Content about Home appliances

UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), has announced that appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. has become the first company in the marketplace to achieve certification of its products to the new AHAM-CSA-UL sustainability standard for household refrigeration appliances.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Bosch home appliances a 2012 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award. 

Bosch, an Energy Star partner since 2007, will be honored for its long-term commitment to energy efficiency. For instance, 100% of Bosch major appliances are Energy Star-rated and exceed federal energy standards in dishwashers by up to 97%, the company said. Bosch points to its Bosch 800 Plus dishwasher as the most energy- and water-efficient dishwasher in North America.

Fountain Valley, Calif.-based Noritz expanded its ecoTough Series of gas-fired residential condensing tankless water heaters with the new NRC83.

The Energy Star-rated unit is designed for smaller homes and multi-family dwellings. Available in both indoor (the two-pipe, direct vent NRC83-DV) and outdoor (NRC83-OD) models, the new wall-mounted units have an energy factor (EF) of 0.92 for natural gas and 0.94 with liquid propane -- approximately 30 points higher than a standard, storage tank-type, gas-fired water heater.

Floor care products make perfectly acceptable holiday gifts, according to research just released by The NPD Group. In its consumer tracking study, conducted between November 2010 and October 2011, the market research firm discovered that 6% of all floor care appliances -- the majority of them vacuums -- were purchased as a gift for someone else. And in half of the purchases, the item was intended as a Christmas or Hanukkah gift.

Novi, Mich.-based BrassCraft Manufacturing Co. is celebrating its 65th anniversary while promoting its commitment to "Made in the USA."

Since its founding in 1946, the company has led the industry in a number of innovations. It points to the invention of the modern-day flexible riser to the development of the one-piece water stop. Recent BrassCraft products include PushConnect water stops for quick, secure connections, and new solutions for tankless water heater installations.

Ashland City, Tenn.-based A. O. Smith has entered into a contract with the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA). The new contract will allow the water heater manufacturer to easily interact with federal, state and local government agencies in need of commercial water heaters and boilers.

Owners of single-family homes in California must install carbon monoxide monitors by July 1 if they have a fireplace or heater that burns fossil fuels. Homeowners who ignore the new mandate can face fines of up to $200.

The deadline for apartment buildings, hotels and dormitories to comply with the new regulation is not until 2013.

Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas, is responsible for 30 to 40 deaths in California every year, according to the state’s Air Resources Board. California joins 24 other states in mandating installation of the devices.

Consumers may be falling out of love with their front-load washing machines, according to a survey by The NPD Group, a market research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y. A study of consumer shopping habits in the kitchen appliance category showed that top-load washers are outpacing front loaders in terms of dollar growth, up 8% vs. a slower increase of 5% for front-loaders.