about tips and tricks and overall trying to handle their investment with as much care as possible. However, sometimes what we are reading isn’t as solid as we wish it would be. Sometimes we read or watch advertisements and expect what they are saying to be held as factual and 100% true. The harsh reality is that these advertisements are designed to sell a product. When you hear that fabric softner is something you should be using in your washing machine, you believe that to be true. Unfortunately, add on products aren’t something you need in your washer and something that can actually harm your machine. Softner is something that when overused, can create a mold issue that will eventually make your machine smell foul. The first time you get a whiff of it, you start to look for a product to remove it. Enter the new pellets you can add to your wash to help your clothes and washer smell good after use. It’s like we’re constantly on the search for a new product to use. The issue from a tech standpoint is that you shouldn’t have to mask the smell of your washer. Correct care from the 1^st day you received your washer should be top priority. Trust in the manufacturer or your dealer to ensure they will give you correct info. When a delivery or service tech says you should be using very little soap, take that advice. We are aware the manufacturer says to use an entire cup of soap or 3 pods for large loads, but it is not something you want to do if you want a good smelling, long lasting machine. The soap manufacturers are looking to sell soap, of course they are going to tell you to use 3x more than you really need. In reality, energy efficient or HE washers could get away with a few table spoons of soap and still get your clothes just as clean.

            We as technicians are here to help you maintain your home appliances so you can continue to use them for a long time. Sometimes, we come off as know it all's when we say one thing or another. We know that there are certain flaws with certain machines and we try to guide you in a way that helps you operate the machine in a manner that will keep you from having to deal with these flaws. For the most part, if a product is used gently and within the manufacturer’s guidelines, you’re in for many years of trouble free usage. If something does happen and a tech gives you a piece of advice, listen up, ask questions. You may learn something that you can pass on to a friend or loved one because we all deal with the same issues, just at different times.

            If you enjoy this content, consider leaving a comment with a question or topic for our next article. You may find it discussed in our next article.