How to Get Started with Your Own Home Solar Electric System

Step number one in getting started with any solar power setup in your home is to perform an energy audit. This is where you evaluate the amount of power (in kilowatts/hour or kilowatt hours) that you’ll need in any given day.

You will also need to take into account the site where your home is located. Geographical considerations such as climate, number of peak hours of sunlight per day, number of days of peak sunlight per year, and average rainfall will play a big role in how efficient a solar system you can design.

Any solar electric system will need, at the very least, the following components: a collector (usually solar panels); a mount (to put it on); an inverter (to convert 12 volt DC power to 110 volt AC power); a circuit breaker or fuse box and fuses & switches (to regulate the power transferring from the panels to your outlets and/or storage batteries); (optional) one or more storage batteries; (if you get a battery) a charge controller (to keep from over- or undercharging the battery and severely reducing its lifespan);

Once you’ve purchased all the elements of the solar system you’ve just designed, installation is fairly easy, though the simplicity of installing a solar power system does not mean you should necessarily do it yourself. There are numerous advantages to hiring a professional installer with training in both electrical systems and solar electrical systems, including knowing how to set everything up to code, should the building inspector ever have the need to look it over (ie. for insurance purposes).

If you find the right solar professional, they will instruct you in those parts of the installation that you are capable of and allow you to do some of the work yourself, saving you on some of your labor costs.

Even if you don’t decide to have a professional install your solar system, it would be well worth your while to consult one with your design to make sure it’s a viable design, one that’s taken all the necessary considerations into account. For example, there is a wide selection of panels, controllers, inverters, and batteries, each one manufactured with different requirements, each one not necessarily interchangeable with the other.

To further minimize the chances of incompatibilities between components in your solar system, consider purchasing all the elements of your set up from the same company and consulting with someone on their sales team that is knowledgeable in solar electric power.

In fact, many companies sell solar kits that contain all the components you would need to set your house up with solar power, with the certainty that all the components are compatible.

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What Everyone Ought To Know About Cordless Vacuum Cleaners

As the name suggests, a cordless vacuum cleaner is one that does not require an electrical cord to run it. Instead of drawing power from the mains supply, it runs on power stored in a battery, which in most cases is of rechargeable type. The battery can be recharged from time to time so that the vacuum cleaner is always in ready-to-use state. How long the battery lasts once it is fully charged can vary anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple of hours depending upon the make and model of the vacuum cleaner.

The most attractive feature of cordless vacuum cleaners is their portability, which comes from their small size, low weight, and absence of messy electrical cords. This makes them particularly suitable for cleaning small, difficult-to-access areas as well as for cleaning outdoors (such as car cleaning). However, the bigger models are equally effective for larger areas too, e.g., stairway, all kinds of floors (vinyl, wood, tiles), carpets, etc. Imagine being able to lug around your vacuum cleaner practically anywhere, without the inconvenience of having to deal with long electrical cords.

Being lightweight and portable, they are also very convenient to store. Smaller handheld vacuum cleaners can be mounted on a wall or just kept next to your working area, be it your computer desk or your kitchen countertop. In fact, since most are fairly inexpensive, you can purchase several and leave them at important spots throughout the house. So, no matter which part of the house you are in at any given part of time, you will always have a vacuum cleaner handy within easy reach.

Cordless vacuum cleaners come in a variety of sizes, offering a variety of features, and so the price range varies widely. One popular handheld model available in the market is the Black & Decker CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic Dust Buster. This comes with a wall-mountable recharging base. Since in the fully charged state this vacuum cleaner runs for only 10 minutes, it is suited for use in, e.g., a woodshop, office or a vehicle, where you need cleaning in bouts. Another popular model is the Dirt Devil 083414 Extreme Power Stick Vacuum for cleaning carpets, as well as wood, vinyl and tile flooring.

Cordless vacuum cleaners can come either as bagless or with dust-collecting bags that must be emptied. The bagless varieties have a small compartment that collects the dirt and must be emptied often. The ones with bags offer better suction power compared to bagless ones.

A major limitation of cordless cleaners is the longevity of the batteries. Batteries typically do not last as long as one would want them to. Manufactures are constantly searching for ways to improve the life of batteries in cordless vacuums, without adding to its weight.

Most of the departmental stores, home improvement stores and electrical appliance stores house cordless vacuum cleaners. They can also be purchased online from one of the many retailers selling these items on the Internet at highly competitive prices. No matter what kind of a cordless cleaner you are looking for, and no matter where you would like to buy one from, you are sure to find one of that fulfills your needs. So, happy cleaning!

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Echo Water Treatment Systems

Echo systems are a managed water treatment system, run by the state and federal bodies that protect people all over the country. Home echo water treatment systems include the use and the monitoring of the water treatment plants that provide your home water. Facilities are regulated and reported by city and by zip code to those agencies that are watching the echo systems. The compliance of providing clean water is regulated and governed by the use of the Clear Air Act and the Clean Water Act as well as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which are also known as the CAA, the CWA and the RCRA.

Home echo systems are required for those, such as a diary farm, for those who have a large subdivision or perhaps for an apartment complex. Echo systems treat the sewage and waste, as a holding tank or public sewage treatment center would, but on another scale. The reporting done by the echo system contains information if the sewage and black water is being treated properly, or if there are any problems in the system overall.

Compliance and regulations for echo systems are available from water regulatory offices, and often from agricultural offices as well. If you are worried that a dairy farm near you, or that a large housing complex near your home is not treating waste water and sewage in a manner that is protecting the community the local governing agencies will be able to help you with this topic more. Any large sewage system or echo system that is connected to a water works facility will be regulated for compliance and for ongoing treatment of that waste.

What is the echo water treatment systems going to review and look at? The systems are going to review the transmission lines, the point supplies so that treatment can continues, and the overall storage of waste and sewage in the system. If you learn that a treatment facility using echo methods is going to be installed in your community you should not avoid it, but realize that the facility is there to protect your home, and to provide your home with the best water treatment and sewage protection possible. The echo systems are going to review and report information about the contamination of the water supplies in the area, as well as the natural water sources in the water. The echo system reviews and reports information after flooding, sea flooding, and hurricanes as well, so the water supply and the use of sewage treatment does not interrupt residential living as much as possible.

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How To Use A Sink Auger

Having a clogged sink is a common problem for homeowners. Using a sink auger is a simple way to unclog a sink. A sink auger is commonly called a plumber's snake, drum auger or canister auger.

STEP ONE:
Remove the sink stopper and insert the auger cable into the drain until you have hit the clog. (You will have to loosen the screw on the side of the auger body for the cable to be extended.)

STEP TWO:
Leave ample room for you to be able to work with the auger(about a foot), and re-tighten the screw.

STEP THREE:
Start turning the crank on the auger until you can feel the clog, and then un-tighten the screw and insert a little more of the auger cable. Re-tighten the screw and keep repeating this step until the clog is freed.

STEP FOUR:
Flush out the pipe with hot water. Rinse of the auger cable thoroughly before retracting it.

If your drain is working properly, your job is complete. If the drain is still clogged, it could mean that the clog is past the water trap. The water trap is the part of your sink drain that sinks down like a U. If the clog is past the water trap, you still have a bit more work to do.

STEP FIVE:
Make sure the water is turned off. Unhook the water trap from the adjoining pipes(it is wise to have some sort of container or bucket underneath the water trap to catch any water that may still be in it.)

STEP SIX:
Insert auger cable into the flat area of the pipe, then go back to step two and follow the steps again, until the pipe is unclogged.

If this procedure does not work, it's time to call the plumber.

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Information to Know Before Changing Your Locks

Changing your locks may sound like a simple task, but this is true only if you know what you are doing. There are many different styles of handles on the market. The locking mechanisms on certain styles vary and each has a unique function. If you are going to change your locks, be sure to know what type works best and why. Here is some useful information on styles and basics of changing a lock. Knowing what the lock is used for is important in finding the style that best meets your security needs.

Free through Passage Handles: These handles are exactly as they sound. You will not have to worry about locks. They come in either a knob type handle style or a level style which is very popular. Before purchasing these handles, though, be sure you do not need a lock.

Privacy Door Knobs: These handles are often used in the bedroom or bathroom. You can unlock the door by either turning the knob or turning an extra switch on the inside of the door. These are great for those areas where privacy is desired most.

Security Deadbolt Lock: The single deadbolt lock is a great style lock is good for any entrance to the home, whether the front or back door. However, it is best to use this lock with doors that do not have side lights or a glass pane since entrance would be fairly easy. One would only have to break the glass and reach in to turn the knob. The double deadbolt lock can provide extra strength and security to your doors. It can be locked form the inside or the outside using a key. You can also add a chain, for example, to provide even more security.

Decorative Door Knobs, Deadbolt and Latch Set: These handles help improve your home’s appearance. They are often placed on French doors. You can also use them on pantries if there is nothing hazardous inside, which should be kept from small children for instance. There are no locks on these decorative handles, but a little more security can be implemented with a decorative deadbolt and latch set. You can use these two pieces together or by themselves, depending on your needs.

You must now determine if the door handle you currently have is appropriate. To make this determination, you should first look at the latch plate. The hole may not be deep enough for a higher quality latch. Open and remove the existing latch plate, which is on the inside of your door. If it does not fit into the old hole, you will need to chisel the hole to give it a deeper depth. Also, be sure to check that the plunger for the deadbolt lines up with the hole in the frame since the lock will not provide proper security otherwise. Adding longer screws into the pre-drilled areas on the latch plate can add extra security.

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