What do those numbers on the lights and washing machines mean? What does that label on my fridge mean? If you’ve ever wondered about these things, we’re here to help.
The numbers on the back of your dishwasher can tell you a lot. They might seem daunting at first, but they actually provide a lot of useful information.
The EnergyGuide label will tell you how much energy the dishwasher uses in kilowatt hours per year. It gives an estimated yearly operating cost based on average utility costs and a normal use of the appliance. It also indicates what similar models use so you can compare their energy efficiency. The yellow label is required by law to be displayed prominently on all new appliances and will help consumers save money by comparing energy use when shopping for new appliances.
The EnergyStar label lets you know that this dishwasher is among the most efficient dishwashers available and will likely save you money on your electric bill over time as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EnergyStar is an EPA program that helps businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
Fridge temperatures are usually the most difficult to understand. Many of us have had to guess what this number really means. Is it the temperature of the fridge or is it the temperature of my food? The answer is, it’s the temperature of your fridge.
If you want to know what foods can be kept at these temperatures, check out our handy guide to fridge storage. You’ll see that meats, fish, and dairy products need to be kept below 5°C, while fruit and vegetables are best kept above 5°C. If you’ve got a busy family then this guide will show how to manage your fridge space correctly.
A common problem with fridges is that they can easily get too cold. Luckily, there is a simple solution: set your fridge to 4°C and your freezer to -18°C. This ensures that your fridge is not too cold for storing most kinds of food, but is still cold enough for keeping frozen food at its best.
There’s a number on your refrigerator, it’s energy efficiency rating. The higher the number, the better you are doing at conserving energy. But what is really going on? Let’s take a look at the Energy Star numbers to see what they mean.
The Energy Star program was started in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of its strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions that contribute to climate change. According to EPA, in 2011 alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $18 billion on utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 34 million vehicles. Energy Star helps us save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices: http://www.energystar.gov/about
Energy Star uses a 10-point scale from 10-100 to rate refrigerators’ energy efficiency; the higher the score, the more efficient it is. If a refrigerator has an Energy Star rating that means it meets or exceeds federal guidelines for energy efficiency for year-round operation.
Energy Star ratings are based on a refrigerator’s size and volume and also reflect other features such as automatic defrosting modes for both refrigerator and freezer compartments and whether or not lighting is included as a
The number on your refrigerator or freezer is a measure of how many cubic feet of volume you have. So, for example, if you have a fridge that is 30 inches wide by 30 inches deep and 60 inches high (30x30x60) that equals 54 cubic feet. To get the cubic feet you multiply the height by width by depth, then divide by 1728.
Imagine you’re at the store, and you need a new dishwasher. You’ve narrowed it down to a few models, but they all seem pretty similar.
So what’s the best way to decide among them?
The most obvious place to look is at the label on the front of the dishwasher, where you’ll see some seemingly important numbers, like this:
This is an EnergyGuide label, and it’s required on many home appliances by the government. So these numbers must be useful in comparing dishwashers, right?
Well…not really. They’re actually not very useful at all. The two numbers we care about are “Annual Energy Cost” (top) and “Capacity” (bottom). Let’s go through them one by one.
How does a dishwasher work? Why do we even need one?
Well, as you might know, dishes get dirty. And it’s not just because there are crumbs or food on them. It’s actually because of bacteria and germs, which can make you sick if the bacteria and germs get into your body. But how do you get rid of the bacteria without touching the dishes? Well, that’s where a dishwasher comes in handy!
A dishwasher is a machine that washes dishes by spraying hot water on them. Inside the dishwasher is a rack, where you put the dishes. The racks have holes in them so that water can come out of the holes and spray onto the dishes. When you put dirty dishes into a dishwasher, it first sprays hot water onto the dishes to get rid of all of the food and other stuff that’s on them. Then it sprays soap onto the dishes to kill any bacteria or germs. After that, it sprays hot water again to rinse off all of the soap. Once all of this is done, it dries all of the dishes using hot air. So when you take your plates out of your dishwasher, they are clean and dry!
What’s the best way to find out what all those numbers mean? We’ve done the research and contacted manufacturers so you don’t have to. Here’s everything you need to know:
Appliance Labels
The labels on your appliances can be confusing and aren’t always easy to understand. Here’s how to decipher them:
Energy Star Label: If your appliance has an Energy Star label, it means that it meets guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The label doesn’t tell you exactly how much energy an appliance uses; instead it tells you that the appliance uses less energy than standard models. Some appliances, like refrigerators and dishwashers, will only have Energy Star labels if they exceed efficiency by a certain amount. Other appliances, like dehumidifiers, have Energy Star labels if they meet a certain minimum requirement for efficiency.
Refrigerator/Freezer Label: A new refrigerator or freezer will have a label with information about its capacity, features and energy consumption. The features section tells you what kind of doors the fridge has (glass or solid), whether it has an in-door ice maker and if it has an automatic icemaker. The energy usage section tells you how much the fridge costs to run per year based on a national average of