Q: I am wondering if someone would recommend a range hood that is 1) powerful (esp for Chinese cooking) 2) easy to clean and maintain and 3) durable? Also, where can I buy installation service?
A: We bought a Zephyr range hood about 3 years ago similar to this one:
http://www.homeclick.com/1/1/14464-zephyr-30-hurricane-range-hood-ak2500.html
It’s fairly powerful (it has a 3-speed fan) and cleanup is easy. We bought ours at Crossroads Appliance, and they did the installation.
A: +1 for Zephyr. I have it and we love it.
A: Ok some links may help:
http://www.broan.com/display/router.asp?CategoryID=618
See, this is interior model (blower inside)
http://www.broan.com/display/router.asp?ProductID=100529
And this is exterior version: (requires the external/roof-top blower in the first link above)
http://www.broan.com/display/router.asp?ProductID=100059
There apparently now is an “inline” version of blower as well. Personally I’d put a high powered external one than to have that noise in the middle of the kitchen. I’m not sure about the “difference” in suction capability but we’re happy with the 36” Broan that we have (the EX model)..
A: Just moved into my new home and got a Zephyr Tempest I (http://www.zephyronline.com/#page=essentials/27/18) put in. It provides the best esthetics vs. functionality that we could find… 650CFM and works great with Chinese cooking, now if only my cooktop did it justice
Fredericks Appliance in Redmond (http://www.fredericksappliance.com/) did the install and was able to get me a great price, there is also a Microsoft prime thing where the warranty on the unit is extended for 1 year. I worked with Luke in their sales team for this.
A: I have a 600cfm Vent-A-Hood (http://www.ventahood.com/hoodmodels.jsp?id=9) from Crossroads Appliance, and we love it – VERY easy to clean. They coat the parts with some sort of super waxy paint, and the box that traps the grease just unsnaps from the unit. Put it in the sink with some hot water, and it pretty much washes itself. They call it the “Magic Lung” (http://www.ventahood.com/magiclung.jsp)
I have used it almost daily for over 2 years and have never had any reason to think about heat loss. Maybe the hot stove / oven underneath is compensating for that. :)
A: Not sure about heat recovery – the house stays pretty toasty regardless. As Dan said, it’s probably the cooking that compensates for it. We looked into Vent-A-Hood as well, innovative design, and did look very easy to clean, but we didn’t have the vertical height for it. The Tempest is pretty easy to clean as well but not as easy as the Vent-A-hood, you just have to put the stainless steel filters into the dishwashers every couple of months.
A: We have a GE hood and like it a lot… 600CFM, 4 speed, 2 lights.
http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SPECPAGE&SKU=JV936DSS&SITEID=GEA
Cleaning: Although the mesh/grill that traps the grease just unsnaps, there are other areas under the hood that do accumulate grease over time and need to be cleaned. Cleaning those sections is a little more time consuming since they are not easily removable parts and need to be cleaned in-place.
It looks great though :-)
A: One additional consideration I don’t think I saw mentioned below is to look at the sound level (measured in Sones). It seems like you usually have to look at the spec sheets for each range hood you’re considering to find that information. (ex. - http://www.broan.com/ImageLibrary/broan/pdf/Specifications/99043473.pdf) When I bought a hood ~2years ago I found that some of the more expensive hoods were just as loud as the cheaper hoods even if the range hoods’ CFMs were the same.
A: Also, in our case I think we went “overboard” on power and that creates an effect where it actually disrupts the air-flow in the fire-place, causing the smoke alarm to go off sometimes. To remedy that, we usually leave a window near the range hood slightly opened to keep the pressure balanced.
Also, when talking CFM, keep in mind that the actual air displacement drops drastically as you add piping to the outside.
Showing posts with label Appliance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appliance. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Washer, Dryer and Fridge Brand Recommendations
Q: I am looking for recommendations for good washer/dryer and fridge brands that are not too expensive and that you are happy with.
A: I think most of the Appliances Companies (i.e KitchenAid, Whrilpool, GE, Frigidaire) have good products starting from Less to High end as per their options. New appliances lasts easily for more than 5 Years or more as per usage. I always used Whrilpool for my Washer Dryer and they are awesome in all mean and fits my Wife needs J (She is the main user) and Whrilpools are in mid range from pricing not too high not too low and comes with the best options used by most people.
A: Don’t forget to take into account the lifetime cost of the appliances. Paying 500 dollars for a refrigerator that will use 2000 dollars worth of power over it’s lifetime is more expensive in total that a 900 dollar model that uses 1200 dollars worth of power over it’s lifetime. These are all estimations, but I think the point is made.
A: My fridge is an Armanaand while I don’t hate it, nothing about it makes me go “YOU GOTTA BUY THIS!”.
My Washer & Dryer however we love love love. We have the Bosch Nexxt set. Some people may think its overpriced, but we have had 0 problems, and with two kids it easily gets used enough to have exposed something if it shoddy.
A: +1 on the Bosch washer. A nice thing about it is that it uses very little water, since they are front-loading.
They also remove nearly all the water from the clothes in the spin cycle, so you use less energy drying the clothes. That will help pay for the higher initial cost of the washer.
A problem we’ve had with ours is that since it’s a front-loader, the door has to seal tightly. If you don’t let the door stand open for a while between loads, then the residual moisture can’t get out, and we’ve seen a little mildew around the door gasket.
A: Yes you need to leave the doors open on front loaders (and preferably dry around/under the rubber gasket/seal at the end of a load). We got an LG Steamwash front loader back in May and its been great – as you say the clothes come out nearly dry.
A: +1 on the Bosch Nexxt. Expensive but I don’t regret it. Whisper-quiet washer, gets all the water out; dryer is done before you know it. Excellent capacity (I have the 500 series).
Only complaints:
· Can’t disable the beeping when washer is done, and it’s a bit obnoxious in my opinion (would prefer a gentle chime). It does get my butt off the couch to throw stuff in the dryer, that’s for sure.
· Almost immediately, washer door stopped closing tightly if I just let it swing shut. When you start the washer it locks the door but if the door isn’t fully closed, it makes a “grunk grunk grunk” sound when it tries to grab the door hook, and errors out. I have to press on the door while pushing the start button. This is not as scary as it sounds, but a little annoying.
I always leave the washer door cracked open (maybe that’s why it doesn’t swing 100% shut?) so have not had any mildew problem.
A: I think most of the Appliances Companies (i.e KitchenAid, Whrilpool, GE, Frigidaire) have good products starting from Less to High end as per their options. New appliances lasts easily for more than 5 Years or more as per usage. I always used Whrilpool for my Washer Dryer and they are awesome in all mean and fits my Wife needs J (She is the main user) and Whrilpools are in mid range from pricing not too high not too low and comes with the best options used by most people.
A: Don’t forget to take into account the lifetime cost of the appliances. Paying 500 dollars for a refrigerator that will use 2000 dollars worth of power over it’s lifetime is more expensive in total that a 900 dollar model that uses 1200 dollars worth of power over it’s lifetime. These are all estimations, but I think the point is made.
A: My fridge is an Armana
My Washer & Dryer however we love love love. We have the Bosch Nexxt set. Some people may think its overpriced, but we have had 0 problems, and with two kids it easily gets used enough to have exposed something if it shoddy.
A: +1 on the Bosch washer. A nice thing about it is that it uses very little water, since they are front-loading.
They also remove nearly all the water from the clothes in the spin cycle, so you use less energy drying the clothes. That will help pay for the higher initial cost of the washer.
A problem we’ve had with ours is that since it’s a front-loader, the door has to seal tightly. If you don’t let the door stand open for a while between loads, then the residual moisture can’t get out, and we’ve seen a little mildew around the door gasket.
A: Yes you need to leave the doors open on front loaders (and preferably dry around/under the rubber gasket/seal at the end of a load). We got an LG Steamwash front loader back in May and its been great – as you say the clothes come out nearly dry.
A: +1 on the Bosch Nexxt. Expensive but I don’t regret it. Whisper-quiet washer, gets all the water out; dryer is done before you know it. Excellent capacity (I have the 500 series).
Only complaints:
· Can’t disable the beeping when washer is done, and it’s a bit obnoxious in my opinion (would prefer a gentle chime). It does get my butt off the couch to throw stuff in the dryer, that’s for sure.
· Almost immediately, washer door stopped closing tightly if I just let it swing shut. When you start the washer it locks the door but if the door isn’t fully closed, it makes a “grunk grunk grunk” sound when it tries to grab the door hook, and errors out. I have to press on the door while pushing the start button. This is not as scary as it sounds, but a little annoying.
I always leave the washer door cracked open (maybe that’s why it doesn’t swing 100% shut?) so have not had any mildew problem.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Kitchen Aid Refrigerator Not Cooling Freezer?
Q: My Kitchen Aid Refrigerator area is not cooling effectively while the freezer is working perfectly which makes me believe that the compressor is OK.
One repair person I spoke to said that what could have happened was that the conduit through which the cold air passes from the freezer to the frig could have frozen up and got blocked with ice. Emptying the frig/freezer and letting all the ice melt did seem to help for a short time but we seem to be back to the same situation.
Any suggestions on what else I could try? Also any suggestions for a good refrigerator repair person?
One repair person I spoke to said that what could have happened was that the conduit through which the cold air passes from the freezer to the frig could have frozen up and got blocked with ice. Emptying the frig/freezer and letting all the ice melt did seem to help for a short time but we seem to be back to the same situation.
Any suggestions on what else I could try? Also any suggestions for a good refrigerator repair person?
A: What is the time frame between when you let the ice melt and you noticed the temp in the fridge compartment getting warm again?
That could indicate that your defrost timer or heater are not working.
A: I would bet on the heater element being broken.
When you get this fixed, I suggest that you spend the time to let the ice melt before the repair person shows up – otherwise you’ll be paying for them to melt the ice.
A: If your Refrigerator is side by side, you should read the manual first. There are some vents between two parts to let cool air flow from freezer to other side and warm air flow back into freezer. You should check those vents that should indicates in manual. If something block it, just remove them.
A: But notice in his post, he said melting the ice seemed to help for awhile, but then it went back the other way.
Sometimes it is all too easy to hit the setting for that cross over vent and not realize it. However, if that were the case, even after the defrost, there would be no significant difference in the perceived operaton.
Q: It seemed to be better for a couple of days (when we actually did not open the fridge too much) before it seemed not to cool again. Yes my fridge is side by side and it is the vents between the two parts which was blocked with ice.
What function does the heater element perform?
A: To cool down the interior, the fridge pumps very cold gas through a set of coils in the freezer (at least in most designs – some use multiple coils). The gas is below freezing, so if there is any moisture in the air, the coils will get a coating of frost on them. Over time, this builds up, and because ice is a pretty good insulator, you lose efficiency and cooling capacity (and in your case, block the vents, too).
In the olden days, you had to defrost the freezer at specific times to keep this from happening (and you still have to do this on many standalone freezers).
The advent of “frost-free” fridges got rid of this. There is a defrost timer that periodically turns off the compressor (so there is no cooling going on) and turns on a heater (or heaters) near the coils. Those heat the coils, the frost drips off as water, and then things are great.
If you heaters break, you get a continual accumulation of ice.
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