Category: Saving Water

If your appliance has a plug, then it is possible to connect it to a portable generator, so long as the generator supplies enough power to power it. You can even plug in several appliances simultaneously, but collectively, they shouldn’t pull more power than the generator can supply. If they do, the appliances will likely do poorly, and you may damage the generator. In addition, the power cords can overheat and start a fire.

Generator Operation

A generator works much like the alternator in your car. A motor that burns a fuel like gasoline or propane spins a rotor wound with a running coil, along with the movement of the coil inside a magnetic field provided by permanent magnets induces an electric current in the coil. Manufacturers design the number of turns in the coil and its period of rotation to supply either 120- or 240-volt power with a frequency of 60 Hz, that is the same power available from conventional receptacles in almost any commercial or residential construction. This electricity is available at one or more receptacles attached to the generator casing. Some generators supply both 120 and 240 volts in distinct outlets.

Generator Rating

The size and efficiency of the engine determines the amount of electricity, measured in watts, so a given generator supplies, and the generator will run any appliance that has a power pull less than its own score. You’ll locate the power pull of an appliance clearly marked on a tag on its casing, usually near the point at which the power cord connects. Adding the power ratings of the appliances that you would like to work with should produce a number smaller than the generator rating. If the number is greater, you can still plug them in as long as you don’t use them in precisely the same time.

Plan for Power Surges

Some appliances, like refrigerators, air conditioners and pumps, draw more power when they start up, and also this power surge can overload a generator. To avoid this, you should double the typical wattage rating for large appliances with motors when deciding the sized generator you want to run them. As an instance, you will need a 5,000-watt generator to run an 800-watt refrigerator along with a 1,500-watt well pump in precisely the same time, despite the fact that they use less than 3,000 watts when running. If the generator is undersized, start-up surges can overload and damage it, and the appliances won’t operate correctly.

Safe Practices

It is better to plug appliances directly to your generator than it is to use extension cords. Cords can overheat and get in the way, and the voltage at the end of a very long cord is less than the voltage at the generator plug. That voltage drop can affect the operation of the appliance you are using. Additionally, because generators have fuel-powered engines and emit toxic fumes, they require proper ventilation; you should never work one at an enclosed area. Finally, remember to ground your generator, then following the instructions in the manual that comes with it. Failure to do so can result in injury.

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When it comes to increasing your home’s appraisal value, your selection of remodeling jobs ranges from weekend DIY jobs to major overhauls. While no one project acts as a magical ticket — the sum of additional value ranges significantly dependent on the project, quality of work, preferences of your buyers and several market conditions — many property professionals concur that certain jobs add value to your house nearly universally.

Cosmetic Projects

In 2011, Prudential Locations LLC recorded repairing damaged flooring and painting walls as the best renovation projects for increasing home value, estimating an average price of $700 to $750 per project and returns that range from 200 to 250 percent. In an MSN Real Estate article, Timothy Dahl of the Charles and Hudson bureau recommends painting or refinishing your kitchen cabinets and refitting them with brand new hardware to make the most of your appraisal. Dahl predicts the kitchen “the main room in the house to get right.”

Utility Boosters

Rather than adding cosmetic appeal, some appraisal-boosting house renovation projects concentrate on improving utilitarian aspects of the house. Prudential reports a new roof offers an average yield of over 60 percent of the investment — even more with the addition of a skylight — while replacing doors and windows often generates about a 55 percent yield. The National Association of Realtors recommends repairing all the home’s lighting fixtures, electrical elements and pipes for a potential return on investment ranging from about 300 to 400 percent.

Going Green

Based on Old House Web and The Appraisal Journal, energy efficiency — that is both in trend and great for the environment — equals large returns for appraisal value and house equity. Examples of effective, appraisal-boosting “greening” projects include the setup of energy-efficient appliances, eco-friendly insulation, energy-efficient windows and the addition of solar panels. If you wish to take your green renovations outdoors, the NAR advises renovated landscaping — especially mulching along with the addition of plants for maximum curb appeal — for returns of about 215 percent.

Additional Projects

Prudential also lists toilet renovations and new siding as appraisal boosters, citing yield percentages in the upper 60s. Although they may cost thousands of dollars, complete kitchen renovations can result in returns of 70 to 80 percent, according to the same source. For a virtually cost-free project, simply deep clean and declutter your house prior to the appraiser arrives to add thousands of dollars into your home’s sale price. Talking to MSN Real Estate, Brian Trow of Foundations Investment Group notes that this simple project gives the illusion of space, an integral factor for appraisers who place maximum value on square footage.

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The Stihl FS55R is a lightweight, string trimmer for cutting grass and weeds down and along yard edges. This 10.6-pound machine may be equipped either with nylon trimming or a metal trimming blade. Its fuel tank retains 11.2 fluid ounces, which equals one-third of a liter. The 1.66-cubic-inch engine demands a 50:1 mixture of gasoline to oil, based on Stihl.

Fuel Mix

To make fuel to the FS55R string trimmer, combine 2.6 U.S. fluid ounces of high quality, two-cycle, air-cooled motor oil in 1 U.S. gallon of midgrade unleaded gasoline. Shake well before persuading. The gas should get an octane rating of at least 89, with more than 10 percent ethanol.

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Sustainable design, technological and construction practices produce buildings with a positive effect on the greater environment by using practices that decrease the negative facets of new structure. Techniques and criteria for all types of construction and retrofitting of existing buildings assist the development community in their attempts to minimize the short- and long-term impact of buildings on the environment, including human health. Many of the criteria have been developed from the U.S. Green Building Council and their LEED program, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designations for residential and commercial buildings.

Site Design

The site design is the first step in making certain that a building can be sustainable. The architects and engineers use modeling techniques to position the building to take advantage of sun and prevailing winds. The site design includes efficient use of the property for parking, for the building, and leaving open space to make a natural environment for the building’s occupants and visitors.

Energy and water Conservation

Among the most essential aspects of a sustainable commercial building is its use of materials and designs that contribute to water and energy conservation. The engineers and designers supporting the sustainable buildings take advantage of low flow plumbing fixtures, utilize landscapes that do not require a great deal of water, and if the building is big enough, recycle the grey water. The architects of sustainable buildings position the building on the site in order to take advantage of passive solar heating and cooling methods, to cool the building in the summer and apply sunlight in the winter to warm it. Sustainable buildings can use solar panels to generate some of the energy used within the buildings. They also utilize state-of-the-art heating and cooling equipment (HVAC), which is frequently the most costly recurring cost for commercial properties. The design team uses computers to track the HVAC system to make sure that it’s running at 100 percent efficiency. They use sophisticated modeling methods to make sure that the HVAC distributes the conditioned atmosphere evenly, so there are no hot spots or cold spots. The buildings also utilize natural daylight as much as possible and LED and CFL light to conserve energy.

Structure Materials

When buildings are defined as sustainable, they have an obligation to utilize materials that have a minimal impact on the environment and landfills. The wood that’s used in these buildings is often certified timber, which means it comes from a forest in which environmental practices lead to the health and long-term productivity of their property. These forests use responsible harvesting methods that do not ruin habitats, utilize clear-cutting techniques or lead to slope erosion. The sustainable commercial buildings utilize surface floors from renewable resources that can be replaced quickly, like bamboo products for floors. Designers may look for local substances that do not need long transport, plus they look at methods to reuse all of the trimmed leftovers out of the components used to construct the building.

Indoor Air Quality

Sustainable buildings highlight using products that do not have dangerous off-gases from the paint or floors in the building. The contractors use products that are low in volatile organic solvents (VOCs), which decrease indoor contamination significantly. Once assembled, the building may use cleaning products that do not include harmful or hazardous chemicals that leave physical residues or VOCs. They work with interior designers to select furniture and fixtures that do not emit VOCs, completing the aim of having an environmentally sustainable and safe environment for all of the building’s occupants.

Sustainable Design Components

Besides using environmentally aware construction methods and materials, a sustainable building has design elements that lead to ecological health. The building may have a secure place for bicycle storage and showers so the occupants can bike to work. They can design parking lots for quick ingress and egress, cutting down to the fuel that’s burned while waiting to leave the area. Architects can assemble places to easily recycle the products utilized in the building, cutting back on the waste buildings generate. They might utilize chutes on each floor that require the newspaper, glass, aluminum and plastic into a central recycling storage space.

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Air conditioning vents typically share the same ducts as those employed for your furnace or heating system in the house. Called the heat, ventilation and air conditioning system, or HVAC, the number of ducts or ports per room relies on several variables that comprises the house’s size, airflow needed and the windows in the house.

AC Registers per Room

Under fundamental guidelines, HVAC experts recommend a minumum of one AC register or duct each room. But number this isn’t set in stone, as some contractors may prefer more than one register for better airflow. The general size of the home, the size of the room and the numbers of window in the room all play a role in shaping the size of the general air conditioning unit and the number of seeks to get a room. As an example, one AC duct in a bedroom may be decent, but in the fantastic room or living room area, the room’s size alone may call for more than one register.

Air Changes

HVAC contractors perform a number of calculations to engineer a room’s airflow during the air conditioning or heating system. Contractors use a formula to find out how many times air enters a room within an hour during the HVAC system, measured in cubic feet per second multiplied by 60 to translate it into cubic feet per hour. This helps them to properly balance the airflow to your room with the suitable duct and register size to your house and AC unit. Employing the conventional airflow change table, a bedroom must alter its airflow five to six times each hour, even though a bathroom typically takes six to seven shifts per hour.

Cold Air Returns

When you shut the door into a bedroom while the air conditioning is on, it can pressurize the room and not allow good airflow. While the cold air comes out of the AC register, it moves through the house to re-enter the machine through a large filtered port known as the cold atmosphere, typically situated in a hall or near the massive ducting. The amount of cold air returns in the house is contingent on the AC unit size, duct work size and the general size of the house. Clean cold air return filters twice annually, once before using the heat system and once before using the cooling system seasonally.

Improved Efficiency

For the very best airflow in a house, do not shut bedroom doors or close down ports when the machine is in use. This restricts and pressurizes the system and shifts its general efficiency, which makes it work harder especially in rooms where the cold air returns are. Keep doors open between rooms so the air can move throughout the home effortlessly, since the cold air sends pull the air from the home to heat or cool it prior to sending it back through the system.

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