Everybody thinks of keeping their home and its surrounding clean. Here are the best 10 coolest green DIY projects for all the DIY enthusiasts who are really much keen to improve their home and surrounding. There is not much shortage of projects as more and more creative minds are coming up with lot of ideas to help in this matter.
1. Create a clothesline
After the refrigerator, the most energy-consuming device in the household will most probably be the dryer. In today’s world, it is totally absurd and even unlikely, to replace refrigerator or even stop using it, replacing the dryer with a conventional clothesline is totally reasonable. Total cost is estimated around $69
2. Fashion a tube-type skylight
There may be many places in your house, where the daylight do not find any space and you have to use a light even during daytime. A light tube is the ideal fix for such places, which is cheaper than the traditional skylights. These tunnels confine the light by the help of lens at roof, shove it down the reflective tube and emit it through a diffuser. It can be a bit expensive and can cost you about $309.
3. Put a recirculation pump under the sink
It is set up under the sink, captures the not-yet hot water before exiting the tap and rushes it back to the water heater. It is repeated until the water gets hot enough, when the pump switches off. This saves water along with energy. It also prevents heat loss in the pipes as it moves the water faster than a faucet can. Total cost is generally around $268.
4. Insulate hot-water pipes
The hot-water pipes are giant radiators of sorts without any insulation. It transfers the heat of the water to the air, rendering the water lukewarm barely few minutes later. The pipes should be insulated with rubber encasing wherever possible. It reduces the overall energy footprint of the whole operation. You may need to spend around $60 for this cool green project.
5. Plant deciduous trees
Trees can be planted at least in three directions around the house, which in the long run can reduce your dependence on the air conditioner. Besides, providing shade, it also prevents the heat island effect. Red oak and the trident maple trees are the most favored trees for such purposes.
6. Install a programmable thermostat
This is perhaps the most efficient energy saving device of all. It can be automatically adjusted for the heating and cooling needs of your family 24*7. Total cost for this project is $49.
7. Create a rain garden
Runoff is an acute problem in almost all the households. With this, it becomes an invaluable resource. Instead of allowing the water to go to waste in drains, it can be collected in a low spot of your land, with fauna surrounding the spot. This provides a visual treatise and also the satisfaction of providing natural flood control, which is usually done by the forests and wetlands. Total cost involved will be around $69 plus the cost of each tree.
8. Clean your refrigerator coils
When encased in dust and dirt, these coils can’t channel heat properly, leading to more energy being used to cool your food. It should be cleaned periodically, with a long handled brush.
9. Replace can lights
From the efficiency point of view, these are useless, because they aren’t sealed and not capable of insulation, allowing heated air to escape. A retrofit kit can be screwed into the existing arrangement, which seals around the rim, and behind the bulb, converting the old model into a new airtight and insulated, and more importantly efficient fixture. You are going to need a fluorescent bulb (one with 4 pins and 20 watts). The good thing is that these bulbs come with an average life of about 10000 hours and hence you won’t be required to buy a new bulb after every couple of months.This involves an expenditure of not more than $48.
10. Reduce light pollution
Why not think of putting a motion sensor on the floodlight of your night garage? Not only is this going to save you a lot of money in terms of electricity bills but will also provide you one of the the best pleasure’s of early fall: the night sky.