Archives: Mechanical

American Standard WaterSense Faucets Go To School

By Todd Fratzel on Energy Conservation, Plumbing, Product Reviews

American Standard WaterSense Faucets One a recent design-build project we used American Standard Faucets certified with the WaterSense label. We were building a green addition for a local non-profit Montessori School and the folks at American Standard were very generous to donate both WaterSense Labeled toilets and faucets. The WaterSense Labeled toilets and faucets were…

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How To Install EcoSmart LED Downlight Fixture

By Todd Fratzel on Electrical

EcoSmart LED Downlights for Recessed Light Fixtures In a recent article we talked about our trip to The Home Depot learning about LED Lighting Options. One of the most impressive options available for recessed lighting was the EcoSmart LED Downlight. The EcoSmart Downlight is a 65 watt equivalent LED bulb with integrated trim which fits…

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Buying LED Lights at The Home Depot

By Todd Fratzel on Electrical, Energy Conservation

Affordable LED Lights Are Finally Here You might be surprised to learn that LED lights are now within reach both financially and technologically for your home. LED (Light-Emitting Diode) Lights have been around for quite some time but the technology wasn’t quite ready for home applications until recent manufacturing advances created affordable options. I had…

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The Home Depot is Helping Lead The Way with LED’s

By Todd Fratzel on Electrical, Home Improvement Cost Savings

LED Lighting For Homes For several years we’ve all become quite familiar with LED flash lights how little energy they take to operate. Over the same time period I’ve been waiting with great anticipation for the day that LED technology finally reached a point where our homes could also take advantage of it’s energy efficient…

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Programmable Thermostats Save Money

By Todd Fratzel on Air Conditioning, Energy Conservation, Home Improvement Cost Savings

Save Energy With Programmable Thermostats Using programmable digital thermostats save money. I can’t stress enough how making an investment in programmable digital thermostats can really pay off with your heating and cooling bills and save you money. In addition to saving you money digital thermostats also help make your house more comfortable by controlling the…

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Montessori School “Touched” by Delta Faucets

By Todd Fratzel on Kitchens, Plumbing, Product Reviews

Delta Touch2O Faucets Donated To School This summer I had the pleasure of overseeing the construction of a large addition for a non-profit Montessori School here in NH. Several very generous vendors donated materials to the project including the folks at Delta Faucets. The folks at Delta were very kind and donated two Touch2O® Technology…

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Recessed Vs Surface Mounted – Basement Lighting

By Todd Fratzel on Basements, Electrical

Last week one of my readers asked a question: Which is better? Recessed lights or surface mount ceiling lights for basement lighting? Basement Lighting Options For starters basements typically have a lower ceiling height than the main floors. Most modern construction today results in the ceiling joists (1st floor joists) being 7′-6″ above the concrete…

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School Addition Goes Green with Radiant Heat

By Todd Fratzel on Heating

Radiant Heat Keeps School Comfortable and Healthy Radiant heat has long been classified as a Green Construction method for several reasons. Most importantly is the elimination of duct work which potentially creates poor air quality. Additionally radiant heat is considered by many to be a much more efficient heating system. We recently designed and built…

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