livingwise-box

Energy Wise® Kit

Through the Energy Wise Program, students learn about conservation in a classroom setting. The new knowledge is then taken home and shared with their families and friends, reinforcing the lessons learned.
Energy Wise provides students and their families with the tools needed to audit and retrofit their homes, generating immediate, lasting resource savings. Each family participating in the Program has the potential to save more than 300 kWh annually. Over the life of the devices, each household can be expected to save more than 2,300 kWhs of electricity.
flourescentbulb 1. 13-Watt Compact Fluorescent Lamp
This Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) uses less energy and lasts much longer than a traditional incandescent light bulb. It produces 450-800 Lumens of light. A 13-Watt CFL will replace either a 40-Watt or a 60-Watt incandescent light bulb. It’s a great way to save money, each and every day.
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flourescentbulb 2. 18-Watt Compact Fluorescent Lamp
This Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) uses less energy and lasts much longer than a traditional incandescent light bulb. It produces 1,100 Lumens of light. An 18-Watt CFL will replace a 75-Watt incandescent light bulb. It’s a great way to save money, each and every day.
Click here for installation instructions
flourescentbulb 3. 23-Watt Compact Fluorescent Lamp
This Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) uses less energy and lasts much longer than a traditional incandescent light bulb. It produces 1,600 Lumens of light. A 23-Watt CFL will replace a 100-Watt incandescent light bulb. It’s a great way to save money, each and every day.
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filtertonealarm 4. FilterTone® Alarm
Use the FilterTone® Alarm on any air filter. When your filter is dirty you will hear a tone reminding you to change your dirty air filter. Energy and money is wasted when a dirty air filter is used.
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limelight LimeLite® Night Light
The LimeLite® Night Light is designed to replace your current energy draining night lights. It only costs about $0.02 a year to operate and the soothing glow won’t disturb your sleep.
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naturalfactchart Natural Resource Fact Chart
The Natural Resource Fact Chart helps to show just how many natural resources are used in our everyday lives and how to conserve them. It contains helpful information, a water quiz, interesting facts, and more!
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Compact Fluorescent Lamp

To complete installation you will need:
• Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) – located in your Kit

  1. First we must choose an incandescent light bulb you will remove and replace with your new CFL. Look around your home and determine which light is used the most. This is the bulb you should replace.
  2. Always use the lowest wattage bulb that still gives you the light you need.
  3. Remove the old incandescent light bulb. WARNING: Bulb may be hot.
  4. Dispose of the old bulb properly. WARNING: Light bulbs are made of thin glass and can cut you if they break.
  5. Carefully remove your new CFL from the package.
  6. Install your new CFL and turn it on!
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FilterTone® Alarm

To complete installation you will need:
• A parent/guardian
• FilterTone Alarm – located in your Kit
• Clean air filter

Important: If you have a PLEATED FILTER, you must flatten out the filter area where you are attaching the FilterTone® Alarm. The back of the FilterTone Alarm must be flush against the filter for the alarm to work properly.

  1. First remove the mounting bar from the back of the FilterTone Alarm.
  2. Insert the tabs of the mounting bar through any part of the back side of a clean filter until the tabs become visible through the front side.
  3. Align the small holes on the back of the FilterTone Alarm with the tabs projecting through the filter, and press to fit. Make sure your FilterTone Alarm is now attached flush against the filter.
  4. Ask a parent/guardian to place the clean filter in your heating/cooling system so that the dirt collects on the same side of the filter that the FilterTone Alarm is installed.
  5. After dirt collects on the filter and pressure increases, you will hear a continuous tone alerting you to replace or clean the soiled filter.

The FilterTone Alarm can be reused after alerting you to the dirty filter. Remove your FilterTone Alarm from your dirty filter by gently pulling out the mounting bar on the back of the filter. You can rinse the FilterTone Alarm, let dry, and follow Steps 2-5 to install it on a new clean filter.

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Natural Resource Fact Chart

Energy Quiz
  • True or False
    Test your resource knowledge by reading the answer then deciding if it's true or false. Line up the arrow next to your question and look in the Answer window to see if your answer was correct.
  • Where Does Our Energy Come From?
    Line up the arrow next to the energy source to see how our energy is produced.

Natural Resource Facts
  • Do My Actions Make a Difference?
    Read the question and pick an answer. Pull the slide until the blue dot lines up in the window next to your answer then look in the Answer window to see if you were correct.
  • Electricity Usage Facts
    Line up the arrow next to the appliance to see how much money it cost to operate each month.
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LimeLite® Night Light

To complete installation you will need:
• LimeLite® Night Light – located in your Kit

  1. Choose a wall outlet where your LimeLite® Night Light will be of most use. If you can, replace an existing night light which uses a traditional incandescent bulb.
  2. If you are replacing an existing night light, begin by removing your old night light. Be careful, if it was in use the bulb in it may still be hot.
  3. Dispose of your old night light properly. WARNING: Light bulbs are made of thin glass and can cut you if they break.
  4. Carefully remove your new LimeLite® from the package.
  5. Install your new LimeLite® Night Light by plugging it into the electrical outlet you chose.
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High-Efficiency Showerhead

To complete installation you will need:
• High-Efficiency Showerhead – located in your Kit
• Teflon Tape – located in your Kit
• Vice grip pliers
• Crescent wrench
• Old towel or rag
• Old toothbrush

Remove Old Showerhead (Spanish instructions included in the Kit)
1. Place an old towel or rag over drain at bottom of the shower or tub. This will prevent any washers or grit from the shower arm falling down the drain.
2. Cover shower arm (the pipe coming out of the wall) with the old towel or rag, then affix vice grip pliers securely to the shower arm approximately one inch above the showerhead attachment nut.
3. Now, fit a crescent wrench to the showerhead attachment nut. Maintain a firm grip on the vice grip pliers so that it stays stationary, and turn the crescent wrench slowly counterclockwise, thus removing the existing showerhead.
Clean Existing Shower Arm
4. Using the old toothbrush and a dry rag, clean and dry the threaded area of the shower arm thoroughly.
Flush Out Shower Pipe
5. After removing the old showerhead, turn on the water and allow to run for five to 10 seconds. This will flush out any residue that might have come loose inside the pipe.
Prepare Shower Arm
6. Dry threads again if necessary on shower arm and wrap the Teflon Tape 1-1/2 to three turns clockwise around the threaded tip of the shower arm.
Install New Showerhead
7. In a clockwise direction, screw your new High-Efficiency Showerhead onto the taped portion of the shower arm. Place the old towel inside the crescent wrench grip area and tighten slightly until snug.
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Kitchen Aerator

To complete installation you will need:
• A parent/guardian
• Kitchen Aerator – located in your Kit
• Crescent wrench
• Old towel or rag

  1. Place an old towel or rag over the drain in the sink. This will prevent any washers or grit from the faucet arm falling down the drain.
  2. Remove the old aerator from the faucet. Cover the old aerator with the old towel or rag, and remove using the collapsible wrench.
  3. Using the old toothbrush and rag, clean and dry the threaded area of the faucet thoroughly.
  4. Turn on the water and run for five to 10 seconds. This will flush out any residue that might have come loose inside the faucet.
  5. Remove the Kitchen Aerator from the Kit, and place the washers in the proper place after once again drying the faucet threads.

    6. Note: The flip aerator is designed for use with inside and outside threaded faucets.
    – External Threads: Use one (1) rubber washer.
    – Internal Threads: Use two (2) rubber washers.

  6. Screw on the new Kitchen Aerator clockwise and hand tighten until snug. Do not over-tighten.
  7. Turn on the faucet and check for leaks. If it leaks, try adding some Teflon Tape to the threads of the aerator. That should do it!

Note: As a safety feature, the aerator will not completely stop the flow of water. This is to prevent buildup of hot water that might pose a threat to children.

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Digital Thermometer

To complete installation you will need:
• Digital Thermometer — located in your Kit

  1. Check to see if your Digital Thermometer is on.
  2. If it is not on, push the red button on the backside to turn it on (diagram). Place the battery back, and screw the cap back on the thermometer.
  3. Battery Replacement: If the display becomes dim or hard to read, replace with a 1.5V DC battery by opening the battery compartment and replace with a fresh one.
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Mini Tape Measure

To complete installation you will need:
• Mini Tape Measure – located in your Kit

  1. Use your Mini Tape Measure to measure the inside length, height and width of your toilet's tank to compute it's volume as demonstrated in your Student Guide.

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Flow Rate Test Bag

To complete installation you will need:
• The Flow Rate Test Bag – located in the bottom of your Kit
• A stopwatch or a watch with a second hand
• A helper – maybe a parent/guardian or a sibling

  1. Gather the top of the Flow Rate Test Bag around the end of the showerhead or aerator (where the water comes out). Hold it in place loosely so that air may escape while filling.
  2. Ask your helper to keep time on the stopwatch or watch.
  3. Ask your helper to turn the water quickly all the way on for exactly five seconds while you hold the Flow Rate Test Bag around the end of the showerhead or aerator (where the water comes out).
  4. At the end of five seconds, your helper should turn the water completely off. Repeat the steps above if the time was not exactly five seconds.
  5. Remove the Flow Rate Test Bag from the end of the showerhead or aerator without spilling any water.
  6. Look at the Flow Rate Test Bag. On the front you will notice several lines or graduations that have a number followed by the letters GPM (Gallons Per Minute). The line the water level is closest to is how many gallons per minute your showerhead or aerator uses!
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Toilet Leak Detector Tablets

To complete installation you will need:
• A parent or guardian
• Toilet Leak Detector Tablets — located in your Kit

  1. Ask a parent/guardian to carefully take off the toilet tank lid.
  2. Drop one tablet into the water in the tank (be careful to drop the tablet in the tank, not the bowl). You can use the second tablet to test another toilet in your home later.
  3. Make sure the toilet is not flushed during the wait time.
  4. Wait 10 to 20 minutes. If a blue color appears in the bowl, you have a leak from the tank into the bowl. Remember, if you do have a leak let a parent/guardian know so they can get it fixed.
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Drip Rain Gauge

To complete installation you will need:
• Drip/Rain Gauge – located in your Kit

  1. Determine approximately how long your sprinkler runs each week.
  2. Take the Rain Gauge from inside your Kit and set it in the middle of your lawn.
  3. Run the sprinkler for 10 minutes and see how much water accumulates in the gauge.
  4. Empty the Rain Gauge.
  5. Now place the Rain Gauge in another area of your lawn and repeat.
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Bathroom Aerator

To complete installation you will need:
• A parent/guardian
• Bathroom Aerator – located in your Kit
• Crescent wrench
• Old towel or rag

  1. Place an old towel or rag over the drain in the sink. This will prevent any washers or grit from the faucet arm falling down the drain.
  2. Remove the old aerator from the faucet. Cover the old aerator with the old towel or rag, and remove using the collapsible wrench. (Spanish instructions are included in your Kit.)
  3. Using the old toothbrush and rag, clean and dry the threaded area of the faucet thoroughly.
  4. Turn on the water and run for five to 10 seconds. This will flush out any residue that might have come loose inside the faucet.
  5. Remove the Bathroom Aerator from the Kit, and place the washers in the proper place after once again drying the faucet threads.

    6. Note: The flip aerator is designed for use with inside and outside threaded faucets.
    – External Threads: Use one (1) rubber washer.
    – Internal Threads: Use two (2) rubber washers.

  6. Screw on the new Bathroom Aerator clockwise and hand tighten until snug. Do not over-tighten.
  7. Turn on the faucet and check for leaks. If it leaks, try adding some Teflon Tape to the threads of the aerator. That should do it!

Note: As a safety feature, the aerator will not completely stop the flow of water. This is to prevent buildup of hot water that might pose a threat to children.

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Spray Nozzle

To complete installation you will need:
• Spray Nozzle – located in your Kit

  1. Attach the new nozzle to your hose.
  2. Adjust the spray settings by turning the dial located at the head of the nozzle.
  3. Squeeze the handle to allow water to flow through. Releasing the handle will stop water from flowing.
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Water Timer

To complete installation you will need:
• Water Timer – located in your Kit
• Old towel or rag

  1. To install the timer, remove the hose from the outdoor faucet.
  2. Screw the timer directly onto the faucet so the dial is facing upwards.
  3. Screw the hose onto the outlet of the timer until it is tight.
  4. Turn the dial to the desired amount of time you want the hose to run.
  5. Once the timer has counted down to “0”, it will turn off the flow of water.
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Replacement Male Garden Hose End

To complete installation you will need:
• A parent or guardian
• Replacement Male Garden Hose End — located in your Kit

  1. Remove old male end of garden hose by cutting* through the hose parallel to the end, 2-3 inches from the end.
  2. Loosen screws and slip collar over hose.
  3. Insert new male end into garden hose making sure it’s in as far as it will go.
  4. Slide collar up over hose that is covering the new fitting.
  5. Tighten screws until fitting is snug over hose. Check for leaks.
*Adult supervision required.
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Moisture Meter

To complete installation you will need:
• A parent/guardian
• Moisture Meter – located in your Kit

  1. Simply take the Moisture Meter out of your Kit and stick the probe end of the meter several inches into the soil.
  2. The goal is to have the soil “Moist”. If the meter reads “Dry,” then you should water the area. If it reads “Wet,” then you have probably watered too much and should adjust your watering habits accordingly.
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Hose Washers

To complete installation you will need:
• Hose Washers – located in your Kit

  1. Remove the hose from the leaky faucet.
  2. Place one of the Hose Washers from your Kit inside the end of the hose that connects to your faucet.
  3. Screw the hose back on the faucet and the leak should be fixed! If the leak does not stop, add additional washers as needed.

Check to see if your refrigerator seals properly. Get a slip of paper. Close the door on the paper. See if you can pull it out easily. If it pulls right out, you may need new seals or the refrigerator to be replaced. If it sticks and you have to tug to get it out,that means the door seals are working properly.