Tag Archives: Electricity

General

How Tech Is Making Homes More Energy Efficient

The United States uses the most energy in the world, responsible for 20% of global consumption. China takes second place, coming in at 15%. The more energy used, the more carbon emissions there are, which is bad news for the planet. Electrical devices, appliances and gadgets are part of life and all require power, as well as the need to heat and cool homes. Tech is finding new, innovative ways to help people live their lives in an energy efficient way without having to make sacrifices. 

Energy-efficient dishwashers 

Ditching washing up at the sink and opting for a dishwasher has many benefits, but you may be surprised to know that it can save you water and energy. Washing by hand can use up to 27 gallons of water per day, whereas an energy efficient dishwasher can use as little as 3 gallons. Using less water means less energy is used to heat the water too. Even dishwashers that have a long run cycle will use very little energy and water, yet get your dishes clean and dry every time. Technology is making dishwashers smarter so that they can detect how dirty dishes are and jets are more powerful, meaning less energy is needed to operate them.

Smart windows

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have teamed up with Pella Windows to create a highly insulated window that uses sensors and microprocessors to adjust how much light, and therefore warmth, is let into a home. It bases this on the amount of sunlight and time of day to give highly efficient lighting and temperatures. Another company, View, have worked on similar technology and claim that savings on lighting, electricity, heating, ventilation and air conditioning can add up to 23% at peak times. 

Magnetized fridges

Currently, refrigerators in the US use approximately 60% less energy than they did 20 years ago, which is down to technology helping to making them more energy efficient. Oak Ridge National Laboratory and General Electric have teamed up to take the energy efficiency of fridges one step further. Their aim is to make a domestic fridge that uses 25% less energy than current modern fridges by using a technology known as magnetocaloric effect, or MCE, instead of conventional vapor compression. Basically, temperature is controlled by a changing magnetic field, which means the use of harmful refrigerants is eliminated.

Technology has been responsible for an increased consumption of energy, but it’s also being used more to look at ways of making appliances and devices work in an energy efficient way. Tech can also take everyday objects and make them smart to help reduce the need for electrical devices to be turned on, such as air conditioning, which further helps to reduce energy consumption.

General

How To Troubleshoot Basic Appliances In Your Home

 

With so many appliances in our homes from your stove to the dishwasher, it’s difficult to figure out what to do when these necessities suddenly malfunction especially if you are living alone. Got a fridge that suddenly stopped working? Don’t buy a new one just yet. Read on and maybe you’ll save yourself from the extra cost with these DIY repairs!

Problem: Fridge not cooling

According to Liz Welch of Real Simple, A refrigerator not cooling can be caused by “The condenser coils found behind the kick plate at the front or the back of the unit, they can easily become caked with dust. A quick fix would be to unplug the refrigerator, loosen dirt with a soft-bristle brush, then vacuum. Another cause could be the gaskets (the rubber strips that seal the doors shut). To install a gasket, take out the old one and screw the new one in, making sure the door is properly aligned. “

 Problem: Leaking dishwasher

Are you faced with a puddle of water after using the dishwasher? A common cause is using too much soap. A recommended amount should be stated in the manual since the amount of detergent varies with each machine. Use less detergent to eliminate the production of too much suds that cause the dishwasher to overflow. Another cause could also be a broken door latch. In this case, you should have a repairman fix this. You might need to pay for labor and extra parts but this sure beats buying a whole new unit altogether.

 Problem: Noisy washing machine

There’s nothing more annoying than a very noisy washing machine. Washing your clothes shouldn’t be this rattling!

A possible cause could be that the washing machine is off balance or the floor where the washing machine is placed cannot support its weight. A quick solution to this is to put a thick piece of plywood at the bottom of your washing machine in order to level the unit. Alternatively, you may also lessen the load or avoid overloading your unit with more clothes than it can handle to eliminate the noise your washing machine makes.

 Bonus tips: 

  • Before attempting any repairs or deciding to buy a new unit, check your warranty if it’s still covered. Doing your own repairs will void the item’s warranty
  • Always refer to the owner’s manual or even try calling their hotline if in case you are unsure of the repair you are about to do
  • If your appliance needs to be replaced, make sure to dispose of the damaged one responsibly. Don’t just leave it anywhere as its wiring may cause home fires. Call your city hall and ask if they do disposal of large items or send it to the junk shop
  • Important: Before doing any DIY repairs, make sure you know what you are doing. If you are not confident in the repair, it’s best to ask a pro to do it for you or you might just cause further damage to the unit, even worse- hurt yourself.

 

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Joel EksteinAuthor’s Bio: Joel Ekstein is an eCommerce retail expert with over 12 years experience in the industry. He has had experience in buyer and inventory forecasting, marketing, and expanding customer base in new markets. Instead of the notion that offering 100% customer satisfaction hurts 20% of profit, Joel has proved that 100% customer satisfaction increases customer engagement and customer base which leads to 25% profit increase. http://protect-o.com/| twitter.com/Protect_O

 

General, Video

How To Choose Your Next TV

 

With so many options out there, and technology that changes so fast, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all of the choices.  In this article, We’ll give you advice for deciding on the best TV for you to purchase.

There are three things to look out for when deciding on your next TV set, and those are:

  • 3D
  • size
  • internet connectivity.

In addition to that, with so many 1080p and 4K TVs, and now UHD TVs, choosing  the right size TV is more difficult than ever before.  You also need to consider the size and weight of the TV very closely. However, no matter what television set you have, you can enhance it with Direct TV for your home to get the most out of your viewing experience. Conversely, you must select a package keeping in mind the kind of television set you have. For example, there is no point in paying for 4K content if you do not have a television that can display such such quality.

With older big screen TVs, the clarity was lost the closer you got to them.  Now, technology has advanced so that high-definition big-screen TVs look just as good or better close up.  Screen sizes are getting bigger and bigger.  Now you can get good deals on TVs as large as 90 inches with HD, and 110 inches with UHD.  Consider one of these if you have an extremely large living space to take full advantage of what they have to offer.  You’ll also need a pretty large bank account though.

 

How Do You Measure Up? 

Break out the tape measure before you head to the electronics store.  You need to know just how big a TV your living space can accommodate before you make a choice.  Keep in mind that televisions are measured diagonally, so even a couple of inches can make a large difference in terms of both height and width.

Measuring before you go shopping will also help you in keeping perspective.  It is very difficult to guess which TV will work best when you are faced with an entire wall of them if you have no numbers in hand.  When you approach things in this manner, you are less likely to make a mistake.

In most cases, a bigger screen is better, as very few people spend a lot of time wishing they were watching a smaller screen.

 

Weight 

You need to know if you want to mount your TV, or place it on a stand.  If you are planning on putting it on a stand, you need to know how much surface area you have on the stand, and must be sure that it can support the weight of any TV you have in mind.

If you want the TV mounted on your wall, there are several other factors you must take into account.  You must have a wall mount that is strong enough to support the weight of any TV you are considering.  That mount may also need the wall mount to be anchored to studs in your wall.  The last thing you need is your your expensive new TV to fall and break because your drywall gives way.

In general, you can expect most flat screens to weigh around 45 pounds.  That number can increase with larger screens and display size.  Edge-lit LEDs are the lightest, around 25 pounds, while UHD displays will add more weight to the equation.

Take all of these factors into account when you go shopping for a new TV. There is a number of options out there which is why it is important to act wise.

 

[Image by Adrian Black via Flickr http://flic.kr/p/5ggqca]