Autumn leaves may be red and yellow, but a greener America is still the goal in sight.
Appliance manufacturers continue to design Energy Star qualified appliances with enhanced energy-saving features and time-saving amenities.
Rick Kvangnes, general manager of Judd and Black, encourages customers to explore the many purchasing options by browsing in a showroom, examining Web site information and, most important, discussing needs and wish-list items with a qualified appliance specialist.
Many new products highlight streamlined efficiency. Ranges are part of that group. A range with built-in convection, for instance, provides a consistent temperature that roasts food up to 30 percent faster than a standard oven. Additional versatility is available with a double-oven freestanding range. You can bake bread at 425 degrees in the upper oven and cook a roast at 325 degrees in the lower convection oven.
Preparation time and energy costs are both downsized — a plus for any busy family.
Energy and consumer efficiency are also highlighted in this year’s lineup of refrigerators. Years ago, refrigerators were somewhat notorious for high energy usage. That story has definitely changed. The Maytag® Corporation cites, “Replacing a refrigerator manufactured before 1993 with a new Energy Star qualified model saves enough energy to light the average household for more than 4 ½ months.” In fact, a refrigerator is now available that uses less energy than a 60-watt light bulb. The Whirlpool Resource Saver is a side-by-side refrigerator that automatically cools existing food twice as fast as a conventional side-by-side model, so food is preserved for a longer period of time. The model also includes a PUR filtered water and ice system in the door.
In the laundry department, the goal is to keep things clean and green. Because Energy Star washers use less energy, air pollution and greenhouse gases are reduced. Energy Star washers also minimize water consumption, thus protecting lakes, streams and oceans. According to Maytag® Corporation: If every household in the U.S. used a Maytag® Performance Series washer, enough water would be saved annually to cover 7,047,107 acres.” Basically, that would be enough water to cover both Yellowstone and Glacier national parks with two feet of water.
A unique customer solution offered by Maytag is a new washing machine feature called Fresh Hold, which uses Dynamic Venting Technology. Kvangnes explained that all washers have somewhat of a problem with odors if wet loads are left in the drum for more than 10 – 12 hours. “With the new technology, a fan in the rear of the washer intermittently pulls in and circulates fresh air,” he said. Available in the new Maytag Performance Series, the Fresh Hold option solves this problem and makes doing laundry less stressful, with no more need to rewash the neglected load to remove the odor. In addition, the venting technology allows clothes to start drying in the washer to cut drying time and save energy.
Whirlpool has developed the largest high-efficiency washer on the market. And surprise: It’s a top-loading model. The Cabrio high-efficiency top-load washer offers the same energy-saving and water-saving features as a front-loading machine. It offers a 5.0 cubic-feet capacity and can save customers up to 28 gallons of water with every load washed.
Kvangnes pointed out that now is an ideal time to purchase an Energy Star washing machine. “The selling prices of virtually all brands of energy-efficient washing machines have gone down 10 percent to 20 percent from a year ago,” he said.
The dishwasher is another appliance that continues to gain points in efficiency. “You can buy a new Energy Star dishwasher that actually cleans 25 percent better than previous dishwashers, but uses a fraction of the water,” Kvangnes said, referring to KitchenAid’s lineup of dishwashers. Models with the EQ wash system produces less noise, use approximately four to six gallons of water on a normal cycle, and don’t require dishes to be pre-rinsed.
Additional Energy Star features, along with rebate information, are listed at www.energystar.gov.
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