Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) is used to measure the efficiency of room air conditioner. The higher the rating, the higher the efficiency.
Consider cost efficiency. Be wary of misleading energy computations. There are two costs that should be considered before buying an aircon unit – the cost of the unit and the cost of using the unit or the electric bill. The electric bill is determined by the cooling capacity of the air con, the length and frequency of usage, and the aircon’s Energy Efficiency Ratio. For aircons that have the same cooling capacity, having a higher Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) means lower power consumption.
Care about the lowest noise levels. Most of the time, noise spoils the cooling comfort of air con. Hence, you must consider the noise the unit emits when it is turned on. Noise and vibration usually come from the compressor, the water formed at heat exchangers, and the blower.
Go for Gold Fin. An aircon’s condenser is the most vulnerable to corrosion and rust. The louver fins are critical parts of both evaporator and condenser. Look for aircon’s louver fin that uses “Gold Fin” coating consisting of anti-corrosion paint, hydrophilic coating, resin, and chromate on its aluminum material that allow maximum heat exchange performance while extending the product life span.
Switch to Inverter Compressors. To lessen energy lost with the repetitive “on-off” of traditional air conditioners, ask for a unit with Inverter compressor. LG’s cutting-edge inverter technology enables the new air conditioner to consume less energy than conventional air conditioners and to cool a room extremely fast.
Choose the right size. To know what size to buy, the following must be considered:
-Know the floor area of the room (in sq. m.)
-Get the height of the ceiling from the floor (in feet)
-Count the number of windows and measure the size (in feet)
-Check the room if it’s insulated or located in between floors
-Get the total number of people that usually stay in the room
-Count the total number of lights in the room
Room size below 11 square meters – 0.50 horsepower
Room size of 12 to 14 square meters – 0.75 horsepower
Room size of 15 to 18 square meters – 1.00 horsepower
Room size of 19 to 25 square meters – 1.50 horsepower
Room size of 26 to 36 square meters – 2.00 horsepower
Room size of 37 to 45 square meters – 2.50 horsepower
II. AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM
1. WINDOW TYPE
Window Air conditioners are the most common type of aircon being used. Different features and types are currently available at the market such as manual type, remote type and timer type.
2. SPLIT TYPE
Split Type Airconditioners are used to avoid demolitions on the area where it will be used. This type of air condition takes up a very small space of the room and makes a very little noise. If you are interested to buy this type of airconditioner, we suggest you to have your area surveyed by our partner surveyor and installer SMILE SERVE.
B. SHOPPING FOR A WASHING MACHINE
III. FACTORS TO CONSIDER
Size or Capacity
Estimate the size of the washing machine that you need to buy, by weighing your regular washing load and dividing it by the number of washing batches you have to undertake. You may also tabulate the composition of your washing load and calculate its total weight using the data on the table below:
Consider how much space you have on your laundry area. Our current models usually measures 350mm (14 inches) in width for a 1.5 kg. washer to 810mm (32 inches) in width for a twin-tub washer. Once you confirm the space on your laundry area, check if it has a water faucet, a power socket and a drain port.
Spin speed: The faster the spin speed, the more water is extracted, thereby saving time and energy cost in drying clothes.
Water usage: Look for models that can adjust water level in accordance with the laundry volume, thus reducing your water consumption. Look also for models that allow you to recycle wash water.
Power consumption: Determine your electrical consumption by multiplying the nameplate wattage by the number of operating hours.
Soak option: There are models that add soaking (“babad”) prior to the washing cycle, thereby reducing the need to manually soak the laundry prior to washing. This feature will save you time and provide your with cleaner clothes.
Wash/ Spin cycles: Look for models that allow you to wash and spin-dry not only normal laundry but also delicate fabrics oar bulky items such as blankets.
Rust-free body: Determine what the manufacturer meant by rust-free body. In descending order of quality, it could be double-walled polypropylene body, single-walled plastic body, a plastic base with rust-resistant metal body or just rust-resistant body.
Dispenser for detergent, bleach and fabric softener: If a model allows you to pour the laundry chemicals into the dispenser prior to washing but dispenses them at the right time, then it would save you a few trips to the laundry room
IV. TYPES OF WASHING MACHINE
Single Tub
Twin Tub
A semi-automatic washing machine contains either one or two tubs. Compared to fully automatic washing machine, semi automatic needs to put the washed clothes in the drying tub for the drying cycle after the washing.
This kind of washing machine requires manual intervention in the controls. After the clothes are washed in one tub, they need to be transferred to the second tub for spinning or wringed manually.
V.
Pros
No need for a continuous water connection.
Consumes lesser water compared to fully automatic washing machines.
Washing requires less time.
Unit can be moved easily from one place to another.
Cons
Manual intervention is needed on the washing to drying process.
All the controls are manual.
VI. Single Tub Washing Machine
A single-tub washer can perform only the washing and rinsing of the dirty clothes
VII. Twin Tub Washing Machine
A twin-tub washer is capable not only of washing and rinsing but also spin-drying the laundry. However, you need to manually transfer the laundry from the washing tub to the spinning tub.
Vlll. Fully Automatic Washing Machine
In an automatic washer, all the washing, rinsing and spin-drying are automatically performed in a single tub in accordance with the buttons pressed without the need to manually transfer the laundry from one tub to another.
lX. Top Load Washing Machine
Generally, these types of washing machines wash faster and are less expensive. It is also an important consideration to choose a model that has low water consumption, because this will save both energy and water.
X. There are two types of Top Load Washing Machine, an agitator and an impeller.
An agitator moves the clothes around by the agitator - a winged pole in the middle of the drum and washes like handwash.
Impeller looks like a propeller or fan that sits on the washing machine drum. It whips up the water in order to move the clothes around.
XI. Front Load Washing Machine
Front loaders looks like clothes dryer with a clear door at the front for placing clothes inside. It moves clothes around by rotating the drum, tumbling them in the same way a dryer does. This unit spins faster, extract more water for quicker drying, save more water and energy than top loaders.
C. SHOPPING FOR A REFRIGERATOR
FEATURES TO CONSIDER:
In looking for the right size of a refrigerator to buy, remember that each additional cubit foot of refrigerator space will increase the amount of electricity consumed. It’s always more energy efficient to have one larger refrigerator than two small ones.
There are different styles available and, again, what’s most important to keep in mind is what you really need. A top-freezer means that a separate freezer compartment is above the refrigerator and makes it easy to reach in and grab anything you need from the freezer, while its wide shelves allow easy access to food at the back. It comes in the largest variety of sizes, options and features compared to other styles. A bottom-freezer also allows easy access to the freezer because you need only to bend in order to get what you need and also features wide shelves for easy access. Unlike other styles, it comes in more limited sizes and features. A side-by-side refrigerator, features narrow doors which may prove helpful in a smaller amount of space to open the refrigerator. Food is at eye level in both the refrigerator and freezer. A built-in model gives the kitchen a custom look, but may be more expensive to install than to purchase.
The no-frost defrosting feature is the most popular because it automatically defrosts the refrigerator and freezer, while manual defrost is labor-intensive. Check out the shelves and bins if they are the number, size, style and shape you need. Lastly, check out the energy guide label, warranty and service contracts. They may save you more money in the future if they minimize the cost and worry of operating your unit.
D. SHOPPING FOR A TELEVISION
FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
Size of the Screen. Make sure that the television you are choosing would fit on the area of the place where you would put it. Consider cabinets and tables if unit is for table top. If unit will be wall mounted, consider the area and space of the wall.
Color. The display and brightness of the colors is very important factor to be considered in buying a TV. All TVs appear to show the same good quality picture in terms of color due to today's technology. With minimal differences, choose the one that looks best for you.
Viewing Angle is the angle from which an image on the TV is viewed. It is important to consider how well a TV projects the picture to viewers sitting at almost any angle. While shopping for a TV, change directions and angles while doing the testing for you to be able to know the projection at any given angle.
Connections. Televisions must have enough HDMI inputs to connect. There must be at least three ports to connect your cable or satellite box, video game console and Blu-ray/ DVD player.
Controls and Menus. Having the right picture controls is necessary to adjust the picture settings. Look for a television with user friendly picture controls for you to be able to adjust settings yourself to arrive at the best picture quality that would be satisfactory. Look for a menu that has explanations of various onscreen selections.
Energy efficiency. Find a TV that is energy efficient in order to save electricity bills. There are televisions that have power saving features. Find out the power use differences of different types of TVs to arrive with the best possible unit for you.
Three Types of Televisions
LCD
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV has liquid crystal between the display panel which gets activated when the power is supplied and uses a CCFL backlight. This TV works well in bright rooms.
LED
LED TV too works similarly with LCD TVs but light emitting diodes (LED) are used to provide the backlight. This uses least power than all types of televisions. It also has very thin panels and amongst all types of televisions, this offers the best picture quality.
Plasma
Plasma TV uses a thin sheet of tiny individual plasma cells that project or produce a picture when electric current is passed through it. This TV has the best performance on black rooms and offers the best uniformity and viewing angle.
