Household Appliances

A three-way bulb has two filaments, which allows the light to be turned on at different light levels. Learn about a three-way bulb.

About 17 percent of a home's energy usage stems from its water heater. Hybrid water heaters could save the average family hundreds - possibly even thousands - each year.

By Sarah Siddons

If your basement feels damp or smells musty, you may need a sump pump. How does a sump pump get the moisture that's inside your basement out?

By Murray Anderson

In a pinch, you could probably do without most of the appliances in your home -- but would you want to? Life would certainly be different without these 10.

By Sara Elliott

A levitating lounger, a toilet seat that rises to greet you, a fold-out balcony. Some of these household gadgets are useful, and some are absolute fluff. Which ones are the wackiest?

By Jennifer Pocock

We know which is greener when it comes to gas and electric cars. But which is greener when it comes to stoves: gas or electric? There's more than one way to save energy when you cook.

By Cristen Conger

It's either too cold or too hot in your house. So, you turn a dial, press a button or move a lever -- do you know what happens after that? Look inside a home thermostat and see how it controls your indoor climate.

By Karim Nice, Patrick Brothers & Emilie Sennebogen

Give your home lighting a stylish and inexpensive update with these easy instructions for making a table lamp, building a stovepipe lamp, or covering a lamp shade for a brand new look.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, hair dyers -- you probably have one or all of these in your home? Learn about the differences between heating appliances, motor appliances, and combination appliances in this article.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

A home intercommunication system is more than just an easy way to call the family to dinner or to summon someone for a phone call. Learn more, including how to install one in your home.

By Dan Ramsey

Is the water in your home not getting hot? Chances are the pilot light on your hot water heater has gone out. Find out how the pilot light in your furnace or water heater works.

By Marshall Brain

When the floor needs a good cleaning, most of us reach for the portable vacuum cleaner and drag it around the house. Well, what if your whole house were a vacuum? Find out how central vacuum systems work.

By Allison Klein

The sewing machine took a time-consuming, laborious task and made it super fast and easy. Find out what goes on inside this ingenious device (and check out the high-tech upgrades!).

By Tom Harris & Yara Simón

Is the air feeling a little too dry in your home? A humidifier can help make things more comfortable -- and even save a little wear and tear on your house. But what does a humidifier do, exactly?

By Marshall Brain & Karim Nice

Electric vacuum cleaners have been helping us keep our homes clean for over a century. There's a lot going on inside these devices -- learn how they suck up the dirt (and whatever else finds its way onto your floor).

By Tom Harris

You may not have given it much thought, but your hair dryer is specially designed to prevent bad things from happening to you and your head. Why is it that your hair dryer doesn't get too hot to hold? And how does it avoid burning your scalp?

By Jessika Toothman & Ann Meeker-O'Connell

With bright colors and mesmerizing displays, lava lamps have become a popular icon of pop culture. Watch a quick video and read the article to learn more about the history and science behind these groovy liquid motion lamps.

By Tom Harris

How do halogen lights work? How are they different from normal light bulbs? Why are they sometimes called "quartz halogen"?

Gas appliances are used in homes and business for purposes ranging from bathing to grilling food. But did you know that not all gas appliances use the same kind of gas? Find out the difference between LPG and natural gas appliances in this article.

When we change our baby's diaper, he often has what we politely refer to as "crystal butt." There are little clear crystals on his bottom. It seems like they come from his diaper. Do you know what these crystals are?

You might have heard that fluorescent bulbs are supposed to be more efficient than normal light bulbs, but is this really the case?

How do candles work? What keeps the wick burning, seemingly forever, when the same twine would completely burn up in a matter of minutes if it weren't engulfed in wax? Why won't the wax burn without a wick?

Just reading a power bill is a tricky way to determine what appliances are using the most power. Learn what appliances are sucking your pockets dry.

Heating pads are made of a plastic pouch and a clear liquid. Inside the pouch is a metal disk that when clicked crystallizes the liquid causing it to heat up. Find out how heat pads work.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a fluorescent light and a neon light? We'll explain both technologies in this article.