We just purchased a KitchenAid counter depth french door model with bottom freezer and water dispenser inside the refrigerator. This model is slightly taller than others and offers more space in the fridge and freezer. It is engery star rated with an annual estimated energy cost of $41. Very good for this size unit. The model numbers in this series start with KFC and is one of Kitchenaid's newest and most energy efficient models. We like it.

Before you concentrate on a brand, you need to verify if the contractor will do a good installation. Are you talking to an HVAC installer who will do the work, or a general contractor will arrange to "install any brand"? It sounds like you have two furnances and condensers for a two story home and you are only replacing the units for the upper floor. Has a Manual J (heating/cooling) load calculation been done. A 2 ton air conditioner for a 1900 sf top floor seems undersized. I have never been to Tennesse but I assume you hit summer highs in the upper 90s. In terms of brands the upper tier are Carrier/Bryant, Trane/American Standard, Lennox, and Rheem/Rudd. I don't have experience with Frigidare (which also may be Amana), but again brand to secondary to a proper sizing and installation.

There is no such thing as a 'green washing machine,' but there is good and efficient laundry practice. I seriously doubt that the people who put together this video ever spent a moment thinking about that or the 'entire' life cycle of the appliances they tout as the 'right choice.' Nor do they delve into the performance and other trade-offs that make the efficiency ratings possible or the many other aspects that actually negate environmental gains in real terms (and there are many). This video is nothing more than a sales pitch to a semtiment and there'll be more of this coming our way. It is still a matter of 'caveat emptor.' Now that you've watched the video, perhaps you would like to follow the link and do a bit of reading. BTW, there are also energy star rated top loaders that perform very well. Here is a link that might be useful: Lanfax Labs

Lets figure out what is causing them to be too bright in that room. What was the wattage and the color temperature of the bulbs he installed. If you don't have the box ask the builder for the information. The so-called day-light bulbs appear brighter because they are more blue. They are inapropriate for most houses because the light is too harsh. You have have lights that are simply putting out too many lumens of light. The easiest way to check this is to compare the equivalent wattage to what was in the house before. The builder may have used bulbs that