A freeze dryer lowers the temperature of food to minus 30 to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It then creates a vacuum in the food chamber, allowing easy preservation. What is freeze drying? Freeze drying, otherwise known as Lyophilisation is the process of removing ice or frozen solvents from perishable items through desorption. Freeze drying involves three main stages: Freezing stage Freezing is done on a shelf in a freeze dryer where the material is cooled below its triple point. This ensures sublimation rather than melting to help preserve its physical form. Primary drying (sublimation) stage In this stage, the material is exposed to low pressure and heat in order for the water to sublimate. The vacuum created in the freeze dryer speeds up the process of sublimation. Primary drying can be a slow process, as excessive heat can alter the structure of the material. However, it removes 95% of water from the material. Secondary drying (absorption) stage This stage involves removing the ionically-bound water molecules by raising the temperature higher than that in the Primary Drying stage. The material is then sealed and retains only about 1-5% moisture. What makes up a freeze dryer? Refrigeration system This system works towards cooling the condenser that is in the freeze dryer. It is also used for cooling the product shelves inside the chamber for the product. Vacuum system This system has a vacuum pump that is separate and is connected to a condenser which is airtight. It is attached to a product chamber and helps to reduce the water molecules. Control system Control systems help in maintaining temperature and allow monitoring the freeze drying process. Product chamber or manifold These chambers are one of two types - a manifold with flasks attached to it and the second - a chamber with shelves where the product is placed. Condenser Attracting the vapors that are sublimed from the product is the purpose of the condenser. The collapse temperature and freezing point and of the product prescribe the condenser temperature. What are the different types of freeze dryers? Freeze dryers are divided into the following based on the type of product chamber. Manifold dryers These dryers are used when the product or material is pre-frozen and is in flasks. Shelf dryers Shelf dryers are used when the material or product is directly placed on the shelf or tray of the freeze dryer. Combination units Combination units have both options - manifold as well as shelf drying.

Meningitis is not a very common but one of the most dangerous infections. It is the inflation of the meninges, a thin membrane that protects your brain and spinal cord. There are several reasons that cause meningitis and they include a weak immune system, bleeding of the meninges, contact with people with infections, etc. Although meningitis can be treated, it can prove fatal. Meningitis is particularly dangerous as it affects the brain and spinal cord. Ignoring the symptoms of meningitis can leave serious lifelong handicap conditions. As the saying goes "Prevention is better than cure," it is imperative to prevent this disease and take steps to avoid it all together. Maintain a healthy lifestyle - It is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle irrespective of the conditions. You should get enough sleep, eat healthy, not smoke, and immediately visit the doctor in case of any infection. A healthy lifestyle is essential to keep your immunity strong. Wash your hands - As kids, we have been taught to wash our hands before and after an activity. However, we often forget to do so. The simple act of washing your hand before and after eating a meal, changing a diaper, coughing, or visiting the washroom can prevent bacteria from entering your mouth. Always use soap and water to wash your hands. Avoid sharing personal items - Refrain from sharing a glass, plate, toothbrush, or lipsticks with another person. Contact with an infected person's secretion such as saliva and nasal mucus can lead to contracting of meningitis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze - Always place your hand on your nose and mouth when you feel the urge to sneeze. A sneeze can lead to the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause meningitis. Vaccination - Getting yourself vaccinated at the right time is the best way to prevent meningitis. It is recommended that one must get vaccinated between the age of 10 and 21 as this is the age when the risk of contracting meningitis is the highest. Also, of you are planning to travel or live in a region that is known to be common for meningitis, then it is better to take the vaccine. Consult the doctor - If you do come in contact with a person who has the infection, do visit your doctor at the earliest. Depending on the type of meningitis, your doctor will be able to prescribe you some medication as a precaution. Try and limit contact with any person who is infected. These are a few steps that you should take to avoid being susceptible to meningitis.

Bottom freezer refrigerators are a pretty popular these days. There are several advantages of using this kind of refrigerator as well. However, in order to enjoy all the benefits of this particular appliance, you must buy the most appropriate one for your household. The following points should be considered while buying bottom freezer refrigerators.

• Size The perfect refrigerator for your house would be the one which is of the ideal size as per the number of people in your family. Thus, big is not always better. It is essential to pick a bottom freezer fridge which is of appropriate size. A full refrigerator is way more energy-efficient in comparison to an empty one. For instance, an 8-10 cubic foot is sufficient for a family of two or a small apartment. For every additional person, it can go up to 1.5 cubic feet.
• Accessibility Since it is bottom freezer refrigerator, look how user-friendly its design is. For instance, just check if you will face inconvenience while reaching to the food items on the lower shelves. A bottom fridge's primary purpose is to be accessible. So ensure that the model you want to buy doesn't fall short regarding this particular feature.
• Finish, style, and design The style and finish have to be considered not just while buying furniture but bottom freezer refrigerators and other appliances as well. You no longer have to choose from white, black, blue and red as far as color is considered. Apart from basic colors, refrigerators are now available in a range of colors. Therefore, you can choose a color that goes well with the decor of your kitchen.
• Price The best thing about bottom freezer refrigerators is that they are available in different price range to suit everybody's budget. There is a basic model which can be bought for a very reasonable cost, and there are high-end and more stylish built-in models which are priced at a higher amount. However, the price can be justified since there are several additional features on offer.
• Warranty Most bottom freezer refrigerators come with one to two years of warranty. It is worth looking for an extended warranty. There are extended warranties available for as long as five years as well.
• Energy guide The manufacturers need to put the yellow Energy Guide label on every appliance including bottom freezer refrigerators. This guide lets you calculate the cost of operating the appliance annually. A fridge can last up to 12 years. Keep this in mind while estimating the annual costs and compare the same with other units of the same type. The difference in the total cost of different variants will give you a clearer picture. So you can easily choose the one which is more energy efficient.
• Measure your space You may want to bring home a big refrigerator but before doing that measure space in the room where it would be kept. Do not pick a bottom freezer fridge that would not fit into space in your house. It would be a sheer waste of money. Moreover, you would find it challenging to work around a mammoth-sized cooling appliance in your apartment.

Loss of hearing is not an easy thing to deal with. Often hearing loss leads to social isolation, inability to earn income, lack of concentration, depression, dementia, etc. As per estimates, more than 40 million people in the US suffer from hearing loss. In fact, it is a chronic condition, which is more common than heart disease and cancer. If you have been diagnosed with permanent hear loss, know that you are not alone. And thankfully, hearing aids are there to help you lead a normal life! Hearing aids such as Costco hearing aids have enabled people to get on with their lives while combating this disability like pros. Usually, a majority of people suffering from hearing loss do not opt for hearing aids owing to its cost. And it’s true that most of the hearing aids are priced high. So, are you one among them who are reluctant to buy hearing aids as it is not within your budget? Listed below are a few tips to help you get hearing aids at a reasonable price.

• Check with your insurance company Most of the health insurance policies do not cover the cost of hearing aids. Don’t expect your insurance provider to finance your Costco hearing aids fully. However, you may check with them before buying one. Some of the insurance companies in the US offer a partial refund in specific policies. You can also make use of pretax dollars or health savings account in order to buy the hearing aids.

• Do not spend on features you don’t need Technology is progressing by the minute and you will find products including Costco hearing aids with premium features. An example is its Bluetooth capabilities. Do you think you will make use of such modern features? If no, it’s better to avoid it and save some money on it. While you look for an economical hearing aid, opt for the one with the basic features. Also, discuss with your healthcare provider about which one would work best for you.

• Don’t be reluctant to bargain Before stepping out to buy a hearing aid, make sure you do a ground research about the pros and cons of the product. For instance, if you are buying Costco hearing aids, go through user reviews and conduct an online research about the product. The point here is when you know the pros and cons, you can confidently bargain. It may or may not work, but still, you can give it a try. Also, you may find some surprise offers or discounts at times. Grab the chance then!

• Get in touch with organizations If you are out of funds to get hearing aids, this will make the next best option. There are many NGO’s, social organizations, clubs and groups that help people in buying hearing aids. You may have to go through a set of procedures to get financial support from such organizations.

• Choose the product wisely! Finally, don’t choose the wrong product since you will have to spend twice on buying a hearing aid. Take your audiologist’s opinion before you buy the product. You should find it useful and feel comfortable while wearing it. It’s favorable if you can go for a written contract with the retailer while you buy Costco hearing aids. This will be largely helpful if you want to replace or exchange the product later due to ineffectiveness. Mention the length of the trial period as well.

So, now that you have enough ways to find a reasonable hearing aid, do not put off your plan to buy them. Instead of saying no to hearing aids, choose an affordable one. However, just because a product is affordable, do not compromise on the quality.

With the holiday season around the corner, people would like to illuminate and decorate their houses and gardens with lights of various types. Here is an in-depth list of the Line Voltage (120 volts)

• PAR 16, 20, 30, and 38 These reflectorized bulbs provide better beam quality and have better control than other regular incandescent PAR bulbs. They are used in outdoor spots and floodlights.
• T-3 Double-Ended These bulbs are available in a variety of base types. They are generally used in sconces and floor lamps, providing indirect lighting also known as torchieres. Its direction is controlled by a fixture.
• T-4 Single-Ended These bulbs are available in both "mini-can" and "bayonet" base types. They are also used for indirect lighting especially in torchieres, wall sconces, pendants, and bath brackets.

Low Voltage or 12-volt bulbs

• MR8, MR11, and MR16 They are also known as mini-reflectors as they provide an excellent source of beam control. They are smaller in size and are used in smaller tracks and particular fixtures.
• PAR36 bulbs These bulbs are very good in providing light control, especially in the case of long distances. They are specifically used in track, recessed, and accent fixtures and outdoor landscapes.
• T-4 Bi-Pin bulbs These are miniature bulbs and are used in desk lamps, pendants, low-voltage truck systems, etc. They are also used in under cabinet lighting.
• Xenon They have a rigid-loop festoon and are similar to halogen with a longer life. They come with a wedge base and emit a white light. They can be used as much as 20,000 hours, similar to fluorescent bulbs. They usually operate at a much lower temperature than halogens and are extensively used in under-cabinet lightings and outdoor spots.
• Fluorescent bulbs These bulbs produce light when an electric arc is passed between the cathodes. They use 1/5 to 1/3 electricity compared to incandescent bulbs. They also last 20 times longer than the other bulbs. They come with a compact base and are smaller and trimmer in size. They are available in a wide spectrum of colors. They usually give a warm white light and are called as a duplicate of incandescent. One has to be careful with these bulbs as they contain mercury and should be disposed of properly.
• Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) They are popularly known as CFLs and are basically small fluorescent bulbs. They are used in most types of lighting fixtures. They can also be used to replace incandescent lamps in standard lamp sockets.
• T8 bulbs They are used in larger ceiling fixtures and consist of electronic ballasts. They can be turned on instantly without producing any humming sound. They are widely used in residential areas and commercial projects.
• High-Intensity Discharge (HID) These bulbs are durable and have a very long life. They are energy efficient and emit colors that are pleasing to the eyes. They are extensively used in residential areas whereas HID's used for outdoor security and area lighting.

Choosing the best prepaid plan is as important as choosing the right mobile phone for yourself. In fact, you can buy a phone and get the services provided by the same company or use a multi-sim phone and use any network of your choice. Pay as you go plans can be selected according to your needs. If you want a voice call option, you can get a plan with more talk time minutes and fewer data and messages. If you want additional data services, you can get a top up that is exclusive for data and there are also plans that split the cost with family and friends. Here is the list of cheap and best prepaid service providers that you can look upon. T-Mobile: The basic pay as you go plan begins from $3 per month which holds 30 minutes of talk time and texts and charges 10 cents per minute on over usage. They also charge an activation fee of $20 which will be waived once you buy a phone from them. Additional add-on data is available for people who need high-speed data, a daily pass of 500MB 4G data for $5 and weekly pass of 1GB 4G data for $10. AT&T: AT&T used to be quite expensive, it took few years for them to simplify their offers. Now they follow a reasonable price structure availing offers to average customers as well. AT&T lines can be connected with any mobile that supports AT&T's network. The lowest plan is for $2 where you will get unlimited talk time and texts with one-day validity. Monthly packs begin from $30 for unlimited talk and text with no data. There are separate plans for data from $45. Verizon: The largest wireless provider stands by its name by spreading its wings even to the suburbs. They have the best prepaid plans for people who would like to enjoy 4G data. Data plans start at a minimum of $35 per month and unlimited data is charged with $80. The Verizon plan includes unlimited calls and texts for more than one devices and also a monthly data plan. The monthly charges differ according to the number of lines using the plan and also the data capacity. US Cellular: US Cellular is a prepaid mobile carrier offering 4G LTE network worldwide. They come with their most flexible plans for texts, calls, data and also the usual triple plan so the user can customize their plans to individual needs. They also have the option to change their plan online from desktops, phones or tablets.