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Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa ... the holidays will soon be here and with them come an onslaught of family and food. The quickest way to put a damper on your holiday fun is an appliance breakdown. The experts at Sears HomeCentral庐 have put together a list of the top 10 repairs that typically occur at this time of year so you can prepare your home ahead of time. Take a look at their list to see what you need to check in your home and be sure to call 800-4-MY-HOME or stop by the more than 500 Sears Parts & Repair Centers across the country to find out about "holiday saver" specials.

   -- Oven and Range:  Without a doubt, an oven and range work overtime
      during the holidays.  Don't be stuck with an uncooked turkey on
      Thanksgiving Day -- plan ahead to prevent cooking dilemmas.
      1.  Bake element burnt out -- Nothing could be worse than discovering
          your oven is cold while the turkey is in it.  A preventive
          maintenance check by a trained technician will inspect this
          along with the oven temperature to be sure it's heating to the
          temperature selected.  These checks can help cancel a call to
          order carryout turkey dinners for the family.

   -- Refrigerator:  Your family dinner would be spoiled, literally, if your
      refrigerator went out the day before the holiday meal.  The experts at
      Sears HomeCentral say replacing parts such as thermostats and door
      gaskets can help keep your refrigerator cold and your perfect holiday
      food from going bad.
      2.  Refrigerator not cooling properly -- It's important to keep the
          condenser coils clean and cleared of any obstruction to allow
          for proper airflow.  If you hear a chirping noise from your
          unit, this could be an indication that the evaporator fan motor is
          failing.
      3.  Icemaker tubing -- A houseful of company means lots of drinks will
          be served, with icemakers in refrigerators in full demand.
          The tubing that brings the water from the home plumbing to the
          refrigerator is sometimes made of plastic, which can become
          brittle and crack easily.  A technician can tell you if your
          tubing is plastic and whether there are any signs of cracking.

   -- Washer and Dryer:  Making sure your washer and dryer are working will
      pay off by preventing family trips to the Laundromat.  The experts at
      Sears HomeCentral have found several repeat problems with consumers'
      machines.
      4.  Washer timer knob -- The piece you turn to operate the wash
          machine needs to work properly if you want your machine to start.
          The knob can become worn and break off from the shaft.  A service
          technician can replace this part quickly and easily.
      5.  Broken lid switches -- The lid switch is important because it
          stops the wash cycle to prevent injuries when consumers reach into
          their machines.  A preventive maintenance check of your washer can
          reveal the condition of the switch and whether replacement is
          necessary.
      6.  Laundry pump -- As you know, pumping water out of your washer is
          essential.  Pumps can fail so a preventive maintenance check is an
          important step to ensuring your guests have clean towels during
          their stay.
      7.  Dryer rollers/belt -- If your dryer makes a squeaky noise during
          its cycle, the roller and/or belt may need replacing.  It's a good
          idea to get the belt checked to determine the amount of wear and
          tear.
      8.  Laundry heating element -- Obviously, you need heat in a dryer to
          dry clothes.  The heating element can burn out leaving you with
          having to throw together a makeshift clothesline.  Have a service
          technician determine the condition of the heating element and
          whether it needs to be replaced.

   -- Dishwasher:  No doubt there will be an endless stream of dishes,
      glasses and silverware piling into your dishwasher, so it's important
      that your unit can handle the extra loads.
      9.  Dishwasher fill valve -- No water into the dishwasher means no
          clean dishes.  If an insufficient amount of water is entering your
          unit, have a technician check the water inlet valve screen for
          possible blockage.  If your hot water pipes rattle during a fill
          cycle, the water inlet valve should be replaced.
      10. Leaky dishwasher -- A leaky dishwasher can be caused simply
          from using too much soap or because the unit is not level.  But, a
          leak also can be the result of a cracked hose.  A technician can
          check the condition of your machine to see if cracks are beginning
          to form in the hoses.

Sears HomeCentral is the nation's largest home repair provider in terms of the number of home repair specialists, with more than 12,000 trained technicians making approximately 14 million repairs annually. Sears trained repair specialists make over 200,000 in-home repair visits per week and repair one out of every five appliances serviced in America. Sears technicians service most major brands no matter where the customer purchased the product.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading U.S. retailer of apparel, home and automotive products and services, with annual revenue of nearly $40 billion. The company serves families across the country through approximately 860 department stores, more than 2,100 specialized retail locations, and a variety of online offerings accessible through the company's Web site, .

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Contact: Edgar P. McDougal of Sears, Roebuck and Co., 847-286-9669

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