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A major appliance is usually defined as a large machine which accomplishes some routine housekeeping task, which includes purposes such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. An appliance is differentiated from a plumbing fixture because it uses an energy input for its operation other than water, generally using electricity or natural gas/propane. An object run by a watermill would also be considered an appliance. The term white goods is also used for these items, primarily where British English is spoken, although definitions for the term "white goods" can differ. In the United States, the term white goods more commonly refers to linens rather than appliances.^[1]

Major appliances are differentiated from small appliances because they are large, difficult to move, and generally fixed in place to some extent. They are often considered fixtures and part of real estate and as such they are often supplied to tenants as part of otherwise unfurnished rental properties. Another frequent characteristic of major appliances is that they may have substantial electricity requirements that necessitate special electrical wiring to supply higher current than standard electrical outlets can deliver. This limits where they can be placed in a home.

Major appliances have become more technically complex from the control side recently with the introduction of the various Energy Labelling rules across the world. This has meant that the appliances have been forced to become more and more efficient leading to more accurate controllers in order to meet the regulations.

Major appliances may be roughly divided into refrigeration equipment, stoves, washing equipment, and miscellaneous.

Appliances may be divided into categories called "white goods" and "brown goods" in British English.

• Brown goods are typically small household electrical entertainment appliances such as:
  • CD and DVD players
  • televisions
  • camcorders
  • Still cameras
  • Video game consoles
  • HiFi and home cinema
  • telephones
  • answering machines

• White goods comprise major household appliances and may include:
  • air conditioner
  • dishwasher
  • clothes dryer
  • freezer and refrigerator
  • stove, also known as range, cooker, oven, cooking plate, or cooktop
  • water heater
  • washing machine

Some types of brown goods were traditionally finished with or looked like wood or bakelite. This is now rather rare, but the name has stuck, even for goods that are unlikely ever to have been provided in a wooden case (e.g. camcorders). White goods were typically painted or enamelled white, and many of them still are. The addition of new items to these categories shows that the categories still serve a purpose in marketing.

This division is also noticeable in the service area of these kinds of products. Brown goods usually require high technical knowledge and skills (which get more complex with time, such as going from a soldering iron to a hot-air soldering station), while white goods need more practical skills and "brute force" to manipulate the devices and heavy tools required to repair them.

There is usually a problem with microwave ovens, because these sell alongside refrigerators and dishwashers, but microwave ovens contain complex electronic boards (the clock and controller) which white-good servicemen refuse to repair (as they don't have the training or tools required to do so). Some brands send whole boards for replacement, and some have them repaired by such technicians.

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• Small appliances
• Domestic technology
• Home automation (Demotics)
• E-waste
• Household chore

• Appliance information system
• Energy Star Appliances
• Cooking Appliance Design Functionalities Video