Weekend Project: Install a new showerhead

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to decrease bathing-related water use, and its WaterSense standards for showerheads will call for flow rates below the current federal limit of 2.5 gallons per minute. The challenge for manufacturers is to meet that standard without affecting shower feel, since an anemic flow can result in longer shower times and greater water use.

If your showerhead isn't looking its best or is delivering less than a satisfying flow, read our latest report on showerheads (full story and ratings available to subscribers), which covers single- and multisetting models as well as shower towers.

Installing a regular showerhead is a fairly easy job. You unscrew and remove your existing head and the plumbing tape in place, apply fresh tape (usually Teflon tape) for a tight seal, and screw the new head in place.

But when you're installing a rain-shower model, installation might not be as straightforward. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

Angle the showerhead properly. Because water literally falls from some rain-shower fixtures, it will dribble out one side if the fixture isn't installed at the correct angle. You can mount many models on an existing shower arm, and some include an adapting arm to position the head at least 12 inches from the wall, facing straight down.

Determine whether extra hardware is needed. Some fixtures require a 90-degree angle to work properly. If that's the case, you'll have to get additional hardware.

Ensure proper support. Rain-shower models that weigh 6 pounds or more might require additional support beyond the standard shower arm. That could entail carpentry work. Unless you're skilled, call in a pro.

One final piece of advice: If your shower pumps out ice-cold water when the dishwasher cycles on or scalding-hot water every time a toilet is flushed, you need to replace your present shower valve with a pressure-balancing shower valve to maintain the proper mix of hot and cold water at the showerhead.

If your hot-water temperature varies, as is possible with some immersion coil water-heating systems, then you need a temperature-balancing shower valve. If that's too expensive, you can find some after-market devices that will prevent scalding by simply stopping all water flow from the showerhead if the water temperature exceeds the device's  allowable temperature. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're planning a bathroom remodel, read our latest report on toilets (full story and ratings available to subscribers) and learn how to get a relaxing retreat for less.

European Union's energy-use rule spur American exports of wood pellets

The United States isn't an energy exporter—in fact, this country imported almost 9 million barrels of oil a day in May, according to the latest figures from the Energy Information Administration.

But as European utilities hustle to augment their coal-fired power plants with those that run on renewable fuel, American-made wood pellets have become a hot commodity. European imports of U.S. wood pellets were up 62 percent in the first quarter of 2009 from the same period a year ago, reported The Wall Street Journal. (Read our buyer's guide to wood- and pellet-burning stoves and watch for our report on pellet stoves in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands in late August.)

Driving the growth is a European Union rule that requires member countries to generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2020. The American Clean Energy and Security Actt, which passed the House last month, would set the same requirement for U.S. utilities. "We won't be shipping pellets overseas [if that happens]," says Steven Walker, development director of Phoenix Renewable Energy, which is about to break ground on a 250,000-ton-a-year pellet plant in Camden, Arkansas. "We'll be shipping them domestically."

Even without a new renewable-energy standard, sales of wood pellets should remain robust in this country. In 2008, 141,211 wood-pellet appliances shipped, up 161 percent from the previous year, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. That consumer demand has brought a lot of interest in and innovation to the industry, including a bulk-delivery system that eliminates the need for homeowners to haul pellets in 40-pound bags from the retailer to their stoves.

A lot of energy is used to get American pellets overseas, but it still doesn't offset the energy-saving benefits that pellets provide compared with burning coal.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Interest in energy-saving cool roofs grows

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Today's New York Times features an good read on cool roofs, a topic we covered in mid-June with Buzzword: Cool Roofs. (Cool roofs are designed to reflect sunlight, resulting in a cooler building and energy and money savings.)

As The Times' "White Roofs Catch on as Energy Cost Cutters" points out, Energy Secretary Steven Chu is a big fan of cool roofs and their energy-saving potential. Chu even appeared on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart last week to discuss them as well as issues like the cap-and-trade aspect of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. (Watch the video of his appearance, right.)

Calculate how much money you might save with a cool roof by using the U.S. Department of Energy's cool-roof calculator.

Essential information: Check out our June 2009 report on roofing and July 2009 report on air conditioning (available to subscribers), stay cool without sky-high energy bills, and read about ceiling fans. And look for our special report on energy saving at home, with coverage of pellet-burning stoves, solar water heaters, and ratings of compact fluorescent lightbulbs, in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands in late August.

Buzzword: 3/50 Project

What it means. The 3/50 Project is a campaign to support local merchants. The concept has spread to communities nationwide, and its premise is simple: First, choose three local independent brick-and-mortar businesses—clothing shops, food stores and restaurants, and for the home, independent appliance retailers, hardware stores, and garden centers—that you find essential and want to keep from going under during the recession. During tight times like these, independent retailers suffer since budget-minded consumers are more inclined to shop at chain stores and big-box behemoths.

Then spend $50 or more among those places each month. If enough people in a town make the pledge, the theory goes, the pooled-together funds will prop up mom-and-pop enterprises and help sustain local business districts.

Why the buzz? What started out as a passing thought by retail consultant and blogger Cinda Baxter late last winter quickly spread throughout the blogosphere and onto Main Street. Buy-local campaigns are now in 100 U.S. communities, according to The Wall Street Journal, and the 3/50 Project Web site says 8,500 businesses are participating in the program.

“Most consumers don’t realize that so much more revenue stays in the community when they buy locally,” says Baxter. For every $100 spent at independents, she says, $68 comes back through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. At national chains, the return falls to $43. Not that Baxter wishes an end to every Home Depot, Costco, andPetSmart . “It’s not an all-or-nothing message,” she says, adding that there are some products that you might only find at chains. “It’s about balance.”

There’s another reason to frequent local retailers: You might have a better all-around shopping experience. In a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 25,000 subscribers told about their latest experience buying appliances. (Read the entire report to find the best places to buy small and large appliances.) In terms of overall satisfaction, independents were the highest-rated retailers of major appliances and second only to Amazon.com for small appliances. Respondents were especially satisfied with the service, checkout ease, and staff knowledge of their local retailers.Walmart, by comparison, received some of the lowest marks in these categories.

Prices do tend to be higher at independent shops, but negotiating a better deal can be easier at independents, especially if you pay cash, since these stores will appreciate not having to pay a transaction fee to the credit-card company.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Before you hit the (local) stores, use our recently updated Kitchen-Planning Guide to find the best appliances and materials.

In the Pacific Northwest, residents trying to keep their cool during heat wave

The average high temperature for July in Seattle is 75.1°F; in Portland, Oregon, it’s 78.9°F.

But the recent record-setting temperatures during the Pacific Northwest’s relentless heat wave—forecasts call for the mercury to climb to 109°F in Portland this afternoon—have made the usual summer weather something for area residents to dream of. “It’s very uncomfortable for us. I don’t have air conditioning because we get so little hot weather,” Virginia Lindtott told KING5 news in Seattle.

Since few folks in that part of the country have air conditioning at home—one local TV station put the number at only 15 percent—heat-weary Washingtonians and Oregonians are desperately seeking some relief from the heat. Watch this video of Washington state residents queuing up to buy air conditioners and read local coverage of the infernal weather from The Seattle Times and The Oregonian.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest or any other part of the country where Mother Nature’s doling out oppressive weather, use the information below to find the best, most energy-efficient, and cost-effective ways to stay cool.

And since the National Weather Service is predicting the heat to linger for the next couple of days in the Seattle and Portland areas (the image shows an NWS map for part of Oregon), follow these tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid heat-related illness. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Free Air Conditioners Buying Guide

July 2009 Report on Air Conditioning (story and ratings available to subscribers)

Information on Portable Air Conditioners (available to subscribers)

Free Sizing Calculator for Air Conditioners

Details on Ceiling Fans

By the Numbers: S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index sees modest rise. Is housing rebound on the horizon?

139.84

Current level of the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, which tracks residential prices in 20 markets nationwide. The increase from April to May was 0.63 points. (The index is calculated monthly and published with a two-month lag, so May figures are the latest available.) While modest, the gain represents the first positive uptick in the index in three years. “It is very possible that years from now we will say that April 2009 was the trough in home prices,” Maureen Maitland, S&P’s president for index services, told The New York Times.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported an 11 percent month-over-month increase in sales of new single-family homes for June 2009. That’s the third monthly increase in a row for home sales, which other industry experts have said would point to the beginning of a housing recovery.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

10 Questions for . . . Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D., Lighting Researcher

In this installment of 10 Questions for . . . , Associate Editor Kimberly Janeway interviews Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D., director of research at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, New York. Narendran discusses the future of lighting and explains how LED lighting holds promise for hundreds of millions of people in developing countries worldwide.

Why is LED technology the next big thing?
They last longer, so there’s less landfill. And the light they produce is improving. It’s not great yet. We’re confident because there’s a lot more research money being put into LED technology than into compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Therefore LED technology will improve greater and faster. There’s no one perfect lightbulb in this world. It’s a matter of more pros than cons. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are better than incandescent bulbs. But now LED lights have come in. The CFL market will be eaten up by LEDs. Not everything, but little by little.
(Our tests have shown that CFLs can lag in color rendering and run-up time.)

What else needs to be done to improve LED lighting?
For LED lights to be transforming, we need to look at the infrastructure. It’s a waste of “talent” if we put an LED light in an incandescent socket. One of the LED features is you can dim up and down and change color, from more yellow to blue. That doesn’t happen with incandescent bulbs. The existing sockets and fixtures do not have good thermal management. So now if we replace incandescents with LED lights, the LED lights may not perform optimally.

When will LED lights be more widely available and come down in price?
Over the next five years we’ll see more products in stores. Now they’re not commonly available, so it’s hard to see that LED lights are a good option.

Where will CFLs fit in as LEDs become more common?
LED lights and CFLs will coexist. With LED lights, the price is going to come down. Now they’re in the $20-to-$50 region for a consumer. Part of the reason is the products are coming from overseas.

Have CFLs been perfected?
CFLs are really good now, and the quality has improved. It did ramp up when leading manufacturers made them. It’s a better product, better lasting, with better light and less mercury, but more products are in the market and not all are performing the same.
(Look for our new ratings-based report of CFLs in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands in early September.)

Incandescent bulbs had a long run as the dominant lighting source. What precipitated the move toward more-efficient technologies?
The energy crisis of the 1970s and climate changes forced the need for change.
(Read our interview with Ed Hammer, inventor of the CFL.)

Other than CFLs and LED lights, are there any other lighting alternatives?
There are people trying to do other lighting. Some researchers are trying to even make incandescents more efficient.
(Learn about the White House’s plan to boost the efficiency of some fluorescent and incandescent lightbulbs.)

You’re working to improve the quality of life for South Asians through lighting. How can lighting accomplish that?
We take lighting for granted. But there are many millions of people who do not have access to it—they use kerosene and candles and can’t do activities after darkness. They rely on daylight and the day is short for them. If you can provide lighting at affordable costs, you can provide opportunities, knowledge, education, and economic growth.

How can lighting change a family’s life?
In the U.S., lighting is a smaller portion of our home energy use compared with air conditioners, washers, and TVs, and. In South Asia, the cost of running lights is a significant part of budget. So if we can help with lights that use one third or one-tenth of the energy then it will save money.

What kind of lighting do you expect will be used in developing nations?
LED lights are wonderful lights sources when you don’t have access to the power grid. These lights are the answer because power requirements are low. You’ll be buying fewer bulbs over time, so they’re more cost effective when there’s no power grid. And LEDs are much more efficient than CFLs and don’t have mercury and disposal issues.

Essential information: Our experts debunk some of the myths that surround CFLs.

By the Numbers: Sales of single-family homes climbed in June

11 percent

Month-over-month increase in sales of new single-family homes in June 2009, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It’s the third monthly increase in a row for new-home sales. June new-home sales hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000.

The latest new-home sales rate is 21.3 percent below the June 2008 rate of 488,000 and represents an 8.8-month supply of homes, according to the federal government. The median sale price in June 2009 was $206,200, a sharp drop from $232,100 in June 2008 and $247,900 in June 2007. In the coming days we’ll report on the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which tracks residential prices in 20 metropolitan markets nationwide. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Back-to-School Appliance-Buying Guide

Hard times don't mean college students have to give up healthful, tasty food. These appliances will come in handy whether your son or daughter lives in a dorm or an off-campus apartment. And while this gear won't turn your college-age cooks into an Iron Chef, it can save them some money and add variety and spice to their diet. (Suggested reading for rising college students worried about packing on the pounds during freshman year: "Fast Food Nearby: Convenience, But at What Cost?" )

Be sure to check your school's guidelines about appliances, and see the rest of our back-to-school coverage.

Compact Refrigerators

The "dorm-room refrigerator" moniker shows how closely compact refrigerators have become identified with college life, but only some of the models we tested made the grade. Many models have a single temperature-control dial, so you can't find an ideal temperature between the refrigerator and freezer sections. And all that we tested for this report are comparative energy hogs.

Only two refrigerators we tested had freezer sections that were able to keep frozen confections from turning to mush, and the 3.7-cubic-foot Avanti 308YWT, $200, flunked basic refrigeration. Choose the 4.6-cubic-foot Frigidaire FRC05L5D, $150, if your student will be a frequent frozen-food diner. Tell your kid to discard frozen foods that have been stored above 40°F for more than two hours, and print out these food-storage tips for him or her.

If you're willing to sacrifice capacity and freezing ability, the 2.5-cubic-foot capacity Sanyo SR-2570M, $130, combined reasonable performance and capacity with quiet operation; it also falls within the size limits imposed by many colleges. The 1.8-cubic-foot Haier HSA02, $100, the only recommended small cube-sized model, performed the best by far as a refrigerator and was quiet.

See the ratings (available to subscribers) for full details.

Coffeemakers

Many a college student has relied on coffee to get through finals, but these countertop appliances can also save your kid some real money by keeping them out of overpriced coffeehouses. Check out our March 2009 report on coffee.

If your student will make just a cup or two at a time, consider the standout $25 Melitta and $30 Cuisinart in our ratings (available to subscribers); both brew in a thermal container that can be taken to class. Multiple-cup standouts include a $40 Michael Graves model and the top-rated Cuisinart model, $99. If you want a model with a built-in grinder, check out the Mr. Coffee GBX23, $50, or the DGB-600BC, $160.

Smaller-footprint pod coffeemakers would seem an excellent choice for college, especially since they're simple to use and create less mess. But they require more expensive custom pods to brew coffee, so you might be better off stuffing your care packages with a top-rated coffee from our latest report.

Microwave Ovens

As with compact refrigerators, the usable space microwave ovens provide often is less than manufacturers claim, sometimes by up to 50 percent. When shopping, bring the boxes or clean, empty containers from your kid's preferred frozen foods to the store to see whether they fit inside the oven.

The best countertop models take the guesswork out of cooking and have settings for foods like popcorn, oatmeal, and pasta as well as for reheating or defrosting.

Among recommended models (available to subscribers) the Kenmore 6325[2], $130, bested the sharp-looking Panasonic Inverter NN-SD697[S] $160, at defrosting. And although it's not a conventional microwave oven, the $150 NuWave Pro Infrared Oven excelled at cooking some foods (especially chicken); it takes up about the same amount of space as a microwave.

By the Numbers: Shipments of air conditioners and major appliances decline in June

29.2 percent

Year-over-year percentage decline in shipments of major appliances for June 2009, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Vendors shipped about 5.7 million units in June 2009, down from 8 million units a year earlier. Air conditioners were especially hard hit, with annualized shipments sinking 60 percent. The cool, wet late spring/early summer hurt AC sales, but even where the mercury rose, many homeowners decided to forgo air conditioning to save on energy costs, according to this recent article in The New York Times.

If you’re not willing to sweat it out all summer, the slumping shipment figures could mean even deeper discounts on air conditioners, and you might find it easier to hire a top contractor to install a central-air system.

Read the special report on cooling in the July 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, and check out the free buyer’s guide to air conditioners (ratings and central-air brand-reliability information available to subscribers).—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook