Selecting An Appliance For Your Home

Selecting An Appliance For Your Home

Universal Design
People who inhabit and visit our houses come in all shapes and sizes, range in age from infants to seniors, and possess various ever-changing abilities and skills. As we grow up, grow old and welcome new people into our homes, our housing needs change. A house that is designed and built to reflect the principles of universal design is safer and more accommodating to everyone who lives or visits here, regardless of age or physical ability.

Appliance designers have increasingly taken into consideration the principles of universal design, realizing that this increases the usability of appliances, making them simpler to use, quieter and safer, equipped with dials and controls that are easier to operate and read.

Selecting an Appliance
Many factors need to be considered when selecting an appliance, whether it is a toaster or a washing machine, a rice cooker or a can opener. The most important consideration is that it suit your needs, as well as the needs of your family. Make sure the appliance is compatible with your lifestyle and individual requirements concerning safety, usability, cost, storage, cleaning, programming and ease of installation.

Safety
The first consideration in selecting any appliance is safety. The CSA certification mark on electronics and appliances provides assurance that these products have been tested and certified to meet applicable Canadian standards for performance and safety. Be sure to look for the CSA mark when purchasing any appliance.

Here are some personal safety issues to consider when selecting an appliance:

• Is it easy to operate?
• Are the controls easy to read?
• Is it easy to install?
• Is it too heavy to handle?
• Is it equipped with a fail-safe feature, such as an automatic shut-off?
• Is it equipped with a lockout feature to prevent turning it on inadvertently?
• Does it pose a burning hazard?

Automatic shut-off is a design feature available with some appliances, such as kettles, irons and even stoves. This feature builds in a tolerance for error that can prevent fires and injuries. Some stoves incorporate a motion detector feature that automatically shuts off the stove if no movement is detected within a pre-set amount of time. Selecting an appliance with an automatic shut-off is sensible for everyone, but is especially useful in homes where there are children and/or aging relatives.

Operating smaller appliances, such as waffle irons and toaster ovens, can pose a safety hazard if the exterior of the appliance heats up. Look for appliances with a cool touch feature that prevents the exterior surfaces from becoming extremely hot.

Cool touch appliances are especially appreciated by people who are blind or have low vision who may orient themselves by “feeling” their way around the kitchen.

Selecting stoves or countertop ranges with controls at the side or in front, rather than at the back is a good idea. This will increase safety for everyone, especially anyone who operates a stove from a wheelchair, in that it eliminates the need to reach over the burners.

However, side or front controls such as knobs and buttons can also be misused by children who can reach them. Limiting access to appliances, such as stoves, can be achieved by installing an override switch that must be activated prior to operating the appliance. The placement of the override switch should be carefully considered so that it is protected against use by those at risk but still easily accessible to others.

While this feature is an important consideration for households with children, it should also be considered in households with people with cognitive disabilities and people with dementia.

Safety hazards can result from the inadvertent use of an appliance, particularly children climbing into a washer, dryer or oven. Some appliance manufacturers offer a lock-out feature that can be set to prevent doors from being opened.

Choose appliances that incorporate duplicate alert systems and/or safety features (also known as redundant cueing features) that reinforce the safe use of the appliance for everyone. For example, a toaster-oven that emits a sound when the food is ready, but also shuts itself off, or a microwave oven that “beeps” when the time is up but also flashes a text message on the control panel.

Considerations When Purchasing an Appliance

• What safety issues do I need to consider?
• Will I have sufficient manoeuvring space?
• What features does it offer?
• Are the controls intuitive and easy to use?
• What programming options do I want?
• Can I set it up myself, or do I need to hire a professional?
• Do I have an appropriate place to store the appliance?
• Will it be easy to clean?
• Is cost a factor?
• How energy-efficient is it?
• Can I test it before I purchase it?
• Where do I find more information for comparing similar appliances?

Manoeuvring space
When it comes to kitchens and laundry rooms, manoeuvring space around appliances is a key consideration, as space may be required for a walker or a wheelchair. A clear manoeuvring space of at least 1,500 mm x 1,500 mm (59 in. x 59 in.) should be provided for people who use a manual wheelchair and 2,100 mm x 2,100 mm (83 in. x 83 in.) for people who use a larger power wheelchair or a scooter.

It is always important to consider how work is going to be done. Planning for clear floor space around all appliances in the kitchen is an important design consideration.

Ease of use
There is a wide range of choice available to us when purchasing an appliance. Appliances come in a variety of colours, styles, speeds and with various levels of complexity of operation consider when assessing the ease of use of an appliance. A mixer that is too heavy to lift will remain in the cupboard; a dishwasher with too many programming options will be run at only one speed; a vacuum that is too heavy or awkward to carry will not be used, and a refrigerator that is too difficult to clean will become unsanitary. Before buying an appliance, test out different models with various features to make sure your choice of appliance meets everyone’s needs. Appliances such as coffee machines, microwaves, refrigerators, etc., are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, costs and degrees of complexity.

Programming the appliance may require that you read an instruction manual. When selecting an appliance, think about the usability and complexity of the appliance and its instructions. Choosing a simple and intuitive appliance is a good idea whether the appliance is for you or a gift for someone else.

Some appliances have a small LED screen that provides programming instructions.

The size and location of the screen, as well as the colour and size of the on-screen characters, should be considered to ensure that they will work for you.

Consider appliances that provide information in a mixture of different modes, including audible, visual and tactile operational information.

Dual signalling appliances that alert you visually as well as audibly are recommended.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing will be able to see the visual signal and people who are blind or visually impaired will hear the signal. This is a universal design approach that works for everyone.

Legibility
The exterior and interior of the appliance should have sufficient lighting to enable people to see and safely operate the appliance. The instruction text and controls should contrast in colour to the background area. In addition, some manufacturers allow the customer to program the size of letters and characters to maximize readability, a feature appreciated by many customers.

The control area should also be free of glare and non-reflective. The surface materials offered by manufacturers vary from glass, to enamel, to stainless steel, some of which make controls more difficult to see and operate. Legibility of operating controls and instructions is an especially important issue for persons with reduced vision.

Controls
Controls should be easy and intuitive to operate for everyone, regardless of language, cognitive ability, ability to grasp and use of fine motor skills.
Also, since the controls will be used by different people, they should be clearly visible and within the reach of both seated and standing persons. Controls that are easy to operate:

• incorporate good colour contrast for instructions and other characters (either dark text on a light-coloured background or light text on a dark-coloured background)
• are located on non-reflective and non-glare surfaces
• do not require too much strength to operate
• provide information for people who rely on sight, hearing or touch
• have tactile features and colour-contrasting markings to clearly indicate the on–off positions, for safety.

Storage
Designing storage space for various appliances is often left to the last minute. Careful consideration of the storage requirements for small appliances will increase efficiency and usability, as well as reduce the likelihood of home accidents. For example, storing a heavy mixer at the bottom of a cupboard will likely mean it is seldom used. There are a number of storage systems available to homeowners that assist in the efficient use of space, such as a swing-up shelf for a heavy appliance, which will eliminate the need for heavy lifting.

Cleaning
The ability to easily clean an appliance is an important health and safety consideration and can also be a factor in the proper functioning of the appliance itself. A self-cleaning  eature in an oven is not only convenient and labour-saving, but also enhances safety by limiting the need for using chemical cleaners and removing the need to bend and reach into the oven for cleaning—an advantage for all users.

Check that racks, drawers and shelving in refrigerators, stoves, toaster-ovens, etc., can be easily removed for cleaning. Some small appliances incorporate removable parts that can be put in the dishwasher for cleaning. Be sure to investigate all the options when choosing your appliance.

Cost
Cost is always an important factor. Sometimes the convenience offered by a household appliance will outweigh the higher cost. Refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, washers and dryers are all available with a variety of different door swing and shelving configurations.

It usually costs no more to purchase an appliance that offers the configuration that suits your needs best.

Cost savings can result from carefully comparing the potential energy consumption of different models or types of appliances. Look for the EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR® labels when shopping for appliances.

Contact your REALTOR at Coldwell Banker Vantage Realty for more tips and advice on your home renovations and updates.

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