Archive for the 'Plumbing' Category

Jan 04 2010

Chlorine Filters For the Shower – Health Aide Or Hype?

Published by Orlando Designer under Plumbing

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”

No responses yet

Jan 03 2010

The Basics Of Tankless Water Heaters

Published by Orlando Designer under Plumbing

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.

No responses yet

Jan 02 2010

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

Published by Orlando Designer under Plumbing

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.

No responses yet

Oct 06 2009

Want to Know Why I Don’t Use a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter?

Published by Orlando Designer under Plumbing

Let’s face it, the water we drink is as important as the air we breath.

This is why I want to discuss why I don’t use the reverse osmosis water filter.

Water is essential for life! We can’t be without it. If we didn’t have water, we would parish!
That is why I have such a passion for finding the truth about how we can improve the quality of the water we drink and bathe in. Water is priceless. I want to try to educate you about water filters, and in particular, the reverse osmosis filter.

This system of water filtration was very popular at one time. People were so determined to make the water that they drank safe, that companies worked hard to meet those consumers needs.
Thus the advent of the “Reverse Osmosis Water Filter”. Another term you could use is water
distillation processor. The end result is distilled water.

Man went centuries drinking pure, fresh water from our lakes and streams. That is until industrialization, and common practices of farming which introduced chemicals, fertilizers and other bad things into our water systems. Man reaped the rewards of not only hydration, which is essential for life, but also took in much needed trace minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium, which our bodies need naturally. Nowhere in history or science have we read about our bodies need for distilled water.

Distilled water even has a different PH than regular water, making is slightly acidic. Studies show that if we consume an acidic based substance, we produce more hydrogen in our bodies. This results in pulling minerals from our bones and teeth to produce bycarbonate to neutralize the acid.This compounded with the affect of drinking already de-mineralized water can make this a serious situation.

Nowhere on earth do we find naturally distilled water. Why do you think we should drink it on a regular basis? I know my answer to the question.

I already mentioned there are numerous toxic chemicals, fertilizers and other bad things found in our water supplies. For our health, we do need to try to filter them out and make our drinking water safer. I did a lot of research on the different water filter systems and concluded that there aren’t any really bad systems, other than the before mentioned product.

Some do nothing more than take out chlorine, rust and lead, making the water more pleasant to drink. But we need to do more than that. We need a system that will do that, plus remove the toxic substances that threaten our health every day. They also need to leave behind the trace minerals that our bodies need to function on a daily basis. Multistage water filtration systems seem to perform the best in all cases.

In conclusion, you don’t need to spend the most to get a good system. There are many choices, and many comparisons available to the consumer via the internet. Take advantage of that. Be educated, but if you are like me, steer away from the “Reverse Osmosis Water Filter.

Jim Riley is a passionate spokesman about the health benefits of purified drinking and bathing water. Visit his site now at http://www.water-purification-site.com to discover the purification system he endorses and why.

No responses yet

Oct 05 2009

The Truth About a Home Made Water Purifier

Published by Orlando Designer under Plumbing

Let’s face it, a human body and many of its organs consist of at least 70% water. Water and its purity, has a major role in the proper and healthy functioning of the body. When the body is dehydrated, it affects nerves, the brain and prevents proper digestion and absorption of nutrients from the foods we eat. So given that water with toxins/contaminants in it could prevent longevity, wouldn’t it be great to create a home made water purifier that could make our tap water healthier?

While it might seem economical to find a way to remove contaminants from water in the home on your own, you may be surprised to know that there really isn’t a way to construct one that meets all the criteria of eliminating harmful toxins from the faucet’s tap water. Unfortunately, the sophisticated amount of technology it would take to make the perfect prototype would be both difficult and expensive.

It is basically a fact that in the industrialized world, that all humans are literally exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals on a daily basis. It’s simply shocking if you think about it. With this in mind, instead of creating a substandard home made water purifier it would be wise to look into an economical appliance that could meet all the needs of human and home.

So what would you look into when searching for one? Well, the most important thing in choosing the right product for your body would be a unit that purifies the water yet leaves vital traces of minerals in it. Some of these include calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is a fact that if you search anywhere on Earth for naturally occurring de-mineralized water you just will not find it. So it should not be surprising that scientific research shows that there are dangers in consuming de-mineralized water over an extended period of time.

Dr. Zolton Rona, author of The Joy of Health, stated that “the longer one consumes distilled (de-mineralized) water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state.” And a World Health Organization research study went on to find that “drinking water should contain minimum levels of certain essential minerals.” Without them, water becomes more hydrogenised creating acid and a lower pH level. This forces the body to absorb minerals from our bones and teeth to compensate and neutralize this acid. Also, there is increased risk of cancer when body fluids convert from alkaline to acid as more free radicals are produced.

Obviously, filtration must also be able to remove all contaminants from the taps, showers, etc. However, not all systems are the same. It’s really important when selecting, that you choose one that utilizes multi-stage filtration. This is truly critical if you are looking to prevent ingestion of toxins such as VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) like pesticides/herbicides, chlorine and lead. Unfortunately, this is a process not achieved by other systems such as Reverse Osmosis, Point-of-Use Distillation, Carbon and Carafe-Style filters.

So, now that you know this, instead of spending your valuable time, money and energy on creating a home made water purifier it would be wise to spend quality time looking into an economical product on the market that meets all the criteria to make the water in your home the safest possible.

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.

No responses yet

Aug 12 2009

How to Repair a Faucet Spray Head and Hose

Published by Orlando Designer under Bathrooms, Plumbing

Removing and repairing a faucet spray head is simple if you carefully follow a few steps.  First, if a hose leaks or blocks water, detach it for possible replacement, starting at the spray head.  Unscrew the head from its coupling, then free the coupling from the hose by prying off a retaining snap ring with the tip of a screwdriver or penknife.

Replace the hose washer if necessary, and try to clear a blocked hose by running water through it at full blast (with the spray head removed, opening a faucet will send water tothe hose rather than the sink spout).  If the hose still leaks or is permanently obstructed, then keep reading for the next step.

Only a single hex nut secures the hose to its attachment at the base of the spout, but this nut is often hard to get at.  If you cannot unscrew it with an ordinary wrench or a pair of locking pliers, use a basin wrench, a plumber’s tool especially designed for working in close quarters.  Lie on your back under the sink as you unscrew the nut, and illuminate the work area with a work light or a flashlight.

To work on the faucet diverter valve, you first must get into the spout itself.  In some sinks the spout is secured by a grooved ring, in others by a nut atop the spout.  These chrome-plated fasteners are easily scarred; remove them carefully with a tape-wrapped wrench or pliers.

Inside the faucet body you can now see the tip of the diverter valve, usually capped by a brass screw.  The screw is an integral part of the valve: turn it just enough to free the valve from the valve seat inside the faucet body, then pull out the screw and valve together.  A valve without a screw top can simply be pulled straight out with pliers.

Visit our website today to learn more about basement waterproofing contractors and basement waterproofing

No responses yet