DIY Eco Guy

Chris Graber

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I am Chris Graber, BSME based near Olympia, WA (previously Tucson, AZ), thinking about nature and fun projects that help transform our world. This podcast covers (relatively) simple DIY solutions to major sustainability and climate change issues. And other fun stuff!

Apr 16

Grey Water System

I set up a DIY “laundry to landscape” grey water system 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! 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

28 min
Apr 16

DIY Portable Air Filter

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 DIY Portable Air Filter article which has a video of my project, some pictures, helpful links, and more! 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

24 min
Apr 16

Finding a Used Electric Car + Tax Credit

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! 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

32 min
Apr 16

Cool Walls, Less Air Conditioning

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! 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

32 min
Apr 16

One Solution For Our Plastic Problems

In Tucson, AZ ByFusion (https://www.byfusion.com/) 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! 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

18 min
Apr 16

Portable Electric Induction Cooktops, a Natural Gas Alternative

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 at diyecoguy.com which has more background info, helpful links, and more! 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

18 min
Apr 16

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is the use of rain for things like watering plants and trees in your yard (in “rain gardens“), instead of letting it run off. Sometimes the best things in life are free. This is an ancient, inexpensive, and effective sustainability practice that is used around the world. It’s brilliance is in its simplicity. Nature and gravity do all the work. Rainwater harvesting is well known in drylands such as the desert in Tucson, AZ where I lived, but can be very helpful in many regions. Areas with heavy rainfall and flooding may benefit as well. You may have heard of “xeriscape” and “drip irrigation”, but this takes things one step further. Read the Rainwater Harvesting article on my website diyecoguy.com to learn more. 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

29 min
Apr 16

Introduction

Welcome to the DIY Eco Guy podcast. I discuss why this podcast was created and what topics I'll delve into. More info at diyecoguy.com. 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 chris@diyecoguy.com with any questions, comments, or ideas for future projects. Follow me @diyecoguy on YouTube and BlueSky.

10 min

8 Episodes

I am Chris Graber, BSME based near Olympia, WA (previously Tucson, AZ), thinking about nature and fun projects that help transform our world. This podcast covers (relatively) simple DIY solutions to major sustainability and climate change issues. And other fun stuff!

Creator

Chris Graber
Years Active

2K
Episodes

8
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Chris Graber 2026
Show Website

DIY Eco Guy