Ovens - Before buying an oven, first you have to ask yourself whether you need a gas oven or electric oven. This decision is based on your cooking preferences. An important factor to consider when buying an oven is the type of cleaning process it uses. Standard ovens will have to be cleaned manually, but there are now self-cleaning ovens with programmable settings, which use high temperatures to clean off any residue. Continuous cleaning ovens have special finishes that absorb or burn off splatters from the oven.

Refrigerators - As a rule of thumb, plan on purchasing 8-10 cubic feet of space for a family of two, then add an additional 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. Look for features that reduce water use. 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. Try to find hoods that have a tempered glass light lens. These are more durable than the plastic lens, which yellow and crack, and they last longer. If you can, try to find one that has a low sone rating. The lower the sone number is, the quieter your range hood.

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. You need to take into account the number of meals that are prepared in your kitchen per week, how often you entertain, and the amount of noise it makes, as well as a long product life. Find out also if your kitchen is hooked up to a septic or 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. How big is the room? Is it important that the whole room be cooled? Is there variable weather? Do I move from room to room a lot? The answers to these questions will help you find the suitable model for 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 - Again, energy efficiency is the important factor here. 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. Using these information, you can compare models and see which ones are better at energy saving. 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. Tankless water systems are powered by either electricity or gas and turn off when not in use. However, they have trouble supplying large amounts of hot water at any one time.

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