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Ronnie Citron-Fink

A Greener Home: 5 Steps

posted by Ronnie Citron-Fink Mar 23, 2009 1:01 pm
filed under: Blogs, EcoNesting, , , , , , ,
A Greener Home: 5 Steps
69 comments

Last week, the New York Times ran an interview with the author, Eric Corey Freed of Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies, and asked him what 5 steps homeowners should take to achieve a greener home.

Here are Freed’s 5 beginner steps for a greener home:

1. Look at all the vampire loads that are sucking energy even when you’re not using them. Anything with a ready light. Collectively, vampire loads cost Americans about $3 billion a year. The biggest culprits are stereos, DVD’s, game systems and plasma TVs. Simply unplug them when they’re not in use. Or purchase smart power strips, which cost about $25 and shut off automatically.

2. Take an empty two-liter soda bottle, wash it out, fill it with water, screw the lid on tightly and set it into your toilet tank, as far away from the flapper valve as possible. This prevents two liters of water from being used every time you flush. A new low-flow toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush. Older toilets go up to seven gallons a flush. Two liters is only half a gallon, so there’s still plenty of water left for most bathroom visits. Besides, you can always flush twice for those rare occasions when it’s truly needed.

3. Install an ultra-low-flow shower head. A 1992 federal law requires all shower heads to be “low flow,” which means 2.5 gallons shoot out every minute it’s on. Switching to ultra-low-flow means you could go anywhere from two gallons all the way down to half a gallon a minute. Ultra-low-flow shower heads mix outside room air into the water so the pressure is surprisingly good. The technology has really advanced.

4. Install a gray-water system that collects soapy water and diverts it to the toilet. Instead of clean water, you flush with soapy water. WaterSaver Technologies makes AQUS, a $300 system that installs under the sink. Is there a simpler way to capture and use gray water? Actually, there is. It’s a toilet-topped sink called SinkPositive. You replace the toilet’s heavy porcelain lid with this sink basin, which has a built-in faucet. When you flush, fresh water comes out of the faucet and you wash your hands with it. The soapy water collects in the toilet tank for the next flush.

5. This is probably the most important: replace old thermostats with a programmable one. It’s kind of like a TiVo of thermostats. It lets you turn the heat down when you sleep and back up before you wake. It can also tell the difference between Monday and Friday, so you can turn down the heat while you’re at work. A good one costs about $20, and saves about $180 a year on energy bills.

Freed concludes by saying that these five projects aren’t sexy, but everybody can do them. What steps have you taken to make your home greener?

Ronnie Citron-Fink lives in New York with her husband, two children (when they come home to the nest), two dogs and a cat. Ronnie is a teacher and a writer. She has been a contributing writer for Family Fun magazine. She currently writes articles about education and home design. Her writings are in four books including Family Fun Home and Some Delights of the Hudson Valley.

EcoNesting

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69 comments

69 comments

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69 comments add your comment
Peter O'connor

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Carley B.

Not an owner, so I do what I can, but ...

My landlord installed a new shower, and I think the old low-flow head was replaced by an ultra-low flow. However, for a woman washing her hair, the pressure is so weak that (judging from the accumulation in the tub), I still need the same amount of water. I do not shampoo every day, so it does conserve a little.

Bert Miller

We've had a programable digital thermostate for nine years. Very accurate and makes the changes for you, so you don't have to think about it. There's also a vacation setting that's simply sweet.
We got the dual flush stool the same year. (I call it the year of the large appliance exchange. Groan)
Split door Fridge, swamp cooler (dry climiate here) instead of central air, window awnings, low flow front loading washing machine, radiant heat stove/oven, weather stripping around doors & windows, slowly replacing bulbs w/energy savers. (I know, a trade off with mercury vapors), low flow shower wands. Each is only a little bit of savings, but it all adds up.

Check local zoning rules on gray water tanks. It isn't legal here to have them.

Kay Mackenzie

We a have dual flush toilet, roof insulation and now getting sola panels installed. Thanks for the plasma tip, just need to get grey water sorted

RC Sihag

Wonders can be created by a fertile brain and that is what ronnie has.This has been proved by her creative thoughts.Congrat ronnie.

Elvira S.

Great info, if I had known about the power consumptive plasma, I would not have chosen it for my home. I guess, knowledge really saves money. Thanks Ronnie and all those who contributed with their ideas.

Elizabeth Irving-Waddleto

The ideas are all good. I live in Canada, we're renovating, and
we've installed tons of new insulation as we go. (Keeps the energy usage way down. The house stays warmer and cooler .) We're also checking out 'double-flush' toilets, like those in Europe. One mini flush for ..., and a bigger flush for those "solids."

Paul Smith

All good advice, the thing I've found is that the more you try and save, the more the cost goes up... a lot like treading water... Cap and trade is con job put out by the companies that stand to make billions of dollars at your expense... Write, Call, and set an app't with your federal rep's to express your disbelieve that they would sell you out!!!

Pamela C.

I have an old "low-flush" toilet. Believe me, I'm happy it works at all :D Some of these things sound great in theory, but, if you're not lucky enought to have a fairly modern (within the past 20 years) infrastructure within your home, some of these ideas can work against you. Forcing people into doing things often can make matters worse.
I live small and have two sinks in the house: one in the bathroom and one in the living room. When I rinse off dishes, I pour the water into a bowl on the counter and when its full, I empty it outside.
If people didn't have large screen TVs, food processors, and enormous refrigerators, then we wouldn't need to make up for the energy useage in other ways.

Jamie L.

Thanks Ronnie!

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