By the Numbers: UNICEF's Tap Project aims to provide safe, clean drinking water worldwide

$1

Minimal amount patrons of restaurants nationwide are being asked to pay for tap water as part of the third annual U.S. Fund for UNICEF's Tap Project, which runs through March 28 as part of World Water Week. A single dollar can provide 40 liters of safe, clean drinking water, enough for 40 children for a day, according to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

UNICEF says that almost 900 million people around the globe lack access to clean drinking water and that 4,200 children die every day of water-related diseases. The organization has efforts under way in more than 90 countries to enhance access to safe water and sanitation.

Last year, more than 2,300 restaurants in 44 states took part in the Tap Project. To find a restaurant in your area, perform a search here.

Essential information: Concerns about drinking-water supplies in this country remain, as we reported last fall. Since it's important to know what's in your water, learn how to decipher the report from your community water system. Then determine whether you need a home water filter.

Tip of the Day: How to fix a jammed garbage disposer

It sometimes makes more financial sense to repair an appliance rather than replace it. (Read our survey-based report on repairs and replacement.) If you've opted for a repair, wouldn't it be nice to save even more by not having to call in a pricey pro?

Courtesy of the folks at RepairClinic.com, here's how to fix a jammed garbage disposer with and without an access port on the bottom. IMPORTANT: Before you attempt any part of the repair below, turn off and unplug your disposer.

For a disposer with an access port
If coins, twist ties, shards of glass, or other foreign objects have gotten into your garbage disposer and jammed it, insert a 1/4-inch Allen wrench into the port on the bottom, center of the disposer under the sink (see illustration). Turning the wrench back and forth will wiggle the masher plate inside the disposer and might dislodge whatever has jammed the appliance.

After you've done that, remove the foreign object. Then check the reset button near the bottom of the disposer. If it has popped out a bit, press it back in.

If you can rotate the masher plate back and forth but don't find a foreign object and can't free up the jam, call in a pro to repair or replace the disposer. (Read our buyer's guide to garbage disposers.)

For a disposer without an access port
If your disposer lacks an access port on the bottom, insert the handle of a hammer or broom into the top opening of the disposer and try to gently pry the masher plate back and forth. Then check the red reset button near the bottom of the disposer. If it has popped out a bit, press it back in.

Visit RepairClinc.com for advice on repairs if your garbage disposer hums, leaks, turns on but doesn't do its job, or grinds or disposes poorly.

Illustration courtesy of RepairClinic.com

CPSC announces recall of 1.6 million Maytag-made refrigerators, citing fire hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today issued a recall of about 1.6 million top-freezer and side-by-side refrigerators made by Maytag Corporation due to a fire hazard. The recalled appliances, with Amana, Admiral, Crosley, Jenn-Air, Magic Chef, Maytag, and Performa by Maytag nameplates, were sold at department and appliance stores and by builders nationwide from January 2001 through January 2004; affected models ranged in price from about $350 to $1,600.

An electrical failure in the relay that starts the compressor can cause overheating, presenting a serious fire hazard. Maytag, based in Newton, Iowa, has received 41 reports of relay ignition, with 16 incidents of property damage, including smoke damage and extensive damage to kitchens.

The recalled refrigerators are white, black, bisque, or stainless steel. You'll find the model and serial numbers on the top-middle or upper-left-side side of the refrigerator liner. (The photo shows possible locations.)

Call Maytag at 866-533-9817 or go to the manufacturer's recall page to determine whether your refrigerator has been recalled and to schedule a free in-home repair. Do not return your model to the retailer where you purchased it.

In our most recent frequency-of-repair analysis of top-freezers and side-by-sides, Maytag has been among the most repair-prone brands.—Kimberly Janeway

Remodeling tips for first-time home buyers

A glut of unsold homes and plummeting prices are luring more first-time buyers into the market. According to a recent story in The Wall Street Journal, first-time home buyers made up more than 40 percent of all buyers at the end of 2008, up from 36 percent in 2006—when boomburgs and boomburbs were, well, booming.

If you're a recent first-time home buyer, you know what it's like to sign the roughly 439 closing-related documents, pay your lawyer and others who get a piece of the action (perhaps a buyer's broker, the title company, et al.), and put the key in the front door for the first time. The home is finally all yours.

And so is the Depression-era boiler, the 1960s paneling in the family room, or the mismatched array of disco-generation appliances. If you're planning major remodeling, renovating, or redecorating, use our Home Improvement Guide (shown). The free interactive is based on our unbiased, independent tests and includes information on dozens of products, including those mentioned below as well as mattresses, air conditioners, closet organizers, paints and stains, smoke and CO alarms, vacuum cleaners, and snow blowers.

• For a bathroom sink, consider an undermount model for its easy cleanup or a drop-in type for its lower cost and easier installation. You can also save in the bathroom by choosing a single-handle design for the faucet and vinyl tiles or planks for the floor. Learn more about bathroom remodeling.

• In our tests of kitchen flooring, plastic laminate has actually proved tougher than solid wood and engineered wood. Even bamboo did far better than before, though it's expensive.

• For your kitchen countertop, quartz—also called engineered stone and sold under such brand names as Caesarstone and Silestone—mimics natural stone better than ever, often costs less than granite and marble, and never needs resealing. You can also save by opting for today's better-looking laminate.

• When buying a range, look for a model with at least one large gas burner or higher-wattage electric element. And think twice before choosing a pro-style range. Many other ranges provide can comparable or better performance and greater overall reliability.

• When you need to replace your washing machine or dryer, focus on the washer, since performance of washing machines varies far more than it does among dryers.—Bob Markovich

More Oscar and appliances news: Rachel Getting Married and how to load a dishwasher

The Wrestler isn't the only recent film with an appliances connection. In a key scene in Rachel Getting Married, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Best Actress nominee Anne Hathaway, the father of the bride (Bill Irwin) and the groom (Tunde Adebimpe) engage in a dishwasher-loading contest. This moment of levity in an otherwise somber tale was apparently inspired by an event in the life of screenwriter Jenny Lumet.

The father wins the timed competition, though he likely could have shaved a few seconds off his time had he not prerinsed the load: As our tests have shown, most modern dishwashers like the one in the film will get your cups, plates, bowls and cutlery clean without your having to prerinse them, saving you time and conserving water.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Even if you're not into competitive dishwasher loading, read our advice on how to load a dishwasher and steps to cleaner dishes.

By the Numbers: Freezers sales rose in 2008, only major appliance not to drop

2.1 million

Number of stand-alone freezers shipped in 2008 in the U.S., according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, a 5.2 percent increase over 2007 shipments. The gain suggests that consumers need increased freezer space as they buy more in bulk and hope to save money. Either that, or people have been bagging lots of game during hunting seasons.

The rise in freezer sales might not sound impressive, but freezers were the only major appliance to post positive year-over-year results. Shipments of all major appliances declined 8.9 percent for the year.

Essential information: Read our report on freezers and visit our appliances hub to access information on other appliances.

Forum Friday: Amish heater, NuWave oven, and slow cookers

We've been following the claims of the heavily advertised Heat Surge Roll-N-Glow Electric Fireplace (commonly called the Amish heater), and tomorrow we'll publish a review on this blog. You can flame or acclaim this "miracle" heater and other models of space heaters in a "fireside chat" discussion on electric fireplaces and space heaters, including the EdenPure space heater.

Owners of the NuWave Infrared Cooking System are posting some positive reviews on this recent blog post. Share your experiences with this appliance and check back for the results of our test of the NuWave in the May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online in April.

Slow cookers also have their fans. Read our recent report on slow cookers and join the simmering debate on the best models in our small-appliances forum.

By the Numbers: Electricity prices today are a relative bargain

10.8 cents

National average cost of electricity per kilowatt hour. In 1936, the first year Consumer Reports was published, we calculated the annual operating cost of a refrigerator using 2 cents and 5 cents per kilowatt hour. (The chart from that story is shown.) That's about 31 cents and 78 cents today. So while your utility bills might seem high, today's national average kilowatt-hour cost is a comparative bargain.

The refrigerators we tested 73 years ago were real energy hogs, consuming two to three times the electricity that current models do even though the latest refrigerators provide two to three times the storage space.

Slow cookers can save you time and money

Slow cookers have emerged as an appliance that can save you time and stretch your food budget in this tough economic climate. That might explain why sales of slow cookers rose to 9.4 million units in 2008 from 8.9 million in 2007. In the video, right, you’ll see how we tested this popular kitchen appliance and learn about electronic controls, oven-safe containers, and locking lids.

Our recent review of electronic and mechanically controlled slow cookers detailed other must-have features, like multiple cooking areas and compartments that can brown meat. But performance did not rise with price, as you’ll find in our ratings (available to subscribers).—Gian Trotta

Essential information: See how the slow-cook function on the GE Profile PB975SM electric smoothtop range worked compared with slow cookers. Use these tips to save money when buying food and visit our appliances forums to get the skinny on slow cookers and other kitchen essentials.

Compact refrigerators aren't always the energy-efficient choice

In "Greens Gone Wild! These Folks Have Turned Their Back on Refrigerators," we reported on a New York Times story about energy-conscious individuals who have stopped using their refrigerator or given up their full-size model.

One of those profiled in the Times' article stores her food in a compact refrigerator instead of a full-size model. While that might sound like a good energy-saving move, it's not necessarily a smart decision because compact refrigerators are not particularly efficient for their size.

In our latest report, we found that while tall compact refrigerators got higher energy-efficiency scores than shorter ones, these appliances typically use a lot of energy for the storage space they provide.

We also noted that some compact refrigerators consume almost as much electricity as a full-size refrigerator. The Frigidaire FRC05L5D[B] (shown) has a claimed capacity of only 4.6 cubic feet and will cost about $38 on average to run each year; its EnergyGuide label says it will use 348 kilowatt hours annually. But for about $6 and 59 kWh more per year, you could run the Kenmore 7787[2] top-freezer we've tested, which has a claimed capacity of 18 cubic feet. The up-front cost of a full-size refrigerator will be higher, of course.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Check out our Energy-Saving Guide for more advice.