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n <br />U <br />Guide for Appliance Recyclers <br />What are major appliances? <br />June 2004 <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 these appliances 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 turn <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 />