The Story of The Appliance Direct Cat

I have received a fair amount of emails asking about my home life and if I have pets. We have one cat, named Sammy. Before you think I have some sort of complex or narcissistic problem, let me state that when Sammy was picked up from the Animal Shelter, he was already named. 

My daughter and her then boyfriend picked him up from the shelter while she was in college. My daughter will go into the Animal Shelter, and instead of coming out with a healthy baby animal, she will bring the sickest one she can find. She set her sights on Sammy and brought him home. This was about 5 years ago, when she picked him from the shelter, they told her that he was previously adopted but the owners brought him back because he was sick. Sammy is severely allergic to fleas, and he was infested with fleas at the time. He was so allergic he began to scratch himself raw and was covered in scabs, "scabby cat disease" they called it when she took him to the vet. He was losing a lot of hair where his scabs were. He was also drinking an absurd amount of water, so she had him tested for diabetes. Luckily, he was not diabetic. He was put on a diet and he began to lose weight. He was given pills and steroids and soon his scabs started to heal and his hair started growing back. Soon after, we found he had a tape worm and had him treated for that. 

Sammy was a gift from my daughter's boyfriend at the time, and when they broke up, since he was so attached to him she let him keep Sammy. Sammy didn't get along too well with my daughter's cat too, so to ease the stress, he kept Sammy. When and how did I get this cat? Let me tell you.

My daughter received an email from her ex-boyfriend asking her if she wanted Sammy. My daughter said no because she was in the middle of moving and she had no place to keep Sammy. And this is where I come in? No not quite yet. The reason he was trying to get rid of Sammy, he said was because he was jealous of his daughter. Yes, that's right, after my daughter broke up with him, he had a girl pregnant within 2 years. My daughter is now with a much better guy. Her ex said Sammy was peeing on the baby's things and scratching up all the wood furniture he can find. My daughter told him she was unable to take him and he assured her he would find a good home for him.

So to her surprise, the very next day she receives a call from the Animal Shelter asking her if she lost her cat. (She had Sammy Microchip-ed and under her name). She explained to them about how her ex has her cat and the email conversation that took place between them the other day. The Animal Shelter explained that a couple had found Sammy wandering around their apartment complex and drove him to the Animal Shelter. My daughter told them her ex's name and phone number so they could contact him about Sammy. About 5 minutes later, they call her back and said that the person she spoke with on the phone was the person that brought Sammy to the shelter saying he was a stray. The Animal Shelter was furious with the "lying couple" and asked her to pick Sammy up. 

After work, my daughter went to pick Sammy up. And was shocked when she saw him. She hasn't seen Sammy in a few years, but when they asked her to identify Sammy, he was huge. All that effort that she put forward before with Sammy had clearly been wasted. He was even heavier than before, he had even less hair than before, he was covered in fleas, and he was terrified. As soon as she signed the papers for him she took him to a vet and started over. 

Sammy is now losing weight, he's lost 3.4 pounds, his fleas are gone, his hair is growing back, and he's not scratching up furniture. He hasn't damaged a thing since she brought him. With her work schedule, we decided it would be easier for us to keep Sammy and for her to keep her cat. Also, Sammy is incredibly attached to my wife. He follows her everywhere, sleeps next to her, and growls when people are at the door.

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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.

Need more time? Change your vocabulary!

Sometimes I get the question, “How do you have enough time to do everything?” My answer is simple. I don’t.

I don’t do everything, I prioritize. Instead of saying “I don’t have time…” I look at it from a different point of view. You don’t have to say it out loud; it can be in your head. Every time you think, “I’d love to start playing tennis again, but I don’t have time” or “I want to read more, but I don’t have time” just start saying “It isn’t a priority”. I’m not exercising because it isn’t a priority…etc.

This helps put everything into perspective, instead of thinking that you can do everything, it’s important to come to terms with the fact that you can’t do everything. Once you realize that you can’t, you’ll suddenly start viewing your time more valuably. From there you can take a good look at what you do. You may be surprised, you can come up with a list of priorities and compare them to what it is you do everyday, there may be some differences. Take a look at what you do, because those are your priorities, whether you say they are or not, and go from there.

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.

Accidental Complaint
This morning, we had an incident that left us scrambling for a moment. We received a phone call from a customer, who shall remain anonymous. This customer was furious, they had purchased an appliance, a brand new appliance, and upon delivery they saw a huge dent. Our sales staff looked up the order number for this customer, who shall not be named, and came up with nothing. But luckily, they heard a delivery man in the background of the phone call. Our sales person asked to speak with the person who had delivered the product and we were baffled when they sounded unfamiliar. When our sales person asked for their name, they introduced themselves and stated they worked for an appliance company... that was not ours! There's nothing scarier than not finding any information in order to help a customer. Unfortunately we could not help this frustrated consumer because they did not buy their product from us.