Your state-of-the-art appliances with all the bells and whistles can easily blow circuit boards during storms that feature power outages and surges when power grids attempt to come online.

Additionally, appliances that experience flooding need extra attention before being put back into use. Not in every situation will you be able to be pro-active to marginalizes damage to your appliances, but some basic guidelines can help minimize costly service calls or pricey replacements.

When you know a severe storm is approaching. Dishwashers, washing machines, dryers,trash compactors, stoves, cook-tops,ovens and window air-conditioners should be turned off before a storm rolls through your neighborhood. Any appliance with a touch pad or circuit board is especially vulnerable. The exception is refrigerators, even those with a circuit board should be left running.

During a storm.

If you arrive home during a storm and the lights begin to flicker, now is the time to unplug appliances or shut them off at the main circuit panel in your home. Central air-conditioning units can be managed at their thermostat. Don't leave the house at any time with appliances operating. Most appliance technicians can relate stories of homeowners who left appliances operating and returned to find clothes dryers on fire from clogged lint discharge ductwork or flooded kitchen floors from malfunctioning dishwashers.

After a storm.

If you lose power during a storm and it remains off, your most at-risk appliance is your refrigerator and it's contents. As a rule of thumb, on an eighty-degree day, items in your refrigerator and freezer will last approximately six hours. Open the doors the least amount possible.

If the power remains out for longer than six hours, food will begin to spoil. Discarding spoiled food is less expensive than doctor or hospital visits from eating food laden with bacteria. All appliances should remain off for a minimum of twenty minutes after power is restored, the crucial first twenty minutes is when large surges of power can create new outages, and these surges can damage appliance circuit boards. Remember that refrigerators and freezers could take from 12-24 hours to reach optimal operating temperatures if the appliance went through a complete defrost. Old refrigerators with dirty coils and over-worked condensers are typically victims of power outages and surges. Clean all surfaces of refrigerators with a mixture of bleach and warm water. Many bacteria and mold are not visible to the eye.

Common repairs and costs from outages or surges. If a circuit board goes out in a refrigerator, stove, oven, cook-top or dishwasher the cost to repair depending on brand is $200-$1200. Refrigerators can also experience blown relays and fried compressors, relays are an inexpensive fix, while compressors can be quite expensive. Factor in an additional amount for the basic service call to diagnose the problem.

Power surge strips not engineered for refrigerators. It might make sense to hook up a surge protector strip for a refrigerator, but the majority of power strips are made for household uses that don't draw the amperage that refrigerators do. Never place a refrigerator on an extension cord or power strip.

Appliances exposed to flooding. Any appliance that has been sitting in water or sewage needs a minimum of 3 days to dry out before use. Make sure to use fans and dehumidifiers during dry-out. All refrigerators and freezers that have been emptied and defrosted must have their doors left open. Keep small children away from these appliances when they are not in use, as they can be a curiosity for them. After flooded appliances have been placed into service, mold can still be an issue.

Most appliances have insulation between the outer and inner walls, and mold can grow in these cavities. Weigh the health risks when reaching a decision to keep flooded appliances. Appliance technicians believe that if an appliance has been in three or more feet of water, it should be discarded. Clothes dryers and hot water heaters most common malady from flooding is a damaged igniter, an easy and low-cost repair.

With the growing number of severe storms in the United States, some easy to follow tips for protecting your appliances from an outage or storm, can save you expensive replacement, repair and service costs.

Published: December 26, 2007

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Mark Nash is a Chicago-based residential real estate author, broker and columnist. Mark's analysis, tips and trends are featured in national magazines, newspapers, on network and cable television. His annual year-end forecast; "What's In, What's Out with Homebuyers" is utilized by more than 500 news organizations in North America. Mark's books include: 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home, Real Estate A-Z for Buying & Selling a Home, Fundamentals of Marketing for Real Estate Professionals, Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate and Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Marketing. He is broker associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and his real estate analysis has been featured on: Bloomberg Television, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, HGTV.com, The New York Times, The Today Show, and The Washington Post. The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. featured Nash in March 2007. You can contact Mark at .