Dishwasher

Many homeowners dread the arrival of their energy bills. The cost of energy seems to continually increase and it can be daunting to anticipate whether your bill will be higher or lower this month. While you may be aware that heating and cooling accounts for a large proportion of energy bills, you may not know which of your major appliances are contributing to those hefty bills. Here we’ll explore the four appliances that use the most energy and the ways you can boost their efficiency to lower your utility bills. The Dishwasher: According to Connect4Climate data, dishwasher’s only require approximately $49 of energy per year. While your dishwasher may not be using a lot of energy throughout the year, it can use lots of water. There are a few ways to decrease your dishwasher water usage. The best way is to only run a cycle when the dishwasher is full. While some models have a half load program, it is more efficient to only run the dishwasher with a full load. This will also save on electricity and detergent costs. If you switch to an Energy Star model, you can save gallons of water and energy each year. So, spending a little more initially on your new appliance can be well worth it in the long run. Your Electric Oven or Range: If you used your oven every day set at a 350ºf temperature, you would spend $90 a year on energy costs. So, if you use your oven more

Whenever a new energy bill arrives, it’s a daunting moment, and many of us wonder if it will be higher or lower than last month. Although the prices of energy have increased in recent years, there are other factors that we have at least some control over. In this article, we will look at the top four energy using appliances and some ways to make them more energy efficient to save money. The Washer and Dryer We all need to clean our dirty clothes, and this makes a washer and dryer a necessary expense. It’s estimated that the average home energy cost for home laundry is $143 annually. Doing your laundry at home costs less when you consider traveling times to and from the laundromat. But, it is possible to reduce that annual laundry energy bill if you wash your clothes in a smarter way. The primary reason for energy use when washing clothes is the heating of the water. So, if you can switch to using cold water whenever possible, this will have a significant effect on your energy use. If you have an older washer or dryer, it’s tempting to hang onto them to save money, but this may be a false economy. The modern washers and dryers are far more energy efficient compared to older units, and this will save you money in lower energy bills over the lifespan of the machines. The Refrigerator The refrigerator is the second highest energy consuming appliance, and this is too

We rely on our appliances each and every day. From the trusty dishwasher that prevents you needing to spend hours at the kitchen sink, to your fridge and freezer that allows you to visit the grocery store once a week and enjoy your favorite treats anytime, our appliances are designed to make our lives easier. Unfortunately, many people neglect their appliances with the assumption that they will simply keep running. In fact, you can extend the lifespan of your appliances and potentially save yourself some costly repair bills by following this essential appliance maintenance checklist. Check Hoses for Damage Any water using appliance including your dishwasher and washing machine will be hooked up to your plumbing system with hoses. These hoses not only supply clean water for the wash cycle, but carry away dirty water safely from your kitchen or laundry room. Unfortunately, these hoses can be vulnerable to cracking over time, particularly if your appliance moves during a wash cycle or you move it to clean around and under it. So, it is a good idea to periodically check your hoses to see if they have become brittle, look like they are about to crack or have already become damaged. If you do see any signs of damage, you’ll need to replace the hoses, but this is a simple task; you can buy replacement hoses online or from your local hardware store. Be on the lookout for musty smells under your kitchen sink or around your laundry room, as

BSH Home Appliances has expanded its recall of dishwashers due to fire hazard. This recall expansion is the result of faulty power cords in a number of Gaggenau, Jenn-Air, Thermador and Bosch dishwashers. These defective power cords create incredibly hazardous conditions, as they are prone to overheating and creating fires. No injuries due to this power cord defect have been reported, though BHS Home Appliances has reported five instances of power cords overheating, causing property damage and fires. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the latest recall covers approximately 408,000 units, in addition to approximately 149,000 units that were recalled back in October 2015. Home improvement stores, authorized builder distributers, department stores and appliance/specialty retailers sold the recalled dishwashers nationwide and online from January 2013 through May 2015. A comprehensive list of model and serial numbers for affected units can be found on the CPSC’s official website. These numbers are printed inside your dishwasher, either on the side or top of the inner door panel depending on the unit. If you have a recalled dishwasher in your home, you should immediately stop using the unit and contact either BSH Home Appliances for a free inspection and repair or Universal Appliance Repair. You can reach the BSH Home Appliance toll-free at 888-965-5813 from 8am to 8pm ET Monday through Sunday, or contact the company online through the brand websites listed below: Thermador: Visit thermador.com and click on “Customer Care,” then “Safety Notices” Gaggenau: Visit gaggenau.com/us and click on “Support,”

 Today’s kitchens are modern and advanced spaces that help you craft creative, home-cooked dishes with ease. But after every culinary execution it’s time for the less fun task of clean up. This is where the modern dishwasher does its job. The contemporary home requires an effective dishwasher to keep plates, glasses, utensils, and more, ready for repeated use. There is no shortage of premium dishwashers available today, and discovering the right choice for your home can be a challenge. With that in mind, the experts at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center have crafted this helpful dishwasher-buying guide to ensure you have the information you need before investing in a new dishwasher. Types Of Dishwashers Before beginning your dishwasher search, it’s important to understand the different types of dishwashers. There are a host of dishwasher designs available for the modern home, and naturally you’ll want to find the proper design for you home. For an integrated feel that exudes modern style, consider a built-in dishwasher. Built-in dishwashers are installed flush to your kitchen cabinetry, offering a seamless and space-saving feel that often boasts a combination of traditional and advanced wash functions. Built-in dishwashers are a traditional design, but today’s offerings feature exceptionally stylish exteriors for truly elevated designs.Dishwasher drawers offer the same functionality you’d find in a traditional built-in dishwasher with a

Getting Your Appliance FixedHow do you know when to call?Here's when you don't need appliance service: Your refrigerator water filter needs replacement. You should be able to do this yourself. If for some reason you can't, a handyman can do this for you. Your washing machine has an inlet hose that is leaking. Replace the leaking hose (I'd replace both hoses). No need for a service call. The dishwasher is not getting your dishes clean. There could be many reasons for this other than a malfunctioning dishwasher. Maybe the incoming water is not hot enough. Hard water can be a problem. There's not enough or too much detergent. You might need to use a rinse agent, or additive.Here's when you do need to call for service: Your refrigerator is not cooling. You've plugged and unplugged, and tested the electric outlet so that you know your fridge is getting power. Nevertheless, your food is spoiling. Call for service. Your washing machine suddenly made a loud grating sound, and ground to a halt. Now you can't get it to do anything. You need a qualified service agent. The dishwasher will start, fills with water, etc. but it just doesn't do anything. No noise, no water movement, no nothing. Your neighbor says, it's probaly the pump and/or motor.You get the idea. Some simple things like changing filters are not reasons to call for service. When appliances have critical failures, that can't be fixed by turning the power back on, etc. it's time to

Three tips for cleaner dishesTry these tips for cleaner dishes, or get a new dishwasher at UAKC Here are three suggestions to make sure you're getting the most out of your dishwasher:1. Don't pre-clean your dishes.Some people want to give their dishwasher a little help by pre-washing their dishes. While you certainly don't want to put your leftover for baked on food in your dishwasher, it is not a good idea to rinse off your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergents contain chemicals that keep food particles removed from the dishes in suspension so that they don't get redeposited on your dishes. If you put only clean dishes in the dishwasher, the detergent will find no dirt particles and wind up as a film on your already clean dishes.2. Hot water gets dishes clean.Typically, dishwashers will heat incoming water to 150 degrees or more depending on the cycle selected. However, the incoming water needs to be 120 degrees for this to happen. Even if your water heater provides water at 120 degrees, if your dishwasher is located too far from the water heater, the hot water may not be hot enough by the time it gets to the dishwasher. My water heater is at one corner of my house, and my dishwasher is clear over at the other corner, as far as it can be from the water heater. We need to run the hot water at the sink near the dishwasher for a few minutes before we

Quiet Dishwashers at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterHow much will a good quiet dishwasher cost?Well, you knew this was coming. It depends! There are a lot of variables, depending on what is important to you. The average retail price for a dishwasher in the U.S. is around $500. However, to get the dishwashers with the best cleaning features, longest warranties, and the quietest ratings, you'll need to pay a premium. For example, the very quietest dishwashers available are 40 db or even less, and you can expect to pay near $1,000 and even more for a dishwasher in this category.All dishwashers are not created equal. It is true that better dishwashers cost more money, but there are also diminishing returns for most of us. At some point, the difference of the next $100 spent on added dependability, quietness, and cleaner dishes is not discernible. So, what we've done here is to leave off the entry level products that are advertised by the big box stores. Here are a few great dishwasher brands that have received terrific ratings from several sources and authorities. They'll not only get your dishes clean, they're built to last, and they're the quietest dishwashers in the industry.BOSCHBosch has made a lot of noise over the years, by touting how little noise their dishwasher makes. It's probably fair to say that they invented quiet as an important feature in dishwashers. They're part of BSH, and one of the largest appliance manufacturers in the world. Though they manufacture

3 Gift Ideas for MomYes you can give her an appliance for Mother's DayLet's get that old myth out of the way. IT IS OK TO GIVE AN APPLIANCE FOR MOTHER'S DAY! I was once told that a new dishwasher was just not romantic, and therefore inappropriate for Mother's Day. Nonsense.If you have an old broken down appliance, that she's been complaining about forever, there's no better time to replace it than now...Mother's Day. She'll be delighted. You might want to include a bouquet of roses or a box of chocolates, but the new appliance will be what makes the day really special.Here are three thoughts about what appliance you might want to consider: Buy something that is needed. If the old dryer shakes and rattles and is on its last legs (or leg), then it makes sense to replace it. Why buy something different, when that's what she really needs and wants? Buy something really special. If your thinking a new dishwasher would be great, but you really want to make an impression, and you're in a position to splurge consider one of the luxury European brands such as an Asko or Miele. Buy something unexpected. Does she like coffee? A new built-in coffee maker would be just the thing. Or, one of my personal favorites: a countertop convection oven from Wolf. What a great Mother's Day gift! Where could you go to find all of these neat gifts? Well, Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, of course. Call or

Preferences, Necessities, and BudgetThere is lots of online advice on choosing new kitchen appliances. But honestly, this can be a difficult process. Some will say, "Start with your budget." Makes sense, doesn"t it? But if you haven't purchased appliances in years, and don't know for sure what you're going to need or what things cost, it's like trying to hit a bullseye wearing a blindfold!On the other hand, just going out blindly looking for appliances seems rather foolish also. You don't know what you don't know, so where do you start? Here is how you might proceed. What is your current status? Building new, remodeling, or just a straightforward appliance update. Make a tentative timeline from now to completion. Eventually, you're going to need a hard schedule. Get started now. Think of the end state. How do you picture your new kitchen in your mind? It's totally OK to to dream a bit. Close your eyes and think of what you hope your new kitchen will look like. Check your favorite home magazines, and clip photos of what you like! My favorite online site for new kitchen ideas is Houzz. Think about a budget. Whether it's $10,000 for a built-in refrigerator, or for all your kitchen appliances, you're going to need to start with a number. Here are the basic product categories you're likely to consider. The categories are necessities. Make sure you get the features that are important to you, eg. refer icemaker and dispenser, self-cleaning oven, quiet dishwasher