It seems almost like a monthly occurrence; the water bills come out and someone asks something along the lines of – why did mine jump up so high? Do I have a leak? Did the water main break have something to do with it? Is my meter bad? Did anyone else’s inexplicably double or triple? […]
Tuesday Tip: Adjusting Hot Water Temp. for Showers & Baths
Ever noticed that the water coming from the shower seems to be so much hotter during the summer as compared to the winter? Tired of the kids taking super hot showers and using up all the hot water? Sorry we can’t help you on the time aspect (that’s your battle though they do have timers for showers…), but […]
My Take: Water – Energy Efficiency, Codes & Plans
Whew, finally I got some time to play catch up on stuff around the house, emails, and shoot maybe I might even be able to get an article done. While I had a few topics I was thinking about, one item popped up as I was going through my emails & left me shaking my head […]
#KBTribeChat: Saving Water – a precious resource
Every Wednesday at 2PM ET, I try my best to catch #KBTribeChat on Twitter where many of the industries best & brightest designers, manufacturers & contractors get together and take on a topic. This weeks is “Saving Water – a precious resource.” Unfortunately I will be missing this weeks chat, but as I feel this is such an important […]
FAQ: How quickly will my water heater…
I just drained my tank, how long will it take to heat up? How much hot water can I expect with my shower running? Will I have enough hot water with three teenage girls… These are just a few questions that revolve around just how well a water heater will actually perform based on your needs. In order […]
FAQ: Should I insulate my Water Heater?
So there you are walking through your favorite home improvement store and there is an insulation blanket or kit for water heaters. Hmm, does that really work? Maybe you pull your smartphone out & it brings you to a piece like this one from EPA’s Earth Month where it states “Improve your water heater’s insulation by wrapping […]
Fix a Leak with the WaterSense Program
This week happens to be the EPA’s 5th annual “Fix a Leak” week which we have covered before. Instead of focusing on unintentional water leaks this year we wanted to focus on one of the biggest intentional ones & that is your hot water faucets & showers. Ironically most people don’t realize how much they […]
Going Off-Grid in the 21st Century – Putting the Pieces Together: Water
For many the most dependable thing in the world is turning the tap on & hearing the water splashing out. Ahhh the confusion & downright panic that sets in when you turn it on & get…. Nothing?!? While I can handle the toilet being unable to flush, not having my coffee or shower… Fortunately, for […]
Going Off Grid in the 21st Century: Water Filtration
Lately in our going off the grid series we have been focusing on water where we have covered everything from pumping & storing the water, to rain water harvesting & we even looked into greywater systems. This has brought us to one of the most important points we need to remember and that is that […]
Going Off Grid in the 21st Century: Rain Water Storage Tanks
In our last few articles, we have covered all the aspects from harvesting the rain water to pre filtering it and delivering it to the tank. This leads us to another important aspect which is where are we going to store it? Is one tank better than another, what are the options, should I just […]