Lillian Waters Wood and her father Don Waters can have your home appliances operating smoothly as they service appliances from all major brands.
It’s not that he’s retiring completely: Don Waters has too much energy to sit back and swing on the porch, no matter how good the view. However, he is slowing down, at least in the appliance repair work, handing over the reins to his daughter Lillian Waters Wood, who has been working with him full time since 2022.
Don has been in the business since the 1970’s, when he went out on his own as an independent operator servicing customers of Cavanagh Appliance, a popular appliance store in Peterborough. He has served customers from Cavan to Omeemee to Bridgenorth, and claims he might not remember the names of some of his customers but can describe the kitchens and laundry rooms where he provided service for the appliances in great detail.
This was not Lillian’s first choice of careers. She has Masters Degrees in Philosophy and Library Sciences, two areas of expertise offering limited career options. She has always been proficient in technology, having earned a tech related diploma at Humber College. It was time to get practical and find a permanent line of work, if that still exists these days. Working with her father has reinforced the advantage of controlling your working life, although her father reminds her that as a business owner all of her customers are ultimately her boss. Still, she appreciates the autonomy the business provides and the ability to set her own schedule, as long as it works for her customers.
The pair service all major makes of appliances, including Frigidaire, Maytag, Whirlpool, LG and Samsung. With her technical training, Lillian can service electronic components in most appliances, including component level circuit board repair. This means she can replace individual components on a circuit board instead of replacing the entire board.
Over the last few years it has become easier to source parts for repairs, and often they arrive within a day of placing the order. This includes parts from Asian manufacturers including Samsun and LG, which historically were reluctant to sell parts to independent operators.
One of the underused services they offer is maintenance for clothes dryers. Dryer fires are one of the most common cause of house fires, which are preventable with a bit of maintenance. The CBC reports that there are roughly 15,000 fires caused by lint build-up in dryers each year. Lint is very flammable and accumulates inside the dryer and its exhaust system with each load of laundry. This build up makes the dryer work harder for each load, and as lint accumulates it can block vents, accumulate around thermostats, motors or heating elements where it can catch fire.
Cavan Monaghan Fire Chief Balfour explains that there are a few steps people can take to prevent dryer-related fires, including removing lint after every load, ensure vents are clear and schedule a thorough cleaning once a year, inspect cords and outlets for damage, don’t overload the dryer, never run a dryer when you are asleep or away from home, and make sure your alarms are in place and tested regularly. Warning signs that the machine needs attention include extended drying times, hot clothing coming out of the dryer, or the exterior exhaust vent no longer opens when the machine is in operation.
Don and Lillian are ready to service and repair all makes and models of residential appliances. To learn more or book an appointment, contact them at watersappliance@gmail.comor call 705-933-9880.