Buying New Appliances

Michael Holigan: When most people consider buying new appliances, they're concerned with style and color. I'm going to trust your judgment on that. I'm going to talk to you about a couple of other things that you ought to be watching for. First, open up an appliance and look at the energy guide. They all come with them now and that's a range. This one from $39 to $89 a year to run. This exact model should cost $58. Make sure that fits your budget. Also, once the appliance is installed in your home, make sure all of the stops are pulled out. It's amazing how many warranty calls come in and they think their dishwasher doesn't work. Well it's just all the stops haven't been removed. Reach in there and extend the spray arm. Make sure everything's freed up and ready to go.

Another mistake that a lot of people make is throwing out the manuals first thing. Do not throw it out. Do not stick it in a drawer where you'll never see it again. Go ahead and read through it one time. I know you probably know how to operate all of the appliances, but there are some changes that are being made in new ones today. So, take a look. Make sure you fill out your registration card. It should already have model numbers and serial numbers on it, but you need to go ahead and get that in so your warranty starts to take effect.

Another good idea is to go ahead and take all of your manuals and punch holes in 'em with a 3-ring punch and put 'em in a binder and keep them so in case you ever have an emergency or you need to know what your warranty is, that you've got the warranty information on the back telling you what is covered and what you have to pay for. Also, remember to write down the names and numbers of everyone who installed your appliances. That includes the plumber on the dishwasher and any gas units and the electrician. That way if there's ever a problem, they're easy to get a hold of. Put it in your notebook with the warranties. That way you won't lose it.

Now we're going to take a look at a few different types of stove and oven combinations, but before we do, let me show you how easy the new units are to clean. The coils can come right out on electric units, then it lifts up, so it's no problem, no mess, much easier to get to grease than it used to be. Now this is a built-in cook top and oven combination. They're not one unit. They don't slide out. We're going to see that a little bit later. They're nice just because of looks, it is an upgrade. It's probably about the medium price range for a stove and oven combination. Now on this, there's no vents in the back. The way it vents is up through the microwave. There's a vent on each side instead of the old vented hoods that you used to see. It looks good together and it's a nice way to do it. Now there's some other built-in cook tops that have a down draft. You have to plan ahead for those. Let's go take a look.

This cook top looks very similar to the one we just saw, but the difference is it's a down draft cook top. As you can see, there's no ventilation above it and if we added something it might close in this open feeling. We don't want to do that. Right here is the venting system itself. And all the smoke and steam will be pulled down. Then it goes down through the vent that was installed before the foundation was poured. We're on a slab foundation here, so the vent had to be put in first. If we were over a basement we could go ahead and run the vent afterwards through the trusses and out. It also has easy to clean elements like the one we saw before. Flat ceramic top, plus it can be replaced very easily. Over here, we have more of a typical style grill. And again, they're very easy to change out. They just come across and you can add anything, even a griddle to do pancakes or whatever. It is probably the most expensive of the three systems we're talking about. The third type of stove and oven is the combination sliding unit that people have been using for years and years. It's what most people are familiar with. The one important thing to remember on this type unit is not to let it tilt over. If a child ever puts weight on the door or if you ever drop something heavy on the door, the stove could actually tip up and you'd get burned by pots and pans that are on top. Reach gently back and grab the top of the unit and pull it forward. If it tilts forward, your bracket has not been installed. You need to go ahead and do that. It comes with the unit and it just screws into the wall.

Now remember, if you have a gas stove and oven combination, to be very careful when you try to tilt it forward or when you pull it out. You don't want to break the gas line or remove it where you have a gas leak inside your house. With that in mind, then style and color is all that's left to choose.

Episode 020 1995 - 96 Season

| Wallpapering | Garage Door Problems | Buying New Appliances | Sweat Soldering | Closet Redo | Verifying Cash to Close | LIST |

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