Archive for the ‘Appliances’ Category
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Hard water is a widespread problem in the UK that affects over 60% of British homes. The term hard water simply refers to water that contains minerals. There are three possible solutions to the problem of hard water – chemical cleaners, a conventional water softening system and an electronic or magnetic descaler.
Chemical Cleaners
Various chemical cleaning products are available to deal with the problem after it occurs. Designed to dissolve the residue that hard water leaves behind, these products must be used regularly. Not only are chemical cleaners a lot of work, requiring frequent scrubbing, they also cause wastewater pollution. (more…)
Tags: Energy, Environment, Hard water, Utilities, WATER, Water Resources, Water supply
Posted in Appliances, DIY, Eco, Home, WATER | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
What’s the difference? A water softener filters out dissolved minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, while a water filter removes particulate matter and some pathogens. Water contaminants tend to be specific to certain areas; for more information, check out the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s database of regional water quality reports.
Hard Water
If you find that your water combines with soap to form a scummy grey film instead of suds, or if your water tends to leave “rings” in the tub, you may have “hard water” full of minerals. (more…)
Tags: Drinking water, Hard water, Water filter, Water softening
Posted in Appliances, Health, Scalewatcher, WATER | No Comments »
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
Ironing can be a real drag for those who are assigned to this task. When paying for a laundry service is not an option, look for ideas that can bring a positive change to the dreariness of ironing wrinkles out of clothes. The challenge is not in the skill of ironing but how to sustain a good attitude while attending to this matter.
• Make a change of scenery to create a refreshing new atmosphere by relocating the equipment needed for this chore. On warm, sunny days, iron on the patio, porch, or deck, and while sprinkling the clothes with water, keep your body hydrated with some sprinkles too.
• Tackle the equipment for a cheap facelift to keep your spirits high. Spray paint the legs of the ironing board a hot red, or a soothing blue as a quick fix for a boring board. Further enhance this piece by stripping off the old cover and smoothing on a new do with a chic new pattern and color. (more…)
Tags: DIY, Ironing, Laundry, tips, WATER
Posted in Appliances, DIY, Home, Interesting | No Comments »
Friday, January 8th, 2010
Anybody that has grown up with and become accustomed to soft water in their home will most likely never choose to go without it. However, is it really necessary to have a water softener? Absolutely necessary? No. A great idea? Definitely. And here’s why:
Hard water contains a significant amount of dissolved minerals in it. That may not seem like anything worth giving much thought to. In reality though, these minerals can be the culprits of many common issues and problems with everything ranging from the cleanliness of your bathroom to the look and feel of your clothing (more…)
Tags: Hard water, WATER, Water softening
Posted in Appliances, Home, Interesting, Scalewatcher, WATER | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Being away from home for a week or so is common during the holidays. Unfortunately, houseplants left without care may dry out, causing damage or even death. Ensure that your plants stay adequately hydrated by following these tips.
- Re-pot plants into larger, non-porous containers before leaving on holiday. The greater quantity of soil holds more moisture, allowing for less frequent watering.
- Add Soil Moist to potting soil or dirt. This synthetic polymer increases the water holding capacity of the soil by 50% or more.
- Give plants a good, deep soaking before going away. Place pots in standing water and let the water soak in until the top of the soil is moist.
- Purchase watering stakes, which automatically release water from a reservoir as the soil dries. Some require the addition of a plastic or glass bottle while others come with a decorative reservoir attached. (more…)
Tags: Agriculture, Home, house, Plant, tips, WATER
Posted in Appliances, DIY, Home, WATER | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
- Image by rbrwr via Flickr
Every house-owner at least once encountered a roof problem. Imagine this: it’s summertime, hot outside and you only wish for something to cool off. Yet, even in the sanctuary of your home it is not granted, as the sun shines upon your dark roof which absorbs all the heat… And the wisest thing to do would of course be to switch color to as light as possible. But then, after few months the winter comes and suddenly you’re glad that you didn’t go with the roof painting, as the same sun that bothered you during the summer now helps you lower your bills by increasing the temperature. Obviously, re-painting the roof every two seasons is not the best solution. And the problem remains. (more…)
Tags: Heat, heating, roof tiles, Sunlight, Temperature
Posted in Appliances, Cleaning Tips, Eco, Home, Interesting, Scalewatcher | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
The idea of earning a few pounds on your own garbage was first introduced by Georgia Tech. A small income of money is supposed to support the recycling process and its development. The secret lies in this inconspicuous, yet smart rubbish bin.
The integrated system made up of a garbage container and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), which is supposed to read information and tags from incoming waste. It is probable that the device will be sending statistics and other information about what we throw out to the nearest base, where the collected data will be calculated into an average market price of our “treasures”, minus a fee for the next bill.
It is worth mentioning that RFID radio identification system is becoming more popular each passing day. In a few years all products available in the market will have the tiny chip inserted. All necessary data about the product, its producer, suppliers, service and much more will be saved and stored in it to be available for its users at all times.
One of the components will also be a wireless connection with the local garbage collecting company. This will allow to send important information about the quality and type of our garbage, a pre-selection of sorts. The head office will know what they will be able to find in the next garbage transport way before the actual collecting. Thanks to that preparations for sorting process will be made, enabling sorting more waste of specific type. It might be bottles, paper, electronics and many more.
Some people are not optimistic, when thinking about the system. They are afraid that the RFID will be difficult to be found anywhere – there aren’t many products supported by the system sold and with help of the eco-bin we can get money only for these. And only whole, possibly undamaged. On the other hand, at some point the chip will probably food the market, pushed forcefully into everything, either we want it, or not. These skeptics are silenced easily. If you really care for the environment, you start with the small things, and RFID helps with that. The whole point of undamaged garbage is to lower the costs of recycling. All that money can go to improving and modernizing the process, thus helping cleaning Earth, at least a little. The money is the upside as well. Who wouldn’t want to get money only for taking out their trash? This might be like every small child’s dream, to be rewarded for cleaning.
Tags: dust bin, eco tips, Environment, recycling, RFID, rubbish bin, smart rubbish bin, Waste, Waste container, Waste management
Posted in Appliances, Eco, Home, Interesting | No Comments »
Monday, September 21st, 2009
- Image via Wikipedia
The convenience of a dishwasher simplifies kitchen chores, while easily sanitising crockery, pans and utensils. However, a dishwasher can begin to show signs of fading in a household with hard water. Homeowners begin to notice that crockery comes out of the wash cycle with a white build up. Glasses, which used to come out of the dishwasher clear and sparkling, are now covered in a filmy layer. Stains begin to appear on the interior from the build up of hard water minerals. Although these minerals do not pose any real health risks, they do decrease the effectiveness of the appliance and increase costs of running it.
Calcium and magnesium, the two main minerals in hard water, do not only form their deposits on dishes and the inner walls of the dishwasher. These mineral deposits also build up within the water lines and the heating elements, which affects the service life of the appliance. The accumulation of lime scale is responsible for many appliance repairs and increased household bills. Hard water also affects the amount of dishwasher detergent used for each wash cycle, requiring more detergent for a thorough clean. (more…)
Tags: Calcium, Detergent, Dishwasher, Energy, Hard water, Magnesium, Mineral, WATER
Posted in Appliances, Home, Scalewatcher, WATER | No Comments »
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
If you have hard water, scale build-up or calcium deposits, looking into an electronic water conditioner is a smart move. There are many reasons why you should consider purchasing one. (more…)
Tags: Energy, Hard water, WATER, Water heating
Posted in Appliances, Home, WATER | No Comments »
Friday, August 28th, 2009
- Image by Tym via Flickr
Doing the wash at home is a convenience that many people easily take for granted. However, even a generation ago, washing machines were not standard appliances in homes. The UK Statistics Authority showed that in 1981, only 78% homes in the UK had a washing machine. By 2008, this number increased to 96% . However, these washers prove less effective when a home has hard water. The minerals running through the laundry cycle leave deposits on clothing, while the scale can build up within appliances.
Some people might not realize that they have hard water, but laundry can show the signs. Coloured clothing dulls easily, while white clothing turns yellow or grey. Clothes feel dingy and stiff. Using liquid fabric softer might seem like an answer, but this is no substitute for water treatment. Even with a large amount of fabric softeners, the minerals in the water still run through the wash cycle, leaving deposits on clothes. (more…)
Tags: Basket, Clothing, Energy, Environment, Hard water, Laundry, laundry basket, WATER, Water treatment
Posted in Appliances, Bathroom, Home, Scalewatcher, WATER | No Comments »
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=1e4aa894-55c4-4af5-8cbf-e0b5d923524a)
