I've been a devotee of Ruth Stout since the 70's!!! Her mulching books are great fun to read. I've tried lots of types of instant beds--but now I'm older, and after 2 back surgeries--that digging just ain't a-gonna happen! I'm thinking---cover the grass with cardboard, cover that with straw (not sure whether to use books or loosen it for air flow), and shortly, when the place opens, cover it with free compost from the local pile. All the while I'll be burying green shtuff as I find it, along with my usual things I'd normally compost. I know the green is missing--but my original grass will still be there, and tho dormant, it IS still green... When it is time to plant (mostly plants, not much from seed until further into the spring) I'll open up areas if need be, dig it in, then pull the coverings back gradually as mulch. Now I need to know the flaws, problems and hitches I'm going to run into! Ideas, anybody? THRILLED to have found this thread...Thank you all for a great time reading the full thread! Paula in St. Louis

Thanks for your comments lsandler and smarge! lsandler--Sounds like the Evercold is like our stand alone water cooler (which I can't wait to get rid of)--it also is very cold but not icy cold which is fine with me. Is your unit under the sink?? If so, do you notice the noise? smarge- How did you decide on Everpure? Did someone recommend it or did you decide on your own after doing research? If you have your Everpure installed in the next couple of months, could you let me know how you like it? I would really appreciate it! I totally agree with you about the water on the fridge as a potential problem. The more bells and whistles something has-the more likely something will break! I am wondering why you expect your SZ to have problems?? My next door neighbor has had a 42" side by side now for five years and has had no problems. She loves it and it looks great. I am thinking the french door style (and I don't think SZ has one) but nothing is set in stone yet so that idea may change. Right now I am in the research mode trying to narrow down my choices before I start shopping around in person.

I don't know the history of IHW on walls. There may have once been problems. First, about wallmounted regular faucets. Old-style wallmounts are available from Chicago Faucets and others. Nothing modern looking. Almost nothing with a single-handle mixer valve. Wallmounts in general are out of favor in the US and Canada. I see them in Australian web sites. And in web sites in foreign languages. Millions of thermostatic valves are installed in showers, in the wall, but not much is available in kitchen faucets. There are more bathroom faucets available as wallmounts. I suspect (I have no proof) that manufacturers tired of the panic support phone calls they used to get from people trying to install wallmounts. They require more fussing and finetuning. Then, there is the risk when the faucet has a moveable spout, as in kitchen faucets. It pivots left and right. Some people will yank it around roughly and ultimately someone will sue because his installation leaked behind the wall and he got sick from invisible mold, and it's the fault of the faucet not his misuse of the faucet. At the very least you can be sure that there will be a lot more hassle phone calls coming in over the years. Now, with an IHW you have a heat resistant tube that needs to be shielded and it's just so much easier if this is deckmounted and the tube goes from the tank to the spout through an approved installation hole in the counter. With wall-mount you have no way to know whether or not each specific install is done right or not. And you have to show to approval-granting certification companies that you have an approved way of installing it and that this is not prone to jerryrigging. (Impossible.) Bracing wallmounts inside studs is another never-ending topic. Why take on all this responsibility, support and hassle? Who needs the hassle? Wallmounts are going to cause problems (worries) that go on forever. You get the picture. Just sell deckmount faucets like everyone else. -- i get the impression that you don't know yet about the flexible heat-resistant tubing inside the IHW spout. This tubing is available for purchase. Hint hint.

diane, you beat me to it, I was going to post a link today from Cooking Light warning about that. Fortunately, Elery's Instant Pot is not that model, but I know a lot of people here have Instant Pots of some type and should be careful, as they should with any electrical device. Elery did tell me that my CrockPot is pretty safe, that a breaker should blow before the thing burns up. SHOULD being the operative word, LOL. Of course, we had a couple of local families who blew up their houses using gas stoves, so I suppose there's a risk to everything. Annie