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Ovens - When buying an oven, your first decision should be whether you want an electric oven or a gas one. This decision is based on your cooking preferences. An important factor to consider when buying an oven is the type of cleaning process it uses. Standard cleaning ovens require you to clean it yourself. Self-cleaning ovens often have programmable cleaning settings that use high temperatures to clean residue from the oven. You can also get continuous cleaning ovens that absorb or burn off splatters, making it even more convenient.

Refrigerators - As a rule of thumb, plan on purchasing 8-10 cubic feet of space for a family of two, then add an additional cubic foot of space for each family member. Refrigerators with freezers on the top are more energy efficient than models with side freezers.

Dishwashers - When choosing a dishwasher, you should find out how many gallons of water it uses during different cycles. Look for features that reduce water use. The new stainless-steel models can improve energy efficiency during drying cycles and allows for higher water temperatures as well.

Ventilation Hoods - The most important thing to consider when purchasing a new ventilation hood is its fan. Axial fans are inexpensive but not as powerful as centrifugal fans. Try to find hoods that have a tempered glass light lens. These are more durable than the plastic lens, which yellow and crack, and they last longer. If you can, try to find one that has a low sone rating. The lower the sone number is, the quieter your range hood.

Garbage Disposal Systems - There are a few things to consider when you want to buy a garbage disposal. You need to take into account the number of meals that are prepared in your kitchen per week, how often you entertain, and the amount of noise it makes, as well as a long product life. You also must know if you are hooked up to a septic system or regular water system.

Air Conditioners - Check the energy tag attached to the unit and consider the energy efficiency. The EER numbers range from a minimum of eight to a maximum of 12. You'll want to look for high EER numbers. After this, you also need to consider the space of the room you'll be putting the air conditioner in, as well as your budget. How big is the room? Is it important that the whole room be cooled? Is there variable weather? Do I move from room to room a lot? The answers to these questions will help you find the suitable model for your needs. Try to match the unit's cooling capacity with the size of the room. Follow the Dept. of Energy's formula, which is to multiply the room's square feet of space by 20.

Water Heaters - Look for hot water heaters that are energy efficient. The EnergyGuide label gives you two important pieces of information when you're comparing different brands and models: estimated energy consumption and estimated yearly operating costs. Use this information to determine which models are the most energy efficient. Tank size or capacity refers to the amount of water, in gallons, that the water heater will hold. The more gallons you need per hour, the larger the tank must be. Of course there are also tank-less systems which heat water as you need it. Tankless water systems are powered by either electricity or gas and turn off when not in use. However, they cannot be expected to supply you with large amounts of hot water at any given time.