Appliances

[ksbarba]

We are looking at buying a new refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. Which accessories are truly necessary for installation?

[Falco]

No, not really. You can reuse a water hose from an old fridge but it is five time more likely to leak if you do so. Also if you resuse power cords from your old stove and dishwasher it it seven time more likely to catch fire. Also, look in your warrienty information as not using new accessories will a lot of time void any warrienty you might have. So therefore, I would recommend getting new stuff.

[Installer]

First off, proof of where you get these statistics from?  Seven times more likely?  Are you sure its not 8?    The new cord should be purchased because it can be a fire hazard.  As far as the refridgerater and dishwasher waterline are concerned you want to replace them because they are a compression fitting.  Reusing these types of fittings will generally not work a second time due to someone overtightening them the first time.  The kits a generally inexpensive compared to the total cost of your purchase.

[NoNoBadDog]

I, too, am curious as to where you get your "statistics" from.  you are claiming that if I attach a new stove to the cord I have now, it suddenly becomes 7 times more likely to catch fire?  Just how do you account for that?  If I leave my old stove attached to it, it is now 7 times less likely to catch fire?  Seems like sales speak to me.  You know, those little gems of mis-spoken lies that (some) sales folks sometimes use to motivate customers to attach accessories to a sale. 

So, if you would be so kind as to post citations and links for your claims, it would be very much appreciated by myself, as well as others in this community. 

Thanks!

[Falco]

My stats came from the Denver Fire Chief.

[Falco]

Also, there was an article a couple years ago about this exact thing on ehow. As far as loss of warienty, this personally happened to me with a Maytag Dishwasher about 9 years ago now. But yes, most of my comments were made because the Denver Fire Chief stated this about 3 years ago on the DFD website.

[Installer]

Do you truly understand anything about appliances?  I have sold them for 7 years and installed them for 6.  How does taking a cord off of an existing range make it 7 times more likely to do anything?  Old cords (and I mean OLD OLD) can become brittle due to old plastics they used to use.  Just reconnecting some copper wire doesn't do anything.  Let me ask you a quesiton and your fire chief buddy something.   How come when I hook up a wall oven (which are hardwired) or a dishwasher (they are hardwired) they don't require a WHOLE NEW electrical line.  Wouldn't they then become 7 times more likely to catch a fire?  Call you Denver fire chief and tell him I want some proof that simply moving a cord from one stove to another makes it 7 times more likely (7 times more likely than what stat that an electric plugin is going to catch fire?? LOL) that my house is going up in flames.  Do you even understand electricity?

[NoNoBadDog]

It's pretty much pointless to try and debate it with him...he apparently believes what he claims.  As far as his citation of the Dever Fire CHief, I can find no reference to him/her making that claim at all. 

I just wish he could explain, in a logical and coherent manner, how attaching a new appliance to an existing cord suddenly makes it 7 times more likely to start a fire.  I really shake my head over that one, and have to wonder how many customers he has bamboozled with his misinformation.

[Micah_B]

I don't think there is a Denver Fire Department website, of course I've only lived here like 10 years.

[Ash_187]

I don't know how accurate those statistics are, but I usually recommend new connections because they CAN fail as they get older, and a good time to replace them is when you are replacing the appliance. Otherwise, most people don't think about it until it is too late and the connection fails. So it's probably wise to replace old connections, especially if they are 10 years or older.

Besides that, our delivery guys typically won't use any old connections, for liability reasons. Also, if the product does fail, and the manufacturer even remotely is able to link the failure to the old connection, they will not cover the product. Those two reaons alone typically make enough (un)common sense to purchase new hook ups.