(Part 3) Top products from r/asheville

Are you using space heaters? Since you say your neighbors have "more" I assume so. Space heaters may as well be fueled directly by dollar bills. They're the most expensive way to heat a home among standard sources. There are use cases in which they make sense, i.e., if you have a 2500 sqft house and only want to heat one room, it's better to run a space heater and leave the HVAC at 60F. A heat pump will use 1/4 or 1/3 of the energy as a space heater for the same amount of heat created.

Is the water heater in a heated space? If so any waste heat is just heating the house in that case, which reduces the negative effect of a crappy old heater... at least until summer! What's the temperature set point? That can be a big factor. Is your hot water scalding hot? If so, turn it down.

How old is the refrigerator? Refrigerators are powered 24/7/365 so small differences in efficiency can add up there.

Unless you're doing tons of dishes/laundry, things like dishwashers and washer/dryers aren't a big contributor. Those machines only run a few hours a week. Energy = power X time. So even if a device pulls a lot of power, if it runs 10 minutes a week, its energy consumption is insignificant. Conversely, if something runs 24/7/365, it can consume huge amounts of energy. Pool or pond pumps are a good example of that. We have a tiny pond with a moderate pump. If we ran the pump (~250W) 24/7 it would cost $22/month. Just for a pond pump!

As an analogy, consider vehicle gas mileage. The difference between 25 mpg and 30 mpg is giantif you're driving 200 miles per day for your commute. But if you drive 2 miles a week it really doesn't matter if you buy a giant SUV that gets 8 mpg or a tiny car that gets 35 mpg. Either way you're not driving enough to pay a significant amount for gas.

As somebody else mentioned, you can buy a Kill-A-Watt (https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU) to test anything with a plug. You setup the Kill-A-Watt with your energy cost (12c/kWh), plug the device into it, then it into the wall. Use your device normally for a week or so and it will tell you how much the device costs per day/week/month/year. This can really help you to understand what's going on. But, as mentioned, it only works with stuff plugged into a normal wall outlet, so if you suspect your water heater, HVAC, etc., it's not helpful for those.

We had it tested but I cant remember off the top of my head what was in it. Yes the hot water smelled like sulphur and it would leave rust colored streaks where it was left to dry. I ended up having to buy this in order to clean it.

I have a few of Jeanne Lemlin's books but my most-used is Quick Vegetarian Pleasures. I love that she's not such a purist that the recipes must be made with hand-harvested organic dried beans, but a can of black beans is fine. She also doesn't use weird exotic ingredients that you only use once and then have a jar sitting in the pantry forever.

The library might have her books, and I've seen them at Mr K's too.

I got this one (it's on sale right now), and it works pretty well. I'm right off northern Charlotte Street, and I get 3 of the 4 major networks (CBS doesn't come in well), as well as a few other random channels. I think 7 or 8 total after I filtered out duplicates and kids channels. It's good enough to watch a couple hours a week on.

You do need to figure out which direction to point the antenna though, to get the most (or any) stations. I used antennaweb and the compass on my phone for that.

I have this reel mower for sale. I only used it twice and I'll sell it to you for $60. Works great, I just decided I liked using my weed whacker for everything.

The Goodwill has potential, where books are concerned, if you are very lucky that day.

I once paid about three bucks for a copy of A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars. My friend who does historical war gaming was very pleased.

Sure you could get something like this off Amazon. home depot and Lowes likely sell something similar. And it will not be near as accurate as a lab it will be close enough for your purposes. I would buy 2 kits. Test one as directed then test again after letting the water run constantly for 20 minutes. If the normal test detects Iron and the 20 minute flush does not it is likely something in the well or your lines. If they both test high it is likely the water.

I would skip the DIY. For the most accurate results NC Health Department http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/oee/wellwater/howtotest.html

or Pace https://www.pacelabs.com/about-us/locations/asheville-nc.html

For the wonks out there, check out the book "The High Cost of Free Parking." Made a lot waves when it came out in 2011.

BTW, for a really cool look at the early Civil War era history of the area, I highly recommend "Ghost Riders" by Sharon McCrumb. No-spoiler plot synopsis here. Essentially, it's a historical fiction that flips back and forth between modern times and the Civil War. Her books are always meticulously researched, and her writing captures the tone of the place and the people really well. I ended up reading it a few months before moving here, without realizing it was about this area, and when I got here it was like I already knew the area and the history/people that are just street names and statues to everyone else.

Non-affiliate Amazon link with reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Ballad-Series-Sharyn-McCrumb/dp/1590867912, but FYI the local library has a few copies.

For your boyfriend link. I have saved myself at least a $1000 over the last 5 years.

Green Man was indeed brewed at JOTW in the past. After a very public falling-out, Green Man moved to the South Slope. They are in no way connected at this point.

I highly recommend my friend's book, Asheville Beer: An Intoxicating History of Mountain Brewing.

Hi there, I’m not a tradesman, but could this be the device you are searching for?

Automated Vacuum Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035YGLZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8O08BbA4033C6

Boom

I need it tomorrow, so the internet might not work. If all else fails, we'll just make G&Ts in glasses for the gathering. The book is The Girl On the Train, it's pretty good, in the same vain, but not as good as, Gone Girl.