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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

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.

    Recall: Counterfeit Circuit Breakers By Specialty Lamp International Due to Fire Hazard

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    Name of Product: Counterfeit Circuit Breakers labeled as “Square D”

    Units: About 371,000

    Distributor: Specialty Lamp International Inc., of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

    Hazard: The recalled circuit breakers labeled “Square D” have been determined by Square D to be counterfeit and can fail to trip when they are overloaded, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

    Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

    Description: The counterfeit circuit breakers are black and are labeled as Square D QO-series models 115, 120, 130, 215, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 and 2020 and Square D QOB-series models 115, 120, 130, 220, 230, 250, 260 and 1515. Actual Square D circuit breakers have (a) the amp rating written on the handle in white paint on the front of the breaker (authentic Square D circuit breakers manufactured prior to 2003 did not have white paint on the amperage numbers); (b) the Square D insignia molded onto the breaker side, and; (c) a yellow chromate mounting clip with half of the top of the clip visible. If your breaker, labeled as Square D, does not match this description, it could be counterfeit.

    Sold by: Electrical product distributors nationwide from May 2005 through June 2006 for between $3 and $23.

    Manufactured in: China or Unknown

    Remedy: Consumers should contact Specialty to determine if the breaker they have is counterfeit and to arrange for a free inspection and replacement or refund if necessary.

    Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Specialty at (866) 650-3076 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, by email bart@specialty-lamp.com, or visit the company’s Web site at www.ebulb.net. This is not a Square D Company recall.

    Whirlpool’s Fourth Annual Mother of Invention Grant Competition.

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    We all know the old saying: “Better later than never” well, I’m a bit late, but there is still plenty of time to enter the competition for Whirlpool’s Mother of Invention grant.

    Beginning on May 11, the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day, and running through July 31, moms may submit their unique business, service or product ideas for consideration at http://www.whirlpool.com/moms . In addition, to recognize moms who develop an environmentally-friendly product/service or use natural/recycled materials to create their invention, the company has added a green category for the first time. Five winners will be announced in September and will receive grant money (up to $20,000), home appliance prizes and an invitation to a business boot camp at Whirlpool headquarters.

    The program closes on July 31, 2008.

    Shoppers More Likely to Buy Online

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    People are more comfortable buying a new appliance from an online retailer now than they were just two years ago according to a survey by PriceGrabber, a Web-based comparison-shopping service.  The study found that “unease with online merchants’ customer service and the fear of making large online purchases have all decreased” since a similar survey was taken in 2006.

    According to the current survey of 1945 shoppers, taken in late March 2008, 24% said they would be apt to buy major appliances online today, compared with around half that number in 2006. While the desire to “touch and feel” large home items remains an important reason for people not buying off the Web, the percentage citing that reason has dropped over the two surveys to 56% from 70%.
     
    However, the report notes that 25%, compared with 4% in 2006 indicated the cost of home delivery as the main reason they would not purchase online.

    Recall: Char-Broil Two-Burner Gas Grills Sold Exclusively at Mills Fleet Farm Stores Due to Fire, Burn Hazard

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    Name of Product: Char-Broil Two-Burner Gas Grills Model 463720108

    Units: About 400

    Importer: Char-Broil LLC, of Columbus, Ga.

    Manufacturer: Shenzhen Jinwoniu Trading Company LTD, China

    Hazard: On the recalled grills, the main burner does not fit correctly and does not connect properly to the gas valve which could result in a propane leak. This poses fire and burn hazards to consumers.

    Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

    Description: This recall involves the Char-Broil gas grills with model number 463720108 and serial number ranging from 000001 to 000402. The gas grills have a main burner with two-burner plates, a 170 square inch swing-away rack, two side shelves and a condiment basket. Char-Broil’s logo is on the top of the lid of the grill. The serial and model numbers are located on the white rating label on the back of the horizontal support of the grill.

    Sold at: Mills Fleet Farm Stores in Iowa, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin from February 2008 through April 2008 for about $120.

    Manufactured in: China

    Remedy: Consumers should stop using the grill immediately and contact Char-Broil for a free replacement burner and installation instructions.

    Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Char-Broil at (866) 671-7988 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.charbroil.comchar-broil two-burner recall

    Recall:American Flame Fireplaces to Replace Gas Valves Due to Fire and Explosion Hazards

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    Name of Product: Fireplace Gas Valves

    Units: About 12,000

    Manufacturer: American Flame Inc., of Fort Wayne, Ind.

    Hazard: Gas can continue to flow into the fireplace pilot light area after the switch has been turned “off,” posing a fire or explosion hazard to consumers.

    Incidents/Injuries: American Flame has received two reports of incidents involving valve failure and continuous gas flow. No injuries or fires have been reported.

     

    Description: The recall involves American Flame AF-4000 series fireplace gas valves installed in residential fireplaces made by twelve manufacturers under the following brand names: Pacific Energy, Travis Industries, CFM Corporation, Canadian Heating Products, Portland Willamette, Rasmussen, Chimeneas de Columbia, Twin Eagles, FDM, Inca Metals (Savannah Heating), Even Temp, and Valley Comfort. The valves were installed in some but not all fireplaces. Date codes included in the recall include 0622 through 0718. The gas valve model number is located on a label on the bottom of each gas valve. The date code is located above the label.

    Sold by: Fireplace retailers and distributors nationwide from September 2006 through July 2007 for between $500 and $2,000 for the fireplaces, with additional costs for installation.

    Manufactured in: Taiwan

    Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled fireplaces and contact their dealer for a free repair. The repair involves replacing the fireplace’s valve if it leaks gas in the “off” position when tested by a qualified service technician.

    Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact American Flame toll-free at (888) 672-8929 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET to determine if your fireplace is included in the recall and to arrange for a free repair, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.skytechsystem.com

     

     

    Gas Valve DiagramAmerican Flame fireplace recall