The Disadvantages of Buying Second Hand Appliances

Buying pre-owned appliances such as plasma televisions or fridges from friends, family or second hand stores can come with a risk. What’s the history of the product? 

Have they been damaged? Are they still in full working condition? Electrical items all have a date where they will no longer work. Purchasing new products allows for peace of mind with warranty guarantee’s and the ability to return faulty products. So what are the primary disadvantages associated with pre-owned products?

Warranty

With any new electrical appliance, you are guaranteed to receive warranty. Warranty is vital for electrical items, especially as faults can be a common occurrence and can happen at any time without warning. Purchasing a pre-owned electrical item such as a plasma TV or fridge means running the risk of a product fault and not having any cover.

Electricity Consumption

Pre-owned products generally are a couple of years old. They have lower energy and water ratings which will increase the cost of any electricity bill. For the long term, it’s more beneficial to purchase a new Westinghouse fridge or dishwasher with higher ratings, so as to save money down the track.

Look and Feel

With such a large range of new electrical appliances there will always be the perfect look and feel. Finding the right size, shape, style and brand has never been easier and is one of the most positive benefits of purchasing new electrical appliances.

Quality

General wear and tear occurs with all products, whether they are new or pre-owned. The issue with the latter, however, is the possibility of existing minor wear snowballing into a major issue quicker than if using a new appliance.

Be sure to consider the short and long term costs and benefits involved before purchasing pre-owned electrical appliances.

Tips in Creating an Entertainment Room at Home

Ever wanted to have the best home entertainment theatre? There is nothing better than having that real cinema experience from the comfort of the lounge or entertaining room. With the broad range of products now available, creating a personalised home theatre has never been so affordable and exciting.

Before looking at which products will feature in the home theatre, check the dimensions of the room as well as the lighting and how easily cabling will be. Figure out the best way to set up the system before purchasing any products.

The TV

Choosing the right TV to suit the room is essential. Plasma TV’s have a stronger cinematic experience as the overall picture quality is slightly greater than an LCD TV. Plasmas are also better suited to darker rooms for the complete movie feel. However if the room is brighter and has plenty of natural light an LCD TV will be better suited as the picture doesn’t reflect the same way a plasma does. Then look at the size of the TV, what’s the best size for the room and distance from the couch?

Home Theatre System

As much as the TV looks like the centrepiece of any entertainment room, a stylish home theatre system compliments it perfectly. Combining a perfect picture with matching sound is creates that perfect theatre environment. There is a huge range of home theatre systems, including in built systems to wireless speaker systems.

Choosing an inbuilt sound system can be quite costly; however it keeps the room neat and creates a fantastic sound experience. Alternatively you can look into wireless speaker systems; there is a large range with new and exciting styles. Be sure to talk to an in store expert before purchasing so that they can help determine the best sound quality for their purpose.

Let the home theatre system and plasma TV make a statement!

Ideal New Gadgets for the Whole Family

Just in case families didn’t get enough of their electronics over the holiday period, there are plenty of hot tech gadgets for the New Year. Some of them are already on the market with new improvements, while others have a totally new feel to them. All of them are powerful and can make for great additions to the family home. 

Far from encouraging family members to separate and get immersed in their own devices, these gadgets are for bringing everyone together with the very best home entertainment experience. Movies and TV for all!

LCD Smart TV

What’s better than an LCD TV? An LCD Smart TV, of course! With a gorgeous display, the TV is made even better with the ability to stream content online. With a huge amount of it being proved free through local channels, or with a small amount of advertising, streaming means there’s always something on for the family to watch. 

Media Centre

For those not ready to update their TV, a media centre add-on may be the best option. The media centre is for families with a large digital library. Utilising a home’s Wi-Fi, playback is incredibly simple and it means everyone can offer up options on what to watch. Plus, plenty of media centres have smart capability, and can even function with smartphones – replacing the old remote control!

4K TV

For those who want the absolute best out of their TV, 4K TVs are going to begin their total domination of the TV market in 2014. What makes them so special? They have the crispest, sharpest, highest resolution of any TV available, creating the most beautiful, most startlingly realistic image possible. Plus, they’re designed to be smart and packed with features. This capability also means that they’re likely to keep evolving after they’re purchased, as new software and apps are developed for them.

Top 5 Tech Gadgets for Christmas

This year, millions of men will fill their wish lists with tech gadgets for Christmas. For anyone unsure of what to buy for the men in their life, this gift guide can shed some light on the best gadgets. The are many different brands, makes and models of each listed below, meaning buyers should be on the lookout for great electronics deals to get the most out of their holiday season.

Smart TV

Physically a smart TV is difficult to distinguish from a traditional TV. But upon turning the TV on and exploring the internal software, all the difference comes to light. Smart Televisions ship with built-in apps and many other available for download, meaning they are able to provide video on demand channels through many free and paid channels. They are also able to access web apps and widgets, with features like social media and weather.

Tablet Computer

A tablet computer is undoubtedly the hottest tech gadget for Christmas. With hundreds of thousands of apps available, a tablet can be whatever a person wants it to be, whether that’s movie player, word processor, web browser or gaming system.

Smart Wristband

For the health conscious man, a smart wristband is an outstanding tech gadget gift. The smart wristbands are small and simple, designed to be continuously worn. In doing so, they track a number of different stats on a person’s physical state. When paired with a smartphone app, the wristband can track sleep, alert a person when they’ve been sitting still for too long, and track exercise activity. They’re incredibly useful and can provide many insights for the wearer.

Smart Watch

Different from a wristband, the smart watch is designed to work with a smartphone over Bluetooth and offer many features on a second, wearable screen.  The watches can read text messages, display alerts show emails received.

Bluetooth Speaker

Bluetooth speakers make excellent gifts for the man who likes to take his music with him. Many models have rechargeable batteries and are portable. Through Bluetooth, they can play music from a smartphone, achieving outstanding sound quality in what is often a very small package. 

Betta brings Innovative and Unique Appliances for Modern Mums

Betta Home Living has been providing unique and innovative appliances for Australian households for more than 20 years. It's the go-to source for top-notch appliances and furniture. Modern mums need efficient, practical and energy saving appliances so if you’re looking for a perfect birthday or Mother’s Day gift for your mum, Betta Home Living is the best place to find it. But with the huge array of choices, deciding what to buy can be a daunting task.

To ensure that you make the best decision on an appliance, you should look for certain criteria: function, fit, and price. The appliance should be able to do what you need it to do, should fit where you want to install it, and should be ideally priced so you can afford it. A good appliance is solidly constructed and durable, meaning it can take a beating from years of use and still function properly. When choosing an appliance, you should also consider your lifestyle.

Appliances feature different designs that cater to the priorities of today’s families. For example, if you live alone, you may want to opt for appliances with simplified controls and basic functions. For families with small kids, you may want to look for design features such as child lock and noise reduction. If you have the money to spare, you can opt for more expensive models that have high efficiency ratings, so you can save on energy in the long term. You should also consider the capacity of the appliances that you are looking at. Pick an appliance that can accommodate the needs of the entire family and even beyond, especially if you get a lot of visits from family and friends.

Betta Home Living has a wide range of top-notch appliances that a modern mum would love to have in her kitchen. For instance, the Panasonic NN-SF550W Microwave Oven has a 27-litre capacity, perfect for large families. Its state-of-the-art inverter cooking technology is energy efficient. It also has a child lock for security. If you’re looking for a washing machine that can do more, the LG WF-T6571 Washer Top Load 6.5Kg is a red--hot deal from Betta Home Living. This fully automated washing machine has a 6.5kg capacity and a turbo drum system for efficient washing. It comes with a 3-star energy efficiency and 2-year warranty. 

Tips in Organizing the Storage of Your Bar Fridge

Bar fridges are highly popular appliances that are found in many home bar areas, and some people have also invested in these appliances for a bar in an executive office. In addition, because of their relatively small size, they are ideal for areas where space is limited but a fridge is desired.

For example, they are suitable for smaller condos, break rooms in small offices and other related areas. If you have a bar fridge in your home or commercial space, you should consider following some practical tips to keep the area organized due to its small size.



Avoid Buying Larger Items or Items in Bulk

Because space in these fridges is limited, you will need to use your space wisely. When you purchase items in bulk, you are essentially forced to dedicate a large amount of space in your fridge to these items. Therefore, whether you have bar-style Westinghouse fridges or a fridge from another manufacturer, you should consider purchasing smaller quantities of the items you need.

Only Refrigerate the Items You Need

When you purchase a 12-pack of soda, it may take you and others who share the fridge several days or longer to drink all of that soda. Rather than take up valuable space in bar fridges with items that do not require refrigeration and that you don’t need to be cold for several days, only refrigerate items that require refrigeration and that you need to be cold within the next day or so.

Place Like Items Together

A final note to consider when organizing, Westinghouse fridges or other brands of fridges is to place like items together.

For example, if your fridge needs to hold drinks, condiments, snack food and items for meal prep, place each of these groups of items together. While space may be limited in a smaller fridge, the fact is that trying to find items in these fridges can be challenging because of the smaller size too.

When you place all of your drinks in one location of the fridge and all of your condiments in another location, you can rest assured that you will easily be able to reach for the items that you need.

Bar fridges are convenient appliances to use when space in the home or commercial office is limited, but because these are smaller appliances, practical steps must be taken to ensure that they are used in the most efficient way possible. Each of these tips can help you to maximize the functionality of these appliances to ensure that you enjoy the best use of your fridge. Consider following these tips regularly to promote the superior use of your smaller fridge over the years.

Overview of Washing Machine Types and Features

For an appliance that has just one job to do—get clothes clean—washing machines sure come in a variety of types and with a variety of features. People searching for a new washing machine can easily become overwhelmed if they do not take the time to research their options before heading to the store. 

Top-loader vs. Front-loader

Traditional top-loading washing machines are the least expensive to purchase but the most expensive to use. They hold 12 to 16 pounds of laundry and adding laundry in mid-cycle is very easy. However, top-loaders can become unbalanced, which causes machines to wear out faster, and they can be too noisy for central living spaces.

Front-loaders get clothes cleaner than top-loaders, while using less energy and water. They spin faster, which removes more water and reduces drying time, and they tend to be very quiet. Their ability to handle 17 to 24 pounds of laundry makes this type of washing machine ideal for large families while their stacking ability makes them ideal for families with limited space.

High-efficiency vs. Regular Efficiency

High-efficiency machines cost substantially more upfront, but they clean better and use less electricity and water, saving families money in the long run. Regular efficiency washers may be best for single people and families who cannot afford much at the moment and who do not produce large amounts of laundry. Large families who do several loads of laundry a week should invest in high-efficiency machines, however.

Washing Machine Size

Regular sized washing machines are typically 27 inches wide. They are best for average sized families with average amounts of laundry. Single people, people living in small apartments and people who do not generate a large amount of laundry may be able to use a smaller compact washing machine. Compact washers are no more than 24 inches wide and hold only eight to twelve pounds of clothes. They can be stored away in a closet or stacked with compact dryers to take up less space.

Special Features

• Automatic Dispensers: These dispensers add laundry additives such as detergent, bleach and fabric softener into the machine at the appropriate time and in the appropriate amount.

• Extra Rinse Cycle: An extra rinse cycle is essential for people with allergies or people washing cloth diapers who need to get all the detergent residue out of their laundry.

• Time Delay Feature: This setting can come in handy if you need to run both the dishwasher and the laundry, but you need them to run one after the other while you are out.

• Dials vs. Digital Controls: Traditional dials are the easiest to use, but digital controls allow people to program specific wash routines they frequently use.