What I learned appliance shopping - Washers & Dryers

Washers

There are basically 3 types of washers.

• Top loader: These are traditional washers with an agitator.  These are slowly being phased out in favor of high efficiency models.  They tend to use more water and they are harsh on clothes; e.g. you won't find one of these with a gentle "hand wash" setting.  (Edit: This is not true per one of the commenters below.)  On the flip side, these tend to be workhorses and some brands like SpeedQueen are known to last very long.  These usually range about 3-4 cu ft in size.
• High efficiency top loader: These ones usually don't have an agitator.  They typically have a load sensor to determine the amount of water to be used.  The drum bobs up and down and this is how it tends to wash.  Because there's very limited movement and no agitator, many users report that they do not clean as well as traditional top loaders.  They are also very susceptible to loads making the drum go unbalanced.  When unbalanced it gets noisy.  Some machines try to "auto balance" the load which involves adding water and trying to move things around.  In this case, part of the efficiency is given up as more water is utilized in trying to rebalance, sometimes without success and requiring manual intervention.  These can go as high as 5+ cu ft in size, but users report it's hard to balance the load when the machine is filled and so it can't really be filled to capacity.
• Front loaders:  As the name suggests, these washers have the opening on the front.  Once closed, the unit is sealed shut.  One typically cannot add clothes mid cycle.  They offer the best cleaning performance as the drum rotates using gravity to move clothes around.  While it is possible to get an unbalanced drum with this, they are relatively rare compared to HE top loaders.  Many of these come with a gentle "hand wash" setting.  The main downside with front loaders is that water can become trapped in the seals and can eventually cause mold.  Suggestions to prevent mold include leaving the door open after a wash so that it has time to dry out and using a cleaning cycle with bleach.  Additionally, some newer machines have a drum that is tilted forward (and thus water is less susceptible to stagnating) and some have a fan to blow air to speed the drying process.  Still, despite all of this some users report problems with mold.  (Mold is never an issue with top loaders.)  Additionally, since the opening for loading the machine is in the front, these machines are amenable to stacking.  Even when not stacked, their tops can be used as counter space.  These can range in size from compact (~ 2 cu ft) to full sized 5+ cu ft.  The general rule with front loaders is that you can load them up as much as possible as long as one is able to shut the door.

One of the key specifications to look for is size of the drum.  I have seen sizes from < 2 cu ft to > 5 cu ft for most home machines.  Even for size, there are 2 ratings -- there's the IEC rating and the DoE rating.  The DoE rating is typically smaller and corresponds to the actual usable size.

Sizing works different for top load machines vs front load machines.  Front load machines typically hold more laundry than a top load machine of the same size.  For example, on a recent visit to a laundromat, I found that while the top load machines were rated for a single load, their smallest front load machine was rated at 3 loads.

Sometimes washers are rated in lb.  For example, a 20 lb washer is capable of holding a load equivalent to that of two standard top loading machines with an agitator.  The 2.83 cu ft (DoE) Asko washer is advertised as handling up to 24 lb, while the smaller 2.12 cu ft (DoE) Asko washer is advertised as handling up to 18 lb.

The size of the drum does not tell the entire story.  Depending on how the machine is designed, it may or may not perform well when heavily loaded.

Features to look for when buying a washer:

• The size of the drum.
• The location of door hinge and if it's reversible.
• Water and energy consumption.
• Internal water heater.
• When equipped with an internal water heater, washing machines can wash with significantly higher temperatures than what is possible from the home's heater, which is usually set to a lower temperature to reduce the risk of scalding.
• Wash programs and especially programs such as hand wash.
• Warranty.
• For front loaders, the design of the door seal and whether it is prone to mold.
• Whether the washer can be interrupted to add clothes after a cycle has been started.
• Material used for construction of the drums (inner and outer) and the guides/impeller in the drum.
• Delayed start.
• Useful when you want a program to start running just before you get home.
• How the unit is powered.
• 110v, 240v, must plug into matching dryer, etc.

Dryers

Dryers are a lot simpler than washers.  There are 3 basic types of dryers.

• Vented dryer: This is the most common type and is what one would expect to find in the average US home.  As the name suggests, the dryer has to be hooked up to a vent.  Hot air is sent to the vent.
• Condensation dryer: These units are made specifically for homes and apartments that do not have a vent.  With machines of this type, hot air is released into the room after the moisture has been removed from it.  Condensation dryers typically take a lot longer to dry the clothes, and some folks find the release of hot air into the room annoying.
• Heat pump dryer: This is the latest technology for condensation dryers.  With dryers of this type, instead of the hot air being released into the room, the hot air recirculated back helping lower the energy consumption.

Many dryers offer the option of running on gas or electricity.  The ones that run on gas typically cost about $100 more.  But because they run on gas, and gas is typically cheaper, they can help lower the utility bills.  However, some utility companies have cheaper electricity and some homes are equipped with solar panels, so the economics starts to dull.

Perhaps the most interesting feature in a dryer is a moisture sensor.  This allows the dryer to sense the remaining moisture in the clothes and either extend or shorten the drying time.  Without a sensor, one would have to manually check if the clothes are dry, or risk "cooking" the clothes.

The matching dryer for any given washer is typically a little larger because dried clothes take up more space than wet ones.

Features to look for when buying a dryer:

• Size of the drum.
• Whether it has a moisture sensor.
• The type of dryer.
• How the dryer is powered -- gas or electric, if electric whether it is 110v or 240v.

Brands

As with refrigerators, there are the usual brands.  Most of the European brands only make compacts.

• Asko: A Swedish brand now owned by a Slovene company called Gorenje and manufactured in Slovenia.  A cool innovation with their washers is they have figured how to build a front loader with no rubber seal in the door opening (instead there is just a small rubber seal on the door itself), making it less susceptible mold.  These are less pricey than the Miele, but more expensive than the other brands.
• Blomberg: A German brand that is owned by Arcelik, a Turkish company, and the units are now manufactured in Turkey.  Also only make compacts.  Their prices are much lower than Miele and even Asko.
• Bosch: A German brand, but they only make compacts.
• Electrolux.
• GE.
• LG.
• Miele: A German brand, and they only make compacts.  You buy these from a dealer, but they are delivered and installed by Miele.  The build quality is great, but they are expensive (about twice the price for half the washer).  This was Steve Jobs' preferred brand for a washer (see the discussion at the very bottom of the page).  Most people that have these like them, but at 2 cu ft, they fall in the compact category.
• Samsung.
• Speed Queen: These are made in US, and seem to have good reliability based on reviews.
• Whirlpool family: These include Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag.  These are "assembled" in the US, meaning that final assembly is done in the US, but many parts are imported.

What I learned while appliance shopping -- Refrigerators

I recently had to go shopping for a refrigerator and have learned quite a lot over the last couple of weeks.  I thought I'd put some of these learnings in a post.  In general I was disappointed with what I found because most fridges are loaded with features that I will never use but have questionable durability.  About 5 years seems to be the average life nowadays before one is faced with a cost-prohibitive repair.

Style

• Free standing or built in:  The average house can only accommodate a free standing unit.  Most of the premium brands (e.g. Miele, Sub Zero) only offer built-in units.
• Door style: Can be 2 door top freezer (the old style), 2 door bottom freezer, side-by-side (fridge on one side, freezer on the other), french door with one or more freezer drawers, and 4-door french door (both fridge and freezer have french doors).
• Finish: Can be white, black, stainless, or other color.  Some of them offer finger-print resistant finishes.  Only high end refrigerators have the sides finished in stainless steel.  Most run-of-the-mill fridges have plastic sides even though the front may be stainless steel.  High end refrigerator will often offer the option of wood paneling on the doors.
• Depth: Can be counter depth or standard.  Counter depth models won't jut out but are pricier even though they are smaller.  Go figure.

Features

• Air filter: Keeps the air fresh getting rid of any odors (including that of the plastic that the fridge is made of).  No need for baking soda or "airing out" the fridge.
• Water filter: Needed especially with those that are equipped with a water dispenser, however some models use a water filter when creating ice.
• Lighting: Most used energy efficient LED lighting.  Lighting may or may not be offered in the freezer.
• Easy open handles on freezer drawers: Like the name suggests, these make it easier to open the freezer drawer.  I have only seen these on Samsung and LG units.
• Automatic pulling out of top freezer drawer: This partially pulls out the second-to-bottom freezer tray.
• Folding shelves: This allows the creation of space to store tall objects.

Quality of construction

• Hinges: Really only different on very high-end built-ins.
• Drawer operation: Smoothness of opening and closing drawers.
• Bins: Quality of the plastic used for the bins
• Shelves: Glass or plastic and ease of adjusting.
• Odor: The odor of the plastics used in the interior.
• Noise: The ambient noise of the unit.

Reliability

• Consumer Reports magazine.
• JD Power & Associates.
• User reviews on the manufacturer website and/or dealer sites.

Brands

Most of the mainstream stores sell several brands.  Most of the brands are made by a small handful of manufacturers.  Think of the cereal box model--there is an illusion of many choices, in reality there are only a few.

Here are the various manufacturers, the brands they make, and my thoughts on them as I shopped for a french door with single drawer bottom freezer.

• Whirlpool.
• Makes Amana, Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Kenmore, Bosch.
• Overall decent quality.  Assembled in America.  This means final assembly was done in the US using imported parts.  
• The quality is good but most models lack an air filter.
• Electrolux.
• Makes Electrolux, Frigidaire.
• A European brand that makes most of its units in Mexico.  
• Makes some of the best looking fridges.
• Lots of options with air and water filters.
• The quality of the interior was lacking--cheap plastic and the drawer mechanisms.
• For some reason, most sales folks tried to steer me away from this brand.  It also seemed to have higher than average negative reviews.
• Luxury end is Electrolux Icon.
• LG.
• Makes LG, Kenmore Elite.
• The units are made in either Korea or China.
• Overall a great product, but very limited options with an air filter.
• Samsung.
• The units are mostly made in Korea.
• Similar to LG in terms of quality and features, but I felt the LG was slightly better designed.
• GE.
• Recently acquired by Haier.
• Felt like quality inside and out, but could not find a model that had an air filter.
• Luxury end is GE Monogram.

At the high end, there are brands like Miele (German), Liebherr (German), Sub-Zero (US), Thermador (German), Viking (US).  I didn't spend much time researching these because they were not suitable for installation in my house.

Getting questions answered

Misinformation abounds with most floor sales folks.  They either don't have the information or haven't bothered to look it up, but emphatically provide their best guess.  For models they do not have on the floor, you typically get incorrect answers for country of manufacture and various other features.  Sometimes the information can be gleaned from the manufacturer website.  But if not, it's unlikely that contacting the manufacturer will yield anything useful.  Emails to their customer service often go unanswered.  Calls to them usually receive a response of the type "the only information we have is what is on our website" or "please contact an authorized sales center for that information."  And authorized sales center doesn't have that information.  So trying to get information can be an exercise in frustration.  The best way I found of getting accurate information is through discussions in various online forums.

This, by the way, is not something limited to refrigerators.  The same is true of most appliances and even other products.  Why is this so?  My conjecture is that the people fielding these questions have no interest in the product.  They are in jobs that are likely short term roles and they are trained to look up whatever information may already be on the company website and no more.  Unfortunately many of the company websites have flaws--links to download documents are stale, information about authorized sellers is outdated, etc.

This is perhaps the most frustrating part of appliance purchases.

Going green, living healthy -- Home construction and furnishings

This is part of a series of posts on Going green, living healthy. The first post is here. I'm not an expert on this subject, so if you find errors please let me know. I have tried to provide pointers to my sources where possible.

My first awareness of "green" home construction was around 2006-2007 when I looked at new homes by The Good Project in West Sacramento by a company called LJ Urban, which is now no longer in business.  This is what they listed as some of their green features:

• Concrete floor with fly ash;
• Recycled content insulation;
• Night Breeze fresh-air intake AC;
• Reclaimed walnut and cedar wood;
• Efficient tankless water heater;
• White reflective cool roof;
• Solar panels on roof;
• Passive solar window shades;
• PaperStone countertops;
• Energy efficient appliances;
• NatureMill food composter;
• Low VOC paints and materials;
• FLOR carpet tiles with recycled content;
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures; and
• Dual flush toilets.

Even though the homes were not in a location that was of interest to me, I went there for a tour. Instead of the usual sales office, they had informal dinners that people could sign up for to get a tour of the homes. I'm glad I did because it completely altered the way I look home construction and home furnishings. In the model home, they had boards explaining the different features. I'll try and summarize some of the things that I learned from that visit.

What makes a green home different from a regular home? Here's a partial list:

• Use of sustainable building materials: Usually using reclaimed wood from buildings that were torn-down, or using wood from renewable forests.
• Environmental conservation at the time of building: For example, preserving trees on the land where the home is built.
• Use of sustainable furnishings: Keeps environmental impact in mind during production (e.g. fewer toxic bi-products), non-toxic finishes such as water-based finishes (as opposed to petroleum-based).
• Water conservation: Typically low-flow plumbing fixtures.
• Energy conservation: Typically includes insulation, lighting fixtures, etc. (I'm not big on the use of CFLs because of their light quality and the fact that they contain toxic materials and require care during disposal.)

"New home" smell

The first thing that struck me as a entered the home was that there was no "new home" smell. Turns out that new home smell is actually an off-gassing of a bunch of chemicals from the new furnishings (cabinets, carpets, paint, etc.), most of which are known to be toxic, but the levels of which are considered "safe".

Here's what Build it Green says about this on Page 10 in their Green Building Guidelines:

On average, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, yet the air in new homes can be ten times more polluted than outdoor air, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Children are particularly vulnerable when it comes to air pollution. A report in the New England journal of Medicine states that 40% of children will develop respiratory disease, in part due to the chemicals in their homes.

A common source of indoor air pollution is the offgassing of chemicals found in many building materials. Kitchen cabinets, countertops, shelving and furniture may be made from particleboard or medium density fiberboard. Some of these pressed-wood products are made with adhesives that release urea formaldehyde—a known carcinogen—into the home for years after installation. Also, many paints, floor finishes, adhesives and sealants emit unhealthy volatile organic compounds (VOCs). That “new house smell” is a telltale sign that there are harmful chemicals in the indoor environment.

The homes at The Good Project were different. They used formaldehyde-free cabinets, a different type of sectional carpet that allowed replacement and recycling of small sections (FLOR), and had zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint. Even the kitchen counter-tops were made of a different material, but I can't remember what it was. It turns out that most most of these are easier on the environment during production (because there are less chemicals involved and as a result less toxic waste as bi-products), so what's good for the environment is also good for us. The only catch is that perhaps these cost more to produce and may not be as durable. (I'm speculating here and don't know this for a fact.)

Conventional home builders

During the post-housing bubble years, I found that a lot of companies switched to using low-VOC paint and water-conserving plumbing. They introduced solar panels on the roofs (something I don't particularly care about), but they continued to use regular furnishings such as cabinets, carpets, and paint. As awareness increases, it looks like many of them are trying to move in the direction of using sustainable and more safe materials, albeit very slowly.

Furniture

When shopping for furniture, I always ask about whether the furniture is formaldehyde free. I am yet to find a mainstream retailer whose entre line of furniture is eco-friendly. Over the years, I've found some of the mainstream furniture retailers, such as Crate & Barrel, now carry a few pieces that are eco-friendly and are certified as low-VOC, but you have to look really hard for them. They may be made from reclaimed wood or FSC-certified wood, which typically comes from renewable forests.

With respect to office and home-office furniture, one of the companies that seems to be very environmentally conscious is Steelcase. Many of their products have LEED certification and there's a focus on recyclability.

While I'm not certain, similar principles would probably apply to things like curtains and other home furnishings.

Improving indoor air quality

If we have to live with conventionally built home, it might be worth investing in an air purifier. IQAir, for example, claims that their GC MultiGas air purifier will "strip VOCs from the air." Of course, leaving the windows open a lot would also be helpful, but may not be an option in extreme weather.

Organizations certifying buildings and furniture

• US Green Building Council (USGBC) - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) - Wood from sustainable sources.
• GREENGUARD - Indoor air quality certification.
• Sustainable Furnishings Council - Find member furniture stores.

Related news and articles

• Jetson Green - A blog about projects on sustainable living
• Brad Pitt's Make it Right foundation completes it's first Frank Gehry-designed home in New Orleans
• What's in furniture? It's enough to make you sick.
• http://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/

Useful "rules of thumb" for home buying

I don't own a home yet, but every time I think of buying one I do some research and find some useful information.  I've read each of these in different places at different times and this is my attempt to consolidate all of them.

What are the costs to be aware of?

• Mortgage payments covering principal and interest.
• Property taxes.
• Home owner's Insurance.
• HOA dues. Usually for condos, but nowadays many gated communities and new neighborhoods have these.
• Other taxes, such as Mello Roos bonds in newer neighborhoods.
• Estimated on-going maintenance costs.

Another thing to watch out for with condominiums are "special assessments" which are one-time levies to pay for significant repairs or renovations to the complex.

Aside from the very first expense above, one would have all of the other expenses even if one owned the home outright.

Typically, only the portion of the mortgage payment towards interest and the property taxes are tax-deductible.

How much home can one afford?

One rule I've heard is that one should buy a home that is no more than 2.5-3 times one's gross annual income. I've seen this ratio recommended to be as low as 1.5 and as high as 3.5.  Incidentally, this is what the price-to-income ratio looks in countries around the world.  As of 2014, this ratio is reported as being 2.4 for the US and it is one of the lowest.

Another is that the PITI (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) should be no more than 30% of gross pay, assuming no other significant debt.

Is the home a good value?

There's the cash-flow analysis where all of the expenses listed earlier in this post must be less than what the property would rent for.

Additionally, patrick.net (a now defunct site tracking the housing bubble around 2008) had the following suggestion:

• Annual rent / purchase price = 3% means do not buy.
• Annual rent / purchase price = 6% means borderline.
• Annual rent / purchase price = 9% means OK to buy.

Indeed, I've often heard that the general rule of thumb is that this ratio should be 10%.

Based on the above analysis, some low end condominiums work out to be "OK to buy", but if we were to subtract the HOA dues from the rent, then the ratio falls to where it's no longer favorable to buy. Condominiums are kind of tricky in that way.

Patrick.net provided an awesome "Should you buy that house?" calculator which allowed you to plug in a price for a given and address and used market rents off of craigslist to answer the question for you.  The calculator is no longer active.  However, one can get rent estimates for any given property/ area from Zillow, but those numbers may not be as accurate.

Rent vs Buy Calculator

This is straying from the main topic of the post (which is supposed to be about "rules of thumb"), but I got a note from a friend who suggested adding it. Rent vs Buy calculators, such as this one offered by the NY Times attempt to tell you whether you'd be better off renting or buying depending on things like:

• Current rent,
• Current home value,
• Length of time that one plans to live there,
• Prevailing mortgage rate (no provisions for a variable mortgage rate),
• Projected annual increase/decrease in rent, and
• Projected annual increase/decrease in the home's value.

Since the last 2 of these variables are almost impossible to predict accurately (especially given the current economic climate), it becomes really hard to get any concrete guidance from the calculator. But I guess it is still fun to play with the numbers.

Researching a purchase

These are some of the things one should get answers for when buying a home.

• Research the school district.
• Check with the local police station about crime in that area.
• Age of the home.
• Age of plumbing and electrical systems.
• If any improvements were made, were the necessary permits obtained?
• Have there been any losses or significant damage?
• Check the fire & flood ratings as that will impact insurance.  (Available on Redfin.)
• Check the Walk Score if you care about businesses accessible by walking.

Of course, anything that's broken will probably be caught during the inspection, so this phase is mostly about catching things that may be about to break or that are not covered by a normal home inspection.

For new homes that are not yet built, check the following:

• If considering a single story home, will it be surrounded by any 2-story homes?
• Locations of public utilities such as transformer boxes, fire hydrants, mailboxes, etc.  Will any of those be on your property?

Looking for a home

Here are some websites that allow you to search and view the MLS listings that match a user's criteria.

• Redfin
• Zillow (Includes estimates of price and rent)

Other useful stuff

• Home improvements and Your Taxes
• Home maintenance manual (from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty) 
• NACA
• Mortgage/loan calculator with amortization schedule
• Tax burden by state
• Interactive map for air quality
• greatschools.org

Update 8/20/2013

Came across this video titled Don't buy a house without checking these 5 things.

The checklist includes: mold, pests, outdated fixtures and wiring, cosmetic headaches like painted over wallpaper and poorly done DIY flooring, and drainage problems.

Update 4/8/2016 

I did end up buying a house in May 2015.