P age A5
T he P ortland O bserver • N ovember 16, 1994
Saving Power In The Shower
I t ’s cold and frig id outside, but it
doesn’t matter to you. Y o u ’re stand
ing under a steady stream o f hot
water that soaks you warm and com
fortable. Seconds turn to minutes.
Y o u ’ re in the shower for what seems
an eternity. Sound familiar?
Long, hot showers are a guilty
pleasure for many o f us, especially in
the winter. One can’t help but won
der, however, whether all those m in
utes standing under the shower are
wasting precious water and the ener
gy it takes to heat it.
The good news is that replacing
your conventional shower head with
an energy-efficient model can cut
shower water use by 50% without
interrupting your moments o f sanc
tuary under the hot water.
A standard shower head w ill use
about 5-7 gallonsofwaterperminute.
A t this rate, even a 5-minute shower
can consume up to 35 gallons o f
water! Energy-efficient models, on
the other hand, w ill typically reduce
the flow rate to 2.5 gal Ions per minute-
-or less.
Energy-efficient shower heads
are available in either aerated or non-
aerated models. Aerated shower
heads reduce the amount o f water in
the flow , but maintain the pressure in
the stream by m ixing in air w ith the
water. They feel like a standard show
er head, have a steady, even spray,
and are the most popular type o f
energy-efficient shower head. The
one drawback w ith aerated shower
heads is that, i f you’re tall, you may
notice that the water has cooled a
little by the time it hits your feet.
Non-aerated shower heads do
not m ix air into the flow o f water.
They maintain heat and give a good,
forceful spray, but their flow “ puls
es” . I f you like the effect o f massage
shower heads, this one’s for you.
Energy experts estimate that a
fam ily o f four, w ith each member
taking 5-minute showers daily, w ill
save at least 14,000 gallons o f water
a year through the use o f energy-
efficient shower heads. That savings,
o f course, w ill translate into dollar
figures.
That same fam ily o f four w ill, on
average, save .27 o f water and .30 o f
electricity a day. In short, your new
shower head w ill pay for its e lf in 3-4
months.
The other important contributor
to your dreamy, steamy showers is
your hot water heater. Experts esti
mate that water heaters consume close
to 20% o f the energy used in the
average Am erican home. W hat’ s
more, between 15 and 30 percent o f
that energy goes to keep a tank o f
water hot, just in case you need it.
So, what can you do? For start
ers, adjust the temperature on your
water heater to 120F. For every 10F
you lower the water temperature, you
can save 3 percent o f your water
heating energy. Make sure you turn
the electricity o ff to the tank before
you adjust the temperature.
Secondly, you may consider in
stalling an insulating blanket around
BALLOONS GALORE
yo u r water heater. A surprising
amount o f heat escapes though the
sides o f the tank, especially i f it’s
stored in an unheated spot like a
basement or back porch. Insulating
blankets installed on older tanks can
save 5 to 10 percent o f the energy
your hot water heater has been using.
Finally, insulate the hot and cold
water pipes leaving the tank, wher
ever they are accessible, fo r at least
the first five feet. Foam sleeves or
adhesive-backed foam tape are avail
able at most hardware stores. It is
important, however, to keep any in
sulating materials at least three inch
& MORE
Complete Decorating Service
For All Occasions And Events
- WEDDINGS - GRAND OPENINGS - CORPORATE -
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es from gas flues.
A final simple step you can take
to lim it the amount o f water your
household uses is to install and ener
g y-efficient or “ lo w -flo w ” faucet
aerator on kitchen or bathroom fau
cets. Sim ilarto energy-efficient show
er heads, aerators on kitchen or bath
room faucets w ill reduce the flow o f
water by close to 50%. However, the
flo w w ill often seem stronger as air is
mixed into the water as it leaves the
Celebrate Christmas and New Years with Balloons
We Will Help You Be Prepared For Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years
A lso : B alloon B anquets A nd D elivery ,
B alloons available in L atex & M ylar
B ulk B alloons , just $47 per 50 ( minimum 50 balloons
OPEN: MON THRU SAT; 10AM - 6PM
(503)331-1101
tap.
For our typical fam ily o f four,
energy-efficient faucet aerators w ill
save an average o f 280 gallons o f
water a month. That’ s over 3,300
gallons a year for one fam ily. On top
o f that, faucet aerators are relatively
cheap and very easy to install.
For a free Home Energy Evalu
ation or more inform ation on weath
erization, call PGE at 464-2511 or 1 -
800-722-9287.
Important N otice About Construction
Waste Disposal
I f you dispose of mixed construction waste
To request a list of designated facilities and
a map of the Metro boundary, call Metro,
797-1650. To use non-designated facilities, you
must first obtain a non-system license. To apply,
call 797-1685.
Recycling construction waste can
save you money compared to
disposal. For a free copy of
Metro's 1994 Construction Site
Recycling Handbook, call Metro
Recycling Information at
234-3000.
As the regional government responsible
for solid waste management in the metro
politan area, Metro licenses waste disposal
SPONSORED BY:
Boone Samantri -
to attend, please come and
join us.
A rrangem ents can be
made for the elderly and shut
in. For details contact Timo
thy Holt at 249-0347 by
November 22, 1994.
Children under 13 must
be accompanied by an adult.
facilities and collects user fees and excise taxes
on in-region waste. Disposal of waste at
undesignated facilities violates the Metro Code
Falsely claiming that waste originated outside
the Metro boundary may violate criminal
statutes. Violators can be charged with unpaid
fees, fines up to $500 per occurrence, and
investigative costs. They may also be cited for
theft by deception.
generated within the Metro region, it must be
taken to a Metro-designated facility or trans
ported under the authority of a Metro non
system license. Inert materials, such as concrete,
rock and asphalt, and separated recyclable items
taken to a recycler are not subject to this
requirement.
Fellowship Church Of God
Will Be Hosting Their
F irst A nnual F ree C ommunity
T hanksgiving D inner
O n N o v e m b er 24,
1994 from 12:00-3:00
Fellow ship Church O f
God located at 5131 NE
23rd Portland, OR will be
hosting their first annual
free Community Thanks
giving Dinner.
Everyone is welcome
bulk )
M ETRO
Director o f Urban Ministries,
Western Evangelical Seminary
tflie ^lortlanb ODhscrucr
T. Allen Bethel -
Pastor Maranatha
Church O f God
Fellowship Church O f God
free
C ommunity D inner .
will celebrate its 25th Anniversary beginning with
our Martin Lather King Issue in January / 995.
The A\RKA\NSA\S CHUIS of O R E G O N
will be serving
THANKSGIVING DINNER -
FR EE
November 24, 1994
at
DAHLKE MANOR
915 N.E. Schuyler Street
from 11:00a.m. - 2:00p.m.
S
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& A
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Sfi Sob PINEAPPLE
7 9
IN ITS OW N JUICE
» SLICES • CHUNKS
»CRUSHED
‘lawne 'Petted
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©SERTI OLIVES
JU M B O RIPE PITTED
5.75 oz. 0
Please sign your name below and
indicate the number of family members attending
2
3
0
*
CAN
PIMIENTO STUFFED
GREEN
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION - Please Call:
Charles Green - 254-8605
Marge Moore - 283-9433
Ethel Holmes - 287-5720
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PICKLES
BA3Y HOMESTYLE DILLS
FRESH PACK or
SWEET CUCUMBER CHIPS
Please respond by November 17, 1994
EACH
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CC.ery
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CREAM of BROCCOLI
3ROCCOLI & CHEESE
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CAN
EACH
¿and SERVE
WESTERN FAMILY
BRAND
12 ROLLS
PER PACKAGE
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PKG.
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