Saturday, August 8, 2015

Do It Yourself Smart Home Appliances

The 'Do It Yourself' aspect of upgrading to the Smart Major Home Appliances is going to be somewhat frustrating and unnerving to many people.

I am gathering some articles to share with folks regarding the technology and also some caveats as to security.

Enjoy.






Home Automation Report: Has the DIY Smart Home Bubble Burst? - CEPro
 Fri, 07 Aug 2015 18:17:48 GMT
CEProHome Automation Report: Has the DIY Smart Home Bubble Burst?CEPro“For a long time smart home has either been the domain of the [DIY] enthusiasts or the folks with high income who can afford to have someone else come in and do it for them,” says ...






Energy Adviser: Small changes can cut energy - The Columbian
Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:03:30 GMT
Energy Adviser: Small changes can cut energyThe ColumbianAnd, you may not want to or be allowed to change out the appliances your apartment came with. ... Turn both thermostats on your water heater down to 120 degrees and save yourself from wasting e ...






Amazon Dash is here bringing one-push orders for your home - Wareable
 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 10:19:03 GMT
WareableAmazon Dash is here bringing one-push orders for your homeWareableFuture smart home appliances will detect a lack of food and order more for us. Check out our guide to the smart home of the future for a glimpse of what your house will do for ...






Smarthome vendors feel HomeKit pain - Computerworld
 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:57:35 GMT
ComputerworldSmarthome vendors feel HomeKit painComputerworldYou don't want hackers accessing your bank account simply by packet sniffing traffic on your wireless network thanks to a subverted smart home appliance. And while ... You'd be surprise the ...


Some Views Regarding Home Automation




 Many of us are considering home automation of security and major home appliances as well as heating/air conditioning. This is a complex area and I want to gather a lot of information to provide to readers.

There is some very advanced technology involved and as weeks pass I will be posting whatever I find so as to assist people with their decision making.

Enjoy these articles.



Easy start to home automation - Daily Record
http://news.google.com Fri, 31 Jul 2015 18:09:17 GMT
Daily RecordEasy start to home automationDaily RecordOver the past couple of months we have been testing and writing about several devices that fit together well for simple home automation and allow for a lot of expansion should you desire it. The ke ...

Read more ...



Speaker Lightbulbs Latest Offering in Home Automation Trend - Huffington Post
http://news.google.com Mon, 03 Aug 2015 17:27:17 GMT
Speaker Lightbulbs Latest Offering in Home Automation TrendHuffington PostHome automation, once the wave of the future, is becoming more and more mainstream as tech giants like Google, Amazon and Samsung jump on the bandwagon in product development. ...

Read more ...



The Latest In Home Automation: What To Look For - Twice
http://news.google.com Mon, 03 Aug 2015 18:13:52 GMT
The Latest In Home Automation: What To Look ForTwiceNew York – Home-automation suppliers have updated their product portfolios or added distribution in recent days, with key announcements coming from Amazon, Smart Things, Nest and Ring. Amazon: In on ...

Read more ...



Home Automation Can Actually Make You Save More on Energy. Who Knew? - Realty Today
http://news.google.com Fri, 31 Jul 2015 10:37:23 GMT
Realty TodayHome Automation Can Actually Make You Save More on Energy. Who Knew?Realty TodayPROVO, UT - JANUARY 16: In this photo illustration, a Nest thermostat installed in a home is seen on January 16, 2014 in Provo, Utah. Google bought Nest, a ho ...

Read more ...

Best Major Home Appliances

I have compiled a list of links for Best Selling Major Home Appliances on Amazon.

Click on each link to go to the Amazon Page.


Best Selling Cooktops

Best Selling Dishwashers

Best Selling Builtin Dishwashers

Best Selling Specialty Dishwashers

Best Selling Chest Freezers

Best Selling Upright Freezers

Best Selling IceMakers

Best Selling Range Hoods

Best Selling Ranges

Friday, August 7, 2015

Do You Need Warranty For Major Home Appliances?


A warranty could be a great investment or a warranty could be a complete waste of money. The consumer has to research the cost and value of a warranty.

Do not get a warranty for a microwave or range hood, the cost of the warranty would never be recovered.

But for a refrigerator or range or freezer or dishwasher, a warranty would be a great thing to evaluate closely.

Newer appliances are not made in the same manner as those made twenty years ago. The new technologies are prone to breaking, parts come from many different countries, and the need for repairs is much greater on the newer models. Parts are much more expensive. Repair people charge much more.

That being said, many warranties are useless, they are worded so that the consumer can not recover costs of repairs or replacements. Each contract has to be studied carefully.

Keep in mind that the company that sells a warranty to you should have service technicians on staff.

A warranty company should be local instead of from an office thousands of miles away.

Many warranty companies are merely call centres that farm out the repairs to low cost contractors, meaning that you may get very poor quality work.



A lot to consider when considering a warranty for a major home appliance.


Here are some opinions about warranties that you may find to be of interest.




Is paying for extended warranties worth it? Experts generally say no - Deseret News
Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:55:26 GMT
Deseret NewsIs paying for extended warranties worth it? Experts generally say noDeseret NewsAn old adage holds that the multi-million dollar casinos in Las Vegas weren't built on the profits of winning gamblers. The same rationale, say consumer exper ...
Read more ...



4 options to consider before buying an extended warranty - Bankrate.com
Thu, 09 Jul 2015 09:45:44 GMT
Bankrate.com4 options to consider before buying an extended warrantyBankrate.comHave you ever wondered why stores try so hard to sell you an extended warranty when you buy an appliance or other product? Consider this: Extended warranties carry profit ...
Read more ...



Phoenix woman says extended warranty company pocketed her money - AZFamily
Wed, 22 Jul 2015 05:21:26 GMT
AZFamilyPhoenix woman says extended warranty company pocketed her moneyAZFamilyIt was an extended warranty that she had purchased for it. 'I had a total peace of mind, thinking, you know, these cars are expensive to repair. So, I felt better with the ...
Read more ...



Extended warranties: Worth the money? - Connectstatesboro
 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 16:18:53 GMT
Extended warranties: Worth the money?ConnectstatesboroExtended warranties, which can also go by the label of “service contracts,” are designed to provide maintenance or repair of products beyond what's addressed with warranties that are part of the p ...
Read more ...



The Lowdown on Extended Warranties - ACHR NEWS
Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:38:31 GMT
ACHR NEWSThe Lowdown on Extended WarrantiesACHR NEWSFrank offers extended warranties from Trinity Warranty for a variety of reasons, including the fact that customers understand that air conditioner repairs can be expensive and may come at a time whe ...
Read more ...

Round Up of Posts for Major Home Appliances For Week Ending August 7, 2015

This has been great week for this site, getting it off the ground, and deciding on the name, Major Home Appliances.

As you can see there is a focus on household appliances, with some references to maintenance and safety.

So far there is a page for Freezers and a page for Dishwashers as well as some blog posts.

As the week ends, I am getting some reviews for different items prepared and those will be posted early next week.

Here are this week's posts:

Heat & Cool Efficiently



Phononic launches solid-state freezer achieving refrigeration milestone





In future there will be added several more types of major home appliances, along with reviews.

Here are a couple articles I located that may be of interest.

BSH Home Appliances CEO warns on vision of smart home - Mobile World Live
Wed, 15 Jul 2015 10:05:41 GMT
BSH Home Appliances CEO warns on vision of smart homeMobile World LiveBSH conducted a survey in Germany and Austria and found that over half of respondents fear that connected home appliances will collect more data than is necessary and that most had ...

Read more ...



When to repair, replace common household appliances - Local 10

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 22:14:59 GMT
Local 10When to repair, replace common household appliancesLocal 10Major appliances always break at the worst possible time and getting them repaired can create a major financial headache. The Local 10 News Call Christina team has found some things t ...

Read more ...



Have a great week ahead!

Heat & Cool Efficiently


Some helpful information that can also be applied to your major home appliances.


Extracted from Energy Star



As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills — and your comfort. Take these steps to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. For more information, see our Guide to Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling PDF (708KB).

Change your air filter regularly

Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.

Tune up your HVAC equipment yearly

Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Learn more:

Install a programmable thermostat

A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.

Seal your heating and cooling ducts

Ducts that move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent — and sometimes much more.
Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house. See our See our Duct Sealing brochure PDF (1.13MB) for more information. for more information.

Consider installing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment

If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. If it is not performing efficiently or needs upgrading, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. Depending on where you live, replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can cut your annual energy bill by more than $115. But before you invest in a new HVAC system, make sure that you have addressed the big air leaks in your house and the duct system. Sometimes, these are the real sources of problems rather than your HVAC equipment.

Ask about Proper Installation of your new equipment

Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new, energy-efficient models is a great start. But to make sure that you get the best performance, the new equipment must be properly installed. In fact, improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent - costing you more on your utility bills and possibly shortening the equipment's life. Learn more.

Phononic launches solid-state freezer achieving refrigeration milestone


One of the most important of the major home appliances is about to undergo a significant technology change.








Phononic's Evolve(TM) product line, includes a 1.8 cubic foot freezer (pictured), which features a solid-state, compressor-free system with stable and uniform temperature settings between minus 15 C and minus 25 C. 


 BOSTON, July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For two centuries or more, inventors have been trying to perfect refrigeration technology. Now the unprecedented is happening with Phononic's unveiling of the Evolve™ compact freezer – a compressor-free, pharmacy-grade cold storage unit. The 1.8 cubic foot freezer, on display at booth #929 at the ASHE Conference and Exhibition in Boston through July 14, features proprietary SilverCore™ solid-state technology that ensures consistent temperature stability and reliable performance. 

 By efficiently moving particles of heat known as phonons via non-toxic coolant, SilverCore technology is revolutionizing the ability to create cold temperatures. "Our solid-state technology achieves freezer performance thought impossible from a solid-state solution, represents a refrigeration milestone and meets the demanding requirements of healthcare professionals," said Tony Atti, founder and CEO of Phononic. "Our commitment to disrupting the decades-old compressor paradigm will help further life-changing research and stop putting vital inventory at risk." 

 Whether testing blood and tissue specimens for biomarkers to discover early stage cancer; storing sensitive drugs and vaccines in the supply chain; or protecting costly reagents and enzymes used in genomics testing, the Evolve product family offers a state-of-the-art solution and significant advantages for pharmacy managers, lab managers and other healthcare professionals. The Evolve compact freezer, suitable for benchtop use or work stations, meets their exacting requirements by ensuring precise, stable and uniform temperatures between minus 15 and minus 25 C in normal ambient working environments and even up to 32 C. 

Additionally, with an integrated and WiFi-connected monitoring solution, the Evolve unit provides a live status report on temperature conditions, sending alerts to mobile devices or the web forewarning of temperature deviations that can prevent material losses collectively costing millions of dollars annually. "Evolve consumes significantly lower energy than a compressor-based system," said Mike Demasi, vice president and general manager of Phononic's Cold Products business. 

"And because it's so energy efficient, it can run on a battery backup power supply for several hours, adding even more peace of mind for our customers in hurricane prone regions of the US or countries with inconsistent supplies of power." Pre-orders are now being taken for the Evolve freezer with production planned for late 2015. About Evolve The new pharmacy-grade freezer is part of the Evolve family of compressor-free cold storage products. A 1.8 cubic foot refrigerator, with Phononic signature SilverCore technology, was introduced in June, and an undercounter refrigerator is scheduled for launch in 2016. 


About Phononic Phononic is revolutionizing cooling and heating with solid state thermal management solutions. Headquartered in the heart of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, the company provides solid state semiconductor technology that can be applied to everything from refrigeration to fiber optics, removing the barriers of traditional approaches and ushering in a new era of cooling and heating. The result is a solution to this age-old challenge that is distributed, convenient, sustainable and connected. 

For more information visit www.phononic.com or follow us on Twitter @Phononicrtp. 


 Phononic's EvolveTM product line, includes a 1.8 cubic foot freezer (pictured), which features a solid-state, compressor-free system with stable and uniform temperature settings between minus 15 C and minus 25 C. 

 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150710/234933

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The most—and least—reliable refrigerator brands

As one of the most important of the major home appliances, a refrigerator deserves to be well researched before purchase.



From Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports' latest survey also found several brands to avoid


After spending a couple thousand bucks on a new refrigerator—or more if you spring for a full-featured model—the last thing you want is to deal with repairs. Refrigerators are complex machines with lots of moving parts, especially those with ice and water dispensers. That's why they have some of the highest repair rates among major appliances, based on Consumer Reports’ surveys of almost 80,000 subscribers. But certain brands have a better track record, so you can help yourself by choosing wisely.

Bottom freezers. If you're shopping for a bottom-freezer with icemaker, whether conventional or French-door, think twice about models from the Sweden-based manufacturer Electrolux. Its repair rate of 45 percent was significantly higher than that of other brands. You might also want to avoid Frigidaire, owned by Electrolux, since its 35-percent repair rate also stands out for the wrong reasons. Whirlpool and KitchenAid are two more brands with higher-than-average repair rates.   

Better bets in the bottom-freezer with icemaker category include GE, LG, Kenmore, and Samsung. Kenmore combines reliability with particularly strong performance among conventional bottom-freezers. The Kenmore Elite 79043, for example, is our top scorer in that category, offering superb temperature control, energy efficiency, and noise. Three models are tied for first in the French-door category: the $2,100 Samsung RF261BIAESR, the $2,600 GE Profile PWE23KMDES, and the $3,330 LG LFX32945ST. The LG is the only one with a through-the-door ice and water dispenser.  


Kenmore 79433



Side-by-side. When it comes to side-by-side refrigerators, KitchenAid is the one brand to avoid, given its 29-percent repair rate. Your best bet is GE, though no models from that brand make our current recommended list. Samsung earned pretty solid marks for reliability, and we recommend several of its models, including the top-rated Samsung RS25H5121SR, $1,900. 

Top freezer. Shopping for a top freezer with an icemaker? GE and Whirlpool had the highest repair rates at 19 percent. Kenmore is the reliability leader in that category, with a repair rate of 13 percent. The $1,400 Kenmore 79433 and the $600 Kenmore 78892 make our recommended list, and both come with icemakers. 

     
Regardless of the refrigerator you choose, a few simple maintenance steps will help keep it running. First, make sure air can circulate freely around the unit by leaving a few inches between it and the wall. 

 Every few months, clean the unit's condenser coils (check the manual for their location) so that they can effectively disperse heat. And clean the refrigerator's door gaskets with mild detergent and water to ensure a good seal. For more choices, see our full refrigerator Ratings and recommendations.

Viking Is Recalling Certain Models Of Its Dishwasher Line



From time to time there is a recall of a major home appliance.



Viking Is Recalling Certain Models Of Its Dishwasher Line

The Consumer Product Safety Association says that Viking is recalling certain models of its dishwasher line

Model numbers and manufacture dates included on this recall are:


Model Numbers starting with:  Manufacture Date = first six digits of serial number: 
 DDB200, FDB200, VDB200,  DFB450 or VDB450  All date codes before 120110
 VDB325 or DDB325  All date codes before 040111


These models apparently have a defect that may cause a fire necessitating an appliance recall.

Consumers can contact Viking at 800-241-7239 for a free in-home repair.