A brief respite from how tos, Green, etc. Why Chuck Liddell as company spokesman is probably the single most asked question from just about everyone. Well, advertising is about being unique, and an extreme fighter with a mohawk may be pushing the unique envelope to say the least.
Chuck is actually a pretty nice guy. He is a college graduate in....accounting, unbelievable, but true. I imagine compliance and tax problems would decrease with this guy in charge.
This was our first foray into television advertising. Enjoy
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
Green is Good....Try it
I set my Google Alerts to energy efficiency and Energy efficient tips. It is amazing how virulent some of the attacks on Green and conservation can be. So lets say that there is no global warming, and we are simply not the causation of anything bad.
How about saving money. Forget about the positive ramifications of actually saving money. Consider the following equations:
You can light your room with a 13 watt fluorescent or a 60 watt incandescent.
You can wash your laundry in a 2.5 cubic foot that uses 42 gallons of water or a washer that uses 10-12 gallons of water and is 40% larger and uses 50% less energy.
Take your pick. The answer will save you easily $600-1200 per year easily in water, sewer, air conditioning and energy costs.
BTW, Massachusetts is 48th out of 48 in fluorescent bulb usage. We are better than the District of Columbia
How about saving money. Forget about the positive ramifications of actually saving money. Consider the following equations:
You can light your room with a 13 watt fluorescent or a 60 watt incandescent.
You can wash your laundry in a 2.5 cubic foot that uses 42 gallons of water or a washer that uses 10-12 gallons of water and is 40% larger and uses 50% less energy.
Take your pick. The answer will save you easily $600-1200 per year easily in water, sewer, air conditioning and energy costs.
BTW, Massachusetts is 48th out of 48 in fluorescent bulb usage. We are better than the District of Columbia
Labels:
Compact Fluorescent,
Energy Tip,
Laundry,
Washer
Ventless Drying
This will be a great post for a very few people. Have to be honest. Increasingly developers are limited the use of venting for cost savings. For range hoods, its simple, just redirect the exhaust through the front of the hood and add a filter.
The issue with the dryer becomes more complicated, because it emits heat and moisture. Moisture will peel wallpaper and serve as a healthy environment for otherwise unhealthy stuff. In other words, you want heat and moisture out of your condo or apartment. Fortunately, this problem seems to have been rectified in Europe. Miele, Bosch and Asko all manufacture a condenser dryer, which transforms the moisture into water. The water is then eliminated through a connection with the washer and then sent out with the waste water from the washer.
Unfortunately the problem has not been rectified cheaply Per Se. A very good washer and dryer will cost $1200 to 2000. A washer and ventless dryer runs $1700 to $3500, but it is certainly less frustrating than the laundrymat.
The issue with the dryer becomes more complicated, because it emits heat and moisture. Moisture will peel wallpaper and serve as a healthy environment for otherwise unhealthy stuff. In other words, you want heat and moisture out of your condo or apartment. Fortunately, this problem seems to have been rectified in Europe. Miele, Bosch and Asko all manufacture a condenser dryer, which transforms the moisture into water. The water is then eliminated through a connection with the washer and then sent out with the waste water from the washer.
Unfortunately the problem has not been rectified cheaply Per Se. A very good washer and dryer will cost $1200 to 2000. A washer and ventless dryer runs $1700 to $3500, but it is certainly less frustrating than the laundrymat.
Labels:
Asko,
Bosch,
Dryer,
Hoods,
Laundry,
Miele,
Ranges,
Ventilation,
Washer,
Water Filters
How to Buy....A Paddle Fan
Google really has fantastic analytics. I have graphs of how many people viewed our blog and how many pages were read. Although Boston is disproportionately represented as you may suspect, it only accounts for 40% of the views. We have somehow been read in Oslo, Scotland and Buttsberg, (Germany). Whatever country, province or area, I would be happy to address any outstanding issues or problems in the home building process as it relates to appliances, lighting and kitchen plumbing.
Our goal is to be an impartial resource to the renovator/remodeller/homeowner not a shill for a particular product or company, even our own.
That being said, lets talk fans. Simple question: Are paddle fans energy efficient or not?
Yes
No
Maybe
The correct answer is Maybe. There is no question that on a certain level fans are more energy efficient. In the summer, they circulate the air, and when reversed, a paddle fan will distribute the heat from the ceiling. However, fans do not lower temperature. They create a "wind chill" effect, but only if you are in the room. Think of a fan as a light bulb(equivalent to a 40 watt), so turn it off when leaving a room.
So how do you buy a fan. Most of the better fans will have a Emerson motor that allows the fan to operate more efficiently, quietly and wobble less. Although fans are available in sizes up to 80 inches, the most common size is 50-52 inch diameter for average to larger size rooms and 42 for smaller rooms. Again, this is Boston, not Baton Rouge. In warmer climates, there is a propensity to have porch fans(make sure they are weather resistant) and fans in bathrooms, which can be as small as 29 inch.
A couple other important factor when buying paddle fans are controls. Fan controls are available in increasing permutations: remotes, intelli-switches as well as the pull chains. A switch should be able to reverse a fan period. Extra functions are great, but you do not want to climb a ladder to reverse a fan.
A couple other suggestions: The optimum height for a fan is 8-9 feet off the floor with a minimum of 7 feet. In taller ceilings, hang the fan at about 25% of the height of the room. Lastly, have some fun with this and try to buy something other than white. There are some very interesting fans from Minka, Fanimation, Casablanca and Emerson. I will post a few for your inspection.
Our goal is to be an impartial resource to the renovator/remodeller/homeowner not a shill for a particular product or company, even our own.
That being said, lets talk fans. Simple question: Are paddle fans energy efficient or not?
Yes
No
Maybe
The correct answer is Maybe. There is no question that on a certain level fans are more energy efficient. In the summer, they circulate the air, and when reversed, a paddle fan will distribute the heat from the ceiling. However, fans do not lower temperature. They create a "wind chill" effect, but only if you are in the room. Think of a fan as a light bulb(equivalent to a 40 watt), so turn it off when leaving a room.
So how do you buy a fan. Most of the better fans will have a Emerson motor that allows the fan to operate more efficiently, quietly and wobble less. Although fans are available in sizes up to 80 inches, the most common size is 50-52 inch diameter for average to larger size rooms and 42 for smaller rooms. Again, this is Boston, not Baton Rouge. In warmer climates, there is a propensity to have porch fans(make sure they are weather resistant) and fans in bathrooms, which can be as small as 29 inch.
A couple other important factor when buying paddle fans are controls. Fan controls are available in increasing permutations: remotes, intelli-switches as well as the pull chains. A switch should be able to reverse a fan period. Extra functions are great, but you do not want to climb a ladder to reverse a fan.
A couple other suggestions: The optimum height for a fan is 8-9 feet off the floor with a minimum of 7 feet. In taller ceilings, hang the fan at about 25% of the height of the room. Lastly, have some fun with this and try to buy something other than white. There are some very interesting fans from Minka, Fanimation, Casablanca and Emerson. I will post a few for your inspection.
Labels:
Casablanca,
Fanimation,
Lighting,
Minka Aire
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