[Greenbuilding] Question about appliances

[Bobbi Chukran]

Hi all,

We closed on our new downsized house this morning, and are pondering 
whether to buy new appliances or keep our old ones until they quit 
working.  We have a washer, electric dryer and refrigerator that are 
all about 11 years old.

They are still in good working order.  Does it make sense "green 
wise" to replace them now, or wait?  How much in energy $$ could we 
conceivably save if we bought new Energy Star replacements?

And speaking of that, we bought a new freezer not long ago from 
Sears.  They didn't have any Energy Star models that were 
self-defrosting.  The salesperson said that we'd spend energy 
defrosting the things and it would all even out.  I felt bad about 
not buying an ES freezer, but at the time we had no choice.

BTW, our house does have natural gas for the range, but not for the 
dryer.  We were wondering about the economics of adding a gas hook-up 
so we could get a gas (and not electric) dryer.  Would that make 
sense?

Are there any resources online for comparing old vs. new as far as 
appliances go?

We naturally are trying to watch the budget, especially since we also 
have to put an exhaust vent in for the gas range (it horrifies me to 
see how  many of the houses just have a recirculating fan---haven't 
they heard of carbon monoxide???), a dehumidifier and whole house 
filter in the AC unit.

And a house full of new flooring.  Did I mention that the whole house 
is carpeted, and I have chemical sensitivities?  Ugh.

Thanks....

bobbi c.