South Bay Appliance

11/15/10

really happy with South Bay Appliance

by KTT

Our family has been using Spears / South Bay for over 40 years. We really appreciate how they take care of their customers. they have a personal & family touch that you just don't get at the big chain stores. They know what they are talking about and we've never been steered wrong.

11/13/10

DRYER VENTS

by South Bay Appliance

Dryer Vents

In 1960’s a flexible cloth vent hose was used to connect the dryer to the house vent system,

In the mid 1970’s the flexible cloth vent was discontinued and changed to a vinyl hose. In

the early 1980’s, the plastic flexible hose was considered unsafe and was replaced with the new UL approved semi-rigid aluminum or flexible aluminum foil vent hose. Most U.S. appliance manufactures have UL (underwriter’s laboratories) test their appliances to get a UL safety approval prior to it being released for sale in the U.S. market. Additionally UL (underwriter’s laboratories) approved foil venting for use on gas or electric clothes dryers if it was eight feet or less in length, this is the short piece of venting which connects the dryer to the venting system in your house. The vent pipe in your walls or under your house should always be rigid venting pipe.

Due to cities, manufacturers and UL having different codes or recommendations for venting material,

there has been a lot of confusion on which type venting is appropriate to use. The reason for nonflammable and rigid material is for less restriction, less maintenance, (rigid vent does not need to be cleaned as often as semi-rigid or flexible venting), also rigid venting will help contain a dryer fire if one was to occur in your dryer. Rigid venting does not prevent a fire from happening and is not a guarantee to stop it from spreading. Rigid vent pipe is more expensive to install and most laundry rooms do not have enough room

to connect the dryer with 4” round rigid venting, and my require a contractor to remodel or modify your laundry room. When using flexible or telescopic type venting materials you should inspected and clean the vent system more often and install the venting using a method that will not allow the venting to become crushed or restricted.

Dryer fires, where and how do they start. Dryer fires start in the dryer due to mechanical or electrical failures, and or from the lack of maintenance or improper use. Your dryer and vent system needs to be cleaned every one to five years, depending on the amount of use, the type of fabric you dry and the washer you are using. If your dryer’s lint filter develops a hole you need to replace it, or if the filter doesn’t fit properly you need to have it repaired. The lint filter needs to be cleaned after every load on most dryers. If the dryer moves you need to inspect the vent connection, if the dryer is noisy you need to get it checked, if the dryer door is to hard or to easy to open and close call your repairman, a seemingly unimportant problem can lead to a serious problem like a dryer fire.

We have always recommend to read and follow the appliance manufactures owners manual, installation instructions and to use UL approved accessories for proper performance and safe use of your appliance. Also your dryer and vent system requires periodic maintenance like your automobiles engine and breaks.

If you are experiencing a problem with your dryer, do not wait for it to stop working.

Thank You South Bay Appliance

08/28/10

A Disturbing Experience

by smarmy2

My husband and I recently purchased a new Maytag Bravos gas washer and dryer from South Bay Appliance in Gardena, California. We chose them in part because they are an authorized Maytag dealer. When they installed the new dryer, they used an exhaust hose made of shiny metal foil to vent it to the outside. We later discovered that the manual that came with our dryer has a very prominent warning against the use of such exhaust hoses because they pose a severe fire hazard. The manual clearly states that only metal or semi-flexible metal ducting should be used. This warning is repeated several times in the manual. Moreover, both the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Consumer Reports have published the same information.

I called South Bay Appliance about this situation twice and spoke with a salesperson whose only response was that they always install dryers this way and have never had a problem. He said he would pass my concerns on to the Service Manager. We then called Maytag and were informed that the use of foil ducting material could void the dryer's warranty. We have since replaced the exhaust hose ourselves with the recommended equipment. However, we never heard further from South Bay Appliance. Based on this experience, we will never do business with this company again.