Green @ Home

Archive for November, 2009

Gentlemen, turn your lights on!

This is this time again, the time we love from when we have been kids. And here is the trick – the LED holiday lights turn your white Christmas into green! There are no exotic things anymore, major retailers like Canadian Tire, Walmart, Costco, HomeDepot, you name it, all updated their inventory with LED strings of all sizes and colors.

Let’s take it seriously, one entire string of LEDs consumes merely the same energy as single bulb from old-style light chain. There is the myth that LEDs are “too cold” and many people loved their traditional holiday lights because of that. If this is the case, it made great sense with the advent of the ‘warm’ white LED in the 2700K range that you can chose over the ‘cool’ white. Remember “National Lampoon Christmas” ? This way to entertain neighbors is gone. Also, the LEDs dissipate mach less energy into heat, eliminating risk of causing fire on extremely dry flammable evergreen.

Facts about LED using in Ontario.

Since 2004, by the way, seasonal electricity savings in Ontario came close to amount equal to the annual energy consumption of 300 average homes, and this is only because many electricity utilities are participating in “switching to LED” campaign. Also in 2004, Toronto set a mandate for changing Cavalcade of Lights festival to LED applications. All these spectacular displays are available for observation at Niagara at the Falls, so, take a chance to visit Falls and have a look.

According to some very old survey, the metal paperclips mostly are used as anything else than paperclips : as toothpicks, tactile relaxing objects (bending during conversations), electric shorts, temporary repairs of clothes and any kind of hooks, you name it. Then came plastic ones – bright colors, various sizes…but…require waste procession after end of life as any other usual plastic.

This time there is paperclip made from pressure fortified paper and 100% renewable, recyclable and disposable. Sure it cannot be a toothpick, but from other side, you will eliminate chances of dental injury. And among other benefits, the risk to broke shredder is also gone. Thrown away, it is degradable too and will not plaque the drain hose of washer machine (known experience with metal paperclips).  So, again, recycle matters!

Great green upgrade of heating system! May be, the one of the best for entire home.

Here is the full story. Having the water heating system in the house it’s apparently important to have efficient boiler. The old one was oil-based and despite the good working condition was decommissioned due to incredible “efficiency” to burn fuel and waist heat into exhaust pipe.

The new one is EnergyStar-rated, sleek and high performance, fully automated wall-hanging unit using natural gas. It has ability to manage two separate contours – one for radiant heated floor in basement and another one for main floor radiator-style. It’s computerized and has temperature sensors for not only supplied water, but also for return, incoming from outside and outdoor air.
Depending on weather, it supposed to adjust mode on the fly to make sure the heating is provided with maximum efficiency. It’s amazing, but exhaust pipe is made from plastic – it’s really cold because all of the heat of burned gas is utilized 93%!
The ultimate difference that unit doesn’t heat water as much as possible; it heats it just right to provide minimal difference between radiator and room temperature and get minimal gas consuming.

The info about unit – Triangle Tube Solo110, natural gas model, limited warranty for 10 years.

High Efficiency Upgrade – Part Two : Water Heater