Interesting Publications

Ovens - Before buying an oven, first you have to ask yourself whether you need a gas oven or electric oven. This decision is based on your cooking preferences. Also, consider the type of cleaning process it uses. Standard cleaning ovens require you to clean it yourself. Self-cleaning ovens often have programmable cleaning settings that use high temperatures to clean residue from the oven. You can also get continuous cleaning ovens that absorb or burn off splatters, making it even more convenient.

Refrigerators - A rule of thumb when buying a refrigerator is that you need to consider the number of people in your household to determine the capacity you need. For example, a family of two needs at least 8 to 10 cubic feet, then add another cubic foot of space for each family member. Refrigerators with freezers on the top are more energy efficient than models with side freezers.

Dishwashers - Always find out the amount of water a dishwasher uses for every different cycle. Look for features that reduce water use. The new stainless-steel models can improve energy efficiency during drying cycles and allows for higher water temperatures as well.

Ventilation Hoods - The most important thing to consider when purchasing a new ventilation hood is its fan. Axial fans are inexpensive but not as powerful as centrifugal fans. Also, tempered glass light lenses in a ventilation hood is essential. They are tougher than plastic lenses, so they will last longer. You should also consider buying one with a low sone number. Sones measure the noise level created by air-moving appliances, and the lower the sone number, the quieter it is.

Garbage Disposal Systems - There are a few things to consider when you want to buy a garbage disposal. You need to take into account the number of meals that are prepared in your kitchen per week, how often you entertain, and the amount of noise it makes, as well as a long product life. Find out also if your kitchen is hooked up to a septic or water system.

Air Conditioners - Check the energy tag attached to the unit and consider the energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER, ranges from 8 to 12, so the higher the EER number, the better the efficiency. After this, you also need to consider the space of the room you'll be putting the air conditioner in, as well as your budget. Do you need to cool the whole room? Does the weather change a lot where I'm located? The answers will help you find a suitable model that will fit your needs. Try to match the unit's cooling capacity with the size of the room. According to the Department of Energy, air conditioner size should be determined by multiplying the room's square feet by 20.

Water Heaters - Again, energy efficiency is the important factor here. The EnergyGuide label gives you two important pieces of information when you're comparing different brands and models: estimated energy consumption and estimated yearly operating costs. Using these information, you can compare models and see which ones are better at energy saving. Tank size or capacity refers to the amount of water, in gallons, that the water heater will hold. The more gallons you need per hour, the larger the tank must be. Of course there are also tank-less systems which heat water as you need it. Tankless water systems are powered by either electricity or gas and turn off when not in use. However, they have trouble supplying large amounts of hot water at any one time.