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Guide for Appliance Recyclers June 2004 <br /> • What are major appliances? <br /> Section 42166 of the California Public Resources Code defines a "major appliance" as <br /> "any domestic or commercial device including, but not limited to, a washing machine, <br /> clothes dryer, hot water heater, dehumidifier, conventional oven, microwave oven, <br /> stove, refrigerator, freezer, air-conditioner, trash compactor, and residential furnace." <br /> Which major appliances may contain mercury switches? <br /> Mercury switches can be found in some chest freezers, washing machines, gas ranges, <br /> space heaters, commercial gas water heaters, furnaces and boilers, gas refrigerators, <br /> and gas air conditioners. Listed below are other appliances that typically contain <br /> mercury switches. Major brand names for theseappliances are listed in Appendix A. <br /> Disclaimer: The Department of Toxic Substances Control does not endorse or <br /> recommend any product or brand mentioned in this guide. <br /> • Chest freezers that have convenience lights in their lids may contain mercury tilt <br /> switches. <br /> • Washing machines that do not have a plastic tab mechanism in the lid that acts as <br /> a switch for power likely contain a mercury switch. Some washing machines built <br /> before the 1980s sometimes used mercury switches. <br /> • Gas ranges, ovens, and stoves that have continuously burning pilot lights in the <br /> broiler section will contain mercury flame sensors. Ovens that have lights that tum <br /> on when the door is opened may have mercury tilt switches. Some of the major <br /> brand names of gas ranges, ovens and stoves from the 1960s to the present might <br /> contain mercury. <br /> • Electric or gas space heaters found alone or side-by-side with ovens may contain <br /> mercury switches and/or flame sensors. <br /> • Commercial gas water heaters that are 100 gallons or larger may contain a <br /> mercury thermocouple instead of an electronic flame sensor. Smaller(residential) <br /> gas and electric water heaters do not contain mercury. <br /> • Other residential and commercial appliances, including furnaces and boilers, gas <br /> refrigerators, gas air conditioners, furnaces, dryers, and microwave ovens, may have <br /> thermoelectric switches that contain mercury. <br /> Robertshaw and Harper-Wyman are the major manufactures of mercury probes for <br /> cooking appliances. White-Rodgers makes devices for furnaces and heaters. <br /> Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive list of all the makes and models of major <br /> appliances that contain mercury switches. Appendix A, however, lists some of the <br /> • major appliances that generally contain mercury switches. <br /> 4 <br />