Two smart things: dehumidifier and timer

Like a lot of renters, I have a basement space. And that means a choice between dampness and poor air quality or running a dehumidifier and eating the electricity costs.

This week, I did two smart things: I cleaned the dehumidifier and bought a timer.

Before going further, in the interests of clarity I should state that I rent the ground floor and basement of a Victorian semi. The basement in question is home to my son's bedroom, my office, plus storage and my little workshop.

Cleaning the dehumidifier
This was easier than I'd expected. One piece of advice: go outside or to a room with a floor drain. Even if you empty the dehumidifier, if it's been running there's likely ice which will melt and make a wet mess. Luckily, my workshop/furnace room has a concrete floor and floor drain.

The main thing to clean out on any dehumidifier is the air filter. On most they are above the water bucket and simply slide out. Oh, by "simply" I mean "with great difficulty." I've never owned a dehumidifier in which the filter slid out easily. This time I took the front housing off to make it easier (just had to remove two screws and unclip it from the main body housing).

A quick rinse under warm water removed about a 3mm-thick buildup of dust that had clogged the air filter. Doubtless this alone will improve the machine's efficiency.

For good measure, I removed the back housing and wiped down the fan blades, which had a good caking of dust on them.

Has my energy efficiency improved? I don't know for sure, but can't see how it can fail to have improved. An added bonus is that the machine's annoying buzzing sound has gone away, making it much quieter. Probably just a factor of screwing everything back in securely.

Buying a timer
Where I live, electricity is priced by when it's used. Between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. it's about half the price it is at other times. This is why I do laundry and run the dishwasher at night. But remembering to turn the dehumidifier on and off was a pain, resulting in high electricity bills or a musty basement.

This week I finally dropped twenty bucks on a simple timer. There are cheaper models that work fine, but this one is a three-pronged timer suited for appliance use. Now the dehumidifier goes on at 9 p.m. and off at 6 a.m. and I no longer have to think about it at all.

Lifelong renters, lifelong environmentalists?

Lifelong Renter David Hayes shares his typewriter collection in his Toronto Co-Op

I was just reading David Hayes' latest Lifelong Renter column in the Toronto Star. It struck me as particularly interesting because I recently received an email from a reader whose company is promoting 10 reasons why it's better to buy a home than to rent.

Like most people, I often pine for a little piece of land and a tumbledown shack of my very own. But I'm a writer in a single-income household raising a kid and saddled with debt. I also live in Toronto. The semi across the street just listed for $630,000. Even if I could carry a mortgage on that, I'd never get the down payment together.

One of the reasons why I like David's column is that it reminds me, and others apparently, that there are good reasons to rent rather than buy. Around here, rent is often cheaper than a mortgage and condo fees for an apartment. As renters, if we take a job in a new city, we can just leave. Oh, and replacing the roof or plumbing isn't our financial problem. Also, in some cases people will be better off financially if they rent instead of buying. (According to the CMHC, renters almost always pay substantially less per month.)

But I have another reason to like renters: the environment.

Detached single-family dwellings are, compared to other forms of accommodation, large. In Canadians use a huge amount of energy for space heating, and the larger the house, the more energy it takes to heat it. Single-family dwellings are also exposed on all sides, allowing more heat to escape than in a row house or apartment.

Some people do rent houses. But in major cities, the vast majority are privately owned (about two-thirds in Toronto and Ottawa, more than 80 percent in Calgary and Edmonton).

Conversely, the vast majority of apartments in multi-unit buildings are rentals, as are a large proportion of townhouses. Because these are smaller, they take less energy to heat. Because they have shared walls and less exterior surface per dwelling, they lose less heat.

In other words, most renters are already ahead of the game when it comes to the environment.

Just one more reason many of the people in Hayes' Lifelong Renters columns can feel good about their choice. If you haven't read his column before, I highly recommend it. And if your renting story is one that might help others, then give him a shout. I'll look forward to reading it.

A good day to dry clothes

It was -5 C outside yesterday, but a strong sun made it a perfect day for drying laundry.

The thermostat in my apartment was set at 18, but in the midday sun by the patio doors, it was above 37 C. That made for quick drying on my new rack, and I got through three loads of laundry.

What makes a good drying rack?
My old drying rack was not a good one. It was made of thick wooden dowels, with the bars one above the other. Clothes overlapped and not very many fit into the space it took up.

A good drying rack will spread out, with lots of bars for larger items, such as jeans or T-shirts, and have supports that are crossed with bars upon which to hang rows of smaller items, such as socks and underwear.

The one I bought recently was from Ikea and cost about $20. It's photographed above. It's a very common design that holds about two loads of laundry. However, some versions of this design are flimsy and won't support the weight of wet clothes very well. This one is just sturdy enough. The bars should be spaced just far enough apart to allow air circulation around every item of clothing.

What kind of rack is right for me?
Because of the space in front of my patio door, a floor model works well for me. It folds away quickly and is compact enough to stash under the bed, in a closet or behind a dresser.

Other designs hoist up to the ceiling (could be good on an apartment balcony), fold out from a wall, or are simple wires that will stretch across a laundry room or bathroom. There are lots of suppliers for these, and some are mentioned in my post on drying racks from last year.

Before buying one, consider where it will go and what you need. Is it a laundry room, where lots of rack is good, no matter what the look? Will it be in a visible space where aesthetics matter? Do you have a small space with high ceilings that will make a raisable rack desirable? Do you need one that folds down quickly for storage?

I was pleasantly suprised to find some great rack ideas on the last page of the Lee Valley hardware catalogue that arrived in the autumn. Let me know what works for you.

Where should the rack go?
Clothes dry fastes where there's warm, dry air circulating. In other words, a sunny backyard on a summer day is ideal. But reality is seldom ideal. Look for a location that combines these things:

• lots of sun
• heat source (radiator or forced-air register)
• enough room
• out of sight
  

In my apartment, there's a big, south-facing patio door in my bedroom. There's a register for the furnace right below it. So by day, the sun warms the laundry and dries it. At night, whenever the furnace kicks in, my rack is almost as fast as an electric dryer. And it helps keep the indoor air a little less dry (a problem in Toronto in the winter). This location is great for sun and heat source, and there is enough room. It's not ideal for being out of sight, but is adequate.

The old rack is now in the laundry room. There's plenty of space there, but it's in the basement of a 100+ year-old house. It's out of sight, in a location with enough space, but in the summer the humidity is too high. In winter, however, a heating duct makes it a good space. I mostly use it to dry my son's clothes, thus avoiding hauling them upstairs to dry, then back downstairs to put in his drawers.

What's your drying rack?
What electricity-free system do you use for drying your laundry? Any tips, particularly for those of us in colder climates? If you're in an apartment building, can you even have a rack out on your balcony? Use the comments section to fill us in, so that we can learn from one another.

Winterizing your windows

Last week, I went over to help winterize a friend's apartment. We started by sealing some drafts under the sink and installing a new threshold on the front door. Then came the windows.

In any home, windows are a major heat loser. Paul Fisette did a really good job of explaining windows and heat loss in an article on the Fine Homebuilding website, so I'll let you enjoy his piece rather than writing yet another explanation. Suffice to say, an insulated wall is always a better heat trap than even the best window. But we like sunlight, so what do we do?

Sensible homeowners with a bit of cash will get new windows. They pay themselves off in only a few years, thanks to savings on heating bills. But tenants can't do that.

Seal the leaks
Start by spraying a minimally expanding foam insulation into any big gaps around the window frame. It will expand to fill the space, but not so much that it'll buckle the window frame, as a regular expanding foam insulation might.

Then go outside and caulk any gaps or cracks around the window. Remove any old caulking and clean the area first. There are a few tips on caulking in the first post in my winterizing series.

Shrink-wrap the windows
Plastic film is a good way for tenants to cut heat loss through windows. Heat-shrinking films are cheap enough to pay for themselves in one winter, and will likely make a room more comfortable. Small kits start at about $5 at most hardware stores and will do one or two windows. Bigger kits exist for patio doors. The best option is to buy a roll of the film, which will likely cost $10-25, depending on the size, and will come with a few rolls of two-sided tape. It will do quite a few windows (we've done four so far and have plenty left).

How to properly install plastic film on windows
1. Clean the frames
Start by choosing an area on the frame that will allow a continuous cover. It may be on the metal or vinyl window frame, or even onto the wooden trim around it, depending on how the window was installed. I've done both with success.

Then clean the frame. Any dust will prevent the tape from sticking properly. Also, make sure you remove any toys or vases from the window sill. You'll feel mighty silly if you seal them in. I know. I've done it.

2. Heat it and tape it
Not all kits suggest heating the frame first, but it does seem to help. Use a blow dryer to warm the frame where you'll apply the tape.

Then start applying the tape. I suggest going across the top first, then down the sides and across the bottom. Start at one end, with the tape edge butting up to the tape or frame edge above it, then work your way across (or down), smoothing it with your finger and avoiding any ripples. Let the tape rest for a little while (some kits suggest 15 minutes, but I've done fine with less time).

Don't peel the backing off the tape until you're ready to put the plastic up.

3. Hang it
Rough cut a piece of plastic. Unroll enough that it will easily cover the window with a good inch or two on every side. On the rolls, the film is often folded in two, so unfold it before trying to hang it.

Next, peel off the backing on the tape. This should be easy to do, getting it started with a thumbnail or the tip of your knife.

Start by pressing one of the top corners into place. Then stretch the film across to the other top corner. Work your way down one side, then the other, gently pressing the film into place. As you go, try to get it taut, but don't worry about making it wrinkle free at this stage. Do avoid any major sagging or wrinkles on the taped edges themselves. After you've gone across the bottom, run your thumbs across the tape, all the way around the frame to ensure a good seal.

4. Heat-shrink your window
Starting in a top corner, use a hair dryer to shrink the film. You'll see the change. Work your way around the edges, until they're smooth. Then move toward the middle. You're done when the film is taut and smooth all over. If you've done a good job, then the film should barely be noticeable.

5. Cut to fit
Using a sharp knife, such as an Olfa knife, slice off the excess film. Go all the way around, and make sure the plastic is cut through. You don't want to have to tug at the ends to get them off, as this could undo your good work up to this point.

Handy Tip: I inevitably nick the plastic with my knife. This is bad. if it's off in a corner, or on a window that you don't tend to look out, the solution is easy. Cut off a piece of the two-sided tape and use it to cover the hole (as long as it's a tiny one). Heat it, wait a while, then come back and peel off the backing. It's a minimally visible repair that, in my experience, will hold for at least one year.

Now you've got a cozier home, and probably a lower heating bill as a result. Congratulations!

Winterizing for Tenants

Every sensible homeowner has a checklist of things to do before winter comes. But for tenants, winterizing doesn't always get done. Some tasks they can't do, either because the landlord won't allow it, or because they don't have access to, for example, the basement. In other cases, they don't pay for heat and so winterizing isn't an economic priority.

A friend rents two floors of an older house in Toronto and has a problem with the upstairs bedrooms getting very hot while the main floor can be cold. Green Tenant spent an evening helping fix the problem.

Diagnose the problem
Before doing anything, try and figure out the problem and solutions. The house has a central boiler with water heat serving more than one apartment. The thermostat is in the apartment, but the landlord has asked that it not be set below a certain point or the basement will freeze (he has been working on the basement).

Part of the problem is the radiators. The main floor only has two large rads, and one does not seem to be working properly, while the second floor has three in smaller rooms. Turning off a rad upstairs may help, but the placement of them makes that difficult. Fixing the downstairs rad is something to get the landlord working on.

Heat also escapes the main floor up the stairwell. A ceiling fan would help, but the wiring isn't there for it, making it more than a tenant task.

Find the drafts
We decided to seal drafts on the main floor in order to keep more heat from escaping. We identified three areas that were worth working on:

1. Front door. A major draft underneath and smaller leaks around sides.
   
2. Under the sink. The kitchen floor is always icy, and there was a noticeable draft coming from the plumbing under the sink.
3. Windows. No matter how new they are, windows let a lot of heat out. Closing curtains helps, and clear plastic can reduce drafts and create another air barrier.

Door draft
The front door was a problem because there was only an old, wooden threshold and the weather stripping on the sides had worn out. I installed an aluminum and rubber threshold on the bottom, which got rid of the draft. Using a measuring tape, hacksaw and cordless drill/screwdriver, it took about ten minutes to install.

The tenant will also apply foam weather stripping to cut drafts on the sides. I don't like this stuff because it doesn't stick very well. I'll be doing my own front door next week, so check back for instructions and tips on installing weather stripping and door sweeps.

Windows
Heat-shrink plastic films are a great way to deal with drafts around windows. I've used them in my own apartment, and next week will post instruction and tips. In the meantime, here's a post on using them in my opwn apartment.

Sealing drafts
Under the sink there were two problems requiring two solutions. The easy one was a draft around a drain pipe coming through the wall. The solution was to seal it with a bit of caulking.

Before caulking, make sure the surfaces are clean and that you've removed any old caulking. Use a kitchen/bathroom caulk, as it will likely be exposed to moisture at some point. Latex caulk is also fairly easy to work with and cleans up easily. Before you start, get a small container of water with a lot of dish soap in it. The solution should feel slippery on your fingers.

Luckily, caulking now comes in squeezable tubes. I had one left over from a couple small jobs, including the grey water barrel project. Tubes are not as good as caulk guns for big jobs, where you want long, smooth, even lines. But they're less expensive for a small job, and are easier to work with in an under-sink cabinet. When you open the caulk, cut the tip to a width appropriate to the gap you're trying to fill. As you squeeze out the caulk, try to keep a nice, even flow and leave no gaps.

Next, wet your index finger in the soapy water. Use it to smooth the caulk. Again, try to get it done in one long, smooth stroke. If it's a long line of caulk, you'll need to clean off your finger a few times as you work along. This soapy smoothing is the key to a nice, clean caulking job. It takes practice, and is harder to do around a pipe than along the edge of a bathtub. But nobody looks under the sink, so it's a good place to get some experience.

The other draft was coming from the basement, through the gap around the water pipes. My first thought was to pop the base cover off the cabinet and use some spray foam to seal the hole. Easy to do on Ikea-style cabinets. Sadly, not easy on these ones.

Instead, I used some spray foam to seal the hole from inside the cabinet. It's not a perfect solution, but the best that came to mind. We used a minimally expanding foam, and are crossing our fingers that it will hold up to the temperature of the hot water pipe, as we couldn't find a high-temperature spray foam insulation anywhere in the neighbourhood. If it holds up, that's great. If not, it will be a small cleaning job to get it out.

Watch for more apartment winterizing tips from Green Tenant in coming days!

Tiny home or apartment?

I wrote a story about the tiny homes movement in today's Globe & Mail. It was a fun story to work on. The people involved in the movement are interesting, and Sasha McIntyre was absolutely delightful to meet. I'm also generally in favour of finding creative ways to live comfortably while using fewer resources.

But, much as I like many of the tiny house designs, there are problems with this approach to housing. Since one cannot tackle every aspect of an issue in an 800-word story, I'd like to discuss some of them here.

Size matters, but it's not everything
As Sasha McIntyre and others pointed out, it takes less natural gas or electricity to heat a house of 140 or 500 square feet than it does to heat a 2000 or 3000 sq.ft. house. In her case, it seems that home ownership was a top priority. That makes a lot of sense, since she and her husband, John Lei, both work in an industry prone to layoffs. Owning a house mortgage-free is an important safety net for them.

If the environment were the top priority of people in the movement, however, they wouldn't be in tiny detatched houses. They'd be in apartments. Apartments have fewer exterior walls and don't lose massive amounts of heat through the roof of every unit. They often have shared laundry and other facilities, and that can reduce duplication.

For the people in the story, it just didn't make sense. McIntosh and Lei could have had a condo, and did before buying a house. Will Pederson lives on a farm where he doesn't own the land, so his mobile Tarleton makes a lot of sense.

The answer: clustering
One interview I didn't have room to include in the Globe story was with Gregory Johnson. He runs the ResourcesForLife website, works on computers at the University of Iowa, and is a leading proponent of the tiny homes movement. His 140 sq.ft. house doesn't have a bathroom.

Why not? Because he'd prefer to share certain resources with other tiny house owners in a clustered community. Right now, his hosue is parked in his parents' backyard and he uses either their washroom or the one at work or the gym. Some might see that as cheating, but for him it's a sensible trade-off.

"I built it with the idea of it being part of a community, so there would be a larger, central shared community centre with shower and exercise room. There could be a composting toilet I could stow away when not in use," he said during our interview. Environmental (and cost) benefits come through reducing the number of kitchens, washrooms or exercise rooms, he noted. "It's less duplication. Rather than having ten of those, we have one."

But is clustering a solution?
Clustering helps with reducing duplication. It helps with creating strong communities of like-minded people, if you can find people you want to share facilities with. But it doesn't help with other big environmental drains, such as heating. You still have exposed walls, ceilings and, in some cases, floors, on everyone's sleeping areas. So still not as energy-efficient as a good apartment block. Maybe nicer to live in, but not more efficient.

Victoria architect John Gower pointed me to Royal Homes in Toronto, which might have an answer. They make pre-fab houses, including one model in their Royal Q line that's under 700 sq.ft. But where savings really stack up is when you take units and put them together into a multiplex. Fewer exposed walls and less duplication can lead to big environmental savings, and on a smaller footprint than a cluster of fully detached houses.

I live on the lower two floors of an attached Victorian house in Toronto. The shared walls make a big difference to my heating bills.

Building to code and beyond
I view the building code as an absolute minimum standard for construction. In my opinion, a well-built house will exceed the code requirements in many areas, notably insulation, and will also exceed basic LEED requirements.

My biggest complaint with some of the tiny house designs coming out of the United States is that they don't meet code. Some, like the Tumbleweed designs, are on trailers. As I understand it, this is at least partly because some jurisdictions don't recognize buildings that small as houses, and thus it's difficult to get the permits one would need.

We really should revise our by-laws in most municipalities to make it easier to build a diverse range of house styles and sizes. Then tiny homes would meed certain minimum standards. Because they're trailers, they're not necessarily hooked up properly to a power system. Some may have extension cords running to them, and that's worrisome.

From an environmental standpoint, insulation is also a problem. The Tarleton, for example, has 2x4 walls, not 2x6 as required for houses in most of Canada. This is a problem because most houses are insulated with fibreglass batts, and it takes a 6-inch cavity to accommodate an R20 batt. A 2x4 wall will only have R14 (though one could do better with three inches of sprayed foam). As for the ceiling, you need thick joists to have a cathedral ceiling with R40 insulation.

Because John Gower's houses are not trailers, the designs from BC Mountain Homes should meet code requirements in British Columbia, and therefore be more energy-efficient than the U.S. designs.

If you're seriously looking for a tiny house, carefully consider your options.

1. Does the design I'm looking at meet or exceed building code requirements where I live?
2. Can I share facilities to reduce duplication?
3. Can the design be clustered to reduce exterior wall/ceiling space?
4. How much land will I use? Am I using part of my land for something other than housing?
5. Is mobility more important than environment?
6. How much space do I need to live?
7. Is my family likely to grow? Can my house expand to accommodate that?

In any case, tiny houses are more efficient than the monster suburban houses that typified 1980s and 1990s construction. In a tiny house, you're only heating the space you're actually using, not countless empty rooms. And your cooking, exercising, computing, breathing, help keep it warm in the winter.

Hopefully this movement spurs us to start thinking more economically. The way things are going, John Gower might be right that those monster houses will quickly lose resale value and become seen as "dinosaurs."

Small wind turbines for the city

Photo courtesy of Wind Simplicity

Before you say it, I know, wind turbines aren't something tenants can put up. But today, The Globe & Mail ran a story of mine about a new generation of small wind turbines that are much better suited to urban applications. And since the first comment to appear asked about links, I figured that Green Tenant could provide them.

To read the story, please click on this link to it.

What makes these turbines special is that they don't spin at super-high speeds. Older small turbines had been a bit of a safety hazard because of their speeds. Many of them don't require tall towers. Some spin horizontally to reduce wear. Others actually make use of the updraft from a roof. And they're all designed with gusty city winds in mind.

The turbine that inspired the story is the Wind Dancer. It's an award-winning Toronto creation from Wind Simplicity (www.windsimplicity.ca).

There's a nifty rooftop model from Wind Terra (www.windterra.com).

Also mentioned is the Skystream 3.7 (www.skystreamenergy.com).

If you're in a high-rise apartment and have a landlord with a sympathetic ear, you might want to mention that the first Wind Dancers sold were to real estate mogul Shane Baghai. They're on top of one of his condo developments. Maybe this is a way for your building's management to cut down of the cost of electricity in communal spaces, such as hallways and lobbies? Can't hurt to mention it.

A light goes on

Toronto Hydro is giving away free compact fluorescent lightbulbs this weekend and next. The first 350 people to show up at a participating Canadian Tire or Home Depot will get one. According to the flyer, they're "specialty" CFLs, rather than the usual garden variety.

This is good. Many fixtures don't take standard CFLs, and these "specialty" bulbs are designed for chandeliers, vanities and other such non-standard fixtures. There will also be in-store discounts on specialty CFLs and power bars with timers.

A power bar with a timer is a great idea, especially if you're one of those people who always forgets to turn off the lights. Or plug in televisions and other equipment that goes into a "standby" mode rather than turning off completely. By shutting the power off to these appliances you'll cut down on your house's phantom draw. That is, you'll cut the power that's consumed invisibly by appliances you thought you'd actually turned off. Phantom draw from one appliance may not be big, but it adds up. If we got rid of unnecessary phantom draw, we might not need our tax dollars funding a new nuclear plant or our energy dollars going to buy more coal.

So, while I'm not big on promoting big companies like Home Depot or Canadian Tire (though I must confess that I've long enjoyed browsing the latter), if you live near one and are planning on getting up for a morning walk on Saturday or Sunday, go in and pick up a nice new CFL. A list of participating stores, and details about the promotion, are on Toronto Hydro's "Spring Turn On" website.

If you're not in the Toronto area, check with your local utility. Are they doing something similar? If they are, please post the information in the comments section to share it with others. Green Tenant enjoys having readers from around the world (mostly from Canada, the U.S. and the UK, but we're also getting lots of visitors from Central and South America and from Australia), and I'd love to know what's happening where you live.

Giving up carbon for lent

I was talking to Jenni Boles, who writes the My Web of Life blog, yesterday and she mentioned that she's planning to give up carbon for Lent. What an interesting idea. Today, her blog begins with suggestions to reduce carbon emissions from transportation.

My first question was "How do you go carbon-free that quickly?" Anyone who's tried to make these massive lifestyle changes knows that to do them completely takes an immense amount of preparation and research. Just check out everything Stephen and Rebekah Hren did to get their house carbon-free, or what James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith did to switch to a purely localvore diet.

The strive for the absolute is a noble experiment, but rarely provides a practical solution for the broader population. It's sort of like space exploration: We won't all be flying space shuttles anytime soon, but we will make use of some of the technology.

With that in mind, the lenten carbon fast is probably a good experiment for many families. Lent, after all, is not a total fast for 40 days. It certainly isn't in modern North America. But in Christian tradition, it is a time for sacrifice. Being kinder to the environment shouldn't be a sacrifice, one might argue, but consider the analogy a little further. The concept of sacrifice during Lent exists as part of prayer and reflection, all in search of enlightenment. The goal is to gain something through that sacrifice.

Since the holy time may be related to food shortages in earlier times, it makes sense to sacrifice something that the community needs you to give up today. Food is plentiful year-round now, so giving up fossil fuels is a much more relevant sacrifice. It will actually require you to change your lifestyle a bit, will require you to think about fuel and resource consumption, and will certainly increase your knowledge about your own carbon footprint and what it will take to significantly reduce it. In that way, you will achieve enlightenment. Perhaps not spiritual enlightenment, but really, isn't enlightenment that will benefit all of society at least as useful?

So, I wish Jenni and her family all the best with this and encourage people to give it a try. And to check out the My Web of Life blog for ideas on how to make the carbon fast work.

Green amidst the white

Readers might have noticed an absence of tips on having a "Green Christmas" on this blog. That was partly an oversight (I got busy and the holiday sort of snuck up on me) and partly deliberate. There are a lot of sites out there offering advice on minimizing the harm from your celebrations, and really, the best thing to do is to consume less of the cheap plastic trinketry we ship by the container load every year at this time.

But I'm no Scrooge. I'm fond of this holiday and really enjoy spending time with my family. I have a tree in my house, and am fully cognizant of how bizarre this practice must seem to other cultures. The lights on it are the new LED variety, and the two strings it took to decorate the tree draw a total of 8 watts. That's less than the compact fluorescent in the lamp on the other side of the couch, and plenty to navigate the room during these long winter nights.

My main plan this year is for minimal travel. I'm going to make one trip to be with family and stay for a few days. No running around this year. Speaking of family, some of the members of my family have great ideas for the holidays. For some good holiday blog posts and great ideas, I suggest visiting My Web of Life, the personal blog of Jenni Boles. Like her, I've made decorations with my son and done all sorts of unimaginably wholesome things. But unlike me, Jenni has three kids and a husband all competing for her attention. And, together with her husband Steve (Full Disclosure: he's my cousin), she is also working on launching their new business, Kuzuka.com, which will offer people a choice of carbon offsets, much in the same way that we buy airline tickets today through sites like expedia.

This can be a difficult time of year for environmentalists. As you can see from the above photo, taking my compost out will require slogging through a couple feet of snow. The car-free life is challenged by the weather (it was -12 C when I left this morning). And there's no opportunity to connect with the earth through gardening, since the ground is frozen solid.

But I take inspiration from my composter, which continues to generate enough heat to keep converting my kitchen scraps into rich soil. Besides, with a warm parka, I'm comfortable in all but the most inclement of weather. The snow is beautiful, and it's also the season for tobogganing and cross-country skiing. So get out there, enjoy the winter, and turn down the heat so you've got an excuse to snuggle up under a blanket with a good book.

Green Gorilla

Mountaintop removal mining from a Southwings flight.
Photo © Jim Motavalli

Canadian journalist Peter Fairley started my day the right way by sending over a link to his latest blog post. Coal mining and electrical generation aren't exclusively tenant issues, but they are reasons why we make the changes to our homes and lifestyles that we do.

The video he blogged is an amusing piece of propaganda. While I'm not big on having a mystical shaman character as the source of wisdom, the video is an entertaining introduction to the effect coal mining is having in many parts of the United States.

For context, the video follows close on the heels of a much more entertaining video made public by the Natural Resources Defense Council. This video is excerpts from a speech delivered by Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, the fourth-largest coal producer in the U.S. He certainly comes across as a zealot in these clips, and I somehow doubt that his argument becomes any firmer when one hears the speech in its entirety. However, he's welcome to send it to me so that I can learn and revise my opinion. After all, wise people do change their position as information becomes available. But some of his statements dont' give me much hope that there's more substance to his pro-coal rant... such as his argument that the U.S. shouldn't be a leader on environmental issues because nobody has followed. He points to China as an example. He fails to point to all the other countries that have followed the lead of the United States (or lead the United States), including Canada and much of Europe.

I live in Ontario, Canada. I'm a long way from the mountaintop removal problems. Near my home, most of the massive mines are ripping away the Niagara Escarpment for limestone. I don't see coal mines very often. Jim Motavalli wrote an interesting piece in E Magazine a couple years back on mountaintop removal in West Virginia. Jim gave me permission to use the photo which is at the top of this page. Right now, E's archives are available to subscribers only, but both Jim and the magazine's editor, Brita Belli, very graciously gave permission for the text to be posted. It's hosted on my site, and you can access it here. If you enjoy it, then please consider subscribing to E.

Despite plenty of rivers and big nuclear stations, and an increasing number of wind turbines, Ontario is still heavily dependent on coal. According to the provincial energy ministry, about 18 percent of our elecricity came from coal in 2007. As I write this, 29,527 MW are being produced in Ontario. Based on the posted mix, that would mean more than 5000 MW from coal.

I think I'll go and make sure the lights are turned off upstairs.

A film I really like

I knew the basement window was drafty. I just didn't realize how drafty it was.

It's an older aluminum casement window, of the type with two single panes of glass on either side with an air space in between. And both sides can open, making them easier to clean. But the frame around one of the outer panes is coming apart. To get through the winter, I applied a generous bead of clear exterior silicone. It helped a bit.

What really helped was the plastic film I applied to the interior. To apply it, one must first warm the window frame with a hair dryer. I hadn't noticed any major leaks, but when I turned the hair dryer on, I could see a cobweb inside the window moving. Not a good sign. And I'd noticed it was cold around the window.

The whole process of applying the film -- I used a ClimaShield kit from Canadian Tire, which cost about $4 -- takes about half an hour. This is because you have to let the double-side adhesive set on the warmed frame for 20 minutes before hanging the film. And the film is a bit unwieldy. For a more complicated job, I might want an extra set of hands. But I did this one on my own with no problems.

It worked like a charm. No more drafts, and I could immediately notice a temperature difference around the window. I have no doubt that, on this particular window, the film will easily pay for itself this winter (almost on cue, it started to snow just after I finished getting it on).

We'll see how it lasts as the winter progresses, but right now, all indications are that this product is very worthwhile, cost-efficient and a really easy way to conserve energy, save money, and make a house more comfortable. Oh, and in case you're wondering, when my son came in, I asked him to look at the window and he couldn't see the film at all.

Installing a programmable thermostat

My apartment has an antiquarian furnace, and I'm doing what I can to squeeze energy savings from it this winter. Earlier this month I replaced the furnace filter. My latest project was to install a programmable thermostat.

It's a simple way to eke out energy savings, particularly in northern climates. The idea is that you'll set the program to lower the temperature when you're asleep in your cozy bed at night, or out at work during the day. The savings at night are the more significant, and in an older house like mine, will probably equal about 1.8 percent for every degree celcius I drop the temperature.

So, if I drop from 20C to 16C at night, I should be looking at savings in the neighbourhood of just over 7 percent. The savings will vary depending on insulation and climate, and the scenario is different for people with heat pumps. But I expect a lot of renters are in my situation -- old, poorly insulated house with a big ol' gas or oil furnace. For more information, there's an interesting paper here by Andre Plourde, a professor at the University of Alberta.

A basic programmable thermostat costs about $30, though you can pay plenty more if you want something fancier. I bought mine when a $15 rebate coupon came with my Enbridge gas bill. So really, I'm out about 15 bucks for the thing, and should easily recoup the cost. And it looks a lot nicer than the old mercury thermostat.


How to install a programmable thermostat
This is surprisingly easy. Most older furnaces have a simple two-wire system and the wires are usually colour coded. Read the instructions that come with your new thermostat.

The first step is to slip off the cover plate of the old thermostat. It just slides off with a simple tug.

Notice the bubble of silvery liquid at the top. That's a glass tube filled with mercury. This is a hazardous material, so remove the thermostat with care and follow instructions from your municipality regarding proper disposal. In my city, one can bring them to a Community Environment Day or bring it to one of the city's hazardous waste depots.

After removing the cover, remove the screws holding the thermostat to the wall. These will probably be small flathead screws. Then unscrew the two wires from the terminal. Be careful not to let the tips of the wires touch. You may want to wrap them in electrical tape while you work.

Next, follow the instructions for mounting the new thermostat. On a two-wire system, each wire should be colour coded and easily screw into an appropriate terminal on the new thermostat. Then slide the face into place as per the manufacturer's instructions.

Programming the thermostat
My thermostat has four settings for weekdays and two for weekends. The idea is that you'll set it to lower the temperature when you go to bed, raise it just before you get up, drop it again when you go to work, and make the house toasty for your return home. On weekends, it's a simpler program to drop the temperature when you go to bed and raise it when you get up.

In my house, it's set for 16C overnight and 19C during the day, though I sometimes go up an extra degree first thing in the morning. I don't set it much lower during the day because I work from home (a simple two-program thermostat would have done me fine, but I couldn't find one).

Best of all, the new thermostat looks a lot nicer than the grotty old one. Being green is important, but aesthetics still count for something.

Furnace Filters

Replacing a furnace filter is, in most cases, very easy and very rewarding. It will improve the furnace's energy efficiency and improve indoor air quality.

I say "in most cases" because, well, some jobs are easier than others. Most furnaces have filters that come mounted in a handy cardboard frame. Here's an example of one, in case you haven't seen them before. Manufacturers suggest changing furnace filters monthly during the winter, and most are cheap enough that this isn't an unreasonable request. For these furnaces, you just slide the old filter out, note its size, go to the hardware store to buy a new one and then slide it in. Easy-peasey.

But not mine. Oh, no, nothing so simple for the Green Tenant. The furnace in my apartment was installed in 1984 and doesn't have the handy pre-framed filter.

For mine, one must buy a roll of fibreglass material and cut it to size. Still, it's not hard.

First, open the bottom compartment of the furnace (usually they just slide into place) to reveal the filter chamber. Then remove the carriage holding the filter. In this case, it was a simple matter of pulling the top edges in slightly, then sliding it out.



The filter on this model is held by clips on either side. They clip onto the mesh and are released by sliding (on this one, one side goes up, the other goes down). Then peel off the old filter. This one obviously hasn't been replaced in ages. Eeew.







Lay the old filter on the floor. Lay the sheet of new material over top, then cut it to size with an Olfa knife, box cutter or scissors.








Clip the new filter into the carriage, then slide the unit back into place. Follow any directions on the package (it might tell you which side of the filter to position facing in).







This won't make a 24-year-old furnace particularly energy efficient, but it will help the fan circulate warm air more easily. And your lungs will thank you, too.

Pressed for savings

I like coffee. It's one of my vices. But there are a lot of problems with coffee, too. To try and minimize my contributions to the woes created by coffee production, I drink fair trade, organically grown coffee whenever possible.

But energy and waste are other concerns. Coffee grounds and filters are easily dealt with. They can go into my composter, or to a municipal composting program such as Toronto's Green Bin. Metal filters reduce waste, too. But conventional coffee makers also use a lot of electricity and produce a lot of waste. With all their electronic components and their bulky plastic frames, a lot of material goes to a landfill whenever one breaks. And, as we've all learned the hard way, it's cheaper and easier to replace an entire coffee maker than it is to replace a cracked carafe.

A few yers ago, while visiting a cottage on Lake Huron, there was a power failure. Luckily, the place had a solar-charged battery bank for backup. Worked like a charm. At least until we tried to make coffee, that is. The coffee maker instantly drained the system, plunging us once again into darkness.

Just how much energy does a coffee maker use? According to the USEPA, a coffee maker draws 900-1200 watts. That's about as much as an iron, a toaster or a small portable heater. It's a lot of electricity. If your coffee maker stays on for just half an hour a day, that adds up to about 180 kilowatt hours per year. That's roughly equivalent to watching a big projection television for more than 1000 hours. Oh, and if you're measuring your carbon footprint, that's about 40 kg of carbon dioxide, based on the annual average from the Ontario grid.

So, what's the solution? Why, a coffee press, of course! Also known to many as a Bodum, these handy devices make far better cofee than to automatic drip systems. Because the grounds are suspended in hot water, they also use fewer beans per cup. For my morning brew, I throw in some grounds, pour in boiling water, wrap it in a thick towel (to keep heat in), wait five minutes, press the grounds down and pour a perfect, piping hot cup!

What are the energy savings? Assume one pot a day using a 1000-watt kettle, taking five minutes to boil. That's about 25 kWh per year. In other words, using a coffee press saves about 155 kWh of electricity a year, or 34 kg of carbon dioxide.

To be fair, I often toss my second cup in the microwave for a few seconds, bu that comes nowhere near the drain of keeping a coffee maker's heating element on for half an hour.

Best of all, I get a much better cup of coffee. We all have our priorities.

Autumn checklist

Winter is coming, and in Canada that means there's lots to do. I've got a long list of indoor projects to keep me busy in coming months, but some need to be done before the first frost. For now, I'll put aside my gardening projects (though they will be the focus this weekend). What do I need to do in order to keep my apartment cozy and my gas bills low this winter?

1. Replace the furnace filter.
The furnace is frighteningly 24 years old. The thought of how much gas it'll use scares me. But replacing the filter will make it run more efficiently and help with indoor air quality. This furnace uses a different kind of filter from the previous furnaces I've had, so expect a post on it in the near future.

2. Buy heavy, insulating curtains for the windows.
Even good windows let a lot of heat out at night. At best, they're R8, which is nothing when you consider that even a 2x4 stud wall holds R14 insulation (and new construction here typically has 2x6 stud walls with R20 fibreglass and often an inch or two of rigid foam at R6-8 per inch on the outside for the newest homes). Good, thick curtains can make a huge difference. Close them at night to keep the heat in, open them during the day (especially on south-facing windows) to reap the benefits of passive solar heating.

3. Do something about the front window.
The front window of my apartment is north-facing. The main panel is double-glazed, which is good. The lower, opening portion, however, has two single-glazed layers. Not terrible, but not great, and likely draughty. But my main concern is a beautiful stained-glass panel at the top. This will let a tremendous amount of heat out. Curtains are a good start, but not enough here.

I'll throw this last one out to any experts who read Green Tenant. I know that I could use a heat-shrinking plastic film. But what are my other options? I'm a tenant, so not in a position to replace the window. And I like the stained glass. It's pretty. Any great ideas out there?

Drying off

I was very happy that my new apartment came equipped with a washer and dryer. Really, social a person as I am, lugging clothes to a laundromat is not my idea of a fun way to spend a Saturday night.

So far, however, the dryer has only been turned on twice. And the plan is to avoid using it at all. Why? First, because it's unnecessary. A simple drying rack usually will do the trick. Might get a nicer one this winter, or two of them. My bedroom has big, south-facing patio doors, and thus is a perfect place for drying clothes (lots of free solar energy).

But this isn't all about being an environmentalist. I need to save money, too. If my dryer were fairly efficient and could do a load in 30 minutes, and if I did just 10 loads a month (factor in towels, sheets, kid's clothes, etc.), then using an average dryer would cost $30 a year, according to a calculator at this site. Not a huge sum, but every bit counts. Actually, it would cost more because my geriatric dryer takes an hour to do towels, and close to an hour for most clothes.

To be fair, drying racks can add to clutter in an apartment, and in small spaces, this can be a problem. But there are lots of options, from inexpensive floor models (available at most department stores) to fancier models, including some that hoist laundry up to the ceiling. Steve Maxwell pointed to this company in an article he wrote for the Toronto Star a couple years ago. I'll be including them in my research when I go shopping for a new rack this autumn. My existing one is bulky and has an inefficient design. Besides, sometimes a guy just needs a second laundry rack.