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Category: Going Green

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Converting Your Toilet to Dual Flush

dual flush toilet
Image by drburtoni via Flickr

Lifehacker posted an article today about how to convert a toilet to dual flush, and we thought it was worth reposting.

We didn’t know you could retrofit an existing toilet for only a few dollars. For those of you who don’t know, a dual flush toilet offers two levels of flush. This could reduce your water bill significantly, as, to put it as succinctly as possible, liquid waste requires less flushing than solid waste. A regular toilet would use the same amount regardless.

A conversion unit could cost as low as $25-$30. Sounds like a project we might try in the future.

Published on April 25, 2010
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Turning off Your Lights Part 1 – Occupancy Sensors and Countdown Timers

Smarthome, Inc.

In the 70s, President Jimmy Carter told America it was time to turn off their lights. Not making this a political blog and discussing Carter overall, Jimmy Carter’s comments on energy are exactly what people are prioritizing today. Turning things off when they aren’t in use makes financial sense. Energy costs money, so why waste it?

We know someone who thinks Global Warming and such are a crock, but even they are pro energy efficiency for financial reasons. So, whether you are in it for the money, or the loftier planet-saving, or something in between, wasting less energy seems like a good thing. We have previously discussed energy saving power strips that shut things off when not in us(link).

Now, we’re going to cover some other switch types for shutting off your power. We’re focusing on lights, but there are other things that can be hooked up to such switches.

Let’s start with countdown timers. We use a countdown timer for the bathroom exhaust fan…which is coincidentally a good way to time limit your showers. You press a button, and the light/fan/etc is on for a period of time. The one we use has 10-20-30-60 minute buttons. Where can this feature be used to good effect elsewhere?

The other equivalent option is the occupancy sensor. It detects movement in the room. These things are often made fun of, because if you stay too still for a period of time, they tend to turn off. But as long as you move regularly, it should be fine. Positioning is important though, as the sensors have defined range.

These two options are the cheapest way, other than remembering to flick the switch, to turn off your lights. Sure, it costs money to get them…but remember the reward. Stay tuned.

Published on April 23, 2010
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Wakeup for HTPCs and Servers

A remote control's infrared seen as near-infra...
Image via Wikipedia

Tonight, we upgraded an old computer we use as a secondary MythTV combined backend and a frontend. It is currently the only computer we use ACPI Wakeup on, so we spent some time resetting this feature.

There are three basic Wakeup Types that are useful for computers nowadays.

  • Wake on LAN – Wake the computer up in response to a signal over the network.
  • Wake on USB – Wake the computer up in response to a USB signal
  • Wake on Alarm – Set a time for the computer to wake up

So, how can we leverage this into power-savings and efficiency? By having the computer turn itself off when it isn’t in use. We’ve been using it in cooperation with our TV recording schedule. Computer starts up, records, sets a wakeup for the next time, then shuts down.

But after that, what can we do with this? Wake on LAN allows the computer to be tripped into an active state over a network. Wake on USB would allow us to activate the computer with a USB remote control or other USB communications device, such as a sensor.

The feature is built into every current computer. So, why around we using it? We didn’t even get to the discussion of Suspend to RAM and Hibernate, two features that either save the system state to the hard drive or keep the system on minimal power to keep data in the RAM, which offer additional options.

So, why aren’t you using the power-saving functions of your computer?

Published on September 27, 2009
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EnergyStar 3.0 TV Specification Goes into Effect

The Energy Star logo is placed on energy-effic...
Image via Wikipedia

The new EnergyStar 3.0 TV specification went into effect November 1st. It includes a test for how much electricity televisions use when turned on, as well as when turned off. Even the default settings could save as much as $100 in power.

Keep it in mind when you buy new televisions. For those of us with old ones, consider turning things off.

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Published on November 13, 2008
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The Simplest Way to Save Energy – Shutting Things Off

Cable Box
Image by _ES via Flickr

This past week, prompted by increased utility costs, we became obsessed with the idea of vampire power. Vampire power, standby power, or phantom power, whatever you wish to call it, is the power a device draws when supposedly turned off.

So, we did the research. If you like tech, and we do, you can go with a Master Control surge protector. This is where the power draw on one outlet kicks in the power to other outlets. For top of the line right now, you can go with the APC Back-UPS ES BE750G 10 Outlet 750VA Master Control.

We rushed out and bought one of these things, which marries the idea with a UPS. One of the Battery controlled outlets can have your computer plugged into it, and when the computer is on, it flicks on three of the surge controlled outlets. We’re using it for our monitor and speakers on one system, and will be adding more to the controlled outlets as soon as we crawl under the desk to audit our wires.

Now, not everyone needs such a heavy-duty item, or even power protection. As an alternative, there is the Smart Strip LCG3. There are several variations that offer different numbers of outlets and/or coaxial or modem surge protection. One of the most useful options on this surge strip is a adjustment knob to adjust the master outlet’s sensitivity. The APC UPS also has three adjustment settings.

We couldn’t wait, so we went to the store and bought the APC Power-Saving Essential Surgearrest. It is that adjustment knob we missed. On the system we tried to put it on, it didn’t accurately detect the turning on of our low-energy thin-client PC. Of course, it may not have been designed for low-power systems, and lacks the adjustment knob of the Smart Strips.

BITS Limited, the company responsible for the Smart Strips, has not only come out with a 3rd generation version of their product designed with a “greater range of sensitivity and device compatibility for low-power devices like the Dell 800 series laptops and Mac Mini computers.” Which means it would have solved our problem with the APC. They all are accepting initial orders on a USB Smart Strip, identical to the LCG3 model shown above except in addition to the power outlet, this one will switch when the USB port receives power as well.

Being as we run multiple systems and are trying to be more energy efficient, for the low-power client and its peripherals we decided to go the low-tech route. We tried to find a switch to insert between the peripheral and the outlet, but no one seems to make three-pronged plug-in switches. So, despite Underwriter’s Laboratories’ recommendations about daisy-chaining surge protectors, we took the advice we found from Smart Strips FAQ and plugged a power strip into our UPS and then on to the components in question.

This is technically safe, as long as you don’t overload the circuit. The same people think an extension cord to a surge protector is dangerous and most of us do that. Our biggest problem was of a visual nature. How do you make the switch accessible without the unsightliness of the wires coming out in all directions?

One solution is another new product, the Belkin Conserve 10-Outlet Surge Protector with Remote Switch. Sounds good in theory. A surge protector you conceal with a wireless remote to allow you to turn things on. There are also all manner of surge protectors that hide the wiring.

We, on the other hand, went low-tech. We mounted the surge protector on the wall such that the switch was visible above the desk, but the outlets were below and weren’t visible unless you peeked under. Another option we considered was mounting the strip upside-down under the desk in such a position that you can flick the switch with little effort.

If you are more electrically inclined, you can build a plug-in switch using some basic electronics since no one seems to be selling one(comment if you’ve found one).

For those on the cutting edge of tech, semiconductor maker Rohm has developed a circuit that uses no power while in standby mode. They hope to start deploying it next year. In a few years, it could make it or circuits like it could make its way into most new appliances sold, reducing or eliminating the bulk of this problem.

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Published on October 7, 2008
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Does Home Depot Really Recycle CFLs?

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs are one of those simple things we’re now encouraged to do to save money. However, they contain mercury and must be recycled. Until recently, in most municipalities, it was not easy to do that.

Then Home Depot came along and announced they would accept these lightbulbs for recycling. Happy day. Except the last two times we’ve delivered old bulbs to Home Depot, no one seems to know the procedure. We went to their desk, and the clerks there just took the bulb and left it there. We worry they are just dumping it in their garbage. We’d feel better if we at least saw a bin.

Does anyone have any evidence the agents at these stores are recycling these items? The same goes for Staples and other stores which take in spent batteries. and electronics. We’ll just wait for someone to do an expose.

Published on September 9, 2008
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Let's Talk about X10 and Insteon

Smarthome, Inc.

You may notice our Smarthome button available on all pages. We have not spent much time talking about them. Smarthome is a computer that specializes in home technology…including surveillance, lighting and appliance control, and so on.

They come to our mind today because we called in an electrician to fix the lighting system we’d failed to succeed in installing ourselves. The system uses X1o-based technology.

X10 is a standard that uses signals sent along the power lines. One can also use radio transmissions to trigger the powerline signals. X10 devices include dimmable lamp modules, appliance modules, outlets, and light switches…as well as a variety of control mechanisms.

One of X10’s problems is that is prone to interference from other devices. However, it remains popular despite this. The most common X10 switches are the inexpensive ones sold by X10 Technology, Radio Shack, and even Smarthome itself. These switches are easy to install, but are prone to failure. They are however a good starting point if you just want to experiment.

For reliability, try Leviton or Smarthome constructed X10 switches. They are a bit more expensive, but come at varying levels of quality…all of which are more reliably. Smarthome itself has been promoting its Insteon line of products. Insteon products are backwards compatible with X10, so you don’t have to rip out your existing wiring, should you have it. But they also send radio signals which are repeated by every Insteon device.

However, setting up Insteon is a bit more expensive than their X10 offerings, and their older X10 only lines are being discounted now…so it is a good time to click the link above and buy.

Thus, we come to the reason why we called an electrician. We have no trouble installing single switches, however,  three-way and four-way switches(where two or more switches control a single light) continue to elude us. That and the fact that whoever wired our home originally did it in an…as the electrician put it…”unconventional way.” We hope to master the skill someday. Fortunately, with the diagnostic assistance of the electrician, everything is working perfectly.

We take a targeted approach to home automation. It is set for certain lights. The lights on our exterior porch are set on a motion sensor that trigger the inside hall lights. In one room, remote switching is used to avoid installing a second switch in the room. When combined with a security system, we could extend this even more.

Give it a look. Feel free to comment with your home automation stories or questions. We may feature them in future posts.

Published on April 5, 2007
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Removing Your Paper Trail

Many of us spend time organizing their computers…Courtesy of O’Reilly’s Onlamp.com, we present this simple article, with simple advice on ridding yourself of paper, slowly. Here’s our version.

  1. Document Control System. The simplest one is, of course, a simple folder structure. Using directories requires no special software. That also means it has no ability to assist or monitor your organization. The author of the article suggests Perforce, which is a commercial product that offers a free version. We recommend the alternative, the free open-source Subversion, based on CVS, which is used by programmers. PC Magazine had a good basic article on it you can find here.
  2. A Scanner – To get your documents into the computer and out of your hands. One with a reliable ADF(Automatic Document Feeder), will allow you to work much faster in ridding yourself of documents than otherwise.
  3. Organize your files – You have to be able to find your documents by creating a hierarchy…a series of directories and subdirectories that allow you to quickly navigate to your files.
  4. Integrate your scanned documents with ones created by computer…they are all forms of information. And one useful thing about computers…if something fits in more than one category, you can link your file to both locations.

For a while, we tried Paperport, which came with one of our first scanners. We still have hundreds of files in the proprietary Paperport format we plan to slowly converting to PDF files for the straight documents and JPEG and GIF files for the higher resolution imagery. More on our plans to come….

Published on February 24, 2007
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Ikea to Save the Environment

Not long ago, we wrote on the subject of saving the earth through plastic shopping bag reduction. We found out through Treehugger that on March 15th, IKEA will charge a nickel per plastic bag in the US to encourage people to cut down on plastic bag waste.

Blue Bag

Proceeds of up to $1.75 million will go to American Forests, a nonprofit organization. To help, Ikea will be selling a reusable Big Blue Bay for 59 cents. “This program lets our customers know we have our stake in the ground and are committed to continuing to be an environmentally responsible company,” says Pernille Spiers-Lopez, president of IKEA North America.

IKEA estimates it will save at least 35 million bags in the first year, a reduction of 50%. In the UK, a similar program by Ikea reduced bags by 95 percent.

Published on February 21, 2007
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Make Your Own Soda

Soda Club USA

Any organization that we sign with as an affiliate is usually an organization we believe in, or at least patronize. We’ve signed up as an affiliate for Soda Club because we own their product and we like it…it is as simple as that.

Soda Club offers a kit for complete soda making. It consists of two components. One is a CO2 injector which turns regular water into carbonated water, and the other is the variety of syrups they offer.

They sell three different soda makers. The Fountainjet, the Edition 1, and the Penguin. The Fountainjet and the Edition 1 are very similar. The major difference is that the Fountainjet is white and the Edition 1 and black and silver. They both use the same heavy-duty plastic bottles. The more expensive Penguin uses 620ml glass carafes. All three offer a three year warranty.

We bought the basic model…the Fountainjet.

Flavor-wise…all of the regular flavors are sweetened with a mix of sugar and Splenda. The diet flavors use Splenda. Compared to commercial brands, they have less sodium and caffeine than their counterparts. They are also kosher, for those of you who are Jewish. Regular flavors include: Apple Peach, Cola, Cranberry Raspberry, Cream, Fountain Mist(Mountain Dew), Ginger Ale, Grape, Lemon Line(Sprite), Orange, Orange Mango, Pete’s Choice(Dr. Pepper), Pink Grapefruit, Root Beer, Tonic, and Vanilla Cola. It also offers an energy drink and a variety of diet flavors including: Diet Caffeine-Free Cola, Diet Cola, Diet Cream, Diet Fountain Mist(Mountain Dew), Diet Ginger Ale, Diet Lemon Lime(Sprite), Diet Orange, Diet Pete’s Choice(Dr. Pepper), Diet Pink Grapefruit(Fresca), Diet Root Beer, Diet Tonic, and Diet Vanilla Cola.

If you don’t like their flavors, you can always make your own. Their offerings are at least as good as generic soda brands. And our favorite advantage…no lugging soda bottles from the store then having to lug a bag of empties to the curb on recycling day.

Just so you don’t think we are being biased, we offer this review by Gizmodo. Essentially, the system is easy, supplies are inexpensive to mail order, and it is so cool to say you make your own soda. The idea is catching on.

Published on February 15, 2007
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