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Tip of the Day: When ordering appliances, carefully check the specs
 Carpenters live by the adage, Measure twice. Cut once. The same advice can apply to ordering appliances and equipment for a kitchen remodel, says one New Jersey homeowner who recently undertook a top-to-bottom makeover of the 300-square-foot kitchen at her 1960s Cape Cod house.
Because Helaine W.’s new kitchen includes a bank of windows on the exterior wall, the plans called for an island vent hood—a wall-mounted hood with through-the-wall venting wouldn’t fit the design. What’s more, the hood had to be 24 inches deep or less so it wouldn’t overhang the counter.
To find the right-size hood, Helaine, her kitchen designer, and a salesperson from a local appliance store searched the Web sites of several major manufacturers and found the Franke FDF 367 1XS 36-inch-wide island hood. The Franke site indicated a depth of a little more than 19 inches, ideal for the application. An order was placed for the unit.
When the hood arrived four weeks later, the contractor notified Helaine that the Franke [...]
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These are The Top Eight Electrolux Design Lab 09 finalists, listed in no particular order. There are other very cool design ideas that didn’t make the cut, and will be posted separately.
 Le Petit Prince by Martin Miklica, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
The Prince is a robotic greenhouse designed for the upcoming exploration and population of Mars. It takes care of a plant it carries inside its glass case, which is mounted on top of its four-legged pod. In search of nutrients to care for the plant, the Prince is programmed to intuitively learn the optimal method for this process. It also shares everything with its fellow greenhouse robots via wireless communication so that they can learn from each other.
 Bifoliate by Toma Brundzaite, Vilnius Academy of Art, Lithuania
Bifoliate is a space-saving, wall-mounted double dishwasher that will allow you to put dirty dishes in one compartment and use the other as a shelf for clean dishes, No more bending and reaching for dishes. The dishwasher uses ultrasonic wave technology to clean making it more efficient and eco-friendly than today’s dishwashers.
 [...]
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Name of Product: Black & Decker® Thermal Coffeemakers
Units: About 9,800
Distributor: Applica Consumer Products Inc., of Miramar, Fla.
Hazard: The coffeemakers can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of a coffeemaker melting. No injuries reported.
Description: This recall involves Black & Decker 8-cup programmable thermal coffeemakers. Model number TCM1000IKT is printed on the rating plate on the bottom of the coffeemaker.
Sold at: Walmart and small retail stores nationwide from April 2008 through July 2009 for between and .
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the coffeemakers and contact Applica to receive a free replacement household product.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Applica at (866) 699-4595 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.acprecall.com
CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell them about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
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Samsung Electronics America will add induction technology to its cooking appliance line this fall.
Details are sketchy, but the company said the freestanding model will be produced entirely in-house.
“It’s gorgeous,” said James Politeski, sales and marketing VP for Samsung digital appliances. “The controls are intuitive, more accessible and very cool.”
Joining the induction unit will be Samsung’s first gas-fueled ranges. Two models are also set to ship this fall, along with a 0 speed oven that features microwave and electric heating.
In laundry, Samsung has added a step between its opening price point 9 front-load washer and its ,499 front-load steam washer. The new, Energy Star-rated WF419 (suggested retail ,199) also features steam cycles and Samsung’s vibration-reduction technology (VRT), plus 4.3 cubic feet of capacity and a diamond-patterned drum surface that’s gentler on fabrics.
Samsung also lowered its opening price point in front-load laundry to 9 in a Lowe’s-exclusive model that could join the open line next year depending on marketplace conditions. Senior marketing manager Jeffrey Armstrong said the company is hesitant to play in the promotional arena after establishing Samsung as a premium appliance brand — a strategy that has paid off with a 100 percent increase in [...]
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Green is the new black when it comes to the laundry room, yet many consumers do not realize they have a choice when it comes to high-efficiency (HE), eco-friendly laundry appliances. A recent survey commissioned by Whirlpool Corporation revealed that while nearly 60 percent understand what HE means in regards to laundry appliances, almost 40 percent believe that top-load washers use more energy than front-loading machines – a common misconception in today’s marketplace. Traditionally, consumers seeking high efficiency laundry turn to front-loading machines, yet according to previous Whirlpool research nearly three quarters of American households still own top-load washing machines. In fact, 44 percent of consumers in the most recent survey said they did not know if top-load washers use more energy than front-loaders and 38 percent believe that they do, indicating a need for clarity when it comes to communicating the benefits of HE machines to appliance shoppers. “Historically, front-load laundry pairs have led the industry in capacity and efficiency,” said Mary Zeitler, home economist, Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science, “but manufacturers like Whirlpool Corporation are working to offer superior energy and water savings in models to suit consumers’ needs and preferences. As more families look to save on [...]
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By the Numbers: Energy-efficiency investments would pay huge dividends, says McKinsey & Company report
.2 trillion
 Amount U.S. consumers and businesses could save by 2020 by boosting their energy efficiency, according to “Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy,” a new report from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. (The report covers nontransportation energy use.)
Under current conditions, the United States wastes more energy each year than Canada consumes. Our nearly 130 million homes, many of which lose energy to leaky ductwork, underinsulated attics, and inefficient appliances, account for roughly 35 percent of the potential energy-efficiency gains, says the report. (You can make your old windows less drafty by caulking gaps, as shown. And use a programmable thermostat to boost your household-energy savings.)
As the report details, an initial investment of 0 billion would be needed to reduce annual energy consumption by 23 percent by 2020, which translates into .2 trillion in savings and an end-use reduction of 9.1 quadrillion British thermal units.
Those savings are key, because worldwide energy use is projected to soar over [...]
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SiteSeeing: ApplianceRepair.com offers useful how-to troubleshooting tips for home appliances
 Stuck with a leaky, noisy, bouncy, smelly, or otherwise underperforming appliance? The folks at RepairClinic.com, who have helped us with “Can This [fill in the blank] Be Saved?” sidebars on refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, and other household gear, has a new site that provides even more sage appliance-repair advice for DIYers. (We haven’t tried out any of the repairs, so use your judgment to determine whether the you want to proceed with the recommended fixes.)
At the heart of ApplianceRepair.com are dozens of transcripts of the site’s Sunday-morning radio show with host John Sowden (shown). Each transcript is quite effectively divided into detailed descriptions and savvy solutions to problems like:
• Musty, noisy, or dancing washing machines.
• The balky top burner on a Kenmore range.
• Refrigerator lightbulbs that won’t stay lit.
• Enigmatic error codes for GE electric ranges.
• Cures for a shaky garbage disposer. See our [...]
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Name of Product: Crosley®, Frigidaire®, Kelvinator®, Kenmore®, Wascomat®, and White-Westinghouse® clothes washers
Units: About 35,000
Distributor: Frigidaire, of Cleveland, Ohio
Hazard: An internal defect in the washer’s drain pump can cause heat to build up, posing a fire hazard to the consumer.
Incidents/Injuries: No incidents or injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves the Crosley®, Frigidaire®, Kelvinator®, Kenmore®, Wascomat®, and White-Westinghouse® top load washers, 3.1 cubic foot front load washers and laundry centers.
Product Type Brand Model Serial Number Top Load Washer Crosley, Frigidaire, Kelvinator, White- Westinghouse CTW100FW GLWS1749FS SWS833HS FTW3011KW KWS1349DS SWX703HQ FTW3014KW MWS939AS SWX703HS FWS1233FS SWS1233HQ WWS833FS FWS933FS SWS1233HS WWTW3000KW GLWS1439FC SWS1339HS GLWS1439FS SWS1649HS XC90306228 to XC91606302 Front Load Washer Crosley, Frigidaire, Wascomat, White- Westinghouse CFW2000FW FTF530FS WE17N FCCW3000FS GLTF1570FS WTF330HS FTF1240FS WE17M XC90501765 to XC91607678 Laundry Center Crosley, Frigidaire, Kenmore, White -Westinghouse 97812 CLCE900FW GLET1142FS 97912 FEX831FS GLGH1642FS 97962 FGX831FS GLGT1031FS C97812 FLGB8200FS GLGT1142FS C97912 GCET1031FS MEX731CFS C97962 GLEH1642FS SWSG1031HS CLCE500FW GLET1031FS SWXG831HS XE85104013 to XE91603486
*Not all serial numbers within these ranges are affected.
Model and serial numbers can be located as follows:
Top load washer = open the product’s lid, and the model and serial number are located inside the product’s lid, [...]
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