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Home Appliances

Home Appliances

eHow’s home appliance experts have advice on everything from choosing a refrigerator to buying an extended warranty for your new garbage disposal. Shopping for a dishwasher? Determine exactly what you’re looking for before shelling out the big bucks. Summer heat waves giving you the blues? Research air conditioner How Tos at eHow and escape the sun in comfort. With tons of tips on cleaning, repairing and installing ceiling fans, microwave ovens and washers and dryers, eHow is your home appliance specialist.

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Showing 1-50 of 198 results

  • How to determine BTU you need for air conditioner for proper cooling

    BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a common thing written on air conditioner. This is to help guide consumer to select air conditioner for the area that they intend to cool. Many houses have...

  • How to Select a Room Air Conditioner

    A room air conditioner offers a cooling option for homes without central air conditioning. The unit rests in the opening of a double hung window and uses an evaporator coil to cool the air in the...

  • How to Clean a Window AC

    Window air conditioners (AC) are efficient, convenient cooling devices, but they can become clogged with debris and dirt very easily. Once a window AC unit becomes clogged with dirt and grime, the...

  • How to Pick the Right Central Air Conditioner

    A central air conditioner cools the entire home with one unit, eliminating the need for individual room air conditioners. The ability to control the cool air throughout the house with one...

  • Tips on Operating Air Conditioners

    Much more goes into operating an air conditioner than just plugging it in and turning it on. To keep your room cool, the air conditioner must be the right size and placed in the correct location. ...

  • Parts of an Air Conditioner

    The types of air conditioners are numerous. Some are designed to cool single rooms while others can cool entire homes and businesses. All air conditioners work by cooling air and circulating it to...

  • Room Temperature Problems With Portable AC Units

    Portable air conditioning units are useful for people who need to easily move a unit from room to room. The units come in many different sizes and qualities. While they are convenient, sometimes...

  • How to Keep AC Units From Being Stolen

    An air conditioner is one of those luxuries you don't really think about until it's more than 90 degrees outside and the unit suddenly breaks. Even worse is if your air conditioner goes...

  • How to Clean an AC Unit With Bleach

    Cleaning your air conditioner on a regular basis can be good for both you and your air conditioner. An AC unit with built up mold can be hazardous to your health. When bleach is used as a cleaning...

  • How to Troubleshoot a Maytag Window AC

    Window air conditioning units can provide all the cooling power you need in even the hottest weather, but when that air conditioner stops working, you want to get it back up and running as quickly...

  • How to Troubleshoot a Home AC Unit

    Installing a home air conditioning unit is one of the best ways to keep your family cool without breaking your budget. Compared with the cost of central air, the costs of window air conditioning...

  • How to Troubleshoot Your AC Unit

    If you need to cool your home economically, installing a window air conditioning unit can be the best choice. Window air conditioners are inexpensive, easy to install and easy to maintain. A...

  • Window AC Unit Mold Prevention

    Installing a window air conditioner can be effective yet inexpensive way to keep your home cool on even the hottest summer day, but those window air conditioning units are prone to mold and mildew...

  • How to Calculate BTU Per Square Foot

    An air conditioner's capacity to cool air is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). Air conditioners have two functions: to cool a room and to remove humidity. Installing an air conditioner...

  • How to Buy an AC Unit

    Because of energy-efficient technology, it's no longer necessary to buy a large air conditioning unit to cool a large space, and central air conditioning units are more efficient than ever. Buying...

  • How to Store Air Conditioners for the Winter

    Window air conditioners are a good way to cool a home not already equipped with a central air-cooling system. They are portable, relatively lightweight, inexpensive to purchase, and come with a...

  • How to Calculate Needed Tonnage for Air Conditioners

    Tonnage is one way to measure the capacity of an air conditioner, with each ton representing the amount of heat needed to melt one ton of ice. More common are British thermal units, or Btu, with...

  • Heat Pump vs. Air Conditioning

    Heat pumps and air conditioners are two different devices for cooling a home. The two machines work in a similar fashion, although a heat pump can work in reverse. This means that a heat pump can...

  • What Does it Mean When an Air Conditioner Compressor Loses Efficiency?

    An air conditioner operates by drawing warm air from inside a home or automobile, cooling it, then returning the air to the interior of the home or auto. The energy, or heat, that is transferred...

  • What Are the Functions of Compressors on Air Conditioners?

    A compressor is one of the three main parts that make up an air conditioner. Whether it is at your home or in your car, an air conditioning compressor performs several functions to help the system...

  • How to Clean a Room Air Conditioner

    A window air conditioner needs a thorough cleaning when you get it out of storage for the year. Then, it needs periodic cleaning to make sure you get rid of the dust that can accumulate on it....

  • How to Decode Central Air Conditioner Sizes

    Central air conditioner sizes are measured in British thermal units (Btu) or sometimes in tons. A ton is equal to 12,000 Btu and is equivalent to the amount of energy needed to melt 1 ton of ice...

  • What Is Air Conditioning Compressor Efficiency?

    Cooling equipment systems use an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) to express how efficient they are at consuming power. A compressor is the main component of an air conditioner, thus it receives an EER.

  • How to Size Room Wall Air Conditioner

    The size of a room wall air conditioner depends on the size of the room, how the room is used and how the room is built. The capacity of a wall air conditioner is measured in British thermal...

  • How to Calculate the Size of Air Intake for an Air Conditioner

    The size of the air intake attached to your air conditioner directly affects the efficiency with which your air conditioner operates. Properly calculating the appropriate size of air intake is a...

  • How to Size Window Air Conditioners

    A window air conditioner usually is responsible for cooling only one room, such as a dorm room. The size of the window air conditioner that you need is dependent on the size, structure and use of...

  • How to Figure the Room Size for an Air Conditioner

    An air conditioner's capacity to cool is measured in British thermal units (BTU). It is crucial to use an appropriate air conditioner for your room size to get the best results. If the air...

  • Air Conditoner BTU Vs. Room Size

    Btu stands for British thermal units and is the standard measurement of the capacity for air conditioners. A Btu is the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit....

  • How Much Will It Cost Me to Run an Air Conditoner?

    Air temperature and quality are among the biggest factors in home comfort. For this reason, most homes are now equipped with some type of air-conditioning unit, whether in the form of a central...

  • How to Seal a Window Over a Room Air Conditioner

    Window-mount air conditioners are only as efficient as the amount of care in installation permits. The biggest factor is in how well the top and sides of the window are sealed after setting the...

  • How to Choose an AC Unit Size

    Knowing how large of an air conditioner you need for your room will help you make sure it has enough energy to meet your needs without over-stressing the AC unit, which could shorten its lifespan....

  • How to Clean an Outdoor Central Air Unit

    Central air conditioners are made up of two units: the evaporator that sits inside the house near the furnace and the condenser, which is outside. Although it is important to clean both parts, the...

  • How to Size a Room Air Conditioner

    Getting the proper size air conditioner for your room is important because if the unit is too small, your room will overheat; but if it is too large, energy will be wasted. According to the U.S....

  • How to Buy a Ductless Minisplit AC

    A ductless minisplit air conditioner is a cross between a central air system and a window unit. It consists of an outdoor compressor and an indoor evaporator/fan unit. These systems require no...

  • How to Calculate the Room Size for an Air Conditioner

    The size and type of air conditioner needed depends on the size of space you are trying to cool. An air conditioner that is too large will cool the air too quickly and will not correctly handle...

  • How to Keep Your Home Cooler in the Summer Heat

    Nothing can get much more frustrating than to be hot and sticky while trying to work, study, watch a video, or do just about anything else. Here are some tips to keep you cool and happy during...

  • How to Fix Central Air Conditioning

    Central air conditioners that have stopped working or are not functioning properly may need some repairs. You should be able to handle simple maintenance and repairs yourself; otherwise, bigger...

  • How to Diagnose Central Air Conditioning Problems

    The central air conditioner that has been installed in your home is designed to keep you and your family cool when temperatures rise during the summer months. However, as with all mechanical...

  • How to Compare Window Air Conditioners

    For a price equal to a month's energy bill for a small home or apartment, a window air conditioner can be purchased or upgraded. Many new models are smaller, lighter, quieter and more efficient...

  • How to Put in Window Air Conditioners

    Nothing is worse than tossing and turning while attempting to sleep at night in extremely hot conditions. If your home doesn't have central air installed, or if you are just looking to cool one...

  • How to Put an Air Filter Into a Home Air Conditioner

    If you have a central air conditioner, it is important to change out the air filter at least every few months. Having a clean air filter will not only keep the air free of dust and other...

  • Troubleshooting for Air Conditioners

    A central air conditioner can look like a complex piece of machinery. It has a number of components---blower, motor, compressor, controls---that all need to work together to cool a home. So when...

  • Air Conditioner Repair Tips

    Air conditioner repair can be quite expensive when you have to call in a professional. Troubleshoot your central air conditioner first to make sure the problem is not something simple that you can...

  • How to Use Fans to Improve Uneven Cooling or Heating

    Does it seem to you that every summer your air conditioner works harder and harder to keep you and your family comfortable? Have you also watched your power bill creep up as a result? Years ago,...

  • What Causes Air Conditioner Icing?

    An air conditioner functions by moving air across an evaporating coil. This cooling coil is filled with refrigerant. The warm air passes over the cooling coil, which collects condensation (thereby...

  • How to Troubleshoot a Split Air Conditioner

    Split Air Conditioners are made up of at least two pieces. The air-handler unit is installed inside your home, and the compressor unit is installed outside. Split AC units are often more expensive...

  • Evaporative Cooling Vs. Air Conditioning

    Two common ways to cool a building are to use air conditioning or to use evaporative cooling. Air conditioning uses a refrigerant compressed by a motor to transfer heat from the inside of the...

  • How to Change the Filter on a Window Air Conditioner

    How about some very detailed steps and pictures for changing the filter in your window air conditioner? Learn by watching Mom.

  • How to Troubleshoot your window air conditioner

    Does your window air conditioner feel like it's just not cooling the way it was. Well before you call a professional or buy a new one, there are a couple of things that you can check and do that...

  • How to Get the Most From a Window Air Conditioner

    There are a lot of myths surrounding window air conditioners, but the truth is, when cared for properly and by choosing the right sized unit for the room, they can actually be an efficient way of...

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