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FREE Shipping on all orders - click for Home Page
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Drainage Kit Home Composter ConServ Servel Gas Fridge Flood Alarm
click on any picture here for a short-cut to that particular item or
simply scroll down to view all of our fine products!
Colored Shade Netting Custom Sun Screen Tarps Passive Heat Storage
Battery Operated Moisture Sensor Flood Alarm
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Flood alarm (high water level alert) moisture sensors are an integral part of many sustainable design systems. Sump pumps, cisterns, septic tanks, greasetraps, and greywater filters alike can all benefit from this early warning overfill alarm. Washing machines, water heaters, pressure tanks and other household plumbing will leak, eventually. This flood alarm will let you know there's a problem with a piercing 110dB wail long before your couch starts to float away. This flood alarm's solid state circuitry is built into a 3 inch wide, 4.25 inch tall, and 1.5 inch deep sensor compartment. A single 9 volt battery powers the alarm and a battery saver feature keeps batteries fresh longer. Don't take chances with water damage. Protect yourself with a flood alarm. $20* FREE First Class / Priority US Mail |
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click here or on picture above for flood alarm details
Colored Knitted Outdoor Shade Cloth
Shading fabric is a must for any greenhouse or passive solar home. You can develop unique 'micro-climates' using this knitted shade fabric as shadecloth and/or windbreaks. During the summer months, shade cloth screens out solar energy thus reducing heat gain and home cooling expenses. These higher quality, knitted outdoor shade fabrics are UV stabilized so colors resist fading and they'll never mold or mildew. Cheaper, non-knitted, woven fabrics are used in agricultural applications where longevity, appearance, and sag resistance are not as highly valued. We sell only the finest desert tested, knitted shading fabric with strong, durable lockstitching that resists tearing, fraying, stretching, and sagging. Both edges are factory hemmed to provide solid anchor points for stretching very tightly. Our knitted sun screen material will not ravel when cut, like cheaper woven shade cloths.
Jade Green . . . . . . . . . . Saddle Tan . . . . . . . . . . . Smoke Blue
click here or on sample swatches above for the shadecloth detail page
Knitted Custom Sized Shade Panels
If your shade fabric installation calls for sun screen awnings wider than six feet or a specific shade factor, we offer custom sized panels up to 32 foot wide in 30% to 90% shade factor. Our UV and heat resistant, HDPE polyethylene, knitted commercial shade cloth is an extremely durable lockstitched material and will not fray when cut, like cheaper woven shade screens. All of our knitted shade fabrics come with a closed, factory hem along the two edges - only the ends are cut as it comes off the roll. Custom sizes are quoted with the online ordering form. Reinforced tape, hem, and grommet work is available.
Shade panels are typically laced to the structure: tie rope tie rope or galvanized cable to one corner, run it through a grommet, around the trellis or pipe frame, back through the next grommet, and back around the structure .... all the way to the corner, where you pull it tight and tie it off. Shade canopies not only provide sun screening to block excess solar heat gain, they create a micro-climate next to the glass. Outside temperature can be dropped more than fifteen degrees with effective shading and ventilation. The key is allowing warmer air to rise and pass through the open knit, not trapping heat like a rainproof tarp, metal roof, or plastic patio cover.
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Full size range (6, 8, 10, 12, 20, 26 and 32 foot wide)
Double grommeted corners are standard on all grommeted sun screen panels for no extra charge! |
click here or on image above for custom shade tarp detail page
Passive Solar Heat Storage Tubes
Our fiberglass solar heat storage tubes can be filled with water to create light diffusing columns that are capable of storing LOTS of BTU's. Placed next to each other in a row, they make great room dividers and privacy screens too! Sloped, south facing, greenhouse style glass has long been known to admit more natural light than vertical windows, especially in the cold winter months when the sun is lower on the horizon. The "catch 22" has always been that too much solar energy passes through, instead of reflecting off the glass, causing a wide temperature swing problem. The best answer to this design problem is to add storage mass, not pass up all that free passive solar heat and lose that precious natural sunshine.
click here or on picture for the heat storage tube detail page
Servel® LP propane gas and kerosene powered refrigerators
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Servel RGE400 non-electric, propane gas powered refrigerator
click here or on picture for Servel refrigerator details |
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Kobe stainless steel range hoods with QuietMode ™
Unlike the big catalog companies, we don't sell a bunch of different brands when only one is the best! Kobe range hoods are the most dependable, easiest to maintain, and most cost effective stainless steel range hood on the market today. We could offer other major brands of stainless steel appliances to our clients, but why? We truly believe the Kobe stainless steel range hood line is by far the best value and of the highest quality.
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If you are like most people, the only time you use your range hood is when you want to remove excessive steam, smoke, grease, and odors while cooking. During everyday use, ventilation fans are so loud that you tend to ignore the effects that even light cooking create. Kobe stainless steel range hoods with the QuietMode™ feature are so quiet that you will not only be able to operate your range hood continuously while you are cooking, but can leave the hood on when you have finished to remove the heat without the annoyance of fan noise. Their QuietMode™ feature is: "So Quiet, You Won't Believe It's On!" click here or on picture for Kobe hood details |
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A WORD ABOUT STAINLESS STEEL There are several things to shop for in a hood - three main concerns are stainless steel quality, thickness and seamless construction. A single paragraph can not do the subject justice, but it boils down to the "series" of stainless steel and the "gauge" of the metal. The main grades (series) of stainless steel used for appliances are #304 and #430. Series 430 is commonly found in mid-range appliances since it is easier to bend, curve and mold. Series 304 stainless steel is an upgrade and generally considered the mark of quality. More difficult to work with, #304 has a higher carbon content and lower iron content, making the steel as rust proof as possible. A simple way to test stainless steel is to try to attach a magnet to it. Cheaper stainless steel hoods have such a high iron (ferrus) content that a magnet will easily stick to them. Series 304 has such a low iron content that magnets just slide right off. The "gauge" of the stainless steel is a relative measurement of its thickness. All Kobe hoods (except the CH181) use the thickest 18 gauge stainless steel. Cheaper brands of kitchen hood use as thin as 20, 22, 23, or even something as pathetic as 24 gauge steel. The best hoods are of seamless construction - all Kobe hoods (except the CH181) are seamless. Cheaper brands will bend the stainless and rivet panels together, allowing moisture, grease and grime to infiltrate and accumulate in the cracks. Do your research and you will soon see the quality, value and performance advantages of Kobe Range Hoods. |
click here or on picture above for Kobe hood details
SunMar® self contained, waterless composting toilets
SunMar Excel was the first self-contained composting toilet in the world to be tested and certified by the NSF. This standard #41 (waterless toilet) certification is all that's required by most local health departments for installation approval (see links page). First introduced over 30 years ago, the Excel's three-chamber, Bio-drum™ continues to be the most functional design, period. Unlike the big catalog companies, we sell no other self-contained composter for a very good reason: we service what we sell, and the Sun-Mar Excel is the most dependable, easiest to maintain, and is the only self-contained composter large enough to conveniently handle full-time residential usage. Our home and office has had two Excel composters in continuous usage for well over ten years now, without a problem. We know these units "inside and out", trust me, technical assistance before AND after the sale is our specialty.
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The SunMar® Excel at 32 inches deep and 22 inches wide, is a natural for adding a toilet to your garage, workshop, or cabin that lacks the basement needed for a Clivus Multrum® or Sun-Mar Centrex central composting toilet system (see below). These durable units are great for job sites too! Why pay rent for a portapotty chemical toilet when you can own something so much better? The Excel composting toilet sits directly on your restroom floor, so installation simply involves cutting a hole in the roof for the vent, gluing a few pieces of pipe together, connecting the emergency overflow hose to a small drywell or holding tank, and then plugging the unit into an electrical outlet. This time-tested, high capacity composting toilet has a VERY convenient tray for removing finished compost material. Keep this feature in mind when you're looking at other manufacturers' composters. Other brands are difficult, at best, to remove finished material from; some have way too many moving metal parts; and most others are way too small for full or part time residential use. The bigger the composter, the smaller your periodic maintenance needs. |
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click here or on picture above for composting toilet details
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These 17.6 ounce (500 gram) jars of Microbe Mix™ ship for free via US Priority Mail (no international orders) for $26 each. Microbe Mix contains dried aerobic microbes and enzymes specially selected to help break down waste in Sun-Mar composting toilets. This composting accelerant bacteria culture has citronella added to discourage attention from insects with a nice clean scent. Add a 15ml scoop (included in jar) over the compost every couple of weeks just before rotating the drum. The jar should last at least a year at that rate. |
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Drywell drainage kits are $159* free shipping
Our drywells make excellent leaching pits for gutter storm water drainage, driveway drainage, and septic, greywater, or composting toilet leach field systems. These amazingly strong kits can be buried as deep as you need to dispose of rainwater, drainage, or effluent. Gravel backfill around and under the drywell is not necessary, but will certainly increase the capacity of your leaching pit. A single drywell with a foot of gravel under and around it will dispose of 200+ gallons per day in most soils. As with all of our products, we'll work closely with you, consulting on your design for a system that works and provide toll-free consultation during construction!
click here or on any image for the leach pit installation detail page
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Heavy-duty, recycled, high density polyethylene HDPE plastic leach pit kits come shipped in a handy carrying case ready for on-site assembly.
Drywell kits are 24 inches in diameter, 28.75 inches in height (24" without lid), and weigh 23 pounds apiece.
Knockouts are provided for nine - 4 inch pipes and fifty four - 1.25 inch diameter leaching holes.
Initial surge is 50 gallons, but the capacity is only limited by the size of the leaching pit (dig a larger hole and add more gravel).
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Drywell kit
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3 side panels
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bottom panel
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surface drain
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We keep drywell parts in stock for immediate shipment the next business day
click here or on any picture for drywell installaton details and specifications
Questions? Email natural@colorado.net or call 800-563-9720
- sorry, no shipping to APO/FPO, HI, AK, PR, or Canada -
Here's a sample installation with TWO drywells in series - bringing storm water in through the lid. Venting your leaching pit is most highly recommended. Oxygen keeps the storm water drainage pit dry and the soil around it healthier. Freezing is rarely a problem with running water underground. You can always cap the vents in deep winter, if need be. Top loading (with vent) ensures maximum surge capacity for the drywell. We provide all of the fittings pictured with your kit (san tee, riser, coupler, vent and geotextile fabric). Please note the geotextile fabric is included for installation above the gravel layer. This is necessary to extend the life of your leach field - the fabric keeps topsoil out of your gravel layer around the drywell.
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Heavy-duty, recycled, high density polyethylene HDPE plastic leach pit kits come shipped in a handy carrying case ready for on-site assembly. Drywell kits are 24 inches in diameter, 28.75 inches in height (24" without lid), and weigh 23 pounds apiece. Knockouts are provided for nine - 4 inch pipes and fifty four - 1.25 inch diameter leaching holes. Initial surge is 50 gallons, but the capacity is only limited by the size of the leaching pit (dig a larger hole and add more gravel). Three interlocking side panels, heavy duty lid, FREE sanitary tee fitting for bringing liquid into the lid, FREE coupler, riser, and surface vent grate, FREE geotextile filter fabric to keep soil from entering the gravel layer around your drywell and FREE SHIPPING via UPS Ground to the lower 48 states. |
click here or on image for drywell installation detail page
Sun-Mar Home Composter indoor garbage solution
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The SunMar Home Composter is a self-contained, high temperature, kitchen waste composting system. It installs nearly anywhere (size of a dishwasher), recycling your organic kitchen waste into a wonderful fertilizer! One of the worst things for your septic tank and leach field (or greywater system) is a garbage disposal. Ground up particles of food don't settle out like the should, often heading straight out to your leach field and clogging its pores. The SunMar Home Composter is the INDOOR composting solution for your household food waste. No more messy pails and buckets, plus it creates a naturally fertilizing compost tea. |
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click here or on picture above for Home Composter details
Vestfrost® ConServ® BSK375 series two foot wide refrigerator
available in white body or gray with stainless steel doors
Due to customer service concerns, we are not currently retailing the Vestfrost® ConServ® 375/1200 series (BSK 375S) 110 volt AC commercial rated stainless steel refrigerator. We trust the American distributor can resolve these issues to our satisfaction soon, at which time we will be pleased to offer the Vestfrost refrigerator again to our customers. Their two foot wide stainless steel (and white) Vestfrost ConServ 375/1200 110 volt AC commercial rated refrigerator is a nice unit, but we can not continue to retail in good faith until customer service issues are resolved. Please do not call or email for details, as we can not comment further, and accept our most sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause anyone.
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The Vestfrost ConServ 375/1200 (BSK 375S) is marketed to the ultra-efficient energy crowd, which along with standard, pragmatic European appliance design does not allow for ice cube makers or automatic defrost.
Sorry folks.
The average person is unlikely to have to defrost more than yearly and you can make your own cubes on the handy quick freeze fan shelf, though.
Plus, drawers in the freezer (instead of shelves) help prevent frosting by cutting down on proweling (lingering with the door open).
Open the freezer door, remove the entire drawer, close the freezer door, get what you need and replace the drawer.
Europeans seem to feel it a small price to pay for greater efficiency AND quiet (no fans and pumps) - we trust you agree.
Compare specs with any other, so called low energy usage refrigerator and then take a look at the solid Vestfrost BSK375 construction.
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This Vestfrost ConServ 375 (BSK 375S) refrigerator/freezer has been tested and certified by Underwriter's Laboratory (UL®) for commercial use and as such, they do not comply with Residential Guideline #66FR57867 of the Federal Trade Commission.
Residential versus commercial designation is not a functional issue in a refrigerator - the 375 is even more energy efficient to operate than the vast majority of Energy Star® residential refrigerators.
FTC #66FR57867 residential refrigerator designation is an importing/regulatory/certification issue and will likely not matter to your local building department, mortgage company, or contractor, but always check first before ordering.
The seller, distributor, and manufacturer are not liable for local compliance matters relating to the use of this appliance in a residential environment - product returns for this reason are not accepted.
As a general note (something we often hear troubleshooting), never run any refrigerator or freezer from any manufacturer when it is empty.
You should always have something inside each compartment (a few milk jugs of water, at least).
Air alone does not retain enough cooling for the thermostat to sense temperature properly and you end up running the compressor much more than necessary.
Three must-have passive solar heating & cooling books
along with one greywater recycling guide for your library
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buy all 3 books
$85* via Book Rate Mail
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All three of these wonderful reference texts are recommended for a complete understanding of passive heating and cooling, alternative building techniques, composting toilets and greywater recycling systems.
Buy all three for one low price:
free copy of the DVD Home Tour Video - $9 value |
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The Natural House
This 468 page paperback takes the reader on a tour of thirteen natural home building methods, including straw bale, rammed earth, cordwood, cob, adobe, earth-bags, papercrete, Earthships, stone, and log.
You'll learn how these homes are built, how much they cost, and the pros and cons of each.
Sustainable home components are discussed in detail with chapters devoted to passive solar heating, cooling, cisterns, greywater, composting, and septic systems.
A resource guide at the end of every chapter offers a wealth of information.
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$37* via free Book Rate Mail |
left click this secured server link button
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The Solar House
This 274 page paperback is an excellent reference even if the author does misspell my name!
While heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved.
Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling.
Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious errors and shows how to avoid them.
In methodical detail he provides contemporary home builders with all of the necessary tools for successful solar design.
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$30* via free Book Rate Mail |
left click this secured server link button
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Create An Oasis with Greywater
The revised and 145 page greatly expanded fifth edition of Art Ludwig's heavily illustrated book outlines numerous basic greywater recycling systems and serves as an excellent primer for anyone interested in building their own "septic" system.
Discussions include greywater filtration, pumps, leach fields, plant selection, soils, and basic plumbing.
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buy all 3 books
$85* via Book Rate Mail
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All three of these wonderful reference texts are recommended for a complete understanding of passive heating and cooling, alternative building techniques, composting toilets and greywater recycling systems.
Buy all three for one low price:
free copy of the DVD Home Tour Video - $9 value |
Hot links to our main website chapters:
|Passive Solar Design|
|Shade Cloth|
|Gas Refrigerators|
|Stainless Steel Appliances|
|Solar Products|
|Septic Systems|
|Composting Toilets|
|Greywater Recycling|
|Drywell Kits|
|Site Map|
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$95* initial design consultation
Whether regarding HTMs specifically or passive solar in general, our initial consultation will address your concerns.
After reviewing the material, we encourage you to drop us an email with your questions.
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First, we email an extended outline of tips, tricks, and technical details, many not found on the website.
Then, we ship you a two inch binder jam-packed with the following printed information:
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$9* DVD only
One hour long video on universal DVD format |
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First half hour walks you through the sustainable design, HTM passive solar earthhome featured on our website. While not a How-To video, the second half does include detailed Infiltrator chamber leach field septic system installation and Sun-Mar composting toilet footage. |
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Phone: 800-563-9720
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