Filed Under (Consumer Reports) by Admin on 31-10-2010
Flickering lights. A slamming door. The scent of perfume wafting through the air. These could all be signs of paranormal activity in your home. But theres probably a far less haunting explanationthough what it's costing you could be scary. Just in time for Halloween, Consumer Reports takes the fright out of five household phenomena.
Cold spots
While drafts could be the result of a restless apparition, theyre more likely caused by air leaks or inadequate insulation. Professional energy auditors often use infrared instruments to identify such cold spots, but Consumer Reports has found that a simple incense stick can do the trick. If smoke from the stick blows sideways when you hold it up to windows, doors and walls, air is seeping in and out from those locations. A combination of caulk, weather stripping and insulation should eliminate the cold spot. That will keep you comfortable this winter and could lower your heating bills by hundreds of dollars.
Appliances that turn on and off
Heres a case where the scientific explanation is scarier than the paranormal one. In the last year, Consumer Reports has noted many cases of appliances turning on by themselves, posing serious safety risks to homeowners. Just last week, Electrolux recalled 122,000 smoothtop ranges and cooktops after liquid pooling under the control knobs caused 70 units to turn on unexpectedly. Earlier, a Magic Chef range was reportedly being turned on and off by the wireless signal from a nearby cell phone. And weve heard cases of toaster ovens coming on without warning.
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Filed Under (Consumer Reports) by Admin on 30-10-2010
Robotic mowers have been around even longer than the Roomba and other robotic vacuum cleaners. And as with robotic vacuums, Consumer Reports has found self-motivating mowers both pricey and persnickety as a group. But that hasnt daunted Worx, which already markets electric push mowers. Its Landroid Unmanned Mowing Vehicle debuted this week at the annual Green Industry and Equipment Expo (GIE+Expo) in Louisville.
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Filed Under (Consumer Interests) by Admin on 30-10-2010
SuperFresh is running a promotion where it will practically pay you to buy groceries.
Under the "Lower Price Project Rewards" program, shoppers who spend $300 - all at once or over time - get 5 percent off their next purchase.
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Filed Under (Consumer Reports) by Admin on 29-10-2010
Sears Black Friday Now promotion, which kicks off today, is part of a wider effort by retailers to push the post-Thanksgiving shopping event ahead of Halloween. The sales will be on every Friday and Saturday from 9 AM to noon, through Saturday, November 20. Offers will change from week to week, but all products will qualify for an extended layaway plan, which will give you 12 weeks to pay for purchases.
Though some experts say Black Friday Now is merely a rebranding of Sears regular weekend sales, the retailer insists these discounts go beyond the norm. This weekends inaugural deals do run a bit deeper than normal. For example, while Sears often takes 20 percent off its line of Craftsman lawn mowers, this weekend the 20 percent discount extends to all Craftsman lawn and garden equipment. That could mean a great deal on the Craftsman 28933 lawn tractor (normally $2,800), which is one of Consumer Reports top-rated tractors. If youre in the market for a self-propelled lawn mower, Craftsmans 37659 and 37435 models both did well in our lawn mower reviews.
As for appliances, Black Friday Nows big offer is $1,180 for the Frigidaire Affinity Classic FAFS4272L 4.2 cubic-foot-capacity front-loading washer and the Frigidaire Affinity Classic FASE7073 7.0 cubic-foot-capacity electric dryer. Though the price is right, saving you around $600, this Frigidaire washer was merely good at getting clothes clean in our washer tests (many other models were very good or excellent) and vibration could be an issue if your laundry room is a second-story wood-suspended floor.
The bottom line: Black Friday Now is off to a decent start. But Sears will have to sweeten the deals in coming weekssay, by dropping the price on a Consumer Reports-recommended Kenmore front loaderfor this promotion to be a real crowd pleaser.
Daniel DiClerico
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Filed Under (Consumer Interests) by Admin on 29-10-2010
Thanks to the low inflation that left seniors without an increase next year in their Social Security benefits, the amount you can salt away in tax-friendly retirement accounts at work also won’t be changing.
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Filed Under (Consumer Reports) by Admin on 29-10-2010
Got a tired fridge or water-guzzling washer? Your local appliance aisle could feel more like a candy store as big brands and retailers pile on the discounts. Prices are even lower than last years, with the price of front-loading washing machines down 6.3 percent, according to todays Wall Street Journal.
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Filed Under (Consumer Interests) by Admin on 29-10-2010
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly spoke today at the airline’s "Media Day" - I watched on TV, uStream actually - and he and other SWA officials offered a few more tidbits you may (or may not) be interested in:
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Filed Under (Consumer Reports) by Admin on 28-10-2010
The annual Green Industry and Equipment Expo (GIE+Expo), a trade show for outdoor power equipment and related products, starts today in Louisville. The three-day show is a joint effort of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Professional Grounds Management Society, and Professional Landcare Network (or PLANET). And over the next few days well be previewing interesting products on display.
Well provide coverage of new products from manufacturers such as MTD (maker of Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, and other brands), Stihl, Toro, Worx and others. In addition, well check out Hardscape North America. That show, which is sharing exhibit and demo space with the GIE+Expo show, is mostly for professionals who build walks, retaining walls, and similar improvements. But well be looking for DIY offerings for the homeowner.
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Filed Under (Consumer Interests) by Admin on 28-10-2010
There’s plenty of free and cheap Halloween food and treats this weekend!
And with the holiday falling on Sunday this year, you’ll have lots of opportunity to space out the celebrating and enjoy free and cheap stuff all weekend long.
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Filed Under (Consumer Reports) by Admin on 27-10-2010
If you ever made a bird feeder, animal puppet, or make-believe telescope out of an old toilet paper tube, Kimberly-Clarks new Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper could leave you feeling a little wistful. The household paper product giant says its special winding process does away with the familiar cardboard tube. The newfangled rolls will still have a hole in the center that fits over any toilet paper spindle.
Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper will be sold first at Walmart and Sams Club stores in the Northeast. Depending on consumer response, Kimberly-Clark may then go national with the line. If other manufacturers follow suit, the result could be 17 billion fewer toilet paper tubes, equal to 160 million pounds of trash, And a generation of kindergarteners coming up with the new ways to make an octopus.
For another green toilet paper option, consider one of the Consumer Reports-tested recycled toilet paper products.
Daniel DiClerico
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