[Greenbuilding] Question about appliances

[arthur landerholm]

I agree with the reuse sentiment, in general, but you really should take a
hard look at the energy use numbers for something like a 10-year-old
refrigerator.  The "greener" choice might be to scrap the appliance rather
than to foist the energy hog on someone else through freecycle.  

I just retired a 20-year-old refrigerator.  It was still in working order
and I kept it for so long for the same sentiment -- why trash something in
working order -- but what I didn't realize, until I ran a kill-a-watt meter
on it, was that it was using about 1500 more kWh per year than a new model!!
Even setting aside the economics (it was costing me an extra $100 a year to
run that appliance), based on the numbers, I was convinced that the "green"
option was to junk the old beast for scrap metal.  

The numbers may very well not be as dramatic with a 10-year-old
refrigerator, but to make an informed decision, you might want to get some
numbers.  The following web link to an energy use calculator also might be a
helpful tool:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator



-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Bobbi Chukran
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 10:48 AM
To: Thomas Lewis
Cc: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Question about appliances


>The appliances aren't pretty and probably not too efficient, but we 
>just couldn't bear to toss things in
>working order.  >

Yeah, I know the feeling.  That's why we're pondering keeping the 
ones we have in our current house and moving them over there.  We 
bought these new 11 years ago.  The "new" house only has a very cheap 
model dishwasher in it--brand new.  Like you, we also use ours as 
mostly a drying rack.

If you do end up replacing them, may I suggest freecycle.org instead 
of disposal. >

Oh, definitely!  I would never just dispose of them.  I'm a BIG fan 
of Freecycle, and we have a great local group, too.

Where do you think I got all my moving boxes?  LOL

bobbi c.

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