Programmable thermostat

[fasternu]

Hey everyone, I am looking at installing a new programmable thermostat, as I have seen the great advantages of it. But, I have an old style thermostat now that has the mercury tube in it (I also have electric baseboards in every room that also contain the mercury tubes). My question is, what do I do with the old thermostat once I take it out? I know you can't just throw them out, but don't know where to take them to get them recycled.

[BobT]

I wonder if Menard's will take it. They take CFL's so maybe they'll take the thermostat too.

Bob

[JohnMickish]

Your county/city should have a recycling department. Give them a call.

[IFallsRon]

Mine was a Honeywell. I called and received a prepaid bubblepack mailer from them and that took care of it.

[Dave]

If you or anyone you know has a permanent fish house that uses a fan on the ceiling for circulation the heat, wiring in a thermostat like that works great for having the fan go on at a set temperature. And, it doesn't take any power.

[S.D. Ice Angular]

Very Good Idea Dave,

You beat me to it.

How many do you have??

[spearchucker]

We used to play with mercury in chemistry class in HS. Now they call in the moon suit guys if you break a thermometer. Different times I guess. I think most counties have a recycling center that takes these things.

[Charley]

You should have a drop off site for hazerdous waste call the county.

[Mnwalleye39]

used to work for a landfill and seen aloof floresent tubes and murcey thermostats and we still crush and bury them,i know i will get in trouble for saying this but throw it away, the landfills has more hazerdous waste then you know, but if you want to recycle it city has the answer, and they sometimes charge to.We did asbestos and other highly hazerdous mterial all the time.

[echo2010]

used to work for a landfill and seen aloof floresent tubes and murcey thermostats and we still crush and bury them,i know i will get in trouble for saying this but throw it away, the landfills has more hazerdous waste then you know, but if you want to recycle it city has the answer, and they sometimes charge to.We did asbestos and other highly hazerdous mterial all the time.

That is scary.

[BobT]

used to work for a landfill and seen aloof floresent tubes and murcey thermostats and we still crush and bury them,i know i will get in trouble for saying this but throw it away, the landfills has more hazerdous waste then you know, but if you want to recycle it city has the answer, and they sometimes charge to.We did asbestos and other highly hazerdous mterial all the time.

I realize you set yourself up here so don't take this as directed at you personally.

It's this kind of attitude that defeats any effort toward being good stewards of our land, water, and air. Just because we've been doing something for a long time doesn't mean it is the right, best, or even a good thing to do. Once we realize that we can and should do something different because it is in the best interest of everyone, don't we owe it to ourselves to do so?

Toxic waste was once dumped in the ocean. Should we continue to do so just because we once did?

Bob

[Mnwalleye39]

might be scary but landfills are lined and there isnt anyway it can get into the ground water, or the land, [PoorWordUsage] we even put 1 million gallons of leachate(water that filters through trash,like coffee) back into the trash, its bad water but it slows down the decomposition and release methane gas slowl and there tons of mercury and asbestos, and ghly flamable gases like diesel , gasoline, and other things that are in the trash, whats scary is go take a tour of your landfill it is open to the public,I dont recyle cuz of the fact you think its really getting recylced but actually alot of it goes back to landfill.

[acman2u]

ALL LANDFILL LINERS AND LEACHATE COLLECTION SYSTEMS WILL FAIL ...

"First, even the best liner and leachate collection system will ultimately fail due to natural deterioration, and recent improvements in MSWLF containment technologies suggest that releases may be delayed by many decades at some landfills. For this reason, the Agency is concerned that while corrective action may have already been triggered at many facilities, 30 years may be insufficient to detect releases at other landfills." Source: US EPA Federal Register, Aug 30, 1988, Vol.53, No.168, (scanned document). Check-out Peter Montegue's Rachel's for list of other comments in Federal Register by EPA.

Yes, I will flame you. I do everything to recycle and will continue to, every bit counts. Example, Look at our lakes as the snow melts, lots of trash from only a few. each person thinking that their little bit is no big deal (or their mothers still pick up after them at age 40+) but as you see there is a ton of it and someone has to pay. So which person are you? Hoping or hopeless? Yes, whats done is done but no need to add to it.

[Mnwalleye39]

I disagree with you acman, first liners will not deterrate and second, recycling is the best when its done but what do yu think when the warehouse is full does it still go in the warehouse , no gets thrown away, to much of something needs to go somewhere, wanna guess where?

we made a new cell last yr, this is how we did it, first put in 20-30 ft of blue clay water cant penetrate it then 3 ft of class 5 then the liner.liner i think is 1/2 inch thick. and yes they have leak detection on the whole land. but i do not recycle cuz i just dont, now you want to go green thats a waste of time the damage is done, our lakes are just fine, not caused by landfills or non recyling, its caused by lazy peple who cant throw away thier trash.and farmers bac in the 1900's- today still bury all thier trsh for them selves wich is illegal but its still done. how do you intend to fix all these problems,you cant so like the indian said be nice and throw it away.

[Mnwalleye39]

I am for recycling but to be honest this is a waste of time as much as i seen recycling material at a landfill, they have over 1200 tons of glass up on a hill, wich you recycled we got them in by end dumps, second plastics we just bury the bales,then theres the shredded newspaper or non shredded,then still come to the landfill,

If recycvling is so important, when you goto the grocier store plastic or paper?not many stores offer paper just alot of plastic bags i mean tons it, they dont even recycle and they are billion dollar operations

[Mnwalleye39]

but i give recycle all you like, i just know i do what i do you do what you do, federal only has a limit people can make change, but when damage is done its done.