Major Home Appliances
A major domestic appliance is typically defined as a large machine that carries out some routine housekeeping task, such as cooking, cleaning or food preservation, whether in a household, industrial or commercial setting. The term 'white goods' is also used for these items, particularly in the UK, as they were traditionally painted or enamelled white.
Major appliances are differentiated from small appliances because they are large, difficult to move, and often fixed in place to some extent. They may have substantial electricity requirements that necessitate special electrical wiring to supply higher current than standard electrical outlets can deliver, which limits where they can be placed in a home. Major appliances are often considered fixtures of a property, and as such they are often supplied to tenants as part of otherwise unfurnished rental properties.
Major appliances may be roughly divided into refrigeration equipment, stoves, washing equipment, and miscellaneous. Typical examples include:
- air conditioner
- cooker
- dishwasher
- drying machine
- freezer
- fridge
- hob
- microwave oven
- oven
- refrigerator
- washer dryer
- washing machine
- water heater
With the introduction of the Energy Labelling rules, manufacturers have been forced to make their appliances more and more efficient leading to more technically complex and accurate controls in order to meet the regulations.
