3 STEPS TO REFRIGERATOR EFFICINECY
Did you know that your refrigerator alone uses about 14% of your total household energy usage? And if it is not at its best performance, it may cost you up to $50 extra a year.
Here are 3 easy steps you can take to make sure your refrigerator is as efficient as it can be:
- Check the temperature inside—the ideal temperature inside your fridge should range between 38 and 40 degrees F, Many people, however, keep it too cold, which not only increases the energy usage (and therefore costs) but it may also spoil the food. So to check the temperature of your refrigerator (even if you use the recommended setting) put an appliance thermometer in a glass of water and place it on the middle shelf. Keep it there for 5 to 8 hours, after which time check the results. If the temperature is not in the range specified above, reset it and repeat the process.
- Check the seal—there could be two reasons for the refrigerator door not closing tightly: either the fridge is simply too full and all you have to do is clean it out or the seal has worsened with time, which means it lets warm air in causing the compressor to work overtime. To check your refrigerator’s seal, close a piece of thin paper (e.g. a sheet from a notebook, a dollar bill etc) in the door and pull it gently to see if it stays in place and repeat the process along the length of the door frame. If the paper slips out, you need to change the seal. Contact your service provider for details.
- Clean the coils—the refrigerator’s condenser coils get dusty and grimy over time, which reduces their efficiency. The best thing to do is to simply clean them every three months. To do that, unplug the fridge, pull it out (if the coils are mounted on the back) or remove the coil panel ( if it’s at the bottom of the unit) and thoroughly clean the coils with a vacuum or a dry sponge.
FDA DEEMS BPA SAFE
In September ’08 a study was released stating that BPA (a chemical component in plastics such as baby bottles, toys, #7 containers, food packaging and dental sealants) may be a factor in various conditions in humans, some of which include diabetes and heart disease. However, FDA issued a statement deeming it safe, in spite of the fact that BPA is present on blood of 92% of Americans over the age of five.
Various government agencies and researchers have conducted numerous studies over the past year; some of them were published in journals such as “Environmental Health Perspectives” or “Journal of [...] Continue Reading…
LCDs OR PLASMA?
The change is inevitable—come February 2009 TV signals will be changed from analog to digital. And accordingly many people are considering purchasing a new TV set to accommodate for the change. However, if you’re environmentally conscious this may prove more difficult a choice than simply choosing the kind and size.
Both LCDs and plasma TV sets use more energy than the old-fashion CRTs (cathode ray tubes) and both contain nitrogen trifluoride. According to some scientists, this chemical is a more serious threat and a larger contributor than the world’s biggest coal plant. Moreover, it remains in the air for up [...] Continue Reading…
BIODEGRADABLE TRASH BAGS
There is a new trend in green living out there, namely biodegradable plastic bags. At a first glance, it seems like an answer to our prayers—trash bags that break down in a certain period of time instead of ones that never go away. Or are they?
Conventional plastic is made from petroleum and is one of the materials that are extremely hard to get rid of, since plastic breaks down into toxic particles that pollute water and soil, thus finding their way into the food chain. Biodegradable plastic is supposed to decompose into water, carbon dioxide and biomass when exposed [...] Continue Reading…
SAVE ENERGY AND SAVE A BUCK
With the cost of electricity and heating oils on the rise, more and more people are looking into alternative sources of energy. And the solar power seems to be the best solution to the problem. With an increasing number of innovations coming to the market, it is becoming more affordable (if still somewhat on the expensive side) to upgrade to this new technology. However, if you cannot afford to invest into solar panel, there are other ways you can use the sun to your benefit.
Here are a few products worth looking into:
Skylights—not only do they provide additional light, which [...] Continue Reading…