Where to buy

Make Your Life Better with Coconuts

John — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:33:54 +0000

The coconut is commonly associated with beautiful tropical beaches. Towering coconut palms at the fringe of a beach makes the scene picture postcard perfect. The coconut, however, has much more than aesthetic value: it is a valuable commercial resource as well as an important source of nutrition and medicine for many communities in the world.

The coconut is not a nut; it is in fact a drupe. The coconut palm can withstand salty water conditions and can thrive without pesticides and fertilizers. It is one of the best renewable resources as the drupe becomes mature palm in just 6 or 7 years. Typically one palm produces over 100 coconuts a year. It does so for over 70 years and then it becomes a ‘senile palm’. At which point it can be chopped down for its timber. The timber can be used for construction and for making coconut flooring. Using coconut as an alternative to hardwood is one of the methods for creating a sustainable society.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is widely misunderstood. It may be high in saturated fats, but most of the fat is in fact composed of medium chain fatty acids. These are also called medium chain triglycerides. They are readily metabolized by the body and converted into energy. Many athletes now take coconut oil to improve stamina. In contrast the long chain fatty acids found in polyunsaturated fats such as corn oil, soy oil, vegetable oil and sunflower oil are hard for the body to metabolize. As result the body stores the oils as body fat.

Coconut oil also helps to stimulate the thyroid gland that in turn improves the immunity system. Lauric acid in coconut oil is an antimicrobial agent that also fights infection. Lauric acid does just this job in mother’s milk too.

Many fats go rancid quickly. Margarine goes rancid even before it has passed through the human body. In contrast coconut oil contains antioxidants that not only prevent the oil from going rancid but also prevents the formation of free radicals that cause aging. Many people use coconut oil as a moisturizer and as hair conditioner. It soaks deep into the skin and stops signs of aging. Moreover it also replenishes lost natural oils and is a popular ingredient in many organic moisturizers and other beauty products such as shampoo.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk contains 17% coconut oil and so is healthy for the same reasons as coconut oil is healthy. It makes a great ingredient for such dishes as curries and soups. It can also be used in desserts. Coconut milk is important to Ayurveda medicine and is still commonly used in India to treat mouth ulcers.

Coconut milk is also rich in vitamins and minerals. Drinking coconut milk prevents vitamin E deficiency and it also helps to restore correct calcium levels. It is lactose free and therefore a great milk substitute for those with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy.

Many people also add coconut milk to shakes, smoothies and cocktails. It gives a subtle coconut taste to the drink and helps cure a hangover.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is remarkable for being an exact replica for human blood plasma. For over 50 years coconut water has been used for emergency blood transfusions (in certain parts of the world) when no safe blood plasma is available. It is also totally sterile and thus safe to drink straight from the husk.

Coconut water has become popular again in the Unites States thanks to a series of celebrity endorsements behind which is Madonna who has bought stock in Vita Coco. There is a battle behind Vita Coco, O.N.E and Zico for the lucrative US market in coconut water. All three brands use organic Brazilian coconuts, and are free of added sugar. The great thing about coconut water is that it is richer in electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium that are needed for successful re-hydration than any sports drink. It is thus marketed as an isotonic beverage.

Coconut water is much more than just a good drink after the gym. As with coconut oil and milk it protects the body from disease and improves the metabolism and immunity system.

Coconut Flour

Coconut Flour is made by pressing coconut meat and then allowing it to dry. It is then ground up to make a fine powder that can be used like wheat flour to make short breads, cakes and puddings. Coconut flour is 100% gluten free and so is perfect for people with gluten intolerance.

Coconut flour can also be added to cooking to thicken up sauces. It is low in carbohydrates but high in dietary fiber. It is thus great for people who seek to lose weight.

Another health benefit of coconut flour is that it is as high in protein as wheat but it is non-gluten protein. It can thus be added to smoothies and shakes to make quick protein drinks.

The coconut conclusion

It is a shame that the coconut only grows in places without frost. It can take boiling hot sunshine, lack of clean water and attacks from pests but the palm cannot deal with frosts. There are so many ways to use the beautiful coconut palm and its drupes. It is obviously a key resource for those interested in natural remedies and natural health foods. It is also important for people with food allergies. And finally it is important as a renewable resource with which people can build sustainable communities.

Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat

John — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:14:04 +0000

Click Here to Find the Best Price for the Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat on Amazon

The Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat is a reliable and accurate device that costs about $40. It is great value for an Energy Star recommended digital programmable thermostat. It is made by the recognized brand of Lux Products who have been making control technology for the home for over 100 years. If you want to reduce your heating and cooling costs but you don’t want to spend a lot of money then the Lux Products TX1500E should be on your short list of possible purchases.

The Lux Products TX1500E is compatible with a wide range of HVAC systems including heating only, cooling only, central air, hot water and single stage heat pumps. It can manage up to 1 stage of heating and 1 stage of cooling. Although the Lux Products TX1500E needs batteries, it doesn’t drain batteries quickly and the display warns you when to do a battery change.

The thermostat is a 5-1-1 device. That means it has 3 program slots available. They are weekdays, Saturday and Sunday. For each of these 3 slots there are 4 periods of heating/cooling to set up. For people who keep regular working hours during the week but like to get up and go to bed at different times at the weekend this thermostat is sophisticated enough to ensure money is not wasted over-heating or over-cooling an empty house.

The vacation mode offers an extra program slot which can be used to set the HVAC ticking over while you are away from home or it can be used as an alternative weekday setting, if you example you get home later once a week or you work from home once a week. This extra program slot means it is possible to classify the Lux Products TX1500E as actually a 5-1-1-1 thermostat.

A clear and comprehensive manual comes with the Lux Products TX1500E that helps to make installation hassle free. There is also a free call center and email address you can use to contact Lux Products if you run into any difficulties during installation.

The thermostat features a mercury free, back lit digital display that shows time, set point temperature, whether the fan is being cycled, battery status and filter status. The digital display also shows the relative humidity in a room. This is a feature not found on many programmable thermostats.

The Lux Products TX1500E is straight forward to program. It has the Lux patented speed dial system to make programming quick. It doesn’t take long to learn how to input your daily programs. And once you have set up your programs you can protect them from people altering them without your permission with a keyboard lockout.

Although the thermostat is relatively cheap it is not lacking in any of the essential functions found on modern digital thermostats. There is a swing control that goes up in 0.25 increments that allows you to set a range around the set point temperature within which the heating or cooling is not activated. Swing control is designed to protect the HVAC systems from short cycling and prematurely wearing out.

There is also a temporary override to allow you to make quick changes to the settings without altering the programs. And as mentioned before, there is a vacation mode that lets you run the HVAC cost efficiently while you are on holiday. You can program the vacation mode so that your home is comfortable when you return from holiday.

Reviews

Reviews of the Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp are overwhelming positive. People who bought this thermostat are very happy with the performance of the device and the energy savings that have resulted.

People comment that the thermostat is easy to install and program and that it holds the room temperature well. A few people mentioned that they missed having an auto change-over that switches automatically between heating and cooling with the changing seasons.

Read reviews of the Lux Products TX1500E on Amazon.com

Comparison with Lux TX9100E and the Lux Products TX9000TS

Both the Lux TX9100E and Lux Products TX9000TS are more expensive thermostats in the same range. These two thermostats are 7 day programmable thermostats, whereas the Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp is a 5-1-1 thermostat.

The Lux TX9100E is compatible with 2 stages of heating and 1 stage of cooling, and with heat pumps with auxiliary heat. The Lux Products TX9000TS is a touchscreen device but has the same compatibility as the Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp.

In terms of functions both the TX9100E and the TX9000TS also have smart recovery and auto change-over. These functions are missing on the Lux Products TX1500E. These are the main differences between these Lux Products models of thermostat.

List of Functions on the Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat

5-1-1 Programmable thermostat with 4 periods per program
Compatible with heating only, cooling only, central air, hot water, single stage heat pumps and 1 stage of heating and 1 stage of cooling
Digital screen with backlight
Swing control (up to 2.25 degrees in o.25 degree increments)
Battery powered
Vacation mode
Temporary hold
Can cycle fan
Lux Products patented speed dial
Filter change warning
Battery change warning
Relative humidity display
Energy Star approved
1 year warranty
Program lock to protect settings
Only $40

Energy Star Recommended Programmable Thermostats

Read more about the Honeywell RTH8500D 7-Day Touchscreen Universal Programmable Thermostat. This programmable thermostat features easy to use touchscreen technology with intuitive, menu driven programming. Features include 7 day programming, smart recovery, auto change-over, real time display, HVAC powered, temporary hold and vacation mode. Only $110 at Amazon.com. Click here to read more.

The Honeywell THX9321R5000 Prestige HD Programmable Thermostat features a wi-fi connection and high definition color graphic touchscreen display. The Honeywell Prestige HD can be bought as a standalone device or with an Outdoor Sensor and a Comfort Station. Features include 3 languages, USB port, wi-fi, multiple holds, 7 day programming, smart recovery and humidity control. The Honeywell Prestige HD costs $363. Click here to read more.

The Lux Products TX9000TS Touchscreen 7 Day Programmable Thermostat is an accurate, Energy Star recommended device. It features touchscreen programming, swing control, auto change-over, smart recovery, temporary hold and a handy energy usage monitor that lets you keep track of your heating and cooling bills. The Lux Products TX9000TS is excellent value at $70. Click here to read more.

The Honeywell RTH7600D Touchscreen 7 Day Programmable Thermostat is a reliable and accurate device that costs under $70. It features touchscreen programming, smart response, auto change-over and temporary hold. Compatible with up to 2 stages of heating and 2 stages of cooling. Energy Star approved with a 1 year warranty. Click here to read more.

The Hunter 44550 Auto Save 7 Day Programmable Thermostat is a reliable, Energy Star approved device that costs only $40. Features include 7 day programming, smart recovery, fan control, armchair programming, swing control, one touch back light, filter warning and mercury free display. Click here to read more.

The Honeywell RTH221B Basic Programmable Thermostat is a reliable, Energy Star approved device that costs only $22. It is a vertical style digital thermostat with 1 week programming and temporary hold. The Honeywell RTH221B is ideal for those people who work from home or are retired.Click here to read more.

The Honeywell RTH7500D Conventional 7 Day Programmable Thermostat is great value at only $65. It is Energy Star approved and features 7 day programming, smart response, auto change-over, real time display and temporary hold. Click here to read more.

The Lux Products HP2110 Smart Temp Programmable Heat Pump Thermostat is a 5-1-1 device that is designed specifically for regulating heat pumps. It features swing control, temporary hold, vacation mode and comes with Energy Star recommended settings as default. This is a good value thermostat at only $60. Click here to read more.

An Explanation of Smart Response

John — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 10:47:18 +0000

Smart response is a function found on most good programmable thermostats. It is also called smart recovery and adaptive intelligent recovery. This post will look at what smart response does and why it is an important function.

Smart response is found on most programmable thermostats made by Honeywell, Lux Products and Hunter. It is a function that pre-heats or pre-cools a house so that the set point temperature is reached by the start of a new programmed period. All good 7 day digital programmable thermostats offer 4 periods of heating/cooling to set up for each day of the week. They are morning, afternoon, evening and night. The idea of a programmable thermostat is that you set these 4 periods to match your movements.

Thus the morning period starts when you wake up and finishes when you leave the house to go to work. The afternoon period is normally set at a higher temperature (in the summer) or lower temperature (in the winter) to save money while you are not at home. This period finishes when you arrive home from work. This is the start of the evening period. The evening period finishes when you go to bed. The night setting, like the afternoon setting should be an economy setting to save you money.

Smart response is designed to help with this scheduling. So for example, if you wake at 7am and you want the house to be 70 degrees then the thermostat will start heating before 7am so at the moment you wake up the house is a comfortable 70 degrees. If the heating came on at exactly 7am then you would wake up to a cold house in the winter.

The alternative is that you try and guess how long it takes for the heating to warm the house and set the thermostat to activate the heating prior to your awaking time. This is guess work. Honeywell thermostats monitor the time needed to pre-heat or pre-cool a room and makes continual adjustments to the start times of heating/cooling.

People who complain that the house is too hot or too cold because of smart response either have malfunctioning thermostats or (more likely) they have programmed in set point temperatures that are too high or too low. As a rough rule of thumb the set point for the winter should be 70 degrees when you are home and 63 degrees when you are not at home or sleeping. In the summer the set point should be 78 degrees when you are at home and 85 degrees when you are not at home. To help you with programming your digital thermostat some devices come with Energy Star default settings that provide useful guides.

Thus, smart recovery is a valuable function that allows you to program in your settings with the knowledge that the house will always be at a comfortable temperature when you awake and when you get back from work. Smart response takes the guessing out of programming a thermostat and also removes the temptation of turning up the heating/cooling to maximum because you are uncomfortable.

Energy Star Recommended Programmable Thermostats

The Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp is a 5-1-1 Programmable Thermostat recommended by Energy Star. It only costs $40 and features a programmable vacation mode, temporary hold, swing control and a relative humidity display. Compatible with single stage heating and cooling. Click here to read more.