Electric Appliance By Arnold

Spending money on an appliance   can make us question ourselves. Pay an exorbitant amount, and you may wonder if you're being foolish. Pay what feels like a steal, and you may wonder if you've bought a piece of junk. No wonder many homeowners do everything they can to keep their existing appliances running for as long as possible. Fortunately, if you want to keep your appliances running longer than typical, you can. It just requires a little effort, says Chris Granger, the Chicago-based vice president and general manager of Sears Home Services, which does repair and home improvement projects. He oversees more than 6,000 technicians making more than 12 million service and installation calls a year. Mainly, if you want to keep your appliances running for as long as possible, you need to make an effort to learn how to take care of them, Granger says. "The owner's manuals have great tips and maintenance advice," he says. "You'd be surpri...

You rely on your fridge, dishwasher, oven, and laundry to work, and work well when you need them. The last thing you want is for them to fail, or cost you a ton of money to repair or replace. Here are five simple tips from US News Money to keep those appliances in good, working order for the long haul. Some of these assume you have at least a semi-practiced hand at household DIY, but most of them are simple maintenance techniques anyone can do. Here’s a quick rundown of a much longer and more detailed list over at US News Money, assembled with the help of Chris Granger, the Chicago-based vice president and general manager of Sears Home Services, linked below: Fridge :   Clean your refrigerator coils regularly. They can get caked and clogged with dust, which can kill the efficiency of your fridge and can contribute to failure. This is especially important if you have pets. Oven and Range : Be careful how you clean your oven and range, and what you use to clean it. Overly h...

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of a “smart salt shaker” called “ The Smalt .” Oddly, the shaking aspect of this shaker is still decidedly unplugged— you   still have do all the shaking; Smalt just “tracks” it for you. (And lights up. And plays music.) It is, essentially, the   Juicero   of seasoning. As far as how it “tracks”—does it know about my oddly high SPAM intake?—the copy is pretty vague: “Whether you want to dispense a pinch or a teaspoon, turn the dial or simply ask “Alexa” and wait for magic to happen.” I need to know more about this “magic.” Does a little troll come out and dole out your desired amount of sodium chloride? Is   his   name Smalt? Is   that   the magic? If there is more than one person in your house—or two, I guess, if we’re counting Smalt the Salt Troll—does it track salt for every member of your family? Smalt’s other features are much more straightforward, though still quite baffling. It can pla...