50 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly

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50 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly Eco WALK the Talk.com 550 Wa Install a “Tank-less” Water Heater or “instant water heaters” or “on demand heater”. They are more energy efficient, as they only heat water as and when required and do not store hot water. If you have a regular water heater, you can save energy usage by reducing the thermostat by a few degrees. Insulate the water heater with an insulating jacket that is usually available at hardware stores to prevent heat from getting lost. Insulate pipes that come out of the water heater for the first five to ten feet with slip-on foam sleeves. Drain about a cup of water from the valve faucet at the bottom of the water heater (after switching off the heater, of course) once every 3 to 4 months. This prevents sediments from building up in the water tank and makes it more efficient. Resources For more information on the mechanism and details, look at the Tankless Water Heater Guide. 26.Keep your refrigerator in good working condition It’s pretty obvious that the larger the refrigerator, the more energy it is going to consume. Additional features like automatic icemakers and through-the-door dispensers actually increase electricity use.So buy the smallest energy efficient model that suits your needs. Here are some tips to keep your refrigerator energy efficient: � Position your refrigerator away from heat sources such as stovetops, ovens and other heat generating appliances � Make sure there’s enough space around the refrigerator, to allow for proper airflow near the compressor and condenser coils. Clean the condenser coils at the bottom or back of the appliance every few months. The coil removes heat from the inside and can’t function well it is dirty. � Good organisation of the contents inside will help you find things easily, and you won’t have to keep the door open for too long and let the cold air escape. � Reset the thermostat setting of your refrigerator from time to time especially if you notice food is getting frost bite. � Allow for proper air circulation inside the refrigerator. Do not overcrowd the contents, as this may reduce cooling capabilities. � Cover all foods and liquids, and allow for hot food to cool down before keeping them inside the refrigerator. Uncovered foods give out moisture making the compressor work harder. 27.Conserve energy with your washing machine As we always say, buy an energy efficient model, with the Energy Star or Label appropriate to your country. © www.ecowalkthetalk.com Join us on Facebook : http:// www.facebook.com/ecowalkthetalk Twitter: http://twitter.com/ecowalkthetalk YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/user/ecowalkthetalk
50 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly Eco WALK the Talk.com 550 Wa Choose a front loading machine, even though it may be more expensive compared to a top loading machine. Front loading machines are more efficient because their larger capacity, faster spin cycles and the use of gravity translate to less energy and water use. Here are some ways to use your washing machine efficiently: � Wash with a cold water setting or if necessary with a warm water setting instead of hot, to wash your clothes. Heating the water in the washing machine takes up the bulk of the electricity use – up to 90%. The rinse cycle can always be in cold water. � Wash with a full load as far as possible, to save water and electricity. � Use only as much detergent as is necessary. Using too much will create extra soap suds, which means extra rinsing to remove them. � Line-dry your clothes after the washing cycle. Use the natural heat energy of the sun and the drying power of the wind to make your clothes dry. 28.Get an energy audit done Get an energy audit done by your utility company or an independent consultant. You will discover which areas of your home account for maximum energy usage, and where the leakage areas are located. It’s more relevant for temperate countries, so you’ll have to apply what is in context for warmer climes. Resources Get an idea of what a typical energy audit entails in this video. 29.Buy green electricity or use renewable energy While buyingor generating green electricity may not be an option in your neighbourhood, count yourself lucky if it is, and more so if you’re given tax breaks for the same! Green electricity is that which is produced from sources that do not emit excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere like conventional fossil fuels in coal-fired power plants or natural gas, when their entire lifecycle is taken into account. Such sources may be solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, ground source, wave power, tidal power, biomass or landfill gas. Resources Refer to Green Electricity.org for more information. Use small scale wind turbines and solar appliances such as solar water heating, solar ovens, solar roofing, windows and so on to make your energy source sustainable. © www.ecowalkthetalk.com Join us on Facebook : http:// www.facebook.com/ecowalkthetalk Twitter: http://twitter.com/ecowalkthetalk YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/user/ecowalkthetalk
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50 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly

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