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DIY Eco Guy

DIY Eco Guy

Chris Graber, BSME

Simple sustainability solutions you can implement at your home and in your community. Join engineer and nature lover Chris Graber for this helpful how-to show. He breaks down the barriers to starting DIY home projects, doing the research to save you time. Each episode focuses on the practical steps it takes to implement a specific project, technology, or sustainability hack. He makes it easy for you to implement simple sustainability solutions that can make a big impact on climate change and your family's health. No ads, just free info.

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Top 10 DIY Eco Guy Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best DIY Eco Guy episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to DIY Eco Guy for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite DIY Eco Guy episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

DIY Eco Guy - DIY Portable Air Filter
play

06/28/24 • 24 min

It was fun to duct tape together four 20" filters into a box shape, slap a box fan on the top, and start filtering my indoor air! It is relatively inexpensive, doesn't use much electricity, and does a pretty good job. This type of system has been coined a "Corsi-Rosenthal" box more recently, but has been around for some time.
In this episode I dive into:

  • The history of these types of air filters
  • Their design (including advanced designs and ones you can purchase)
  • Pros and cons
  • How effective they are and where to use them in your home
  • How they compare to commercial portable HEPA filters
  • And more

I also back up and discuss indoor air quality concepts in general, and things you can do to your main HVAC system to improve air filtration and ventilation.
Learn more by reading my air filter article which has a video of my project, some pictures, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

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DIY Eco Guy - Finding a Used Electric Car + Tax Credit
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07/02/24 • 31 min

The used EV tax credit, available only if you purchase from a dealer, should help more people enter the world of electric cars. Or if you purchase directly from a private party you can also expect to get a good deal and probably some great insider info on the car and how to keep it happy.
Learn from my experience of finding my 2015 Nissan Leaf EV, making sure the battery was up to snuff and it had good options for charging it, purchasing it from a local dealer, and using the tax credit. The car has enough range to get me around town for simple chores, is fun to drive, and was very inexpensive. If you haven’t experienced an older EV, you’d be surprised how much you can get done with a “small” range and some recharging around town if needed.
Learn more by reading my used EV article which has more background info, some pictures, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

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DIY Eco Guy - Introduction

Introduction

DIY Eco Guy

play

06/25/24 • 9 min

Chris aka DIY Eco Guy answers: What this is podcast? Why do this? I also share some of my personal and professional background and motivations for this work.
Upcoming podcast episode topics are outlined and existing projects are outlined on my website if you'd like to learn more, watch videos, see pictures, etc!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

bookmark
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DIY Eco Guy - Cool Walls, Less Air Conditioning
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07/22/24 • 32 min

Keeping your exterior walls cooler during hot weather can really help decrease the amount of energy your air conditioner consumes and decrease the amount of very hot air your AC’s condenser expels outdoors (a major "urban heat island effect" contributor). Since many regions are warming up and heat waves are more common, I felt moved to explore this topic a bit and share some of what I’ve learned from living in the desert.
So learn from my experience of prepping my desert home for the summer. Last year we broke heat records and this summer I was determined to do some simple, inexpensive things to keep us cooler.
Learn more by reading my Cool Walls, Less Air Conditioning article which has more background info, some fun infrared pictures, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

bookmark
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DIY Eco Guy - One Solution For Our Plastic Problems
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08/01/24 • 18 min

Here in Tucson, AZ ByFusion can take discarded food packaging, plastic grocery bags and bubble wrap, etc, that recycling plants often can’t process and turn it into ByBlocks, 22-pound construction blocks. The ByBlock creation process just uses steam and compression.
I discuss the plastics problem in general, the program here in Tucson, and other things you can do.
Learn more by reading my Plastic Blocks From Non-Recyclables article which has more background info, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

bookmark
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Want to cook with precise temperature control and zero harmful gasses? And have a cooler kitchen? Some hardcore cooks may still think natural gas is better, but things on the electric side have improved rapidly...
I discuss how induction cooktops work, their pros and cons, and my experience using one over the last few months.
Learn more by reading my Portable Electric Induction Cooktop — Natural Gas Alternative article which has more background info, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

bookmark
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DIY Eco Guy - Rainwater Harvesting
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11/19/24 • 28 min

Want to lower your water bill and have a beautiful yard filled with native plants and trees?
I discuss how rainwater harvesting works, how I implemented it in my yard, and what my city is doing.
Learn more by reading my Rainwater Harvesting article which has more background info, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

bookmark
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DIY Eco Guy - Grey Water System
play

06/26/24 • 28 min

I set up a DIY “laundry to landscape” grey water system here in the desert of Tucson, AZ where there are excellent classes and city rebates for these projects. Our clothes washer’s water now goes into a rainwater basin in our backyard and helps fruit trees and native grasses thrive. It took some elbow grease, but getting a proper education before embarking on this DIY project really helped.

Learn more by reading my grey water article which has a video of my project, some pictures, helpful links, and more!

Send me a message

Support the show

I'm passionate about nature and climate change and want to help others implement projects at home and in their communities. Taking action helps alleviate anxiety and creates forward momentum, one family at a time, one home at a time.
Feel free to reach out at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky

bookmark
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share episode

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FAQ

How many episodes does DIY Eco Guy have?

DIY Eco Guy currently has 8 episodes available.

What topics does DIY Eco Guy cover?

The podcast is about Leisure, Home & Garden, How To, Environment, Climate Change, Nature, Podcasts, Education, Health and Sustainability.

What is the most popular episode on DIY Eco Guy?

The episode title 'Cool Walls, Less Air Conditioning' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on DIY Eco Guy?

The average episode length on DIY Eco Guy is 24 minutes.

How often are episodes of DIY Eco Guy released?

Episodes of DIY Eco Guy are typically released every 9 days, 3 hours.

When was the first episode of DIY Eco Guy?

The first episode of DIY Eco Guy was released on Jun 25, 2024.

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