Save Money with our Featured Washer and Dryer Set!

APPLIANCE DIRECT

THE DYNAMIC DUO $1,497.76

4.6 Cu. Ft. Cabrio Washer WTW8200YW	$798.88
7.6 Cu. Ft. Cabrio Dryer WED7600XW	$698.88
Grand Total	$1497.76

Why the Dynamic Duo?

Capacity: Biggest Cabrio’s Available:

These units are designed to handle heavy duty loads.

With 200 Pound Capacity!

Combines the Perks of Top Loading and Front Loading Sets:

It has Direct Drive, less moving parts, meaning less maintenance.

No Pedestals needed!

Same operational costs as a Front Loader,

But $1000 CHEAPER than a comparable front load set.

The Energy Efficiency alone pays for itself:

The washer saves $2000 on energy during its lifetime.

The dryer saves $1100 on energy during its lifetime.

AVAILABLE FOR SAME DAY DELIVERY

Lowe’s Price			Sears’ Price		Hhgregg’s Price
WTW8200YW	$809.10		WTW8200YW	$809.99	WTW8200YW	$809.99
WED7600XW	$899.10		WED7600XW	$899.99	WED7600XW	$899.99
Grand Total	$1708.20	Grand Total		$1709.98	Grand Total	$1709.98

Which Appliances Are Worth Upgrading To Save You Money?

Over the past several years, some appliances have made some giant leaps when it comes to energy saving. Here is a list of the appliances that are worth upgrading to be more energy efficient.

Air Conditioner

Central and Room Air Conditioners are well known to suck energy in the summer. A Room Air Conditioner’s efficiency is rated by an energy efficiency ratio (EER). Where the higher the number, the more efficient it is. Most modern retail air conditioners get a 10 EER rating. The older models from the 1990s rate closer to a 7. You can find your rating in your manual or a sticker on the side of the unit. If not, you can always search the manufacturer’s site to find it.

The average life of a Central Air Conditioner in Central Florida is 9 years. A Central Air Conditioner’s efficiency is rated by a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The higher the number, the more efficient it is. If you have an older Central Air Conditioner (which has lower SEER – about 11.5), on average, you will be saving about 48% on your cooling bill by upgrading to a higher SEER.

Tip: Look for rebates with your power company and also for a lifetime warranty on your compressor.

Maintenance vs. Upgrade:

Upgrading will save you more money.

…Especially if you need a service call. If you have an older unit, maintenance can help, but you’re energy usage numbers won’t drop drastically. It helps to replace filters, clean coils, and manage the ducts on a regular basis though. If your unit is over 20 years old, it’s very much worth the upgrade.

Dishwasher

Modern Energy Star dishwashers use an average of 5.8 gallons of water per cycle, older dishwashers can use up to 10 gallons per cycle. That is a significant difference. The newer dishwashers also come a bit quieter and have greater cleaning abilities. The good news about that is that since it’s quiet, you can now take advantage of saving energy by running your dishwasher at night (depending on where you’re living you need to check your utility bill).

Maintenance vs. Upgrade:

Maintenance can save you money only if your dishwasher is a few years old. Check our previous posts about dishwasher maintenance to improve efficiency and save money.

Hot Water Heater

A water heater is another energy saving upgrade that has been made within the last few years. The water heater can amount to about 15 – 25 percent of the appliance energy consumed in the house. The newer models of water heaters are much more energy efficient than older models.

Maintenance vs. Upgrade:

Maintenance will help you save more money because the cost of upgrading a water heater can range from $300 - $1,200. You can increase efficiency on an old water heater by insulating the outside of the tank, or if you have a gas water heater, you can drain a gallon from the valve on the bottom once a month to remove the sediment that settles at the bottom.

Refrigerator

As everyone knows, this one is my favorite. Refrigerators have undergone huge energy efficient upgrades since 2000. The standard refrigerator now uses about 40 – 60 percent less energy than the models sold prior 2000. A top mount refrigerator (freezer on top) is more energy efficient that the side by side refrigerator.

Maintenance vs. Upgrade:

Upgrade.

The best thing you can do for your refrigerator to save money without upgrading to a newer, efficient model, is to keep your refrigerator running between 37 and 40 degrees.

Tip: You need to keep all foods and liquids covered to keep from releasing moisture, which will cause the compressor to kick on more often. For more tips check out our refrigerator basics post.

Washing Machine

If you have an older washer, it’s most likely a top-load (the water fills up from the bottom). The newer models are front load washers and will use 50% less water and uses 37% less energy.

Maintenance vs. Upgrade:

If your washer is either over 10 years old or is a top-load washer, you could see significant savings in both water and electricity by upgrading to a front load washer.

Tip: A good rule of thumb on whether to repair an appliance or buying a new one is if the repair cost is 50 percent or more than the cost of buying a new one, it’s worth the upgrade.

Last Tip: One appliance that hasn’t seen much improvement in energy savings is the dryer. Regular maintenance is best for a dryer. Obviously, some models are much more efficient than others, but if your dryer is working fine, it isn’t the first upgrade you should make for energy efficiency if you’re trying to save money.

How to Load a Dishwasher

It’s easy to throw all the dishes into the dishwasher and turn it on…but with a little more strategy, you can run your dishwasher for the ultimate amount of efficiency and cleanliness. Why not get the most out of your appliances?

Yesterday’s post was about maintaining your dishwasher monthly. This is not only important to help your machine last longer, but keeping your dishwasher clean will also add efficiency.

How do you pick your dish detergent? 

It’s difficult to talk about which particular dish detergent you should choose because there are so many out there. The main tip for dish detergent is to read the directions. Many people don’t realize what a difference that makes, most people add entirely too much. This can lead to detergent residue on dishes, spots on glasses, and quickens detergent build-up on your dishwasher. Reading the directions will save you money, as stated in this New York Time’s article.

A tip for spotted glass problems: 

If you notice an abundance of spotted glasses, or perhaps a series of spots running down one side of your glass, you can fill your rinse agent reservoir with Jet Dry. If you don’t have Jet Dry, you can use some vinegar. This isn’t necessary for every single load of dishes, but if you have a particularly full rack of glasses, this will help.

How to Load it up: 

First things first, appliances are the most efficient when they are full. Contrary to popular belief, less in the dishwasher doesn’t mean cleaner. In order to make it worth the amount of energy and water, you should only run the dishwasher when full. 

Please note that when we say full, we don’t mean everything is in direct contact with each other. Water needs to be able to circulate thorough the dishes to clean.

Load the bottom Rack First: 

Start with the taller items you have and place them on the sides and the back of the dishwasher, this way the bulky items won’t block the flow of hot water to other smaller items. Place the smaller items, such as bowls, towards the center of the rack.

Load the Top Rack Second: 

Glasses and mugs go on top; the racks are made to fit glassware up top. It’s best not to try to fit in as many glasses as possible to the point where they are all touching each other because water may not be able to get between them and they may even break. The heating element is normally on the bottom so you’ll want to keep your plastic containers on the top rack (away from the heat).

Look at the loaded dishwasher for a second. In an ideal world, the pots and pans (that are dishwasher safe) will be on the bottom with the baking sheets on the outside. The dinner plates and smaller bowls will be more towards the center. Keep the dirtiest dishes towards the center; this will help get them cleaner.

For utensils:

Place them with the handle side down. When placing knives in the dishwasher, they will get cleaner with the handle side down, but be careful, since the sharp side will be up. Good knives shouldn’t be put into the dishwasher, they should be hand washed. Don’t place something so large in there that you can’t close the bottom rack without shoving and make sure it doesn’t block the spray arm. If need be, you can always place the large utensil on the top rack and lay it down.

Picking the Right Cycle:

Obviously you won’t be picking “Heavy Wash” for your stemware, but it’s good to familiarize yourself with the available options on your appliance. 

A tip is when you are doing your dishes overnight (which depending on your area, can save you some money) use the air dry setting (if you’ve got it). This setting will save you energy, and since it’s running at night, you won’t be in a hurry to get the dishes out. 

By picking the right setting for the job, you can save yourself the trouble of having to hand-wash something again after it has gone through the dishwasher. You don’t want to have to wash a giant pot again, and you also don’t want to waste water and energy over-cleaning your plate with only a couple of cookie crumbs.

Normally, dishwashers are neglected until they suddenly… stop washing dishes. If you would like to prolong the life of your dishwasher, here are a few easy tips for keeping your dishwasher in great shape with just a little maintenance.

1. Start by keeping your hot water heater set to the temperature that is recommended by your dishwasher’s manufacturer. You can find this setting in the dishwasher’s manual. Don’t worry if you can’t find the manual, in this day and age.. you can find anything on the internet. Just go to a search engine like Google and type in the model number of your appliance, the manufacturers usually post their manuals online.

2. Cleanse your dishwasher monthly. Affresh® Dishwasher Cleaner is an easy product you can use to help reduce mineral build up and to ensure optimal performance. They are available at any Appliance Direct Location.

3. Check the dishwasher racks. If you see that the paint is wearing off, consider investing in a dishwasher repair kit, this will help to prevent scratches.

4. Vinegar is a must have household ingredient. Most everyone has some in their pantry. Every month, soak the spray arm with diluted vinegar to clean off scum build-up.

5. Don’t forget about checking the food trap. 

Show your dishwasher some love just once a month, and it'll give you clean dishes for longer.

Thaw Frozen Foods in the Washer!
If you don't want to use your sink for thawing your frozen foods, whether it uses too much water or if you need the sink for other prep work, or maybe it's full of dirty dishes.. whatever the reason, you can opt to defrost your frozen foods in the washer. 


Cold water thawing tip from The Cook's Thesaurus: The more water you use and the more water circulates, the faster your food will thaw. If you put frozen food in the washing machine, fill it with cold water, and use the delicate setting to agitate the water as the food thaws. 


Don't let the washer go into the spin cycle. Most washer models allow you to disable this cycle by keeping the lid open.

For more information about thawing frozen foods: Defrosting = Thawing