Proper care and maintenance of your freezer will not only improve efficiency and performance, but will save energy dollars, and help your food contents to last longer.

Location of Your Freezer
Placing your freezer directly near a heat source like a stove, outside or in the garage in warm climates, or where the sun will shine directly on it, will cause it to work harder than it needs to - which in turn raises your energy costs. Find a cool, level and dry space, (basements work great) with adequate clearance at the back for good air circulation, and room overhead or to the side to open the freezer door.

Freezer Care & Maintenance

• Each door of your refrigerator has a molded rubber gasket to keep the cold in and the heat out. When this gasket gets old and brittle, it leaks and you will need to replace it. Click here for many different Freezer Door Gaskets
• Check the seal of your freezer to ensure proper sealing.
• Defrost and clean the freezer regularly. Ice build-up will lower it's efficiency.
• Safeguard your small children by keeping freezers locked. Get a new Freezer Lock, here
• Vacuum any exposed condensor coils regularly to ensure proper air circulation.
• Keep temperature constant in your freezer to keep food from spoiling.
• Label and date food contents for quick retrieval, and ensure that foods are properly rotated.

Consult your Freezer owner's manual for specific care guidelines.

Labels: freezer parts

Even though the gas prices have fallen significantly, the economy in the US is not what we would like it to be. Everyone is looking to save a dime here and a nickel there. Save money on your water costs with a few of these tips:

Install low-flow aerators on kitchen and bathroom faucets.

They can be installed in minutes by screwing them into the end of faucets. While most aerators limit water to three gallons per minute, low-flow models are available for around $5 that can reduce the flow to as little as one GPM. This can reduce faucet water usage by almost 60%. Aerators can save energy as well, since they use less hot water.

Don't Use the Garbage Disposal too often

Compost food waste or throw it in the trash. Both are water-free options.

Keep Drinking Water in the Refrigerator

Then, you won't waste water while you wait for the tap to get cold.

Purchase a FloodStop for your Washing Machine

A floodstop automatically shuts off the water supply to the washing machine and sounds an alarm when a few drops of water make contact with the water sensor. Whether caused by a burst hose, or an overflowing washing machine the Floodstop will automatically close the valves and shut off the water supply.

Labels: faucet aerators, floodstop

...and the renovation continues.

The saga of an inexperienced kitchen renovator trudges on. As many of our loyal readers may know, we are the middle of a six month project of renovating our kitchen and the time has come to pick out the range hood.
Little did I know about range hoods before the project, but even littler could I find out online. I did find out that there are not as many styles as one would think - with Broan being one of the more popular. Little did I know about the maintenance needed. There are no miraculous self-cleaning range hoods around yet! So before you buy - take note of these tips on keeping your range hood in tip top shape.

• Range Hood Filter Cleaning & Replacing
  Schedule a periodic cleaning of your over-the-stove range vent hood. The silver screen is the grease filter. Some models have more than one grease filter. The grease filter traps airborne oils and grease to ensure that they are not sucked up in the exhaust vent. To clean the filter, remove it and soak it in a degreasing solution until the grease is totally dissolved. After soaking, wash it with warm, soapy water to remove any traces of the degreaser. You can also place the grease filter on the upper rack of your dishwasher and run it through an entire cycle, believe it or not!
  Note… If your unit circulates the air rather than vents it outdoors, it may have one or more activated charcoal filters. Don't wash these. Just replace them periodically
  
• Cleaning the Inside of the Range Hood
  Remember to always TURN off the range hood before doing any cleaning. Also avoid spraying any type of cleaner directly onto the light bulb or light bulb socket. Clean the interior of the vent hood with a household degreaser/cleaner like soft scrub.
  
• Cleaning the Outside of your Range Hood
  Clean the outside of your vent hood with a degreaser or a non-abrasive cleanser like soft scrub. If it is stainless steel, you can use a stainless steel cleaner after the grease is off.
  
• The blower wheel also gets greasy and dirty, over time, which can slow down the fan or cause vibration. Remove the wheel and clean it with a degreaser. Then, if the fan is still slow or if it vibrates, you need to replace the fan motor.
  
• Vent cleaning
  Contact a vent-cleaning contractor to clean the vent properly.

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Labels: Range Hood Parts

JD. Power and Associates says the top appliances in consumer satisfaction are Bosch, Kenmore Elite, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool Gold.

The firm's 2008 Kitchen Appliances Study, based on responses from 14,782 consumers surveyed in June and July, gives Bosch highest marks for dishwashers for the third consecutive year. For the fourth year, Samsung ranks highest in satisfying customers with side-by-side and French door-style refrigerators. Sub-Zero and Kenmore Elite follow Samsung in the segment rankings.

Kenmore Elite ranks highest in the freezer-on-top refrigerator category, followed by Whirlpool Gold and GE Profile.

Whirlpool Gold wins for freestanding ranges, which contain both a range and oven that are not built into a kitchen countertop. LG and Kenmore Elite follow. The firm says that while price was critical to customer satisfaction in recent years, this year ease of use became more important, with consumers favoring brands with easy-to-use controls and displays.

The study also found that energy efficiency is a more important driver of satisfaction among dishwasher buyers than among owners of other types of kitchen appliances.

Meanwhile, the credit freeze-up is not only jamming home and auto sales, it is also having an effect on the sales of new major appliances. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) reports that appliance shipments have been heading south throughout the year.

Per the association, shipments of washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges and ovens--were down 10.2% in August, and 8.1% for the first eight months of the year.

Shipments of electric ovens plummeted 25% in August, and were off over 17% in the first eight months. Home laundry appliance shipments were off 10.6% through August and 5.1% year-to-date.

Refrigerator shipments fell 7.8% in August alone, and shipments of dishwashers fell 16.9%. Freezers, microwaves, room air conditioners and dehumidifiers were the only appliances that saw positive numbers in August, and freezers were the only appliances at all that saw positive shipments in the first eight months.

Labels: Appliance Ratings