Aging Appliances Can Lead to Breakdowns

American Home Shield, the nation’s leading provider of home warranties, is helping consumers solve common problems with ovens and ranges by offering a variety of troubleshooting tips in its popular “Home Matters” YouTube video series.

According to company officials, appliance-related service requests are growing faster than any of the other trades covered by its home warranties, including heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, pool and spa, and more.

“It’s not surprising, especially in today’s economy,” said Dave Quandt, American Home Shield’s vice president of field services. “We believe many customers are holding onto their major appliances like ovens and ranges longer, and unfortunately, as equipment ages, it’s more subject to breakdowns. At the same time, newer appliances often have sensitive electronics that can more easily fail.”

In all, nearly 20 videos are included in the “Home Matters” series, which include troubleshooting tips as well as preventative maintenance reminders and easy, do-it-yourself fixes for common problems with major home systems and appliances.

In the “Troubleshooting Tips for Your Electric Oven/Range” video, viewers learn how to identify causes to three common problems.

When the unit isn’t working at all:

• Check your fuse box or circuit breaker to make sure it is getting power.
• If you do not find a problem, call an electrician.

If one of the top elements does not heat:

• You may have a defective element, wiring, terminal block or switch that will need to be replaced.
• In this situation, call a qualified professional to perform the replacement.

If the top element works but does not cook well:

• You may be using the wrong size pot or pan. A flat-bottomed pot or pan that covers only the element will work best.
• If the pot or pan is not the problem, you may have a damaged element that may need replacing. Be sure to contact an experienced professional to replace the damaged element.

Consumers with gas appliances are encouraged to watch “Fixing Common Gas Range/Oven Problems,” where they will learn important tips to help ensure their unit is operating safely and properly.

If your burner does not light:

• Double-check to see if the pilot light has gone out or if the gas is off. If so, carefully follow the manufacturer’s directions for relighting the pilot light.
• If the pilot light is still not lighting, call a licensed professional to fix the problem.

If the pilot light is on but will not remain lit:

• Check to see if the pilot port is clogged with food or cleaning-product remnants. You can use a small wire to clean out the port.
• Double-check to make sure that a fan or open window is not creating a draft and extinguishing the pilot light.
• If the pilot light still will not remain lit, contact a professional for help.

If the burner seems erratic or doesn’t produce a steady blue flame:

• Check the burner and burner plates to see if they are clogged. If so, make sure to thoroughly clean them.
• If the problem continues, contact a professional to resolve the situation.

American Home Shield’s “Home Matters” series is hosted by David Leon, a licensed contractor and national home improvement television personality. Consumers can go to YouTube.com/TeamAHS to view these and a variety of other home-related videos.

About American Home Shield

American Home Shield founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains the industry leader, servicing more than 1.3 million customers across 49 states. In addition to its core focus on home protection plans, the company also issues and administers preventive maintenance contracts on major home systems and appliances in 48 states across the country. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs approximately 1,600 employees and has a national contractor network made up of more than 10,000 independent home-service contractors, which includes more than 40,000 technicians. American Home Shield is a business unit of The ServiceMaster Company, one of the world's largest residential and commercial service networks.

About ServiceMaster

With a global network of more than 7,300 company-owned, franchise and licensed locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks. The company’s high-profile brands are Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 20,000 corporate associates and a franchise network that independently employs an estimated 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands provided services and products to approximately 8 million customers during the last 12 months. The company’s market-leading brands provide a range of residential and commercial services including termite and pest control; lawn, tree and shrub care; home warranties and preventative maintenance contracts; furniture repair; home inspections; home cleaning; janitorial services; and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.

Alison Boyle (901) 597-8336 Alison.boyle@servicemaster.com or Nicole Ritchie (901) 597-8336 Nicole.ritchie@servicemaster.com or Members of the media only, contact: U.S. Media Relations James Robinson +1-901-597-7521 or International Media Inquiries Antonio Hernandez +1-901-597-8381 or ServiceMaster Media Hotline: +1-866-397-7921