Home appliances are all of those appliances that are used in the home. It is a very broad term that encompasses everything from electric toothbrushes to washer/dryers. Home appliances can be large or small. They are basically classified as white good and brown goods. Brown goods are classified as household electrical entertainment appliances like CD and DVD players, televisions and camcorders. The term brown was applied because most of these appliances at one time were traditionally finished with wood.

Major household electrical appliances are called white goods and include air conditioners, dishwashers, stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, etc. White goods were, and still are in many cases, enameled white.

Any home appliance that is purchased today should be energy efficient in order to save money. Federal regulations have to be listed on any appliance purchased, so you can see what you are buying and how energy efficient it is. This is particularly true with furnaces, refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioners and lamps. Another example is purchasing an appliance that uses water, like a washing machine or a dishwasher. Look for newer features like reduced water uses for different rinsing cycles. Another cost effective measure you can take when buying an air-conditioner is to make sure that it fits the size of your room. If you purchase one that is too big for the area that needs to be cooled, youll be wasting energy and money. The Department of Energy suggests that an air-conditioners size can be determined by multiplying your rooms square feet by 20.