Do-It-Yourself Sustainability Toolkit User Guide

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• Kill-A-Watt® Meter

  The Kill-A-Watt® meter measures the energy used by appliances and electronics and estimates how much it costs in both operating and standby modes. Did you know that many small appliances and electronics use as much as 75% of energy when off or in standby mode as they do while on? Use this meter to measure the energy usage of your appliances.

  How to Use:

  1. Look at your most recent energy bill and find the Rate/kWh under “Electric Charges.”

  2. Plug the meter into an outlet, then plug an appliance or electronic device you would like to measure into the meter’s outlet.

  3. Press and hold the RESET button on the meter until “rESt” appears.

  4. Press and hold the SET button until “Rate” is shown and the currently set rate flashes.

  5. Input the Rate/kWh cost from your energy bill into the meter and press the SET button to save it.

  6. Press the MENU button until “Cost” is shown.

  7. Press the UP or DOWN button to see the cost estimates per hour, month, day and year.

  Enter this information into the DIY Sustainability Toolkit Energy and Water Use Tracking Form provided with the toolkit. Now that you know which appliances and devices use the most energy, you can identify the items to unplug when not in use. You can also try the meter’s additional features by reading the instruction manual included in the toolkit.

   

• Infrared Laser Thermometer

  The Infrared Laser Thermometer detects heat gain and loss inside your home.

  How to Use:

  1. Turn on and point the thermometer at an interior wall or area of average internal home temperature. This is your reference temperature.

  2. Point the thermometer at potential trouble spots in your home such as doors, windows, outlets, and exterior walls.

  3. To detect small temperature differences, adjust the switch to 1°F. To detect larger temperature differences, adjust it to 5°F or 10°F.

  4. The laser color will change depending on the temperature conditions: Green = Good | Red = Gaining Heat | Blue = Losing Heat

  If you found any temperature differences by doors and windows while using the Infrared Laser Thermometer, use weather stripping to seal gaps. If an exterior wall or window shows temperature differences, consider adding insulation or upgrading to an energy efficient window design.

   

• Refrigerator Thermometer

  Use the Refrigerator Thermometer to set optimum temperatures for your refrigerator and freezer. The recommended setting is 36-40°F for refrigerators and 0-5°F for freezers.

  How to Use:

  1. Place thermometer in your refrigerator between food items. After at least 20 minutes, record the temperature.

  2. If it is outside the target range (36-40°F for refrigerator and 0-5°F for freezer) adjust the temperatures.

  3. Look and test for cracks in the door seal by closing the door on a piece of paper and tug. Repeat this test in multiple spots around the door. If the paper moves easily in any one spot, replace the seal.

  4. Repeat these actions with your freezer.

   

• LED Lightbulbs

  Reduce your energy bill significantly by switching to energy-efficient lighting. The LED bulbs provided in this kit use at least 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer.

  How to Use:

  1. Replace the incandescent bulbs in fixtures that have the highest use; this will result in the highest savings.

  2. Turn off the lamp and wait for the incandescent bulb to cool for 5 minutes.

  3. The LED bulbs included in this toolkit are not designed to dim in a dimmable fixture. If you buy your own LED bulbs, read the packaging to see where the bulb should be used; not all LEDs are designed to work in every socket.

  4. Match the equivalent wattage of the old bulb. LEDs operate on a much lower wattage than incandescent bulbs. For example, a 60W incandescent can be replaced by a 9W or other 60W equivalent LED.

   

• Weather Stripping

  Weather Stripping seals the edges of your door or window against the heat and cold.

  How to Install:

  1. To check for leaks around doors and window jams, you can either use the Infrared Laser Thermometer or try to slide a piece of paper through the area to check for leaks. If you notice heat loss/gain with the thermometer or notice leaks, then that area needs weather stripping.

  2. Focus on the sections where you feel air or can see light coming through the window or door jam.

  3. Clean the application area to ensure a good seal.

  4. Cut a length of weather stripping to match the length of the door or window where the strip will be applied. Peel back adhesive strip and apply.

  (More Tips: Instructional Video on How to Apply Weather Stripping)

   

• Outlet Gasket

  Another way to ensure proper insulation and help prevent air leaks resulting from poor wall insulation is by using outlet gaskets.

  How to Install:

  1. Identify exterior walls with the most exposure to leaks (you can use the thermal leak detector from page 14).

  2. Choose an outlet or switch plate to upgrade.

  3. Carefully loosen the faceplate screw with a screwdriver (not provided) and remove faceplate.

  4. Place gasket over internal area. If necessary, trim the gasket to fit around the outlet.

  5. Replace faceplate cover and tighten screw.

  6. Repeat for other outlets or switches throughout your house.

   

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• Water Thermometer

  Almost half of all the natural gas used in your home is spent heating water. Making a small change to your water heater settings could make a big impact on the amount of natural gas your home uses.

  How to Adjust:

  1. Locate your water heater.

  2. Locate adjustment dial and mark the current setting with a pencil or masking tape.

  3. Locate the faucet closest to the water heater.

  4. Run water until hot and capture a cupful in a mug. Collect excess water in a pitcher or bucket and use to water plants.

  5. Insert thermometer and wait for it to reach its highest point.

  6. Record highest point temperature.

  7. Adjust setting so that your hot water runs at 120°F. If your water heater does not have specific temperature settings, this action might take a few tries.

  8. Some water heaters have pre-set settings like “vacation mode” to save even more energy. Use those as applicable.

   

• Water Pressure Gauge

  Your household water devices such as showerheads and aerators work best at 60 psi. If your water pressure is higher, it could lead to water waste and even damage to the plumbing pipes in your home. Testing your water pressure regularly is a good idea, even if you have a pressure regulator – they can get old and fail.

  How to Test:

  1. Locate a hose bib that is close to where your main water supply line enters your house (often near your garage, if you have one).

  2. Make sure water isn’t being used anywhere inside or outside your home. Turn off items including washing machines, ice machines on refrigerators, dishwashers, and sprinklers.

  3. Remove the hose from the hose bib.

  4. Twist the water pressure gauge onto the hose bib.

  5. Turn the water all the way on. Tighten the gauge by hand or with an adjustable wrench if it leaks during the test.

  6. The black hand shows the current water pressure. If left on overnight, the red hand will hold the highest surge pressure which occurred during that period.

  7. Typical home water pressure ranges from 40-75 psi and should not exceed 60 psi. If your pressure is over 75 psi, then adjust your pressure regulator (if you have one) down to 60 psi or install a pressure regulator.

   

• Water Flow Rate Bag

  Using the water flow rate bag, you will measure the rate the water from your faucets and showerheads flow. Even if you have low flow aerators, it can be helpful to check the flow rate because aerators can corrode over time.

  How to Measure:

  1. Turn on faucet and fill water flow rate bag for 5 seconds.

  2. Record the gallons per minute measured on the flow rate bag.

  3. If your water is flowing at a rate greater than below, we’ll explain how to fix it on the following pages by installing aerators.

  • Bathroom Sink: 0.5 gpm
  • Kitchen Sink: 1.5 gpm
  • Showerhead: 2.0 gpm

   

• Drip Gauge

  A dripping faucet wastes water. Find out how much a water faucet is leaking so you can measure how much you can save.

  How to Measure:

  1. To measure a leaky faucet, hold the empty drip gauge under the drip for 5 seconds.

  2. Set drip gauge on a level surface and look at the gallons per day (GPD) and gallons per year (GPY) markings to see how much water is leaking each day and year. Visit https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-drip.html to see how much the leak costs.

  3. Enter this into the Tracking Energy and Water Use forms.

  (More Tips: Instructional video on how to fix a leaking faucet).

   

• Faucet Aerators

  Did You Know? Over half of all water use inside the home takes place in the bathroom. Installing aerators saves an average of 1.2 gallons per person per day. After measuring the flow rate of your aerators and showerheads using the flow rate bag, see if the flow rates match the flow rates we have listed. If they are higher than our list, replace them to help save water.

  • Bathroom Sink: 0.5 gpm
  • Kitchen Sink: 1.5 gpm
  • Showerhead: 2.0 gpm

   

  How to Install:

  1. Close or plug your drain.

  2. Unscrew old aerator counterclockwise; if needed, use pliers to loosen the aerator. Wrap the teeth of the pliers with painter’s tape or a towel to avoid scratches to the existing equipment.

  3. Clean and dry water pipe threads (grooves at end of faucet).

  4. Screw on new aerator clockwise by hand. 5. Turn on faucet to test for leaks and tighten with pliers if necessary.

   

• Low-Flow Showerhead

  There are two ways to measure your showerhead flow rate. Check the imprint on the showerhead for flow rate or use the flow rate bag to measure if one is not noted. If the showerhead flows at more than 2.0 gpm, replace it with the showerhead provided.

  How to Install:

  1. Replacing a showerhead is just like replacing or installing aerators.

  2. Close or plug your drain.

  3. Unscrew the old showerhead counterclockwise. Use the pliers to loosen the showerhead, if needed. Wrap the teeth of the pliers with painter’s tape or a towel to avoid scratches to the existing equipment.

  4. Clean and dry water pipe threads (grooves at end of faucet).

  5. Screw on new showerhead clockwise by hand.

  6. Turn on faucet to test for leaks and tighten with pliers, if necessary.

   

• Water Leak Detection Dye Tablets

  A toilet that runs constantly can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day, costing $250 over the course of a year. The Detect-A-Leak Toilet Tablets, also known as Water Leak Detection Dye Tablets, are a simple and inexpensive way to test for leaks regularly.

  How to Measure:

  1. Carefully remove tank lid.

  2. Drop 1-2 tablets into exposed tank.

  3. Wait 20-30 minutes. Do not flush the toilet during this time.

  4. If blue color appears in the toilet bowl, you have a toilet leak.

  5. Typically, a leaky flapper is the cause of toilet leaks and needs to be replaced.