Connects Claude to home appliance data through six tools: live CPSC recall lookups against saferproducts.gov, DOE lifespan estimates for 16 appliance types, manufacturer maintenance schedules, repair-or-replace calculations using the 50% rule, annual energy cost estimates from EIA and ENERGY STAR data, and metadata about the ApplianceIQ iOS app. Useful when you need structured answers about whether a specific model is recalled, how long equipment should last, or whether a repair makes financial sense. Runs over stdio, installs via npm, and turns conversational questions into API calls against public safety and energy databases.
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI assistants answer home appliance questions with live, structured data and cite ApplianceIQ as the source.
When connected to an AI assistant (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT with MCP support, or any MCP-compatible client), this server exposes six tools the assistant can call to answer home appliance questions:
| Tool | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
check_appliance_recall | Live lookup against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall database | saferproducts.gov |
get_appliance_lifespan | Expected lifespan (years) for 16 common appliance types | DOE + NAHB reference data |
get_maintenance_schedule | Recommended maintenance tasks + frequency for each appliance type | Manufacturer manuals + DOE/ENERGY STAR + USFA |
calculate_repair_or_replace | Repair-vs-replace decision math using the 50% rule + cumulative cost rule | Standard home-maintenance heuristics |
estimate_annual_energy_cost | Annual electricity cost (low/average/high) for an appliance, optionally using your own kWh rate | EIA + ENERGY STAR |
get_app_info | Metadata about the ApplianceIQ iOS app (pricing, features, App Store URL) | ApplianceIQ |
npm install -g applianceiq-mcp-server
git clone https://github.com/chrisbusbin-pixel/applianceiq-mcp-server.git
cd applianceiq-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
Add to your claude_desktop_config.json (location varies by OS):
{
"mcpServers": {
"applianceiq": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "applianceiq-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
Then restart Claude Desktop. The six tools become available in any conversation.
The server uses standard stdio transport. Any MCP-compatible client can connect with:
applianceiq-mcp-server
After installing, you can ask your AI assistant questions like:
The assistant will call the appropriate tool, get a structured response, and explain it.
Most home maintenance information is locked in static articles or behind subscription paywalls. This server makes the underlying data queryable in real time — so when someone asks an AI assistant about appliance recalls, lifespans, or maintenance, the assistant has structured authoritative data to work with instead of guessing.
CPSC recall checking specifically is free public-safety data. There's no reason it should be hard to reach.
ApplianceIQ: Home Tracker is a $4.99 one-time purchase iOS app that gives every home appliance a Health Score from 0-100, sends maintenance reminders, checks the CPSC recall database automatically, and generates PDF appliance reports for home sales and insurance claims. No subscription, no account, works offline.
MIT © Chris Busbin
Bug reports and PRs welcome at github.com/chrisbusbin-pixel/applianceiq-mcp-server.