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Tips for Saving Money and Energy Around the House

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Looking for ways to save money? Look no further than your kitchen. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) offers these simple energy savings tips to consumers looking for ways to cut energy bills this summer.

The energy consumed by home appliances has dropped sharply since 2000.
Refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers combined account for a 43% decrease in
energy consumption since 2000. Replacing an eight year old refrigerator, dishwasher and
clothes washer with new appliances of average efficiency will save consumers about
$95.00 per year in energy bills. Replacing an eight year old clothes washer will save
more than $60.00 in electricity costs and nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year.
Additional savings can be obtained by purchasing Energy Star appliances.

Energy savings can also be obtained by following these easy tips:

• If you are replacing your refrigerator, do not use the old refrigerator as a second
refrigerator. This will not yield energy savings. Properly recycle the appliance.
To find recycling options in your area, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.

• Allow hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator; and always cover
foods that may release moisture in the refrigerator.

• Limit opening the refrigerator and freezer doors. Label foods or use clear food
storage bags to easily identify foods.

• Scrape, but do not pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Dishwashers do a great job of cleaning soiled dishes.

• Take advantage of your dishwasher’s “eco” option that reduces water use, or use a
no-heat air dry feature.

• Use load size settings- if you are washing a small load of clothing, be sure to
change the load setting. Use cold water settings whenever possible.

• Always clean the lint filter on the clothes dryer after each use. A clogged filter
will reduce dryer performance.

You can Thank NASA for Your Cordless Drill

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If you plan to give Dad a cordless power tool this Father’s Day, you can thank NASA for the great gift idea.

According to Howstuffworks.com, Black and Decker created the cordless idea back in 1961 with battery operated tools, but NASA helped refine the technology that led to lightweight, cordless medical instruments, hand-held vacuum cleaners and other tools.

In the mid-1960s, to prepare for the Apollo missions to the moon, NASA needed a tool that astronauts could use to obtain samples of rocks and soil. The drill had to be lightweight, compact and powerful enough to dig deep into the surface of the moon. Since rigging up a cord to a drill in outer space would be a difficult feat, NASA and Black & Decker invented a battery-powered, magnet-motor drillWorking in the context of a limited space environment, Black & Decker developed a computer program for the tool that reduced the amount of power expended during use to maximize battery life.

After the NASA project, Black & Decker applied the same principles to make other lightweight, battery-powered tools for everyday consumers.

Recall: Robert Bosch Tool Corp. Hammer Drills Due to Risk of Injury

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Name of Product: Bosch Hammer Drills

Units: About 9,700

Manufacturer: Robert Bosch Tool Corp., of Mount Prospect, Ill.

Hazard: The drill can continue to operate after the trigger has been released, posing a risk of injury to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled hammer drill is blue with “BOSCH” printed on the side. The model number 1191VSR can be located on the product nameplate mounted on the side of the motor. The product’s packaging will be marked as 1191VSRK (the “K” indicates that the hammer drill was packaged with a case in a kit). Only drills with a serial number that begins with “7” are included in the recall.

Sold at: Menards and other hardware retailers and industrial distributors nationwide from July 2007 through April 2008 for about $100.

Manufactured in: Malaysia

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled hammer drill immediately and contact the firm for a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact the Robert Bosch Tool Corp. toll-free at (877) 472-0007 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.boschtools.com

GE CEO cites five potential bidders for appliances

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General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt on Wednesday named five non-U.S. appliance manufacturers, including China‘s Haier, South Korea‘s LG Electronics, Sweden’s Electrolux, Mexico‘s Controladora Mabe and Turkey’s Arcelik, as potential bidders for the company’s century-old appliances business.

The chief of the second-largest U.S. company by market capitalization said it was “obvious” who would be interested in the unit, which last year sold $7.2 billion worth of refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances.

“The players have become somewhat obvious,” Immelt told reporters in South Korea. “It is Haier in China, it is LG in Korea, it’s Mabe in Mexico, it’s Arcelik in Turkey.”

In Beijing, he added another name to the list of suspects: “Whether LG or Haier or Electrolux or others participate remains to be seen.”

None of those companies confirmed their interest.

After stunning investors in April with an unexpected drop in quarterly profit, GE said this month it would look to sell or spin off its appliances unit, saying the business was too focused on the United States.

Analysts and investors have estimated the business, which is No. 2 in the U.S. behind Whirlpool Corp. could sell for $4 billion to $8 billion. Whirlpool is the world’s largest appliance maker.

Immelt’s comments could be an effort to see if there are other interested bidders who have not yet made themselves known to the company, said Peter Sorrentino, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Huntington Asset Advisors, which manages $6.5 billion in assets and holds GE shares.

“I wonder if he’s not tapping tree trunks with a stick trying to figure out if there’s bees in there,” Sorrentino said.

STILL ‘EARLY ON’

Immelt’s remarks came just a week after he told investors GE that the company was “seriously” considering spinning off the appliances unit.

“The appliance process is still very early on, and much still has to be decided,” Immelt said in Beijing on Wednesday.

GE’s well-known brand name could appeal to a foreign appliance manufacturer looking to build its profile in the United States while capitalizing on lower-cost production.

Goodmorning Shinhan Securities analyst Steve Lee said, “I doubt LG Elec would be interested in pursuing this deal, since there’s little the company can gain. There’s a lot of overlap between the businesses with little premium potential for LG.”

Lee said Immelt’s comments could be aimed at drumming up interest from a small pool of potential candidates with deep-enough pockets to buy the business.

Frigidaire’s Beverage Center

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Frigidaire has a fun extra for your outdoor entertaining kitchen or home theatre- a beverage center that dispenses cold beer and other beverages and has room to keep trays of foods cool as well.The beverage center has a 12.75 Cu. Ft. refrigeration capacity, can accommodate 1/2 barrel or 1/4 barrel keg sizes and  a fresh food shelf to hold party trays and other food items (must be removed when using full barrel keg).

More features include:

  • 2 heavy-duty slide out wire fresh food baskets
  • 2 in-door freezer storage racks
  • Empty 5# CO2 Tank Included
  • Extra deep drain sump with durable stainless cover
  • Five level wire shelf includes can dispenser, wine storage; also perfect for two liter bottles
  • Fresh food door storage for gallon or 2-liter containers
  • Pressurized Tap System (includes: Tap, Regulator, Faucet, Hoses and CO2 Canister)
  • 2 Humidity Controls
  • Never Clean™ Condenser

    • It comes in a Silver Mist color with a suggested retail price of $899.

      

     

    Recycle Your Old Monitor and Other Electronics

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    Best Buy will take and recycle your unwanted appliances free of charge.  One hundred seventeen stores in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota areas are welcoming customers to bring in no more than two units per day, per household, for recycling at no charge. Customers can bring in items such as televisions and monitors up to 32-inches, computers, phones, cameras, and other electronics devices and peripherals.

    Best Buy said it would work with its stores, recycling partners, and manufacturers to evaluate the success of the test and determine options for scaling it across the United States.

    Her Magic Bullet- Infomercials

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    I think infomercials are unbearably annoying, but somehow I find myself pausing on the way to my show of the moment to see the latest gadget being hawked.  Sarah Aycock at Louisiana State University has discovered that she is drawn to appliance infomercials.

    You flip to your favorite channel, but instead of the familiar lineup, there’s a friendly woman reminiscent of your mother, grandmother or aunt with neatly manicured nails and a kitchen full of the same peculiar appliance.

    Suddenly you find yourself sucked in to this infomercial, watching this woman make steak roll-ups, garlic bread and strawberry shortcake with ease in this magical appliance. It’s complete with dual cooking chambers and a sleek, compact design that would fit in any kitchen.

    You begin to think, “Hey, I really could use this. The kitchen in my apartment is really small, and this could come in handy. I would make these breakfast sandwiches in the morning, and for dinner it would be so simple to make a stuffed chicken breast.”
     am proud to admit that I get a huge amount of pleasure from watching infomercials. Sometimes, if the infomercial is a really good one, I’ll watch it instead of regular television.

    And I’m not alone. Many people share my view that infomercials are the comfort food of the television world.

    When I saw that the Magic Bullet – yes, the personal, versatile countertop magician – had come out with a brand new infomercial, I rushed to call two friends, and they were both as excited as I was to find that chain-smoking Hazel and grumpy Berman, two characters from the original infomercial, had returned and were joined by Tina, who may or may not be a recovering alcoholic, and Betty, who loves garlic.

    All infomercial fans seem to have their favorite genre. I’ll watch anything hawking a kitchen appliance, but many people prefer beauty products, workout equipment or music compilations.

    And these fans can watch the same infomercials again and again, never purchasing a single product. Viewers keep tuning in to see the overzealous hosts, the delicious food or the compelling demonstrations. Something about the infomercials draws them in. But they can’t exactly explain why.

    Some viewers eventually succumb to the pleadings of the hosts and invest in the product they’ve been secretly wanting for months. I’ve personally fallen prey twice. I am the proud owner of the Magic Bullet and the Bare Minerals makeup kit.

    How to Buy a Microwave Oven

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    Whether you are looking for a basic model for heating up leftovers or one with options for baking and broiling, we have tips and information to make your decision easier.

    Counter top ovens are the least expensive starting at as low as $25 and ranging in size from a compact 17″wide by 13′ deep to a larger 24″x20″.  Although these are meant to sit on the counter, some come with brackets for mounting under a cabinet.  Over-the-range models hang over the range (seems obvious!) which saves space and doubles as the vent over the oven.  Most are 30″wide.  o may require professional installation which will add to the cost.  These start at around $150.  Built-in microwaves come in many sizes to fit with various kitchen designs. They can be recessed almost flush with a wall or cabinet and placed at any height.  I have seen family rooms with kid level microwaves for heating up snacks.  Built-ins require professional installation.  Prices start at about $225

    Some features to look for in your new microwave:

    • Shortcut keys: One touch preset buttons for defrosting and preparing microwave favorites like popcorn. Also, one-touch buttons for adding additional time or quick heating.
    • Removable turntable: Makes cleaning much easier
    • Sensor Technology:Measures food temperature ad automatically adjusts oven power to prevent over- or undercooking.
    • Steam element: A nice addition for vegetables or rice
    • Child safety lock: Password required for use

    Another interesting option is the microwave-convection combination oven.  This oven uses an internal fan to heat food more evenly than a standard microwave.  It also has an additional heating element that allows you to roast, bake and brown like a conventional oven, just not quite as effectively.  These ovens are priced higher than standard microwaves.

    One last tip before you head out to the store- bring along the largest dish you plan to use in your new microwave, that way you can be certain it will fit!

    Cuisinart’s Brick Oven

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    Here’s a fun gadget for the baker in the house. A .90 cubic foot brick oven that sits on your counter top. Cuisinart offers this oven with permanently built in bricks on the top and sides, two racks for multi level cooking, three settings and 1700 watts of power to reach up to 500°F . It has industrial style stainless steel housing and a tinted glass window to allow you to check your stone baked bread or pizza. It retails for around $250.