Did you know the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries is cooking equipment?  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issued a report on top reasons for fires in homes. 

In 2010-2014, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 166,100 home structure fires that involved cooking equipment per year. These fires caused an average of 480 civilian fire deaths, 5,540 civilian fire injuries, and $1.1 billion in direct property damage.

The NFPA report states: 

• Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires started with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.
• Clothing was the item first ignited in less than 1% of these fires, but these incidents accounted for 18% of the cooking fire deaths.
• Ranges accounted for the largest share (62%) of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16%.

Here are a few steps you take to keep your appliances secure and family and home safe. 

• Register your appliances. Registering your appliances will ensure that manufacturers can contact you if the appliance is recalled or needs a safety upgrade.

Most of the time when you purchase an appliance, very little contact info is collected. By registering your appliance, you are providing the manufacturer with a better way to contact you in the case that there is a Safety Recall or if Warranty Service is required for your appliance. 

This isn’t always perfect and some people still get missed, but it at least increases the likelihood of you finding out if there is something wrong with your appliance sooner rather than later.

If you ever do have an issue with your appliance, having it registered can make the process a little easier. to get the part replaced.

Instead of having to hunt down your original receipt or invoice from 5 years ago to find out if it’s still covered under the warranty, they can bring up your purchase information easily.

Most manufacturers will let you register your appliance right on their website instead of having to keep track of that little white card and remembering to mail it in. And for those of you worried about getting spammed with emails, you can usually opt-out of emails other than safety information and important product updates.

Other Safety Tips

• Put a smoke alarm on every level of your property, and check that the alarm works regularly. Fire brigades recommend testing smoke alarms once a week.
• Do not use appliances for anything other than its intended purpose.
• If an appliance does not have an on-off switch, ensure you switch it off and unplug it when it is not in use.

• Don’t fit appliances in outbuildings, garages or any other location that may be vulnerable to moisture, humidity and fluctuating temperatures.

• Don’t overload your extension cords. It is best to avoid the use of extension cords altogether if possible.
• Clean burner caps, drip pans and grates regularly. You should be able to clean these with dish soap and hot water [See related story on cleaning your kitchen with lemons]. Bleach may be required if they are very dirty.
  McCombs Supply has parts for your range/stove. 

Microwaves

• Clean your microwave regularly. Use a clean soapy sponge, and don’t forget to clean the door and the seals.
  [See related story on cleaning microwaves naturall].
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• Do not store items on top of your microwave, as this may block the vents and cause it to overheat.
• Do not heat non-food items in the microwave unless the manufacturer’s instructions advise you to do so.
  
  

Washing Machines

• Clean the soap dispensers occasionally [See related story on cleaning washing machine].
  
  McCombs has washing machine replacement parts, including drain pump, lid switch, water valve and more. 
• Leave the door open when the washing machine has completed its cycle and you have removed your clothes. This helps to keep the appliance dry.
  
  
  

          

Dishwashers

• Clean your dishwasher filter regularly. McCombs has dishwasher parts, including drain pump, gasket, dispenser and more. 

• Rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. 
  
  [See related story on proper way to lead dishwasher].
  
  
  
  

  
  Dryers

• Clean out the lint trap.
  
  A build up of lint is a leading cause of fires in homes. McCombs has many lint removal products, including a Dundas Jafine lint trap, Dundas Jafine Dryer Lint removal Kit (stock number BPCK) and dryer lint screens.
  
    
  
  
  

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  About Us

  McCombs Supply Company, Inc.

  In business since 1953, McCombs Supply Co., Inc. is a third-generation family-owned business that specializes in low prices and fast, reliable shipping.
  Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, McCombs Supply Co., Inc. offers replacement repair parts for dishwashers, dryers, microwaves, range-ovens, refrigerators, washing machines, HVAC, commercial refrigeration, commercial cooking, pellet stove parts and more. Some of our manufacturers we distribute for include – Backer-Chromolox, Broan-Nutone, Exact Replacement Parts (ERP), EZ Flo, Fasco, Mastercool, ICM, JW Harris, Packard, Robertshaw, Sealed Unit Parts Company (SUPCO), White Rodgers, Englander, Breckwell, Harman, Lennox, Napoleon, St. Croix and Quadra-Fire.
  
  We supply contractors, service technicians, housing developments, hospitals, retirement communities, institutions, and do-it-yourselfers.
  
  Today, we have nearly one million SKUs in our system. We are constantly upgrading our cutting-edge technology to serve our customers better.
  Copyright 2018

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