Need a New Dryer? Maybe NOT!

Is your dryer not drying clothes as fast as it did when it was new?  Does it take two cycles to get things dry or does the "auto dry" cycle take longer and longer?   Your dryer vent probably needs cleaning out.   Do that before your buy a new dryer or call a repairman - it's not too hard.  AND it will save you money on your utility bill and possibly save your life!   Read on....

Most new houses have laundry rooms in the living area of the house.   In Florida (where I live) washers and dryers used to be in the garage or adjacent to it - outside of the conditioned area of the house.   Not as handy, not as cute, not as much square footage for your builder to sell you.   So, over the past 25 years, laundry rooms have grown in importance and are usually part of the house, sometimes even located upstairs.   Why is this a problem?  Well, that is the subject of a future blog post, but the short answer is that it is a source of heat and moisture - both of which increase the load on your air conditioner.    In addition it is a source of potential water damage - the number one insurance claim is for water damage - due to the inexpensive plastic hoses that often come with washing machines.  

So, my job, yesterday, was to replace these plastic hoses with nice braided metal ones - they don't fail.   So I pulled out the washer dryer (a stack unit) that had not been moved for over ten years.  Here is what I found:

You can see the cheap plastic black hoses in the foreground - that was my job to replace.   But look at that kinked up dryer vent hose!   My job expanded.   The dryer vent hose is attached to the dryer with a simple wire clamp.   I disconnected hose and tried to straighten it out to measure the amount needed for a straight run to the wall.  But, it was stiff and rigid.  Why?   Well, when I cut into it, this is what I found: 

The lint had caked and dried inside the vent line making it almost 3/4 completely blocked at the bends.   I stuck my arm inside the remaining vent line and pulled out large solid chunks of lint - I collected quite a pile: 

You can also see the section of vent hose that I cut out - more is definitely not better in this case!  Dryer vent hoses should be as straight as possible - and in an ideal world, go straight from the dryer  through the wall and outside.   Shortest distance, fewest bends, no kinks.  Here is what we ended up with after shortening this hose (and notice the new shiny braided water supply hoses!): 

Just two turns - a good improvement from the figure eight mess that I originally found!  And best - a trial run with the dryer (with towels!) had everything dry in half the time.  Half the time means half the energy too!  

So, here are the things you need to know about dryer vents and laundry and energy use: 

• A clogged dryer vent can use two-three times the energy of an unclogged vent - more than $20 a month for the average home. 
• A clogged dryer vent can become overheated and cause a house fire - it is one of the top causes of house fires.   
• A clogged dryer vent, if you have a gas dryer, can prevent proper venting of your dryer, causing carbon monoxide to build up in your home.
• A clogged dryer vent means you spend more time doing laundry!  And more time running your dryer, shortening it's effective life.
• Certain laundry products make your dryer vent more prone to clogging - liquid fabric softeners make the lint "sticky" and heavier - and more likely to be deposited in your vent line. 
• If your dryer vents to the roof - the lint is likely to collect thickly at the bottom of the line, and more likely to become completely blocked.  Schedule a dryer vent cleaning at least once per year if you do laundry often.  
• If you are building a house - try to situate the laundry room so that your dryer vent can go through the wall so that it can be easily be accessed from both side.   Also, consider adding a drain to your laundry room in case a hose breaks while you are not home (or even if you are!).   And, if you are serious about saving energy, put your laundry room outside.  It will allow you to have a smaller air conditioner.  
• Don't forget to trade out those plastic hoses for braided metal!   It's a $15 investment that could save you thousands!

Being Sustained - A Sustainable Life

The definition of sustainable is: 

sus·tain·a·ble

  [suh-stey-nuh-buhl] 

adjective

1.

capable of being supported or upheld, as by having its weight borne from below.

2.

pertaining to a system that maintains its own viability byusing techniques that allow for continual reuse: sustainable agriculture. Aquaculture is a sustainable alternative to overfishing.

3.

able to be maintained or kept going, as an action or process:a sustainable negotiation between the two countries.

4.

able to be confirmed or upheld: a sustainable  decision.

5.

able to be supported as with the basic necessities orsufficient funds: a sustainable life.

I think back on the last five years of my life and what has made my life sustainable.  The first definition of sustainable "capable of being supported or upheld, as having it's weight borne from below" is not something that you think of too much when contemplating the buzzword "sustainable".   But I have been held up over the past five years by family and friends in ways too numerous to count.   First, as I went through cancer myself, not only the radiation treatments and chemotherapy but the aftermath, the complications, the mountains of bills, the inability to work regularly, the healing of body.  Just as I was getting my life back together, starting a new business and making a good name for myself, my son Peter was diagnosed with leukemia.   I spent the better part of a year with him - in the hospital, in the clinics, and eventually, in my living room after they told him there was nothing more they could do for him.  That was in December of 2009.  I was exhausted - spiritually, emotionally, financially.  But my sons, my family and friends and the universe were there for me and held me up.  Then, just a month after my son Peter died, my dad (who never smoked one single day of his life - one of the healthiest people I have known) was diagnosed with lung cancer.   He died this past December.  


I know - there are many people out there that have had much more heartbreaking stories than I - but that is not my point.   I have been sustained.  I have survived - my soul, though hurting, was soothed by the kind words, the hugs, the shared meals, and the empathy and sympathy of those that I am lucky to call friends.  


So, when we think about living a sustainable life, realize - you have to nurture your relationships, your friendships, your neighborhood, and sometimes even a stranger.  Sharing a meal, sharing a ride, sharing a shoulder, sharing a dollar with someone less fortunate - these small acts are part of a sustainable life - especially the life of the person you are sustaining. 

Providing "Barrels of Hope" to Haitian Earthquake Victims

Originally published in the March 2010 issue of Natural Awakenings of Ocala / Gainesville / The Villages

Local non-profits and businesses focused on sustainability are seeking community support for a program to build rainbarrels for the earthquake victims in Haiti, and fill the rainbarrels with supplies to begin rebuilding permanent structures.

A group of "green" citizens of Gainesville have banded together to create "Barrels of Hope" – an effort both teach local citizens how to build and utilize a rain barrel and then deliver those rain barrels to Haiti. Water distribution has long been a problem in Haiti, and many Haitians utilized concrete cisterns, which were damaged and contaminated by the earthquake. Bottled and distributed water has provided immediate relief, but creates waste and is not a long term solution. The rain barrels can be utilized by a family or group of people, will last for many years, and will arrive in Haiti filled with supplied to begin building permanent structures.

"Each rain barrel can be delivered independently and will contain enough materials to begin building what is known as an earthbag house", says Mary Alford, president of the Heart of Florida USGBC, the local chapter of the US Green Building Council. "These structures have already been utilized in Haiti, they are relatively quick and easy to build, they can utilize some of the concrete waste from the disaster and, in the future, can be plastered over and roofed to provide permanent structures." Earthbag houses are constructed by stacking sandbags to create walls, with barbed wire in between the layers to keep the walls stable. Some examples of earthbag houses can be found on the earthbag blog, found here:http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/ .

Currently, the plan is to provide a rain barrel with a few hundred sandbags, a small shovel, tarps to provide a roof and collect rain into the barrel, and an illustrated guide to constructing the temporary shelters as well as how to transition these shelters to permanent structures. Other items that may be added to the barrel include crank radios or solar lights. "We also want to provide something beautiful in each barrel", says Alford. "A small picture, a scarf, anything to bring a small amount of beauty and hope into, what we hope will be, a new home.

Michael, a 22 year old Haitian studying green construction in Gainesville agrees. "These are good tools to help the people of my country rebuild in a sustainable way." Michael hopes to take the knowledge he has gained back to Haiti to help rebuild responsibly.

If you are interested in helping out the Barrels of Hope project, there are many opportunities. Individuals are invited to build a rainbarrel for Haiti during the Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival March 19-28. You will learn about how to construct your own rainbarrel while providing a water source to someone in need.

Currently a donation of $250 will allow your family or organization to provide a solid shelter and a rainbarrel to a family in Haiti. If you sponsor a barrel, please consider sending some very small item of beauty to be added to your barrel, and a short message of hope. Corporate or individual donations of the following items will reduce the cost of sponsorship: New plastic drums (see picture), plumbing fixtures (call for details), bundles of 18" x 30" feedbags or sandbags, tarps, small folding shovels and barbed wire. The group hopes to obtain donation of good quality solar lights or crank powered radios for additon to the barrels, but these items are not considered essential.

The least expensive shipping option is through the ports, and the ports are not yet open to anything other than emergency food shipment at this time. However, ports are expected to be open to other shipments in March. If your organization would like to sponsor the shipping costs, that would allow more funding for additional building materials and training.

To keep updated on the efforts please check the fan page on Facebook (Barrels of Hope), or send an email to barrelsofhope@gmail.com. You may also contact Mary Alford directly at (352)339-3899 and leave a detailed message.

To see lots of pictures and find out more information, go to www.barrelsofhope.org !

Carbon Footprinting and New Urbanism

Yesterday afternoon a group of like minded people gathered to hear Jennifer Langford, an local architect and the regional representative for the Congress of the New Urbanism speak breifly and lead a discussion about how location matters to sustainability.  It was a discussion sponsored by the Heart of Florida's USGBC LEED for Homes Advocacy Committee.  The discussion started with the obvious -- when you live in a more urban environment, you are closer to basic services, you can connect to existing infrastructure, you are not using up precious greenspace.  We moved on to more specific topics, including energy usage in homes in a more urban environment.  This topic had me wanting to compare neighborhoods. 

If you go to the new Gainesville Green website you can compare your energy usage (if you are a GRU customer) to your neighbors, and you can compare entire neighborhoods.   By looking at this site you can see that in the Haile Village Center, the average carbon footprint, measured in tons of CO2 per month, averages a bit less than one ton for the average house.   In the Haile Village Center, homes are anywhere from a few feet apart to attached.   In a similar neighborhood, Stratford Ridge, in terms of the size of the houses (although the houses are newer and should therefore be more energy efficient), the average home has a carbon footprint of 2.7 tons of CO2 per month -- a significant difference.   The Village Center does have more diversity in terms of house sizes, but the median is similar -- slightly higher in Stratford Ridge, but not higher enough to justify over twice as much carbon footprint in utility use. 

So, why is it different?  The Village Center has older houses, many with single pane windows, less efficient insulation, and some with raised wood floors.    However, they are typically designed in standard block shapes, with architectural interest being supplied by windows with depth and with deep porches.  Windows are plentiful, but are shaded by the porches or by the tall neighborhing houses.  Houses are up off the ground (which provides some privacy in a tight neighborhood) and are almost all two stories with full attics.   The ratio of roof to overall square footage is low.  Much heat gain (and therefore energy usage) in Florida comes from the roof and windows, so if your windows are shaded and your roof is small, there is greater efficiency.  

And it is not all about energy.   Water usage in the Haile Village Center averages around 5000 gallons per household year round.   In Stratford Ridge, water use per house averages 20,000-30,000 gallons per home through out the year, with a peak in June of around 60,000 gallons.  There are no lawns in the Village Center, only shared green space nurtured with reuse water.  Stratford Ridge has abundant lawns and swimming pools. 

The point of this post is not to pick on Stratford Ridge where there are lovely homes, but to point out that there are more environmental costs to building sprawling homes on large lots.   Everyone thinks that New Urbanism contributes to a lower carbon footprint because there is less dependence on the automobile, but really, it is much more than that.   While it is great to be able to walk to stores, restaurants, bars and even to your office, it is also great to not have a lawn to mow and water, to be sheltered by your neighbors, and to have only a fraction of your home bear the full brunt of the Florida sun that we all love so much.   

A Greener Lawn, With No Grass

In 2007 a couple of students from the University of Florida finished up an 18 month project -- a documentary about our obsession with lawns -- with grass, with mowers, with fertilizer and water. Visitors to Brytan, a LEED-ND neighborhood that I have been working with, are often confused by the lack of lawn, and not sure they are ready to give their weekly foray around the yard with a lawn mower. This presentation may help you think differently about what has become an American tradition with questionable value. It is titled "Gimme Green" and you can watch it on the website: http://www.gimmegreen.com/updates/seeGG.htm

Enjoying the Ritual of Spring Cleaning - Without Harmful Chemicals

Spring cleaning is a honored tradition through the ages. When homes were heated with fire, old soot was scrubbed away from interior surfaces. Fresh hay was brought in for mattresses and in colder climates quilts and drapes that would not dry but only freeze in cold winter temperatures could be washed. Some traditions associated with Passover, Lent and other eastern religions require or suggest cleaning house. Today many cleaning experts will tell you that it is better to do a “Fall Cleaning” than a “Spring Cleaning” because our homes don't get that dirty any more and you are prepared for the celebratory fall holidays. However, I like the those first days of spring when the flowers are blooming outside, the air is sweet, the temperature balmy and I can through open the windows with abandon to welcome in the change of season. Windows are a pleasure to wash when the weather is wonderful and you can watch the dogwoods budding. I enjoy washing away the musty smells of winter and replacing them with fresh clean natural smells.

Unfortunately, most commercial cleaning products don't provide the fresh clean smells I am looking for. The overwhelming scents of bleach, ammonia, powerful antibacterial agents and chemical scenting agents are harsh to my nose and are not what I want competing with the pleasant spring odors outside. Besides, all of those “Danger” “Warning” and “Caution” labels make me nervous, especially with kids around. This article makes some recommendations for natural cleaning products that are functional and kinder to the environment. Here are some of my favorite natural cleaning agents:

Pretty much all my cleaning products.  And a Kadinsky print.  All, including the Kadinsky print, less than  $10. 

Vinegar: I use vinegar in my kitchen for a counter top spray, to clean the inside of the microwave and top of the stove, and to wipe down the refrigerator and refrigerator gasket. Vinegar prevents mildew when used regularly and has mildly antiseptic qualities. To use, put in a spray bottle and spray liberally. Let it sit a few minutes to soften any hardened items then wipe away. For tough stains (not on stone or other specialty products!) scrub with baking soda first, then spray with vinegar. You get natural “scrubby bubbles” and because these are both safe products, kids sometimes enjoy this cleaning activity. Equal parts of vinegar and baking soda work to keep drains clean (dump in baking soda then add vinegar). Vinegar works as a fabric softener and deodorizer when added (1-2 cups) during the rinse cycle of your washing machine, and has the added bonus of cleaning old soap scum out of your washer. I run vinegar through my coffee maker and through my dishwasher periodically to get eliminate lime deposits. You can buy cheap white vinegar for cleaning, but I don't cook with it.

Baking Soda: I have already mentioned this a as a scrubbing agent – also use to scour pots, scrub tubs (use with vinegar to dissolve hard water deposits and soap scum), and remove odors from upholstery and carpet (sprinkle on, rub in, let sit, vacuum off). Use small containers of baking soda to absorb odors in refrigerators, bathrooms and even your car. You can scent with a few drops of essential oils. After a couple of months replace, and use the old baking soda to clean something.

Lemons: Cut one in half, use for a big glass of lemonade, then dip the cut side into baking soda and scrub the kitchen sink. It smells wonderful and does a fabulous job. When you are finished scrubbing off the stains (you can let it sit for a while for the citric acid to mildly bleach white porcelain), toss the lemon into your garbage disposal to grind away any odors. Rinse away the baking soda residual from your sink and polish with a soft cloth. Warning! Don't use this method on granite or other stone.

Hydrogen peroxide: I use the 3% solution to clean the bathroom and kitchen counters when someone is sick. Also, because I have white grout between the kitchen tiles, I use it (in a spray bottle) to clean the kitchen floor (I spray it down, let it sit, the mop as usual). I soak my kitchen scrub brushes, my toothbrushes, and my cutting boards in hydrogen peroxide periodically to kill germs. Some of the “green” bleaches are actually hydrogen peroxide solutions and I buy these rather than the more expensive drug store bottles for cleaning purposes (but I use the drugstore version for my toothbrushes).

Other cleaning tools: I like cleaning tools that I can clean and reuse versus being thrown away. For windows, pieces of an old sheet will not leave lint when you are polishing. I have two dust mop covers, one to be in the wash and one in use. If you knit or sew, there are patterns to make cotton washable covers for mopping as well as many fun patterns to knit dishcloths. Most cotton mop heads can be removed and tossed in the washer. If you want to purchase reusable cleaning towels, look for microfiber towels in the car care department rather than in the house cleaning department. You can buy a bundle of them at a fraction of the cost!

One of the many benefits of using natural cleaning products is the ability to get your kids involved without them being exposed to chemicals that could be harmful. I have seen three year olds happy for quite a long time with a sponge and a small container of water “helping” scrub the kitchen floor!

When cleaning your house don't forget to recycle unused or unwanted items with local charities or the on-line “Free Cycle” service. Bring in some of those fresh flowers, and breath deeply – because you can!

 My son's sink - not filthy, but pretty dirty!

Thirty seconds of work - damp sponge with baking soda, a spritz of vinegar,
 a quick rinse.  (It's not new, but it's a lot better!)

This blog entry was published in the March/April 2009 Issue of North Central Florida's Natural Awakenings. 

Who Knew An Energy Audit Would Be This Cool?

I am sure this music video by some students at Stanford will go LEED Platinum.  Check it out!

(And contact me if you want an energy audit. I can do all of that cool stuff, even the nifty infrared video.)