Sydney Henderson - AHAM Consumer Blog

Cool Off This Summer with an AHAM Verifide Room Air Conditioner!

Summer is finally here and that means that many of us will
be cooling off at home with portable and room air conditioners.

If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner, there are
some great resources that you can utilize to help find the unit that’s best for
you. This Old House’s website has a section titled “How to Choose
an Air Conditioner?? that provides a good overview on options, such as
remote controls and digital displays, how to properly install it as well as the
correct size:

“Matching the air
conditioner to the room you want to cool is your first consideration. If it’s
too small, it simply won’t cool the space. If it’s too large, it will cool the
space so quickly that the thermostat will shut the unit down before it can
lower the humidity level in the space. The result is a cool room that feels
damp and clammy.??

Another good resource is the ENERGY
GUIDE website which can also help you select the proper
sized A/C, tell you how much you can save on energy costs through their
energy calculator, the site provides a list of ENERGY STAR-approved models.

Room air conditioners that carry the AHAM Verifide seal have
been independently tested to verify the manufacturer’s for cooling capacity
(measured in BTUs per hour) and electrical energy in Amps. Click here to learn
more about AHAM Verifide
and search the online directory of AHAM Verifide room air conditioners here.
Finally, this
page will help you to identify AHAM Verifide products when you’re at the
store.

Follow These Tips to Keep Your Dishwasher and Food Waste Disposal Working

When was the last time you cleaned out the filter in your
dishwasher? Do you keep it full of a rinse aid? Is there a bad odor coming from your kitchen sink?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might not
have been properly maintaining your appliances. Although today’s appliances are much longer than they used to be, they, like your car, have to be properly maintained. Doing so will not only save you money in costly repair bills, but ensure that your appliances provide you with years of trouble-free service.

A recent article in the Mercury News provides plenty of good tips to keep your dishwasher and disposal working. As noted in the article:

“Electric dishwashers have a filtration system that requires regular cleaning, especially if you don’t scrape or pre-rinse dishes.”

“The maintenance on a dishwasher depends on how you treat it,” says John DeSilvia, host of DIY Network’s “Rescue My Renovation.??

If you’re not a pre-rinser, he
recommends cleaning the filter once a month. Just look at the bottom of your
dishwasher, find and remove your filter, then scrub away debris with a soft brush.
Rinse and reinstall.??

Additionally, to destroy any bad odors
that may be emanating from your food waste disposer, the article recommends that
you make a solution of one cup of vinegar with one cup of baking soda and pour
it your sink’s drain, letting it sit for 15 minutes before running cold water
and flushing it out.

To read more tips, click here to
view the full article.

Also, you can learn more about
the environmental benefits of food waste disposers here. You can
also get expert advice on all your major home appliances, including tips on
what to look for when making a purchase as well as how to maintain them here.

Need Some Inspiration for Your Kitchen Remodeling?

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home,
and the one we spend a significant amount of time in, particularly if you have
a family to cook for. A “dream kitchen?? complete with shiny new appliances,
plenty of workspace and a welcoming atmosphere is something many of us want.

Are you looking to update the design of your kitchen this
year? Need some inspiration? Dwell magazine, which focuses on
modern home design, has compiled a list of tips and predictions from designers
in an article titled 101 Kitchen
Design.

As the author notes in the article’s introduction, “This is
when we might heed German graphic design visionary Otl Aicher, author of The Kitchen Is for Cooking, who wrote: ‘The
kitchen is a function of man’s social nature. Cooking is only a pleasure when
others join in eating. And cooking is even more of a pleasure if others join in
the cooking.’ And all the design genius in the world is not going to get that
fresh fish into the frying pan, or those well-scrubbed potatoes into the oven.??

Allergy Season is Coming: Are You Prepared?

The good news for the millions of Americans who suffer from allergies is that they can take action against symptoms before they start.

Dust and pollen are common airborne allergens that cause these symptoms. Here are some everyday steps you can take to help you avoid them.

Keep windows closed in the car and at home and limit outdoor activities, especially when the pollen count is high.

Shower before you go to bed to help remove allergens that may have collected on you or your clothes throughout the day.

Do not hang laundry outside to dry where it may collect pollen and other allergens. Use a dryer or hang the clothes inside instead.

Use a portable room air cleaner in your bedroom to filter airborne particles and help you breath–and sleep–easier. In a recent survey conducted by AHAM, removing dust was the top reason for purchasing an air cleaner. These portable appliances can be moved from room to room, and a portable air cleaner that’s received a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) seal may reduce the level of airborne pollutants.

Before purchasing the air cleaner, you should know the size of the room in which you’ll use it. You can search the directory found the AHAM Verifide website and compare models. Look at the ratings for tobacco smoke, dust and pollen, and find the models that have the highest ratings since they will clean your room the fastest. You can then weigh the importance of product features, such as noise levels and design, to find an air cleaner that fits your needs.

You can also obtain your free copy of AHAM’s Directory of Certified Air Cleaners here.

AHAM Welcomes Two New Members to Its Supplier Division

AHAM is proud to announce two new members have joined its Supplier Division:

Bonded Logic, Inc is located in Chandler, AZ and manufacture insulation used in appliances
made of recycled denim.

Eastman Chemical
Company is located in Kingston, TN and they produce polymers, adhesives
and chemicals used in the manufacturing of home appliances.

Juicing Gains in Popularity

How do you get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables? Do
you prefer to eat them whole or make your own juice? If you answered that you
don’t get your daily dose of fruits and veggies, perhaps you should consider
investing in a juicer.

According to a recent article
in the Wall Street Journal, juicers
are flying off the shelves as consumers have decided they would rather provide
their family homemade fruit and vegetable juices rather than store-bought
juices that may have additives and fewer nutrients. In fact, making your own
juice gives you the freedom to add what vegetables, fruits and seasonings that
fit your taste buds.

The WSJ states
that the market research firm NPD Group estimated that juicer sales hit 215
million for the year ending in November – a 71 percent increase from the year
before.

As the WSJ
reports, “Hoping to slim down, detoxify or just be healthier, more Americans
are buying juicers. Some want to boost their fresh-produce consumption in a
time-efficient, taste bud-friendly way. Others are going on a multiday juice
cleanse, a diet composed of solely fruit and vegetable juice, to jump-start
weight loss or a lifestyle change.??

The article continues by noting
that, “Juicers generally fall into one of three categories: ‘fast,’ ‘slow’ and ‘whole
food.’ The fast kind, also known as traditional or centrifugal juicers, are
loud machines that grind produce to a liquid in a few earsplitting seconds.
Fans like the thin-textured juice these machines produce, leaving the solid
‘pulp’ behind.??

Some parents have even found juicers to be an easier way of
getting their children to eat their veggies. Rachel Johnson, a 32-year-old
health coach in Billings, MT, uses says that she’s able to get her young
daughters to drink healthily without them knowing. “I put it in sippy cups so
they couldn’t see the color,?? she says.

Do you like to juice? What are some of your favorite
recipes? Tell us!

AHAM Welcomes Three New Members to Its Supplier Division

Recently three new members have joined AHAM's Supplier Division:

Steel Dynamics, Inc.,
which manufactures various steel products used in appliances. Their head office
is located in Butler, IN and the official representative is Nancy Murphy,
Marketing Manager.

Arrayent, Inc.,
located in Redwood City, CA, provides secure communication service between home
appliances and smartphone/web applications. The official representative is Bob
Dahlberg, Vice President of Business Development.

AK
Steel, a former AHAM member, is located in West Chester, OH. They provide
stainless steel and carbon steel for use in appliances, and the official
representative is JB Chronister.

Additionally, all three companies will have representatives at AHAM's annual member meeting next month in Washington, DC. If you are attending, please take a moment to introduce yourself.

Follow These Tips for an Organized Refrigerator

Keeping a clean and organized
refrigerator can be a lot harder than it seems, especially if there are several
people living under the same roof, with each person having their own foods,
drinks, condiments and leftovers.

Here are some tips found in a
recent article from Fox News:

Clean out your fridge before going to
the grocery store. Amy Brady, a professional organizer
from TheClutterConsultants.com
suggests moving items with closer expiration dates towards the front and later
expiration dates towards the back … just like a grocery store!

Use
the refrigerator the way it was intended. Refrigerators were
designed to keep food fresh in specific areas. “Deli meat and cheeses should be
stored in the meat/deli tray because that's usually the coldest spot in your
refrigerator,?? Kuper points out. “Vegetables should be stored in the crisper
drawer because it's designed to seal tightly to keep in humidity. The door of
your refrigerator is best for storing jarred foods that can withstand frequent
exposure to room temperature air.??

Assess
the situation. “Start with the top and work your way
down,?? says Donna Smallin Kuper, author of How
to Declutter and Make Money Now. “Be sure to open and unwrap everything to
see what you have. Check expiration dates and throw out anything that is
clearly bad or questionable.??

Turntables.
Brady and Kuper are both fans of storing things like condiments, leftovers, or
large drink containers on Lazy Susans, or turntables. They make things easier
to find and prevent them from getting shoved or lost in the back of the fridge.

For more tips on how to keep your
refrigerator organized, click here
to read the rest of the article. What are some of your tips? Tell us!

New Study Finds Air Conditioning Has Reduced Premature Deaths By 80 percent Since 1960

Anyone who has experienced summer without air conditioning
knows how uncomfortable it can be, and many of us have probably heard stories
from our parents and grandparents about how difficult life was when few people
– if anyone – had the luxury of cooled air. However, according to a new study,
life before air conditioning became commonplace was also deadlier.

The Washington Post has
an interesting article
highlighting a new study conducted jointly by Tulane University, Carnegie
Mellon University, the National Bureau of Economic Research and MIT analyzed
U.S. heat-related deaths between 1900 and 2004, and found that after 1960
(before which air conditioning was not commonplace), there were on average 600
premature deaths each year on days in which temperatures rose above 90 degrees
– one-sixth as many as would have occurred under pre-1960 conditions. By 2004,
85 percent of American homes had air conditioning.

According to the Washington
Post:

“It’s all due to air conditioning,?? said MIT
environmental economics professor Michael Greenstone,
one of the paper’s co-authors, adding that factors including increased electrification and health-care access
did not affect heat-related mortality.

                The
likelihood of a premature death on an extremely hot day between 1929 and 1959
was          2.5 percent, the academics
found, dropping to less than 0.5 percent after 1960. The paper,           which is under review at an academic
journal, compared days on which temperatures                exceeded
90 degrees Fahrenheit with days when they ranged between 60 and 69 degrees        Fahrenheit.

The article goes on to discuss
that in developing countries, such as India, very few people have air conditioning
and as more people enter the middle class, they will be able to afford air
conditioning.

In the article, Indian Institute of Technology professor
Ambuj Sagar, states, “To me, if there is any policy relevance of this study, it
is that the developing countries, in their drive for a comfortable life (which
will also help adapt to hotter temperatures) are following the same pathway
that their industrialized-country counterparts because they don’t have any
other pathway available.??

As more continue to enjoy the benefits of air conditioning,
there will be continued focus on energy efficiency, which manufacturers of
portable room air conditioners have worked on diligently over the years. For
example, in 1990, the average room air conditioner consumed 862 KWH/Hr and by
2011 that had decreased to 644 KWH/Hr – over a 25 percent reduction! Additional
information on the increased efficiency of home appliances can be found in
AHAM’s Trends
in Energy Efficiency.

McGuire: Engaging Volunteers Ensures Success

In the January edition of ASAE’s magazine Associations
Now, AHAM President and ASAE Board of Directors Chair Joe McGuire
discusses the importance of volunteer leadership in his column titled “From
Where I Sit: Engaging Leaders.??

McGuire writes, “In my organization, I always judge the
success of a Committee or Board meeting by the amount and depth of volunteer
discussion during the meeting. If volunteers are engaged, this very likely
means the agenda topics are succinctly briefed, relevant, and important to the
volunteers.??

He notes that a recent example of this collaboration
occurred in November when the ASAE board and volunteer leadership team focused
its attention on two important issues: mobile communications and the impact of tax
reform on tax-exempt organizations that is being debated by Congress.

In Every Home