Appliance Model Number

If you’ve ever called in an appliance repair guy or gal to fix a dishwasher, clothes dryer, or refrigerator, you probably recall with trepidation that phrase, “Da estimate is gonna cost ya fifty bucks, fella.”

Yeah, it stinks, bigtime. It’s a gamble - you’ve got to pay this guy $5 a minute to tell you it will probably cost more to fix than it’s worth. Sometimes it’s better to cut your losses and buy something new with an Energy Star label emblazoned on it’s shiny exterior.

But maybe not. Rather than take option 1 or option 2, why not take a shot on option 3? With a digital multimeter and a bit of knowledge, you can take matters into your own hands. A bit of DIY troubleshooting can pay handsome dividends. It’s not as complicated as webpage design.

For example, diagnosing clothes dryer problems is straightforward. Once you have it figured out, it’s just a question of buying the new part and installing it. I replaced the heating element in ours and saved big bucks. Ka-ching!

The one fly in the ointment is that no local shops would sell me the part. They wanted to do the installation and charge me $50 per hour. I bought it online from A-1 Appliance Parts (see the search box at the top of this post). They zipped it right out to me and I highly recommend them to other DIYers.

Hot water heater repair is just as easy. You can do it. Feeling empowered yet?

Most of the current green building measures focus on energy saving items like creating a tight envelope, using the recommended amount of wall and attic insulation, using salvaged and sustainable construction materials, and outfitting with Energy Star appliances. But is there more to it? Sure there is.

Consider Water Conservation

Lately there has been a great deal of concern over the availability of clean, potable water. It’s always an issue in third-world developing countries, but there’s the occasional fluster in the Western US over water rights. Other parts of the country have their own woes during droughts when water rationing takes effect. No car washing, no lawn watering, no vegetable garden action, etc.

Now the folks that make water delivery in the home both possible and attractive are getting into the green business.

John Fitzgerald, who is the Director of Marketing of the Chicago Faucet Company, puts it this way, “We regard sustainability as an opportunity to travel down new roads with our customers. Sustainability and social responsibility are closely interrelated and are important subjects for Chicago Faucets in thinking and acting in research and development and in production.”

Of course, we’ve had it up to here with low flow this and low flow that. It works well when shower heads have flow restricters installed, but toilets don’t make the grade unless they are properly designed or have some kind of turbo accelerator to take care of business.

In any event, look for your plumber to become a more caring, sensitive, politically correct person.

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Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to run!

The Energy Star Label

I made a change on the site the other day. As the body of articles continues to grow, I’ve been stumbling over some articles that “kind of” fit into the electric article category, and “kind of” don’t.

The solution? I rolled out another category called Green Building & Energy Efficiency. I think about that energy thing every time I get my monthly electricity bill. Granted, it’s not as bad as some folks, but it makes me cringe anyway.

Even though prices at the gas pump have been dropping, the peak that they hit over the summer serves as a wake-up call if you ask me. Don’t be fooled; they will rise again. Speaking of pumping gas, here’s some tips:

• Buy gas early in the morning when the temperature is cooler. Gasoline is a volatile hydrocarbon. It’s also subject to the laws of physics. When it’s cool, it contracts. There’s more to a compact gallon, at least as far as the pump is concerned.
• Don’t buy gas when or soon after that big tanker truck is filling the underground tanks. There is always some junk in those tanks and filling them up stirs it up. You don’t need to put it in your tank.

Speaking of energy efficiency, I posted an article on spray foam insulation from soy beans. No, I’m not jesting you. It comes in both open-cell and closed-cell forms and it’s very efficient. What will they think of next?