Tag:Tips
Hands-Free Faucets at Home
Have you fallen in love with the germ-free faucet activation you find in airport restrooms? iTouchless EZ Faucet allows you to retrofit your home faucets for the same hands-free activation. The system mounts to your existing faucet. Just turn the valves on and the EZ Faucet turns it on and off using infrared sensors.
The adapter will fit most kitchen and bathroom faucets. The sensor mounts to the side so you do not lose any space in the sink below the faucet outlet. It also includes a manual on/off switch in case of a malfunction. Pretty slick!
Broan Decorative Tile Backsplash
Broan Tuscany Backsplash at Amazon.com
Broan has a pre-assembled tile backsplash for behind your stove. It can be mounted right on the wall for a quick way to upgrade your kitchen. The one to the right is available through amazon.com for $199.
Available in sizes 30″ x 14″, 30″ x 20″ and 36″ x 20″.
Let me know what you think…
Honeywell Thermostat
Last Thursday I went to a presentation put on by Honeywell and Mid-City Supply in Plymouth that discussed their latest advancements in programmable thermostats. I would hesitate to say that this is their answer to the Nest thermostat I talked about previously (here), since Honeywell was actually doing this first, but I think Nest and its advances and popularity are pushing them to be more innovative. They have reduced the size of their programmable stat, given it more color options and beefed up their internet connectivity.
The three main things that I think set the Honeywell system apart are as follows:
- They have a lot of module add-ons available. (Homeowner Accessory Flyer) They can tie together multiple thermostats, zone sensors, duct sensors, humidity sensors and outdoor sensors within the HVAC realm. In addition they are adding things like sump pump sensors which will make your thermostat more of a multi-function device.
- Their RedLINK system has its own wireless bandwidth that works in a 1/2 mile radius to tie the modules together. The advantage of this is the entire system becomes just one device on your wireless internet router reducing the load when Dad is playing video poker, Mom is watching a Netflix movie and Junior is playing a multi-player online game.
- There is a commercial option for this system, partially allowed by the flexibility listed above.
LED vs HID Wall Pack Fixture
I generally feel that upgrading electrical fixtures and devices to the newer energy-saving devices is the easiest green energy to justify. Great strides are being made in this area to the point that my average client can see savings with a short pay off time. This is often something that shows gains with a one-to-one swap of new for existing fixtures. Further gains can be achieved by designing around the new fixtures and adding energy-saving controls.
One of my supplier reps was in yesterday and shared the following analysis that he completed for one of his manufacturing clients who was considering upgrading their existing exterior wall pack lights from HID (High Intensity Discharge such as High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide) to LED (Light Emitting Diode):
These are the wall pack security fixtures you see high on the wall around factories, warehouses or buildings with parking near their wall.
Fixture prices:
HID TWH400MTB w/lamp $218
LED TWHLED 30C 50K $450
At $0.08 energy rate, 10 hour/day, 365 days/year the energy savings is $102.79/year.
LED = In a ten year time frame you would spend $450 for the LED fixture and $305.80 for energy use.
HID = In a ten year time frame you would spend $218 for the HID fixture plus change the lamp four times and the ballast once. 2 hours labor times 4 times is 8 hours. The cost for the four lamps and the one ballast is $124.
Residential Accessibility
Example of a retrofit ramp from rampstoyou.com
An article in the April 2013 edition of Money Magazine made me think about all the accessibility projects we have done over the years. On page 81, Item #7, CPA Aaron Barlev suggests, “And don’t overlook anything: Health-related home renovations, such as installing a therapeutic pool to treat your back, can qualify.”
