A Guide to Using Your Green Home

Optimizing Water Use in Your Home

Low Water Landscaping

Already established plants are either local indigenous plants or Xeric plants that are good for our climate. These are watered by a drip system or potentially a French Drain installed to utilize rainwater and reduce runoff. Please consider continuing with a xeric landscape.

• Utilize the Drip irrigation system

  • Adjust settings for winter or summer seasons. Winter use should be reduced to 1-2 times a month

  • New plants should be watered more often, but for shorter durations (especially for small plants)

  • After plants are established, set the system to water deep (longer periods less often)

  • Separating the system into two zones allows for two different schedules for different types of plants

  • There is a "rain" setting to turn system off. Remember to turn the system back on. Settings are saved while in the rain or off position.

  • Check the system periodically. While you can 'set and forget' a drip irrigation system for the most part, it is important to monitor it from time to time.

    • Are plants wilted?...too dry.

    • Is soil always wet?...Increase the time between watering.

    • Is water coming out of drippers when the system is on? ...They can clog but are easy to unclog.

    • Is the system spraying or soaking unevenly? ...the line may have come loose or been cut. Be careful when weeding with a hoe!

• Check and maintain rainwater collection system

  • The downspout diverts water away from the house into a "French" drain system so that rain water is utilized. Check for proper flows out of the downspout after or during rainfall. You can get on the roof to check downspouts, or you can ask the A/C technician to check for and remove leaves and debris from the gutter when you have the a/c unit serviced.

  • Keep the grill clean where the downspout drains into the French drain. Make sure overflow is not obstructed.

• Check with local nurseries or on the plant pots when purchasing plants. There is a huge variety of low water plants available.

Optimizing Energy Use in Your Home

Energy Use and Indoor Air Quality

Our homes are constructed to save energy and provide comfort. Leaky homes waste a tremendous amount of energy. Well-sealed homes must have proper ventilation to maintain a healthy indoor environment.

• Ventilation

  • The kitchen exhaust vents directly to the outside. It is a good practice to use this while cooking on the stove top. Use low speed unless you need to get rid of smoke.

  • The bath fans and fresh air cycling fans are automatic and their operation is covered in "Operation of Equipment."

  • Open windows and doors and ceiling fans are great for keeping the home comfortable much of the year. Remember to turn off the A/C when the windows or doors are open.

• Lighting

  • Fluorescent and compact fluorescent lighting cost a little more than regular bulbs upfront, but use significantly less energy and last much longer. They also generate very little heat which is important in the cooling season. They are available now in a several color ranges that reflect natural lighting. Do not use dimmers with fluorescents as it will burn out the ballast.

• Heating / Cooling

  • Change the filters as needed. The system won't have to work as hard and your indoor air will be cleaner. Start by changing the filters twice a year. How dirty they get depends on several factors (pets, keeping doors or windows open, living in a dusty area, etc.), so check your filters and determine how often it is appropriate for you to change them. I change mine every other month.

  • Changing the filters is about the only homeowner maintenance for the unit. No annual marathon to the store to purchase pads, pumps and whatever to get the swamp cooler running for another season. Simply switch the thermostat from heating mode to cooling mode and you're done. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for how often to schedule a service technician come out and check the unit. This is a quality unit that will last for many years when properly cared for.

Water, Power, and Gas Shutoffs

Under normal circumstances you'll never need to shut off any of the utilities. It is always good to know where shutoffs are located in case of emergencies.

• Gas

  • The main gas shut off is by the gas meter at the side of the house. This will shut off the gas supply to the home. There are also individual shut offs by each gas supplied appliance. Namely, the furnace, the water heater and the clothes dryer.

• Electricity

  • Inside the garage is the circuit breaker panel. We will go over this with you as there are special breakers inside. The main breaker is at the top of the panel and that will Kill power into the home. Caution... inside the panel the power is still on. Only a qualified electrician should remove the panel.

• Water

  • The main shut off for water is outside the garage and inside the water meter box. A water valve key or crescent wrench is needed to shut off the water outside. Inside, there is a water shutoff behind the water heater down low. This hand operated valve will shut off the water supply from that point on. On top of the water heater is the valve that supplies water to the water heater. Shutting this off will stop the hot water only.

Maintenance Checklist

 The following routine maintenance should be performed periodically, according to manufacturer's specifications or a visual inspection.

• Replace furnace filter

• Downspout

• Drip irrigation system

• Heater and A/C maintenance (replace filters)

• Exterior painted wood and doors

• Drain water heater

• Check Supply fan for operation

Operation of Equipment

Dishwasher and Stove

See individual manuals for these appliances.

Heating and Cooling

This home is equipped with central heating and refrigerated cooling. The cooling condenser is likely located on the roof and there is no homeowner maintenance required. However you should follow the guidelines in the owner's manual for the routine maintenance required to be preformed by a professional.

Heating and cooling are both controlled by a single thermostat. All you have to do is set the switch to the heating or cooling mode and set the desired temperature. As an added benefit there are ceiling fans located in each room. Using the fans in occupied rooms in the cooling season will make the rooms more comfortable at a higher temperature and thus save energy as well as provide comfort.

In the cooling season the fans should blow down. In the heating season rooms with tall ceilings may heat more evenly with the ceiling fan reversed (blowing up) on low speed. Usually it's better to just leave them off, test it to see what works best for you. Unlike evaporative cooling, no windows or doors need to be open for the heating or cooling to function. In fact, your heating and cooling system will have to work harder and will run less efficiently if doors or windows are open.

Furnace and air conditioner filters are located just above the furnace compartment and in the main return air grill. These should be changed or cleaned about two times a year. It is best to use a high efficiency filter to removed pollen and other small particles, increasing the air quality in your home.

Fresh Air Cycler

Fresh air is provided by a small fan installed into the ductwork. This is set to run about a third of the day (cycling on and off by a timer). The timer is located in the mechanical room and may be adjusted by the owner. It is set to provide 7.5 cfm per bedroom by running 20 minutes per hour. If you wish to adjust it to run more often when you are home simply adjust it to your schedule. Fresh air will also be pulled into the system whenever the blower is running during heating or cooling.

Bathroom Exhaust Fans

All exhaust fans are equipped with motion switches. These quiet fans will help remove humidity where it is generated. With the motion activated switches there is less opportunity for mold growth and no need to switch them off. Please keep these on automatic.

Hot Water Heater

Keep the water heater on the lowest setting that provides you with the heat you need. This will save energy and reduce the danger of accidental scalding. This home has a hot water thermo siphon loop. There is no pump needed and this should provide practically "instant" hot water in the baths and kitchen faucets. This will cause the water heater to cycle on a little more, but you will waste less water in the process. If you stop the thermo siphon there is a valve at the bottom of the water heater that can be shut off.