THIS AND THAT

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE CAN BE GREEN

When I purchased my lovely condominium, the previous owners were apparently not into maintaining the heating and cooling unit. The filters were either rarely changed or never changed. So, when I had the HVAC unit inspected prior to purchase, the repair person told me that the coil was clogged with debris and dirt, that it may not be performing efficiently because of the dirt. He neglected to inform me that in some instances with a little effort, the coil can be cleaned. So after learning about coil cleaning, I finally had a different HVAC company come by and clean my cooling coil for a mere $55. Well worth it. You would not believe the dirt that came off of that thing.

So, what does all of this mean and how is it green? The dirt that can collect on your coil can clog the coil and limit the amount of air passing over it. This essentially makes your HVAC less efficient. After the coil cleaning, I could not believe the increase in air volume that was coming out of my vents. Taking the time to maintain your HVAC system can help you save on your energy bills and help your system run efficiently. It will also keep you from having to replace and expensive HVAC too soon.

DUAL FLUSH TOILETS CONVERSION KITS

A lot of us still have standard toilets, but would like the water savings of a dual flush toilet. It does not always make sense financially or ethically to run out and replace your old toilet with the latest and greatest and throw the old one out. We are now seeing many dual flush toilet conversion kits on the market. For around $50, you can convert your old toilet into a dual flush. Check out this website (www.one2flush.com) that was listed in the Tennessean yesterday. No word on how they actually work.