I was dispatched to a house this summer and the woman on the phone was in a great panic. She said "Mr. Could you help me? "I payed an appliance repair person to service my dryer that wasn't working. I wasn't able to be at home so my son let them in. They told my son that they repaired it. But when I arrived home it still didn't work. When I called the repair person back out they arrived and determined that I would have to pay for a separate repair. But my friend told me to contact you before I went any further". I asked her. "What did they say"? they said that they replaced the element and that something must have damaged the new one, they recommended that I buy another dryer. they also said that it was not their fault because there may be a electrical short in the dryer. "Mam", I said, "Listen to me carefully. is it plugged in". "Yes". "Is the door completely closed", "yes it is". I asked her to check the breaker panel to see if any of the breakers seemed out of place. She answered, "not to me". and then I asked her. "Before you repaired it did anything happen before the dryer stopped working?. "yes" she replied. "Last week while the dryer was running the power on the street turned off and within seconds the power came back on but the dryer did not come back on, even after repeatedly pushing the button". "Okay mam, I'll be there in 20 minutes".

I proceeded to the breaker panel and found something a little peculiar. An old push button breaker system supplying power to the dryer. I know it was the dryer circuit because of the 30 written on top of it, indicating the amperes. I pushed it in. I instructed her to start the dryer. Wallah!. she screamed with joy as the dryer started heating up and turning.

e.b. smith tip and assessment:

Before you call anyone to repair anything electrical

• unplug the appliance and check the plug for damage.
• turn on and off the switch.
• and by all means check the fuses or breaker.

*When an appliance repair person arrives at your home don't tell him what you think the problem is just tell him what it is not doing. (let him figure it out).

*If they repair whatever the problem is have them explain it to you.

*If they replaces a part have them leave the old one.

How did I suspect the breaker would be tripped?

Easy, her statement about the recent power surge on her street led me to believe that when the dryer was operating it loss power and before it completely shut down it attempted to start back up. Causing a power surge. A breaker may trip to save the electrical system. You also may be asking was the part that the repair person replaced necessary? and was the breaker tripped the entire time.

I can't answer that I wasn't there. I have my suspicions. Make sure this doesn't happen to you.

By the way my service charge was less than 5 times less than the amount of the repair bill she had just paid to the company.