It is a terrible shame to waste anything unnecessarily – especially when what you are wasting is something of vital importance to all aspects of life on this planet, water. One way you can slash the amount of water wasted in your home life is to construct a few simple changes to how you do your laundry.
A great thought, if you can afford it, is to invest in a new and more efficient washing machine, but that isn’t always an option for those who are struggling financially or simply don’t have that kind of money immediately available (although the machine would practically pay for itself in the long run in terms of savings on your utility bills). There are calm plenty of ways you can conserve water and cleave the amount wasted – and they won’t cost you a dime!
If you have a dehumidifier which collects water in a receptacle, instead of emptying the water down the drain or outside, pour it into your washing machine. Your machine will fill faster and use less water to do so if you add to it from an already existing supply which would otherwise be wasted anyway. A typical dehumidifier collects much more water than you need for your household plants, so even if you already expend the water for that, there should still be plenty left to add to your washer’s fill cycle.
Do you have leaky faucets in your house? You’d be surprised to discover just how much water you can collect, descend by drop, if you put a receptacle like a bucket or bowl underneath it. Instead of honest letting those precious drops roll down the drain, save them and use them! Even a slowly dripping faucet can collect two or more buckets a day of water that can be added to your wash!
Don’t forget the water that is freely given to us from the sky! Rain water is perfect for a washer’s gain cycle, and it is absolutely free! In addition to buckets and pails, there are also special systems for harvesting rain water you can situation up, not only for use in your laundry, but you can also add a filtration system and connect the whole thing to your home for all your water needs – even drinking!
Now that you know some additional sources for water to bear your washing machine, there are a few other ways you can maximize your laundry water conservation. Use the water level settings on your machine appropriately (you don’t need to fill the entire machine to wash half a load of laundry). Make sure you wash as many items at once as you can. Only wash things which are actually dirty – a lot of things you’ve only worn once can actually be worn one or two times more before they truly need to be laundered – when you take off your clothes and they are still relatively clean, fold or hang them nicely and put them someplace where they will stay nice until you want to wear them again instead of just sticking them in the hamper. You can even hold your previously worn but not quite dirty clothes for a tumble in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet to freshen them up, but in the interest of conservation, I recommend you wait until you have a nice sized pile of clean previously worn clothes gathered together so you can do them all at once.
By utilizing some easy and painless changes, not only can you save water and possibly money, you will also feel pleasant because you’ll know that you are doing something positive towards conserving our planet’s most precious resource.
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Filed under Ge Whole House Water Filters by on Dec 17th, 2011. 
Guppies may be small, but they are extremely colorful. The guppy would/could add the perfect touch to any freshwater aquarium. Guppies also advance in so many different types, and they’re all compatible with each other.
Guppies are vulgar maintenance, which means they don’t require a lot of your time. The average guppy stays around 3” long. They don’t require anything specific in their water, unless they are ill, and they don’t need a big tank.
Tank size:
A guppy only requires a 10 gallon aquarium to house about 20 guppies. It doesn’t matter whether or not the tank is long, high, short, fat, circle, square, they don’t care.
Colors of the guppy:
Yellow, blue, unlit, red, white, gold, green, orange, pink, purple, silver, and so many more, and guppies are usually more then just one solid color. Guppies are very comely when you get a whole bunch of them and their all swimming and blending their colors.
Water conditions:
Like I said before, the guppy doesn’t require specific things for their water unless they are sick. They do require special temperatures which are usually around 65-75 degrees F. The water in a guppy tank must be spring water no saltwater or anything.
Average life span for a guppy:
Guppies will live anywhere from 2-5 years of age, but you must take care of them the best you possibly can.
Special requirements for a guppy tank:
All you need for a guppy tank is: about a 10 gallon aquarium for every 15-20 guppies, a couple plants to conceal behind, a couple caves to hide in, a filtration system, air pump, and gravel. You can always add whatever you would like in your tank, but these just give you a little idea of the small requirements for your guppy(ies).
pH for a guppy tank:
The pH in your guppy’s tank should be 7 to 8.5. if you have a tiny fluctuation in the pH level, it probably won’t harm your guppy, as long as it’s not too bad and you obtain it fixed rather quick.
Tank mates:
It’s best to keep their tank mates around the same size as your guppies, and try to keep their temperaments the same too. Here’s a couple possible tank mate for the guppy: neon tetras, cardinal tetras, small catfish, small goldfish, dino fish, and others in these categories.
That’s pretty much all the general information that there is for a guppy. The bottom line is, they’re very peaceful fish, easy to care for, and they don’t require a lot.
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Filed under Ge Whole House Water Filters by on Nov 15th, 2011.
More money is wasted in homes by itsy-bitsy things that require a dinky maintenance than the big things because you fix the big things that you notice and ignore the little ones.
Heating and cooling in your home can legend for up to 70 percent of the energy used in your household. That is 70 percent of your bills going into heating and air-conditioning. Even adding a little insulation can add to the savings.
The first inch of insulation accounts for most of the energy savings. Added insulation increases this savings but that first inch is a must. If there are areas that have missing or no insulation this should be addressed quickly.
The first step in this can be done easily. Walk around with a flashlight and check out every area of your home. Look around at anything that could possibly lead to the outside. Doors, windows, vents, pipes and such that go from the inside wall to the outside. Now behold around them and examine if you can see to the outside, or feel air blowing in or out.
Around these places are one of the biggest loses of heat and AC. Even places like light switches on outside walls and outlets can have air flowing into your house or out. You can win caulk, fiberglass insulation and great stuff spray insulation to stuff those cracks and holes. There are small foam insulations that can be added to your wall switch and outlet cover to reduce loss at the plates.
Check places outside like the vents on the roof and the pipes for the plumbing that are for venting. They can have cracks and gaps around them that let air in and out. Also check around the stairs into the attic or the panel for the attic access. Ensure that air is not moving in and out there. If it is recall some foam tape that is sticky on one side and install where the panel or stairs close to prevent air flow.
That is the whole point, stopping air from flowing in the places you don’t want it to. Along the frames of windows and doors, anywhere around a fireplace, vent, pipes, and electrical cables running into or out of the house.
Plug these gaps and holes with something. If it’s on the outside and could get rain on it, use a caulk. If it’s inside and hard to get at, you can use a foam spray like Great Stuff. For odd sizes and larger areas use pieces of fiberglass insulation and duct tape.
Outside, if you own or rent a mobile home, make positive the roof is not in need of repair. The vents and such have a black sealer that can leak water and heat from.
Also if you have a skirting that does not have insulation tedious it peruse into buying some. A one inch foam board added late the skirting will help sustain the trailer warn and frigid in the appropriate times of the year and will help prevent pipes under the trailer form freezing in the winter.
You can rob insulation board and glue it to the relieve of the skirting pieces. This will save greatly on heating and cooling.
On houses with vinyl siding make definite there are no gaps near the cables and such and odd places the siding had to be fitted on the house. Around windows and doors, near the entrance of the electric lines and telephone and cable TV wires.
On the doors and windows make sure the seal and rubber sweeps are in helpful shape. Replace them if they are worn. A seal around the door frame that contacts the door when it is closed is a must. Sweeps need to be in contact with the frame bottom when the door is closed.
The exiguous seal along the bottom of the storm windows need to be in good shape, not cracking or splitting. When the storm window is closed it should be in contact with the bottom. And there is a seal between the two storm windows in the middle of the window that closes the air from the outer and the inner window. Make clear it is in good shape.
Once you have all the house sealed up, try looking at the two devices that heat and cool your home. The furnace and air conditioner have filters on them, clean them or replace. Open the covers on both and vacuum out accumulated dust and anything else in there.
Get rocks and leaves out from the fan unit of the air conditioner that sits outside. If the unit is outside with a cover and you need to go in and pull leaves and debris out, turn off the power to the unit to ensure it does not come on when you are poking around inside. Remove any debris, put the cover back on, and turn it back on.
A cover for the outside portion of the air conditioner, the condenser and fan unit, is a good purchase to keep things out of it during the winter months when not using the AC.
Hold the furnace filter replaced every four to six months. If this becomes expensive, home improvement stores have a washable filter material that you cleave to size for most furnaces.
Some other tips for energy savings, fix any leaky faucets you have. A leaky faucet that fills a coffee cup in ten minutes can be wasting 3000 gallons of water in a year. That’s a lot of water you don’t have to pay for if you unprejudiced fix the leak.
Faucet repair kits are cheap at the home improvement store and it usually takes impartial a few tools to fix. A few minutes of your time and you’ll be saving money in no time.
Take a look at your basement, do you have a sump pump that runs a lot, does it get it’s water from your basement. Try fixing the leaky walls and floor with some waterproofing barrier cement and paint. This will stop the water before it comes into your basement.
An energy saving device that is easy to install and utilize is an electronic thermostat for your furnace. Even if you have an outmoded furnace that uses one of those old round thermostats you can replace it with a new one that works more efficiently.
They can be programmed to heat and cool at distinct times of the day and night, weekday and weekend. If your not home during the day all week long you can set the thermostat to utilize less heating and cooling at these times. Then set it for what you want an hour before you derive home and it will be just true when you walk in the door.
You can purchase one at a home improvement store or Wal-Mart type store. Ask for help and have the make and model number of your furnace for help in picking out the correct kind and type.
Things as small as window blinds or drapes on windows that accumulate a lot of sun in the day during the summer can reduce heat inside the home. Employ ones that block the sun more, and you will be feeling the savings in your pocket book.
It doesn’t matter whether you own or rent your home, the savings to the energy bill will be yours. Just get permission before doing any work on a house you rent. Landlords may not want to do the work or pay for any, but you can positive do it and save money.
He will appreciate the job and it may help get more benefits in the future such as he may pay for some materials or pick up them for you. He will also remember things like this when it comes time to travel and you want to get your deposit attend.
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Filed under Whole House Replacement Water Filters by on Aug 22nd, 2011.
With the high cost of oil, drilling in Alaska is constantly a topic for discussion. Democrats don’t want drilling to occur there because of the fragile environment and possible contamination. Republicans do want to drill there because they promise it will cause prices to go down. A short term pick up for a long term problem. This is just one example of environmental protection where Republicans claim that by saving or protecting the environment, that jobs will be lost.
I guess they never heard that necessity is the mother of invention. This energy crisis is spawning so many start-up businesses, laboratories, think tanks, energy companies, and other businesses that in the long run we’ll have more jobs than ever. They might not pay quite as much as those fat oil barons originate, but they are still superb paying jobs none-the-less. The search for alternative energy sources is creating new businesses around the world. There are hundreds of unique businesses just producing photovoltaic arrays to harness solar energy. This industry alone has businesses that experiment in new materials in which to create solar cells, businesses that mine the raw elements such as silicon needed for solar cells, businesses that acquire the equipment, businesses that install the equipment, and other businesses that service the equipment. There are also specialists that design solar equipment to be aesthetically pleasing, architecturally consistent with its surroundings, and arranged to capture the most solar rays. Solar energy is becoming more efficient and cheaper and is destined to become a major energy source for homes and businesses. Though solar energy has not yet been proven viable for powering vehicles this is certainly another area with endless opportunities for researchers and manufacturers.
There are hundreds more businesses that specialize in manufacturing and selling tools and equipment used for environmental protection. For example, laws regulate how much particulate matter is allowed to be emitted from a smoke stack. In order to meet regulations, such busineses usually install scrubbers, filters, and other equipment. Dozens of businesses specialize in this type of equipment. Some businesses generate liquid and solid wastes as a byproduct of a manufacturing process. There are dozens more businesses that specialize in environmentally correct containers that allow reliable disposal of such wastes without polluting the local environment and without allowing such wastes to seep into the groundwater from a landfill. Workers have to be protected from being exposed to harmful chemicals while working. There are many businesses that specialize in personal protective equipment such as particle masks, respirators, fireproof clothing, steel-toed shoes, metal gloves, contamination suits, and other clothing designed to protect people from exposure. Whole new lines of energy efficient appliances are being sold now and earn, develop, sale, and repair of these items has created even more jobs (though we all know some of the manufacturing jobs are not in this country, unfortunately).
Then there is the business of recycling. Many will argue that this costs more money than it saves because you either have to transport your recyclables some location, costing you gas, or pay a service to pick them up from your house. This may be apt, but really this is a small expense. (It happens to be free in our community.) And its only the tip of the iceburg. Standard recycling centers that handle paper, glass, aluminum, and scrap metal are providing jobs for people so those recyclers are providing a valuable service. Second the space saved in landfills saves city and county taxpayers money from not paying additional taxes for digging new disposal grounds. Third, recycling raw materials saves money in the production of those materials, especially aluminum. Estimates say that about 70% of aluminum in this country is recycled. Manufacturing aluminum from raw ore takes huge amounts of electricity. Remelting conventional cans only takes a small amount. This saves businesses that use aluminum for their products huge amounts of money, which keeps the impress of those products to consumers lower. Recycling carboard and other paper has the same effect. Paper products are remanufactured for new paper products, saving the cost of cutting down trees and maintaining more tree farms. And their are many recycling related spin-off businesses. New businesses specialize in recycling a particular type of material into new products. In particular there are businesses that recycle things such as used motor oil, metal from circuit boards, mercury from batteries, and other materials and make them into current products that consumers can use. Landfill space is saved, dangerous toxins are not released into the environment, jobs are created, and consumers have more buying choices. Other businesses exist whose sole purpose is to shred documents, both for protection from identity theft but also to save landfill space.
Another side benefit that people forget about is ecotourism. Oil companies keep looking at certain areas in Utah for drilling for crude or to extract shale oil (fuel squeezed from compression of rock formations). The quandary is that many of the desirable sites are in the middle of Utah’s beautiful red rock country. Drilling in these areas would result in ecological destruction of a precious resource that can never been recovered. This landscape is so unique that it needs to be preserved not only for the flora and fauna but for future generations of visitors. Preserving these areas for visitors creates a big tourism industry that can easily replace any jobs that would have been gained by erecting some oil rigs. Again, some of these jobs are not as well paying as what the oil industry might pay. But there are still dozens of spin-off businesses that can be fed by a well organized tourism campaign. Outfitters can guide tourists in the back country. Other tour guides can take people rafting in such areas as the Green River. Hotels, motels, gas stations, restaurants, gift shops, Native American crafts, grocery stores, and other local attractions all abet from tourists. And depending on who is managing the protected land, such as the Bureau of Land Management, Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Serivce, U.S. National Park Service, or a local or state entity, other jobs are created by these organizations to maintain roads and signs, enforce laws, maintain offices, interface with the public, generate informational materials, develop nature tours and talks, etc. Since these are government jobs they will pay well.
And let us not forget the hundreds of consultant firms that have sprung up that lend their expertise in studying environmental impacts. Industrial Hygienists tell us how to protect ourselves in the work place. Environmental Protection specialists show us how to avoid releasing toxins into the air, water, and ground. Hazmat and Radcon specialists show us how to protect ourselves and the environment from hazardous chemical spills and what to do if we were exposed. Other professionals specialize in the health arena, studying long term effects of people who may been exposed to substances such as asbestos and beryllium. Engineering consultants help design equipment and buildings so your manufacturing process doesn’t harm the environment from the very moment you turn on the switch. Other businesses specialize in assisting a business or a whole city in developing waste management plans to dispose of their raze safely. There are other businesses that specialize in cleaning up a demolish problem that has already occurred. For example, past mining practices have polluted groundwater and destroyed habitat; companies specialize in cleaning up these areas and restoring the landscape as close to its natural state as possible.
I could go on and on with examples where environmental consciousness has spawned new opportunities. It’s time to recede forward with renewable energy, worker protection, proper disposal, groundwater protection, habitat protection, resource conservation, and environmental reclamation. The future is ours.
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Filed under Whole House Replacement Water Filters by on Aug 11th, 2011.
With the economy facing its worse outlook in decades and the cost of living going up across the USA, the time to ogle another way of living is becoming more and more apparent. For most American, they can see no other way but for others with vision the solutions are easy to see.
Become self sufficient is something that most Americans did by nature before the 20th century with most of society being more rural, independent, and farm based. With the building up of the big city in the 20th century, people more and more began to leave the country and settle into this more crowded and cramped city life. The city life had much to offer or so was promised. In the big cities there is always something to do. It offered entertainment, schools, grocery stores, banks, and transportation. The only thing missing in all this was ones ability to be truly independent.
So is it possible to become self sustainable once again this time while living in the city? If you’re living in an apartment or condo your options are not as good as someone who owns a single stand alone house. But there are steps that everybody can take to reduce there dependence on a system, and increase there self sustainability.
The following are some ways you can start doing this today.
1 – Open a garden. Again this is something that will be much more fruitful if you have a single house with some land. But apartment dwellers should not totally disregard this idea. Growing edible plants on a window still is possible and while you’re not going to be able to grow your whole food supply this can certainly help to supplement it. And if anything help to give you the experience of growing things. If you’ve got a single house then you want to utilize all the space around your house and start your garden. There are places online where you can purchase enclosed heated greenhouses which can grow plants year round in any climate.
2 – If you can’t start a garden consider purchasing storable foods. Storable foods are a great way to acquire preparedness in any economy. If you your own food then you won’t have to stand in a bread line. There are many companies that offer anywhere from a 3 month to a 1 year supply of storable food. This can be stored for years and saved for an emergency situation. Make sure to compare prices and quality of food before purchasing, but in most cases you can save hundreds even thousands of dollars a year buying in bulk.
3 – Purchase solar panels. Investing in solar panels is a great way to sever your heating and electric bills and increase your self sustainability. With prices on solar panels coming down this is a grand time to consider changing. Most can’t afford to change there whole house electricity over to solar in one step, so the plan is to start a system and increase it regular over time by adding additional solar panels. There are also solar hot water heaters that you can retract. Another benefit of going solar is that you may be able to take the expense of buying solar panels off on your taxes. Also you can, in most cases, sell back unused energy generated by your solar system to your local electricity provider.
4 – Get out of debt, don’t create recent debt, and help close family to get out of debt. “The borrower is slave to the lender” one holy book says and rightfully so. It’s impossible to be truly free if you are in debt to anyone. So the object is to collect out of debt as fast and stay that way.
5 – Fix and repair things instead of purchasing new. Most things you buy in the store today are not designed to last a long time. Some would say on purpose to keep you in the buying loop. So sometimes you may have to pay a little more to save a lot more in the long run. By spending a runt more on higher quality items you can put in the long run as these usually last longer. Learn how to repair things such as furniture and clothing as opposed to purchasing new.
6 – Take advantage of new technology. Today there are many new inventions available to the general public to befriend you be more self sustainable. One of the most entertaining is the Water from Air units. These are basically portable units that produce water out of the moisture of the air. They also contain filters to make distinct water is at optimal pureness.
7 – Fetch to know your neighbors. Building relationships with your neighbors and finding out about there skills and hobbies you can catch in the ancient art of bartering. If you are a good handy man and your neighbor is a mechanic you can exchange services without paying a dime.
8 – Downsize your lifestyle. “It’s the little things in life that matters”. “The best things in life are free.” These are sayings that can help to sum up this point. Do you really need the latest and greatest vehicle, or can a reliable late model do the same. Do you really need to upgrade to the latest TV or is your old 25″ good enough. These are all questions that you must answer on your own about your life.
9 – Try to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The better you capture care of yourself now, the less health issues you will have later and consequently the lower your medical bills will be. As the saying goes “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”. The only part that saying is leaving out is that it will also help to keep the medical bills away as well.
10 – Go back to the country. Living in rural communities is probably the only way to become totally self sufficient today. Doing so drastically reduces expenses as most of the responsibility for your hold life will be handled by you. As previously mentioned that are lots and lots of new technology today that can make this remarkable simpler than in the past. From whole house solar panel systems to using wind mills for power, the possibilities are limited only to your ability to research and refine them to your own lifestyle. Starting a small farm to feed yourself and barter with your neighbors is much easier to do in the country as land and resources are abundantly available at a much cheaper cost than suburban and urban areas.
There are also grants that you can get from the government that can help you to start or upgrade your small family farm. The first move is to learn as distinguished about these programs. Also if you’ve never lived in the country, try to rep a friend or family member who lives or knows someone who lives in the country and ask if you can cease with them for a weekend to gape how you like living away from it. For most people the country life can almost automatically gash stress and bring about a peacefulness that is hard to pick up in the city with the constant noise and pollution.
You only live once. If you can’t invest the time in effort necessary to change your life for the better than no one else will. By following some or all of these ideas you will prosper in life under any economic situation.
Souces:
Surviving an economic recession – Survival tips
http://www.gatherlittlebylittle.com/2009/02/surviving-economic-recession/
The Treasures of Simple Living
http://www.innerexplorations.com/catsimple/2.htm
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Filed under Whole House Replacement Water Filters by on May 23rd, 2011.