Appliances
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April 21, 2012
Save Money and Save the Earth
Sunday April 22nd is Earth Day. It's been around for 42 years - Earth day, that is. The Earth has been around for just a bit longer. Here are a few ideas to help you live green and celebrate Earth Day. 1. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs (CFL). The good ones are E-Star rated, will run cool, use less electricity, and last longer even though they cost more. 2. Use your ceiling fans and floor fans, before resorting to AC. There are lots of warm days that aren't scorchers. You can save energy and money by keeping the AC off on warm days. 3. Replace and repair worn out weather stripping. You may be surprised to find out how much air conditioned are you are allowing to escape. 4. Use cold water to do your wash. Experts say that this alone could save enough energy to run your home for two weeks. 5. Replace those old appliances. Appliance life expectancies aren't much longer than 15 years, and if over 10 years old they're likely to be energy hogs. Do the math on appliances nearing the end of their useful life. You're likely to find that by amortizing the energy savings over the expected life you're better off buying new appliances. Contact Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center for more information on new Energy Star appliances. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center 12025 Ventura Blvd. Ste B-105 Studio City, CA 91604 -
April 19, 2012
Make a good fit.
Appliances need to "fit" your home in more than one way. Sure the dimensions must be right, but appliances must also be "right" for your house in value perception. If you live in a mansion in a luxury gated community, you wouldn't show off a 17 cu. ft. top freezer mass brand refrigerator (Frigidaire, Amana, Hotpoint) in your gourmet kitchen. On the other hand, if you have an entry level production home, you probably should not be installing a $12,000 built-in refrigerator (SubZero, Miele, Gaggenau) in a galley kitchen. Admittedly, these are extreme examples. If the budget allows, consider "taking it up a notch" on your appliances. Let your kitchen sell your house by being the best available when compared to other homes in the same price range, but do not let your kitchen far exceed the kitchens in comparable homes or you will not get a return on your investment. Worse yet, is the luxury home with cheap looking appliances and brands that don't fit with high end buyer expectations. Real estate experts say installing bargain basement appliances in a luxury home, can greatly reduce the value of the home and make it hard to sell. Fortunately, Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center carries most major brands from economy mass brands to the most esoteric luxury appliances. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center 12025 Ventura Blvd. Ste B-105 Studio City, CA 91604 PH 877 696-2987 -
April 17, 2012
Electrolux up to $500 Rebate
Electrolux up to $500 Rebate 4-1-2012 to 6-30-2012 -
April 15, 2012
A primer on installing your own appliances.
We recommend having a professional install your appliances. However, if you are handy and insist on installing your appliances yourself, here are a few tips: Read the installation instructions that come with your appliances before you begin. Confirm that you have the right size circuit breakers available for electric appliances and the proper size gas lines for gas appliances. Make sure that your appliance is rated appropriately for the service that you do have. Convert as necessary from Natural to LP gas. (It is recommended that a professional do this.) Assemble all the tools that you will need for installation. Purchase all the needed parts, wires, connections, filters, etc. that you are going to need in advance. Do not throw away any packing material until the installation is complete. (If you need to return this product, you'll need them.) Also, if something is missing, it might just be that it is hidden in the packing materials. Make sure that you have drop cloths, mats, etc. to protect your floors and countertops. Turn off electric circuit breakers, gas connections, and water lines as needed before you begin. Read the installation instructions a second time. It is almost certain that you will encounter some obstacle in a do-it-yourself installation. When in doubt double check the installation instructions. or check on the manufacturers website. Sometimes a brief search on the internet will also be helpful if you get stumped. Before you begin, guess as to how much time you think you will need -
April 13, 2012
Visit UAKC and get the latest news - really.
Remember the last time that you visited a real honest-to-goodness newstand? My last time was several years ago -near the Picadilly Circus Underground Station in London. Come to Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center for your appliance needs and treat yourself to a bona fide newstand across the street. The five star rated Laurel Canyon News has a great selection of magazines and newspapers, and evidently has a way of getting them first. Don't worry about the time of day - they always seem to be open. And if you're in a hurry just pull up on the roadside of Ventura Blvd. and they'll bring the paper or magazine to you! Visit Universal Appliance first and you won't need to worry about parking. If there isn't space in the surface lot, you can use the underground garage. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center 12050 Ventura Blvd. Ste B-105 Studio City, CA. 91604 PH 877 696-2987 -
April 12, 2012
Appliances: fix the old or buy a new one?
So the dishwasher is making grinding noises and the dishes aren't getting clean. How much are you willing to spend before you call it quits and go shopping for a new dishwasher? There are some folks that say if the cost of repair is more than half the cost of a new one, then you should replace, but I'm not so sure that is a good rule of thumb. You might consider the age of the dishwasher first. Dishwashers last on average 10-12 years. If your dishwasher is approaching the end of its life cycle, then you should think twice about footing a big repair bill. Another factor would be costs of operation. New energy saving dishwashers often use only 4-5 gallons of water per cycle - some even less. The 10 year old guzzler uses many times that. Finally, you should know that investments in the kitchen have among the biggest paybacks of any home improvement you could make in terms of resale value of your house. If you elect to repair be sure to call Universal Kitchen and Appliance Center for prompt, reliable service. PH # 800 387-2011 If, on the other hand you're considering replacing visit the team at Universal Kitchen and Appliance Center, 12050 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, Ca. 91604 PH # 877 696-2982 -
April 10, 2012
Save Energy and Save Money on Earth Day
Earth Day 2012 is April 22nd. If you're considering new appliances, why not help the envirornment and save money at the same time by purchasing Energy Star qualified appliances. You can calculate your savings by comparing the cost of operating your new appliances with the cost of operating the old. Frigidaire has created a clever online calculator to help make this calculation. Go to: http://www.frigidaire.com/Customer-Support/Energy-Saving/ to access the calculator. For more information on saving money and saving energy on appliances go to Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center at 12050 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA. 91604 PH 877 696-2982 -
April 09, 2012
New Design Trend: Appliances where you need them
There's an old kitchen design principle called the work triangle. Refrigerator, range, and dishwasher make up a triangle and need to be located within a certain proximity of each other. But rules are made to be broken and there is a new trend in kitchen design that has appliances being located in new and sometimes unusual locations. For example, Sub Zero and other manufacturers now offer undercounter refrigerator and freezer drawers, beverage centers, ice makers, and wine cellars. Families can now use a small refrigerator in a refreshment area so the kids to get cold snacks when they come home from school. Freezers drawers in the pantry area can be used for long term food storage. The entertainment area can feature an ice-maker along with the wine cellar, and dish drawers next to the sink in the wet bar. Microwave drawers, warming drawers, built-in coffee makers, and duct-free downdraft cooktops also open up new location opportunities. The key is that design should be about how you want to live, and not follow outdated rules. For new ideas in appliances, visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center at 12050 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA. 91604, PH 877 696-2982 -
April 08, 2012
Planning a kitchen remodel? Let's talk appliances.
A recent blog on kitchen remodel costs asked readers to report on their costs not including appliances. Basic costs came in as low as a few thousand dollars and a high of over $80,000 not including appliances. Whether you are considering an Ikea job or a professional remodel for an Architectural Digest spread, we can offer some suggestions for appliances. Shop now and lock in models and prices early in the process. Too often appliances are not considered in the design process and costly mistakes occur. These errors can be avoided if buyers will consult on their appliances with the experts so that they have the proper electrical and gas supply lines in the right locations, dimensions are confirmed, and prices are locked in. Spend some time with the experts at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center to make your appliance selections, and purchase early in the process for the best prices. Go to Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center in Studio City at 12050 Ventura Boulevard, PH 877 696-2982 -
April 05, 2012
Spring Cleaning: Tackling the vent hood
Ever wonder what happens to the smoke, grease, and particulates from your frying pan when you're rustling up some Italian sausage and onions? Well it doesn't literally go "up in smoke". It goes up through your vent hood where a filter captures odor, grease, moisture, and other airborne particulates. Your hood is either vented outside or is set up as a recirculating type hood. Most likely you will have an aluminum mesh filter or a charcoal filter. Some commercial type hoods use a stainless steel baffle. Charcoal filters need to be replaced when they get dirty. Never wash them. Check your manufacturer's directions, but heavy use might be about 6 months. For light use the filter could last a year or more. Aluminum mesh filters are easily washed out as needed, and in fact are dishwasher safe. The stainless steel baffle filters can be washed in a sink full of hot soapy water. Clean the outside of your filter often with a soft cloth using hot water, dishwashing detergent, and ammonia to cut the grease. When you remove the filters for cleaning, also clean out inside the hood cavity including the fan blades if accessible. It gets dusty up there and surprisingly some grease seems to be able to get past those filters.
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