Our ice maker has been slowing its production for the past few weeks, and it's not even close to keeping up with our ice needs. Now it's going to be 100 degrees this weekend--what a time to be without ice! I had hope that the ice maker would magically start working again, but so far that hasn't happened. We've resorted to buying bagged ice, and I don't foresee that as a long-term solution. Hopefully, my husband will spend some time looking at it this weekend so we can order either parts or a new unit.
Our refrigerator is less than 5 years old, and I'm disappointed that the ice maker is having problems already. Our previous refrigerator was 18 years old when we moved, and everything still worked. We left it at our old house because our new house could fit a larger refrigerator and we wanted a more energy efficient model. I guess our money from the energy savings will be spent on a new ice maker!
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Friday, June 6, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Rain Barrels - Recycling and Saving Money
Most of the state of NC is in an exceptional drought, and forecasters are predicting lower than average rainfall for 2008. So what are we doing to help conserve water?
We bought two rain barrels that we will use to water our garden and potted plants this year. The town where we live sells 60-gallon rain barrels for $87 each. We were planning on buying one. Luckily, before my husband left to purchase it, I googled "rain barrels Raleigh." We found that the city of Raleigh sells recycled plastic pickle barrels that have been converted to rain barrels for $37 each. So for $13 LESS than the price of ONE from our town, we have TWO rain barrels that will hopefully cover our outdoor water needs. Last year, our water bill was $10-$20 more per month when we had to water, so the barrels should pay for themselves in about 6 months. In future years, we should save at least $90 per year on water costs.
In addition to saving water, we are reusing something that would have normally gone to the landfill. The barrels hold 55 gallons, and they come from the Mt. Olive Pickle Company in Mt. Olive, NC.
It's supposed to rain here on Friday. We are looking forward to seeing how much rain it takes to fill the barrels.
We bought two rain barrels that we will use to water our garden and potted plants this year. The town where we live sells 60-gallon rain barrels for $87 each. We were planning on buying one. Luckily, before my husband left to purchase it, I googled "rain barrels Raleigh." We found that the city of Raleigh sells recycled plastic pickle barrels that have been converted to rain barrels for $37 each. So for $13 LESS than the price of ONE from our town, we have TWO rain barrels that will hopefully cover our outdoor water needs. Last year, our water bill was $10-$20 more per month when we had to water, so the barrels should pay for themselves in about 6 months. In future years, we should save at least $90 per year on water costs.
In addition to saving water, we are reusing something that would have normally gone to the landfill. The barrels hold 55 gallons, and they come from the Mt. Olive Pickle Company in Mt. Olive, NC.
It's supposed to rain here on Friday. We are looking forward to seeing how much rain it takes to fill the barrels.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Freecycle and save the earth
I love Freecycle! What is Freecycle, you ask? There are local groups on Yahoo where you can post items that you no longer need and that you don't care to sell. You can post an OFFER, and group members will email you with a time when they are willing to pick up your stuff. So far I've offered kids VHS tapes and a cordless phone. I've gotten quick responses and fewer hassles than selling because it's FREE, who's going to complain about that?
This service gets things into the hands of people who want and can use them, and it keeps the items out of the landfill, for a little longer, anyway. It's interesting to see what's available, and it changes constantly. Today's offers include everything from underwear (new!) to a mattress and box spring set.
Once you have confirmed that someone is picking up your OFFER, you post a TAKEN message to the group. It's that easy! Check out your local group for specific rules.
This service gets things into the hands of people who want and can use them, and it keeps the items out of the landfill, for a little longer, anyway. It's interesting to see what's available, and it changes constantly. Today's offers include everything from underwear (new!) to a mattress and box spring set.
Once you have confirmed that someone is picking up your OFFER, you post a TAKEN message to the group. It's that easy! Check out your local group for specific rules.
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