Go Back   EcoModder Forum > AltModding > Saving@Home
Register Now
 Register Now
 


Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 11-14-2007, 10:49 PM   #1 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
Saving a few watts - a few ideas that I use around the house

Just a few ideas that I use around the house to save a few watts. I don't have a killo-watt although I do have a SG for the house. All laundry is done with cold water and the dryer is on energy saving mode. A lot of time the clothes are ready to come out before the dryer auto shutoffs. It takes a few tries before you figure when to go to the next load but once you figure it out it pretty consistent. We wait until there are multiple load before we do laundry that way we can use skip the warmup mode on the dryer for the next load. With the dishwasher we run the short cycle and then let them air dry instead of letting the machine do it. There is quite a bit of heat already from the cleaning cycle so the dishes dry within an hour or so. Also a blanket for the hot water heater with the temp set about 120. Weather stripping and CFL through out the house.

__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 11-14-2007, 11:13 PM   #2 (permalink)
Dartmouth 2010
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hanover, NH
Posts: 6,447

Vegan Powa! - '91 Honda CRX DX
Team Honda
90 day: 66.52 mpg (US)
Thanks: 92
Thanked 122 Times in 90 Posts
Send a message via AIM to SVOboy Send a message via MSN to SVOboy Send a message via Yahoo to SVOboy
Thanks for the tips,

If you want to save a few cents on the powercost monitor, ebay has them for sale for ~145 shipped: http://cgi.ebay.com/PowerCost-Monito...QQcmdZViewItem

If you poke around you might be able to find one on sale. I've yet to buy one but I really want to.
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2007, 01:44 AM   #3 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by SVOboy View Post
Thanks for the tips,

If you want to save a few cents on the powercost monitor, ebay has them for sale for ~145 shipped: http://cgi.ebay.com/PowerCost-Monito...QQcmdZViewItem

If you poke around you might be able to find one on sale. I've yet to buy one but I really want to.
Too late I already have one.
__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2007, 01:52 AM   #4 (permalink)
Dartmouth 2010
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hanover, NH
Posts: 6,447

Vegan Powa! - '91 Honda CRX DX
Team Honda
90 day: 66.52 mpg (US)
Thanks: 92
Thanked 122 Times in 90 Posts
Send a message via AIM to SVOboy Send a message via MSN to SVOboy Send a message via Yahoo to SVOboy
I know, but for everyone else,
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2007, 02:20 PM   #5 (permalink)
Dartmouth 2010
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hanover, NH
Posts: 6,447

Vegan Powa! - '91 Honda CRX DX
Team Honda
90 day: 66.52 mpg (US)
Thanks: 92
Thanked 122 Times in 90 Posts
Send a message via AIM to SVOboy Send a message via MSN to SVOboy Send a message via Yahoo to SVOboy
I actually just bought a new Power Cost Monitor from a guy in Canada for 60$ shipped, to that,

Any tips for using it?
  Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2007, 07:42 PM   #6 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by SVOboy View Post
I actually just bought a new Power Cost Monitor from a guy in Canada for 60$ shipped, to that,

Any tips for using it?
Cool. Just plug it in and start turning things on. I was shocked how much energy the oven pulled.
__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2008, 12:38 AM   #7 (permalink)
EV test pilot
 
bennelson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Posts: 4,435

Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
90 day: 334.6 mpg (US)

S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
90 day: 129.81 mpg (US)

The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
90 day: 78.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 663 Times in 388 Posts
My oven is gas with a gas range.

I read an article on emergency preparedness that got me thinking. Not all gas appliances work the same when you don't have power.

The reason the oven uses so much power is it has a glow plug to ignite the gas. Mine takes about 300 watts! The plug glows and the gas turns on and off to control temperature.

In event of a power failure, I can match-light the range burners to boil water, fry eggs, etc. but I can't use the oven to bake a pizza!
__________________


300mpg.org Learn how to BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAP
My YouTube Videos
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2008, 07:40 PM   #8 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: South Shore, Nova Scotia
Posts: 30

Altee - '00 Nissan Altima GXE
90 day: 31.82 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1
Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts
A bit of a tip to save money on those appliances that draw current even if the appliance is "off". I have a power point that is controlled by a switch in the entrance to my livingroom. I ran an extention cord around the outside of the room with my cable modem, Sat receiver, TV, Laptop, DVD player.

Benifits are that its a pain in the ass to (A) get behind the entertainment unit to unplug these cords. (B) My receiver takes forever to download the listing information, when I come home from work I can turn on the switch, go get changed out of work clothes get something to drink etc... and by the time I sit down my listings are ready for me.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2008, 07:58 PM   #9 (permalink)
Bicycle Junky
 
NoCO2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 464

Putsaround - '96 Toyota Camry LE
90 day: 32.74 mpg (US)

The Commuter - '07 Trek 1000SL
90 day: 617.28 mpg (US)

Zippy - '91 Honda Civic DX
90 day: 33.29 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts
This is something I have always been trying to do. My apartment complex, being on a school campus, has the utilities included up to a point. However, once you exceed that limit you can start paying heavy overage fees. I try to minimize my use of lights and such, however, my main problem is my computer. I have many very powerful computers that are running some of those distributed computing programs, such as Folding at Home, run by Stanford University and they require my computers to be on 24/7 which obviously requires electricity so I have to find other ways to save power. Some of the things I have done is replace all the lights with high efficiency compact florescent bulbs. I also try to combine laundry loads like the OP suggested and I also try to keep lights on, only in the rooms I am currently in and even then if it is bright outside I rather open a window before I turn on the light. I never thought about the dishwasher thing though, I will try that next time I do the dishes.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2008, 06:53 PM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Victoria , Australia.
Posts: 499
Thanks: 20
Thanked 46 Times in 33 Posts
More in the long term energy savings area but worthwhile and it does actually work.

I turned my refrigerator about 45 degrees from the normal "parallel to the wall" position to see if it helps.

Without altering the settings the freezer section runs cooler. Frozen peas and corn used to fall into individual pieces when tapped now they stay frozen in one lump.

The fridge part now has ice form on lettuce (Summer down here just now) where it never did before.

No measurable decrease in the electricity bill but the amount I use is small anyway. Most of the bill is supply costs and other charges.

Pete.

  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com