Help & Advice

Terms Guide

Washing machine & dryers 

Condenser dryer

Condenser dryers collect water from wet clothes into a water tank. The tank must be empted when it is full. Most dryers will indicate by a light or on the display when they need emptying. The benefit of having a condenser dryer is you will not need to put the dryer near a window or external wall to vent the water vapour out, and are easy to install.

Heat pump condenser dryer

Heat pump tumble dryers use heat pump technology and are the most energy-efficient condenser dryers. By using a lower heat, they consume less electricity and save money on your household bills. They are also very gentle on your clothes and extremely quiet. Please be aware these dryers take longer to dry your clothes in comparison to normal vented and condenser dryers

Vented dryer

Vented tumble dryers work by extracting warm, damp air through a hose and out of an open window or a vent installed into external wall. They are normally cheaper than condenser dryers. Vented tumble dryers need to be positioned by a window, door or external wall to vent out the damp air, so you will need to either have an external vent fitted in the wall or hang the hose out of the window.

Compact dryer

This is the same as a vented tumble dryer however they are designed to work in smaller spaces as they are half the size. The hoses are at the back and sometimes on the front doors of the appliances to meet different requirements.

Washer dryer

Washer dryers are basically washing machines with a built in dryer. These are useful if you are short on space and can’t fit a separate washing machine and dryer in. Washer dryers have separate capacities, depending on whether you are washing or drying. This is because the drying function requires more airflow for performance, resulting in a lower capacity than that of a wash cycle.

Integrated/built in washing machines and dryers

Integrated and built in are the same specs as freestanding washing machines and dryers. Most of these are designed to be integrated into the kitchen cupboard to keep a nice tidy look in the kitchen.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers

Dishwashers are machines for washing your dishes and cutlery, there are many different styles, colours, sizes and specifications for dishwashers. Most dishwashers have rotary arms inside, which spin and spray water over the dishes to clean them. Other models have jets inside the dishwasher that clean them, these are more expensive however clean more efficiently.

Slim line dishwashers

Slim line dishwashers are the same as full-size dishwasher apart from their size. They are normally 45 cm wide, which is ideal for compact kitchens or small families. They will not hold as much as full-size dishwashers as they are smaller.

Compact dishwasher

Compact dishwashers are a lot smaller than convectional dishwashers and are designed to be used on the kitchen side near the sink. These are ideal also to fit in cabinet spaces in your kitchen. Perfect if you are very tight for room and don’t like washing dishes by hand.

Integrated dishwashers

An Integrated dishwasher is the same as freestanding dishwasher and come in full size and slim line. These are designed to be integrated into your cupboard to keep a nice and tidy look in the kitchen. Semi integrated dishwashers Semi integrated dishwashers are the same as integrated dishwashers however they normally have the control panel showing, giving your kitchen that added look.

Refrigeration

Integrated/built in refrigeration.

Integrated /built in refrigeration are the same as normal refrigeration however they are designed to be fitted into cupboards and cabinets keeping your kitchen looking nice and tidy.

Plumbed and unplumbed Americans with water and ice

Plumbed Americans need to be installed into the water mains in your house to produce water and ice. This is not a hard task however it’s recommended that these be professional installed encase of an error or future problems.

Unplumbed Americans produce water and ice however they have a water tank inside which just needs topping up as and when you need. These are easier to install as they just require a plug. We recommended they are filled up with filtered water to maintain a long life and no lime scale build up.

Water dispensers

Water dispensers can be found on refrigeration these have tanks inside the appliance normally on the door that just needs to be filled up. We recommend using filtered water to maintain a long life of your appliance and no lime scale build up. They are only meant for water and should not be used to dispense squash or other liquids as this could damage and block the dispenser.

Reversible door

If your appliance has a Reversible door this means the door can be taken of and hinged so the door opens from the opposite direction. This can be useful in awkward spaces and kitchens as the door might not be able to fully open otherwise.

Frost-free

Traditional freezers experience frost build-up because the water vapour that develops around the coils then turns into liquid and immediately freezes. Frost free freezers use a heating element around the coil to ensure that ice does not build-up. This means a Frost Free appliance will not need manually defrosting.

Cooking – ovens –hobs

Convectional ovens

Convectional ovens heat the air up inside the oven to cook the food. As heat rises the top shelf will cook quicker and the bottom shelf will normally take longer to cook.

Fan assisted ovens

Fan assisted ovens heat the air up inside the oven, the fan then circulates the air around the oven cooking evenly at a quicker time. These are more efficient than convection ovens.

Multifunction ovens

Multi function ovens can cook your food just like fan assisted and conventional ovens. They also may have a grill and a defrost function. This will give you an option to cook your food to perfection.

Dual fuel cookers

Dual fuel cookers combine a gas top (hob) with an electric fan oven, giving the user the best of gas and electric allowing the user to cook a larger range of meals.

Single oven

Single ovens have only got one compartment with usually an oven and a grill. They are big enough to cook most meals however you will not be able to use the grill and the oven at the same time, which is a disadvantage if you are cooking large meals with food at different temperatures. These are ideal to be fitted eyelevel or even under the kitchen units.

Double oven

Double ovens have two compartments in the appliance. The bottom compartment is usually a fan assisted oven and the top compartment is a conventional oven and grill. There are two types of double ovens built under and built in. Built under double ovens are designed to be fitted under your work top where as built in double ovens are designed to be fitted either under your work unit or fitted into the cupboard at eye level. Be careful when ordering and don’t hesitate to ask for advice.

Solid plate

Solid plate hobs are more of the traditional hobs and are usually more cost effective. They normally consist of four raised circular metal hobs that heat up.

Ceramic

Ceramic Hobs are a flat ceramic surface with heating elements underneath the ceramic plate. The top of the hob will have markings for guidance on where to place your pans. These are very stylish and will look great in any kitchen.

Induction

Induction Hobs look like ceramic hobs however they use a magnetic induction under the ceramic rather than a heating element. The magnetic induction will only work with magnetic pans. These hobs are more efficient as it will bring water to the boil much faster than ceramic hobs. These are a lot more child friendly as the ceramic will only retain a fraction of the heat compared with normal ceramic hobs. Induction hobs are more expensive but well worth the money.

Domino

Domino hobs can be bought in gas, solid plate, ceramic and induction. They are the same as full size hobs apart from the fact there are half the size and have only 2 pot spaces.