Archive for January, 2010


Swimming Pool Cleaning and Pool Filters

Filed Under: Pools & Spas
Jan.05, 2010

Swimming pools must be kept clean and hygienic by using a pool vacuum which has the capacity to clean large tiled areas. They should be covered while they are not being used. With a pool cover in use extra dirt and leaves don’t fall in, and the pool stays cleaner for longer.

The next requirement is that swimming pools need to have proper circulation and filtration system in place to replace the stale water with fresh water. The pool pump helps in the circulation of the water.

Swimming pool vacuums are also needed to clean out dirt that enters the pool. These are available in manual and automatic models. Manual vacuums are much cheaper than automatic ones.

Your pool vacuum should be used to clean the bottom and sides of the pool. Some pool cleaners do an excellent job in general in cleaning your pool, however many of these devices will not pick up fine dust or sand that sinks to the bottom. However, a pool vacuum has to be used no matter what the location may be.

The pool filter pump (or more than one for large pools) will need to be serviced regularly.

Here is a tip for you. A pool suction hose can be turned into a backwash hose by using a hose clamp. A pool vacuum system consists of a number of parts that fit together to make the system fully functional. The vacuum head is that part of the pool vacuum system that is similar to a vacuum cleaner.

Some pool packages come complete with a maintenance kit that includes a pool vacuum, others do not. If you are buying you will need to carefully establish exactly what is included in the price, before you pay out your money.

As we have said already, filters can’t remove silt from the bottom. However, once the swimmers move the water they raise the silt, and it can then be be filtered out and the problem will slowly get better.

Good quality filters will have a pressure gauge to tell you when they’ve absorbed too much particulate. For instance, the new Hayward 4800 DE filter, has a system that is affected when the pressure rises to 10 PSI more than the pressure when the filter powder was changed. When that happens the water flow is being unduly restricted and it’s time to change your powder again.

When pool filling, add a water purifying chemical to the water to get rid of the remaining cloudiness in the pool. Follow the manufacturers recommendations.

Chlorine kills any bacteria that may be in your pool water and that is why it is so important. Shock your pool once a week in the summer. Chlorine is typically prepared in liquid, powder or tablet form (though some professionals use gaseous chlorine), and it can be added to the water anywhere in the cycle. Pool experts generally recommend adding it just after the filtering process, using a chemical feeder.

Steve Evans would like to suggest that you visit Home Pool Cleaners Blog to read much more about home pool cleaning.

There are essential details about many dog breeds at The Dog Breeds Compendium.

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Chlorine Filters For the Shower – Health Aide Or Hype?

Filed Under: Plumbing
Jan.04, 2010

Chlorine filters for the shower have become increasingly popular over the last ten years. First developed as a beauty aid, chlorine shower head filters are now being touted as health and beauty aids. Can you believe the advertising hype?

Chlorine is an element that, in its natural form, is a greenish gas slightly heavier than air. It is a corrosive irritant that is toxic to human beings. We don’t want to drink it, so we use drinking water filters. But, some people forget that the substance can also be absorbed through the skin. If your home does not have chlorine filters for the shower, you are taking in the equivalent of drinking gallons of chlorinated water, every time you bathe. You will notice softer skin and hair very soon after installing chlorine shower head filters.

That’s why chlorine filters for the shower were first introduced. Chlorine dries out skin and hair. It is also a bleaching agent. People with permed or color treated hair were finding themselves very unsatisfied after only a couple of days. It took beauty experts a little time to figure the whole thing out, but eventually they started recommending chlorine shower head filters.

Chlorine finds its way into the water supply in several ways. It is widely used as a disinfectant. Everyone is familiar with the distinct chlorine smell of a well-cared for pool. When pools are dumped, the chlorine seeps into the soil, along with the discarded water. So, even if your home has well water, you could benefit form chlorine shower head filters. The best ones can also balance your mineral content.

For most of us, chlorine ends up in the water because treatment facilities put it there. It is used to kill bacteria, algae and other water living things. That’s why most of us really do need chlorine filters for the shower. The level considered “safe” for public water supplies is not considered “safe” to swim in.

A home that does not have chlorine filters for the shower puts it’s occupants at risk for a myriad of health problems. Dry skin is one of the beauty issues mentioned above, but dry skin is also a health problem. Most illnesses first show up on the skin. If the skin is unhealthy, it is a reflection of our overall health and well-being.

Even worse, if a hot shower is being taken, chlorine in the steam can be inhaled into the lungs. There is website after website quoting doctor after doctor espousing the health consequences of inhaling such a toxic substance. It triggers asthma attacks and aggravates other respiratory problems. It is possible that inhaled chlorine vapors actually cause respiratory problems.

Many doctors are now recommending chlorine shower head filters for their patients. But, as a preventative measure, all of us can benefit from chlorine filters for the shower.

Some ill affects of inhaling chlorine vapors are immediately noticeable. Some people notice headaches and dizziness. Others have allergic symptoms, itchy eyes, throat and runny noses. But, the long-term, lingering, cumulative effects of prolonged exposure can only be guessed at. Researchers believe that there is a link between certain types of cancer and showering in chlorinated water. So, chlorine shower head filters protect not only our short term, but also our long term health.

It seems that the advertisements are actually true, in this case. Chlorine filters for the shower could be one of the most important health aids in your home.

Jayne Bell is the editor of http://www.HowMuchWaterShouldYouDrink.com She is fascinated by the many ways in which water is critical to good health and has researched extensively the subject of pure, safe water and the healthiest filtering technology. Her investigation has revealed the advantages of a chlorine filters for the shower. Visit the web site to receive the mini-course, “Five Amazing Ways to Relieve Common Health Problems with Water”

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The Basics Of Tankless Water Heaters

Filed Under: Plumbing
Jan.03, 2010

If you are remodeling your home or thinking about replacing a hot water heater, you might be considering tankless or instant water heating. There are many good reasons to consider either a whole-house tankless water heating system or several strategically placed “booster” tankless hot water heating units. To help you with your decision, here are some of the basic facts about tankless water heaters.

Whole-house tankless units can range in price from $199 to $4000.

  • Storage water heaters usually last 10 to 15 years; tankless units last 20 years or more.
  • Tankless water heaters are 8% to 50% more energy-efficient depending on the amount of hot water used in a day and placement of the unit(s). Tankless heaters can reduce your water heating cost by as much as 60%.
  • Tankless water heaters heat 2-5 gallons of water per minute.

There are two main types of tankless water heating units: electric powered and gas-fired. Gas-fired units are able to generate a higher flow than electric units.

Tankless water heaters produce hot water by heating an element which heats the water as it passes across the element on its way to the tap. Because no water is actually stored in a tank and constantly heated to keep it at a standard temperature a significant energy savings is achieved by changing to tankless water heaters.

Tankless water heaters do not cause leaks and flooding due to cracking of the storage tank or a leak in a key pipe because no water is being stored.

Because tankless heaters only process 2 to 5 gallons of water per minute, they can reach capacity at times of heavy use, such as running the dishwasher and the washing machine at the same time or running an appliance while showering. This can be avoided by installing a booster unit or by installing separate units for certain appliances.

Tankless water heaters are small and self-contained. They are ideal for such uses as:

  • Garage sink
  • Gardening or potting shed
  • Outdoor barbeque or cooking area
  • Pool Shower
  • Pool House
  • Garage or workshop bathroom
  • Hot Tub
  • Soaking Bathtubs
  • Auxiliary bathrooms
  • Second or third bathrooms some distance from the hot water heater
  • Pet bathing area
  • Hobby room
  • Guest bathroom
  • Guest house
  • Vacation house
  • Beach house exterior shower

Tankless water heaters make a great deal of sense in low-use areas of your home or detached structures. They also make a great deal of sense in structures that are not monitored constantly, such as a vacation house, in which a broken storage tank could cause a great deal of damage.

Aaron O’Hanlon is helping Plumbing Contractors with online marketing to promote their tankless water heaters. Aaron highlights plumbers online.

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Discover a Wholly Honest Article About The Whole House Water Purification System

Filed Under: Plumbing
Jan.02, 2010

Not every homeowner has a sound sleep when he or she has purchased only a point of use system for purification of the home’s tap water. A homeowner often chooses to purchase a whole house water purification system. Why would a homeowner feel the need to get one of these systems?

Such a system connects to the main water line, the line going into the home. Generally, that connection falls at point where the line splits, sending some of the water to a hot water heater. The cold water enters the water purification system.

When a homeowner has invested in one of the whole house water purification systems, then the residents of the house enjoy the easy availability of clean drinking water. They also know that pure water can be obtained at taps in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom. The system can have a number of optional features.

Any one of the whole house systems might include a process for softening the water. It might include a process for removing iron from the water, or for filtering the water. The purification system can be designed to filter well water, or it can have the ability to filter city water. A home system that takes chlorine out of the water gives the residents great tasting water.

Sometimes when a homeowner studies the available whole house water purification systems, he or she has a question. A number of Homeowners have asked whether or not a system can be used to send pure water into the garden hose. Homeowners who have that question need to study a blueprint of their home.

The water line that goes into the home could come from the city’s main line. The homeowner then needs to discover where the branch from the mainline splits into a “house” line and a “yard” line. Having discovered the point of that split, the homeowner can determine whether or not a whole house water purification system would provide the garden flowers and lawn grass with pure water.

Should any homeowner decide to purchase one of these systems, he or she should know what to look for. That homeowner needs to look for one with a money back guarantee. Such a system should also offer a full year of warranties on the system parts, and a 25 year warranty on the system housing.

In addition, a homeowner should keep in mind the degree to which the materials in the purification system might alter the composition of the water. A homeowner in the U.S. should make a point of buying one that contains only materials that have received the approval of the Federal Drug Agency (FDA).

The most common complaint that homeowners get from residents in a home concerns the taste of the water coming from the tap. In order to provide residents of a home with good-tasting water, a homeowner must arrange for chlorine and hydrogen sulfide to be removed from the water.

A good whole house water purification system can carry-out such a removal. Complaints from residents in the home can be the biggest push on a homeowner, driving him or her to purchase a system.

Such a push has encouraged many homeowners to purchase a purification system that has activated carbon filters with ion exchange and micron filtration. Homeowners know that with such a system in place they can feel confident that all residents in the home have access to safe water.

Discover why you need a whole house water purification system in your home.

Laurel Tevolitz is a dedicated researcher of critical issues that affect health and well-being. Visit her water purification blog now at http://www.safewaterpurifier.com to discover which water purification system she recommends after extensive research.

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