A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions Collins English Dictionary defines "home appliance" as: "devices or machines, usually electrical, that are in your home and which you use to do jobs such as cleaning or cooking". The broad usage allows for nearly any device intended for domestic use to be a home appliance, including consumer electronics as well as stoves, Product design shifted in the 1960s, embracing new materials and colors. Consumer electronics, often referred to as brown goods, include items like TVs and computers. There is a growing trend towards home automation and internet-connected appliances. Recycling of home appliances involves dismantling and recovering materials.
History
thumb|left|Early 20th century electric [[toaster]]
While many appliances have existed for centuries, the self-contained electric or gas powered appliances are a uniquely American innovation that emerged in the early twentieth century. The development of these appliances is tied to the disappearance of full-time domestic servants and the desire to reduce the time-consuming activities in pursuit of more recreational time. In the early 1900s, electric and gas appliances included washing machines, water heaters, refrigerators, kettles and sewing machines. The invention of Earl Richardson's small electric clothes iron in 1903 gave a small initial boost to the home appliance industry.<!--For this sentence only
In America during the 1980s, the industry shipped $1.5 billion worth of goods each year and employed over 14,000 workers, with revenues doubling between 1982 and 1990 to $3.3 billion. Throughout this period, companies merged and acquired one another to reduce research and production costs and eliminate competitors, resulting in antitrust legislation.
The United States Department of Energy reviews compliance with the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, which required manufacturers to reduce the energy consumption of the appliances by 25% every five years.
Small appliances
thumb|[[small appliances|Small kitchen appliances]]
thumb|The small appliance department at a store
Small appliances are typically small household electrical machines, also very useful and easily carried and installed. Yet another category is used in the kitchen, including: juicers, electric mixers, meat grinders, coffee grinders, deep fryers, herb grinders, food processors,
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics (or home electronics) Some such appliances were traditionally finished with genuine or imitation wood, hence the name. This has become rare but the name has stuck, even for goods that are unlikely ever to have had a wooden case (e.g. camcorders). In the 2010s, this distinction is absent in large big box consumer electronics stores, which sell both entertainment, communication, and home office devices and kitchen appliances such as refrigerators. The highest selling consumer electronics products are compact discs. Examples are: home electronics, radio receivers, TV sets,
! scope="col" | Appliance
! scope="col" | Longest average estimated lifespan
! scope="col" | Shortest average estimated lifespan
|-
| Washing machine || 21 years || 13 years
|-
| Tumble dryer || 24 years || 17 years
|-
| Dishwasher || 22 years || 13 years
|-
| Built-in oven || 29 years || 23 years
|-
| Fridge freezer || 24 years || 14 years
|-
| Fridge || 29 years || 18 years
|}
Home automation
There is a trend of networking home appliances together, and combining their controls and key functions. For instance, energy distribution could be managed more evenly so that when a washing machine is on, an oven can go into a delayed start mode, or vice versa. Or, a washing machine and clothes dryer could share information about load characteristics (gentle/normal, light/full), and synchronize their finish times so the wet laundry does not have to wait before being put in the dryer.
Additionally, some manufacturers of home appliances are quickly beginning to place hardware that enables internet connectivity in home appliances to allow for remote control, automation, communication with other home appliances, and more functionality enabling connected cooking. Internet-connected home appliances were especially prevalent during recent Consumer Electronics Show events.
Recycling
thumb|right|upright|New Orleans, Louisiana, United States after [[Hurricane Katrina: mounds of trashed appliances with a few smashed automobiles mixed in, waiting to be scrapped]]
Appliance recycling consists of dismantling waste home appliances and scrapping their parts for reuse. The main types of appliances that are recycled are T.V.s, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and computers. It involves disassembly, removal of hazardous components and destruction of the equipment to recover materials, generally by shredding, sorting and grading.
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
- Kriske, Rob; Kriske, Mary (July/August 1984). "Home Appliance Repair". Mother Earth News. Accessed May 2015.