ASAP’s Energy Efficient Tips for Appliances

Utilities can encompass a large chunk of your home’s expenses. Use these tips to save money and energy:

Having a good amount of items in your freezer helps keep cold air in, reducing the amount of energy your freezer needs to use.
Make sure your freezer is placed somewhere away from sunlight and heat.
Do not open your freezer door when unnecessary; this forces your freezer to use more energy to stay cold.
Use only one refrigerator if possible; refrigerator energy usage is substantial.
Check your condenser coils regularly for dust and clean if necessary.
Set your refrigerator at around 36-40 degrees F and your freezer at around 0-4 degrees F.
Let hot items cool off before placing in your refrigerator to avoid making your refrigerator work too hard.
Make sure your refrigerator doors seal shut and aren’t loose.
Make sure your refrigerator is in a place of the house that receives heat; if the room temperature drops under 60 degrees F, it may malfunction.
Avoid putting food against the back wall of your refrigerator, as this can compromise the cooling cycle.

Save energy by cooking several items in the oven at once, instead of separately.
Don’t open the door to the oven any more than necessary as this wastes heat and makes your oven have to work harder. Instead, use the inside light to check on your food.
Test the temperature of your oven to ensure it is properly calibrated.
Make sure your oven is clean of all debris as they can capture heat.
Microwaves use less energy than ovens and should be used whenever possible.
Utilize appropriate cookware. Some materials store heat better than others. Use lids when you can.
Match the size of your cookware to the size of your burners.
Make sure your oven door closes tightly to avoid wasting any energy.

Fill your dishwasher with dishes each time – dishwashers use the same amount of energy regardless of load size.
Try using the air drying feature instead of the heated one, or simply allow air to dry them by opening the dishwasher door.
In the summer and spring, wash dishes when it is cooler outside.
Clean debris off dishes before running a load.
Use the energy-saving feature on your dishwasher if you have one and check your filter often for needed cleaning.

Avoid putting too many or too little clothes in one load in your dryer.
Clean the lint filter before each load.
Separate extra-heavy items, like towels, into separate loads.
Regularly check the dryer vent for blockage.
It is efficient to dry several loads one after the other, because the heat built up from each will help the next.
If your dryer has one, use the moisture-sensing feature in order to avoid running the dryer for an unnecessarily long time.
Check that your dryer hose length is shorter than longer, and also make sure there are no knots or obstructions.
Place your dryer in a well-ventilated location for maximum drying efficiency.

Set the water level for each load accordingly. Using more water than necessary is wasteful.
Placing your washing machine near your water heater reduces energy needed to transfer heated water through pipes.
Utilize cold water when washing clothes whenever possible.

Modern appliances are more energy-efficient than older models.
Small appliances are more energy-efficient than larger ones.
When buying washing machines, keep in mind ones that load from the front often use less energy than ones that load from the top.
When buying refrigerators, keep in mind that side-by-side models tend to be less efficient.
EnergyGuide ratings will help you choose to the most energy-efficient options.

Have any other questions about energy conservation and appliances? Call us at (704) 901-8050 or use our contact form.

ASAPpliance Repair