Green Garage - Part II

[MC]

Obviously not all of us can afford to 'go green' to the extreme as Jay Leno has when building a garage.  Ironically it can sometimes cost a lot to reduce our carbon footprints.  However, th...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.

 

[82_454_shorty]

"Something else to think about is that old refrigerator you have in the garage for beer. If the fridge is old chances are it is a big energy consumer, particularly if the garage is not insulated because the fridge will have to work harder. New refrigerators use 60% less electricity than a fridge made before 1980. Sure, cold beer is important but so is a cheaper electricity bill!"

Blasphemy! My old coke machine costs as much to run as a small neighborhood. Disconnect it and drink 'cold-ish' beer? Never!

 

[Wingnutz]

Don't "Knock on my Norge" kegorator!!!

For the most part if anyone is serious about building cars in Wisconsin... more than likely insulation and good heat sources are the main concern.

But nothing looses energy faster than a garage door...!

What I normally do is encapsulate insulation in plastic like a giant pillow open on the sides and bottom to breath and tape it to the inside of the garage door and take foil covered styrofoam panels and cover the outside of the door to ward off 30 below temps.

I've found that running 300 watt light bulbs provide much needed light as well as heat for my workspace and right now it's cheaper to spin the meter to maintain the heat rather than throwing fuel or and natural gas in there constantly.

Once I get the garage to working temperatures with propane... it is easily maintained by the Bight lights an electric radiator idleing by the man door!

It's very comfortable and efficient once you seal off the big leaks!

 

[trainer]

Don't "Knock on my Norge" kegorator!!!

!

Kegorators are very efficient!.. Since you dont need to open the door everytime you need another beer, you're using less electricity and saving the planet

 

[slim53]

I just bought an old fridge. Everyone outside of my car clubs thought that was so silly. New and more efficient ones just don't have the style. Other than that, I'm right there on the being green. A good portion of the time it'll save you some green. Hard to argue that.

Slim

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Don't "Knock on my Norge" kegorator!!!

and right now it's cheaper to spin the meter to maintain the heat rather than throwing fuel or and natural gas in there constantly.

I agree with all of your points except that one. I think you need to check your prices again. Around here (where we have fairly cheap electricity) natural gas is less than half the cost of power on a BTU to kilowatt basis.

Phil

 

[6th Gear]

would it be possible to retrofit parts from a newer fridge into one of the old ones?

 

[amt]

A lot of really old fridges actually do not waste a lot of energy. The key is find one that has good seals, proper refrigerant levels, and does -not- have a defrost cycle. I have an old fridge from late 50's/early 60's, and it costs only $4/month to operate -less than my 2006 (but larger) fridge.

 

[ddawg16]

AMT is on the right track....

One of the big users of electricity is the door seal heater...it's purpose is to prevent condensation around the seal.

Good seals do wonders.

It is also possible to upgrade the pump with a newer more effecient pump.

If I had a great looking retro fridge like above, I would retrofit with a new pump....

 

[Wingnutz]

I agree with all of your points except that one. I think you need to check your prices again. Around here (where we have fairly cheap electricity) natural gas is less than half the cost of power on a BTU to kilowatt basis.

Phil

But a Gas furnace doesn't help me "See" as well as the Big Watt light bulbs...!!!