eco Living Green

Lighting

Consider using compact fluorescent bulbs wherever possible. They are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting.
Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.
Use task lighting. Instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it.
Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy.
Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a timer so they will turn off during the day.

Appliances

Washer & Dryer

Switching the temperature setting on your clothes washer from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half. Even better, wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter weight clothes.
Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire.

Refrigerator

Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5°F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0°F.
Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
Move your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils once a year unless you have a no-clean condenser model. Your refrigerator will run for shorter periods with clean coils.

Dishwasher

Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature. Many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature.
Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
Let your dishes air dry. If you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.

Heating & Cooling Systems

Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Consider using insulating curtains to reduce excessive heat loss from large windows at night.

Kitchen & Laundry

If you wash dishes by hand don't leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run.
When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed.
Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it for drinking.
Don't defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.
Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan.
Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (even better--compost!).

Bathroom

Shorten your showers. Even a one- or two-minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month.
Don't use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.
Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on houseplants or your garden.
If you're taking a shower, don't waste cold water while waiting for hot water to reach the showerhead. Catch that water in a container to use on your outside plants or to flush your toilet.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water to rinse your razor.

Outside

Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water. So set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. Better yet, especially in times of drought, water with a hose.
Don't run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.
Don't water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden where it belongs--and only there.
Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slow down evaporation.
If you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut down on evaporation. It will also keep your pool cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals.
Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.
Don't water the lawn on windy days. There's too much evaporation.
Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don't water in the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers.
Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation.
Tell your children not to play with the garden hose.
If you allow your children to play in the sprinklers, make sure it's only when you're watering the yard.
When taking your car to a car wash--a good idea for saving water--be sure it's one of the many that recycles its wash water.
Dispose of hazardous materials properly! One quart of oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water, effectively eliminating that much water from our water supply. Contact your city or county for proper waste disposal options.





	Green Features Conservation Tips Water Conservation Green Features The Christopherson Homes North Bay Design Center offers finishing touches that enhance the green properties of your new Christopherson Homes. These may include tile made of recycled glass, low VOC paints and renewable resource floorings. Ask your Christopherson Design Representative for details! Conservation Tips Contributing to the preservation of natural resources is something that every homeowner can do every day. Not only can these efforts contribute to the sustainability of our communities, they can cut your utility bills too! Here are some tips for ongoing conservation that make a difference: Recycling Recycling in your home can make a sizable dent in the nearly 230 million tons of garbage we Americans generate each year. Today recycling of paper, plastic, aluminum and glass is easier than ever in many communities with curbside pickup and recycling centers at many shopping centers. Energy Lighting Consider using compact fluorescent bulbs wherever possible. They are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting. Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on. Use task lighting. Instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a timer so they will turn off during the day. Appliances Washer & Dryer Switching the temperature setting on your clothes washer from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half. Even better, wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible. Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting. Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter weight clothes. Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it. Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation. Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer. Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Refrigerator Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5°F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0°F. Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Move your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils once a year unless you have a no-clean condenser model. Your refrigerator will run for shorter periods with clean coils. Dishwasher Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature. Many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature. Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded. Let your dishes air dry. If you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster. Heating & Cooling Systems Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense. Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary. Consider using insulating curtains to reduce excessive heat loss from large windows at night. Water Conservation Kitchen & Laundry If you wash dishes by hand don't leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it for drinking. Don't defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan. Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (even better--compost!). Bathroom Shorten your showers. Even a one- or two-minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month. Don't use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on houseplants or your garden. If you're taking a shower, don't waste cold water while waiting for hot water to reach the showerhead. Catch that water in a container to use on your outside plants or to flush your toilet. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water to rinse your razor. Outside Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water. So set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. Better yet, especially in times of drought, water with a hose. Don't run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. Don't water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden where it belongs--and only there. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slow down evaporation. If you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut down on evaporation. It will also keep your pool cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals. Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus. Don't water the lawn on windy days. There's too much evaporation. Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don't water in the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers. Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation. Tell your children not to play with the garden hose. If you allow your children to play in the sprinklers, make sure it's only when you're watering the yard. When taking your car to a car wash--a good idea for saving water--be sure it's one of the many that recycles its wash water. Dispose of hazardous materials properly! One quart of oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water, effectively eliminating that much water from our water supply. Contact your city or county for proper waste disposal options.