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Ovens - When shopping for an oven, your first decision should be whether you want an electric oven or a gas one. This decision can be made according to your cooking preferences. Also, consider the type of cleaning process it uses. Standard cleaning ovens require you to clean it yourself. Self-cleaning ovens often have programmable cleaning settings that use high temperatures to clean residue from the oven. Continuous cleaning ovens have special finishes that absorb or burn off splatters from the oven.

Refrigerators - A rule of thumb when buying a refrigerator is that you need to consider the number of people in your household to determine the capacity you need. For example, a family of two needs at least 8 to 10 cubic feet, then add another cubic foot of space for each family member. Refrigerators with freezers on the top are more energy efficient than models with side freezers.

Dishwashers - Always find out the amount of water a dishwasher uses for every different cycle. Features that reduce water usage are very important. Newer, more expensive stainless steel models enhance efficiency during drying cycles and can tolerate higher water temperatures.

Ventilation Hoods - The most important thing to consider when purchasing a new ventilation hood is its fan. Axial fans are inexpensive but not as powerful as centrifugal fans. Also, tempered glass light lenses in a ventilation hood is essential. They are tougher than plastic lenses, so they will last longer. You should also consider buying one with a low sone number. Sones measure the noise level created by air-moving appliances, and the lower the sone number, the quieter it is.

Garbage Disposal Systems - When shopping for a garbage disposal, there are several things to consider in order to arrive at the best disposal to fit your needs. Think of how many meals per week are prepared in your kitchen, how often you entertain, and the importance of quiet operation and long product life. You also must know if you are hooked up to a septic system or regular water system.

Air Conditioners - Check the energy tag attached to the unit and consider the energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER, ranges from 8 to 12, so the higher the EER number, the better the efficiency. After this, you also need to consider the space of the room you'll be putting the air conditioner in, as well as your budget. Do you need to cool the whole room? Does the weather change a lot where I'm located? The answers will help you find a suitable model that will fit your needs. Try to match the unit's cooling capacity with the size of the room. Follow the Dept. of Energy's formula, which is to multiply the room's square feet of space by 20.

Water Heaters - Look for hot water heaters that are energy efficient. There is an EnergyGuide%u2122 label you can read to determine the estimated energy consumption of a particular unit and its estimated annual operating costs. Use this information to determine which models are the most energy efficient. Tank size or capacity refers to the amount of water, in gallons, that the water heater will hold. The more gallons of hot water you need per hour, the larger the water tank must be to accommodate the need. Of course there are also tank-less systems which heat water as you need it. They are powered by either gas or electricity and turn off when not being used. However, they cannot be expected to supply you with large amounts of hot water at any given time.