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Here are two others to consider that are kinda cool: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/01/02/fanimation-air-shado.html http://www.uncrate.com/men/home/interior-exterior/duplo-dinamico-ceiling-fan/ John

You can practically get the same fan for about $700 if you just know where to look: I suggest looking both at the Minka Aire fans as well as Casablanca. John

Terrific. That's exactly what I needed. Thanks. John

I just found this in another online forum: 2005 NEC: 240.24 Location in or on Premises (D) Not in Vicinity of Easily Ignitible Material -Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitible material, such as in clothes closets. Examples of locations where...

I read in another thread on here that when installing a breaker panel, you need 36" of working space in front of it and 30" from left to right for the wall space on which it's mounted. Are there are requirements for how high off the ground the breaker panel has to be located? I'd like to...

Great idea. There will be one motion light mounted directly beneath the bedroom window, so it would be good to have the ability to shut it off if necessary. Thanks for the suggestion. John

I don't know much about troffer lights, but was just looking at some online made by a company called Lamar Lighting. I'm curious if anyone out there is familiar with their fixtures and can comment on the quality of their lights, especially their troffers. Here's a page from their website with...

FFlintstone: I'm impressed. That's a great accomplishment. I can't imagine actually building a place myself. You should post some more pics of the place. I'd love to see them. John

KBS: I'll be going with a Triangle Tube Smart 120 indirect-fired water heater that will be heated by a Triangle Tube Prestige Solo 250 condensing high-efficiency LP gas boiler. The Smart 120 will receive preheated water from the GFX as mentioned in the previous post. John

Matt: I considered solar hot water, but decided to go a different route for more efficient hot water. I'll be using something called a GFX, which is a shower drain heat recovery system. It's basically a long copper coil wrapped around the shower drain that preheats the cold water about to...

FFlintstone: I won't deny that I'm a little OCD when it comes to this stuff, but I plan on building just one house (and garage) with the intentions of living there until I'm old and feeble. Given the rise in the cost of fuel over the past few years and the uncertainty of how much more out of...

DzNuts: It totally depends on the TV and cost of electricity where you live. Those numbers could be all over the map. I've got a 46-inch plasma screen that is estimated to use 281 watts/hour, or 0.281 kW. Electricity where I live is 14.83 cents/kW, so it costs me: 0.281 x 14.83 = 4.17...

Dan: Thanks for the great note. The little house itself is really a 2BR, but I'll be using one of the bedrooms as a home office. Guests will eventually have the guest apartment all to themselves. I gave a bit of thought to going the geothermal route, but really liked what I learned about...

Matt: Thanks for the additional input. Much appreciated. I guess I never clarified how this guest apartment/garage/workshop would be used. I'm actually going to be living there myself until I get around to building the adjacent cottage, which will be about 80 feet away. It could be a...

MattT: If it is a little high, I'd like to catch this now rather than later. How are you concluding this? Let me know, would ya? Thanks. John

Matt: I'm pretty sure I've got everything factored in, from the occasional use of an iron, toaster, vacuum cleaner and disposal to the cell phone charger, garage door opener and UPS for the computer. Hot water and space heating will be handled with propane. John

Matt: I'm probably going a bit overboard on the lighting in the garage/workshop. There will be 36 - 4' fluorescent tubes in all, each producing around 3,300 lumens. So yes, they'll probably be able to see the place from the Space Station. But I'll only have the parts of the garage lit up...

That's pretty damn efficient, Dan. John

Nate: I was going by cost instead of kWh: $110 vs $62.50. I should've clarified. Sorry about that. I also work from a home office and am likely home a bit more than you are. Everyone lives a bit differently. I'm just intrigued with what the breakdown is for other folks. I...

Nate: I'll have a lot of lights, especially in the garage/workshop. In addition to the well pump I mentioned, I'll have 3 large chest freezers for storing things from the farm. Lighting, well pump and chest freezers will constitute nearly 60% of my electric bill. I've also got a little...