We offer the full range of Bosch freestanding and built in appliances at a price you can afford. We can guide you through the features and benefits of the Classixx, Avantixx, Exxcel and Logixx ranges to determine your individual needs and if you’re looking for multiple products our knowledgeable staff will gladly work out a package deal to suit your requirements. We are happy to reserve your appliance package with a small deposit and store them in our warehouse until you are ready for delivery. We are committed to offering the best advice, prices and service so don’t buy elsewhere until you have visited us at Vitel Home & Hifi Electonics.
GREEN TIPS.
Dishwasher.
- Scrape your plates-Rinsing dishes can waste up to 20 gallons of water before the dishes are even loaded, and Bosch dishwashers, used in combination with today’s detergents, are designed to do the cleaning, so you don’t have to.
- If your dirty dishes are going to sit overnight, use your dishwasher’s rinse and hold option. It uses a fraction of the water needed to rinse by hand.
- Fill your dishwasher to capacity to get the most out of the energy and water you’re using.
- If you don’t have a full load, Bosch’s Half Load Option is perfect for small, lightly soiled loads that use half or less of the dishwasher’s capacity. You can load in the top rack, bottom rack, or half and half, and it reduces energy and water consumption by about 30%.
- It’s best to use your dishwasher at night. You’ll save money by running your dishwasher after 7 p.m., during off-peak hours.
- Using the EcoAction® feature on Bosch dishwashers runs the cycle at a slightly lower temperature and extends the wash cycle for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure the same great performance, but saves up to an additional 25% of energy usage.
- Clean dishwasher drains and filters regularly to ensure efficient operation. The easier it is for water to flow through the dishwasher, the more efficiently it will operate.
- Use a dishwasher with a stainless steel interior, a filtration system, and condensation drying, features that add significantly to overall energy and water efficiency.
- Use a dishwasher with a hot water booster or flow-through water heater that raises water temperature inside the dishwasher.
- Your dishwasher should have several wash cycle selections, including Half Load. If your dishes are only slightly dirty, you can use the light or energy-saving wash cycle, which uses less water and runs for a shorter period of time.
COOKING.
- Compared to a cooktop with coils, an electric glass cooktop is not only easier to use and clean, but also more energy-efficient. Induction cooktops are particularly efficient.
- Believe your eyes-small portions are best heated in an appropriately sized saucepan or in the microwave oven.
- Use the burner that is the closest match to the pot size. Heat is lost and energy is wasted if the burner size is larger than the pot size.
- Electric cooktops take a long time to cool down. Use this residual heat to save energy by simply switching off the element earlier and allowing food to finish cooking with the remaining heat in the burner.
- Without a suitable lid, you need three to four times more energy when cooking.
- Steaming vegetables and potatoes is an efficient, easy and healthy way to cook; just cover the base of the pan with water and let the steam do the rest.
- Use a pressure cooker for cooking times of more than 20 minutes. It will save you up to 30 percent on energy.
- When baking, make sure the oven door seal is tight and avoid opening oven door-each time the door is opened, about 10% of the inside heat is lost. Even a “peek” can lower the oven temperature as much as 25 degrees.
- Don’t preheat your oven for casseroles and meat.
- Turn the oven off a few minutes before the food is ready, and let the oven’s heat finish the job.
- It’s convenient and saves energy to complete meals of several dishes simultaneously in the oven.
- If you have a microwave oven, use it for reheating and cooking small quantities of food.
REFRIGERATION.
- Make sure the door seals are airtight. Check the door gasket occasionally to be sure the seal isn’t broken by debris or caked on food.
- Keep your refrigerator between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open.
- When purchasing a new refrigerator, select the smallest size possible to meet your needs. For second refrigerators, consider a compact mini-fridge instead of a full sized model.
- The best location for your refrigerator is the coolest areas of your kitchen, away from bright sunlight and the oven.
- As a rule of thumb: a hand’s width between the refrigerator and the wall will save you up to ten percent electricity.
- Defrost food by putting it in the refrigerator the night before you want to use it. This will cool the refrigerator down and reduce its power consumption.
- Wait until food has cooled down before putting it into the refrigerator.
- Vacuum the coils in the back of your refrigerator twice a year to maximize efficiency.
- Keep the freezer full of something, such as loaves of bread or milk jugs filled with water, to keep the cold air inside the freezer even when the door is open.
WASHERS.
- Fill it up-Load the washer to capacity when possible, because under-loading uses more energy and water than washing one large load.
- Since 90% of the energy used by your washer is used to heat the water, you can clean just as effectively and far more efficiently by presoaking heavily soiled clothes and using warm or cold water for the wash cycle instead of hot (except for greasy stains).
- Turn down the thermostat on your water heater. A setting of 120° F is adequate for most home needs. By reducing your hot water temperature, you will save energy with both hot and warm wash cycles.
- To optimize your washer’s effectiveness, use the recommended amount of detergent. You will end up saving water (and money), because the machine will have to continue to rinse (using more water) if there is too much detergent.
- It’s important to match water level and temperature settings on your washer to the size of your load.
DRYERS.
- Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes, since lighter-weight clothing dries faster. When combined with heavier cottons, their drying time-and energy usage-increases.
- Dry full loads when possible to optimize energy efficiency, but be careful not to overfill the dryer. Air should be able to circulate freely around the drying clothes.
- Don’t add wet items to a load that is already partially dried.
- Extra Hot is not the best cycle for energy efficiency, and over-drying clothes can damage the fabric or set stains.
- Taking clothes out of the dryer while they are still slightly damp reduces the need for ironing-another big time and energy saver.
- Dry multiple loads back to back. Take advantage of the heat still in the dryer from the first load, and reduces the time and energy needed to warm up the machine to drying temperature.
- Clean the lint filter after each use. Keeping this free of obstruction helps improve air circulation and makes the dryer work more efficiently.
- Clean the dryer exhaust venting system on the outside of the building on a regular basis (we recommend every three to six months). It should be clear of cobwebs and lint. Also check the vent hose to make sure it is allowing air to flow without obstruction.
- Use solar energy as much as possible-on a sunny day, hang clothes outside to dry. An indoor drying rack will save energy too.
