Friday, May 30, 2014

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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Wood Heat Stove vs Pellet Wood Stove

If you've made the decision to heat with wood to supplement your existing source of home heat and reduce your overall heating costs, you're not alone. Many consumers are going back to the basics when it comes to home heating. However, there is now more choice when it comes to wood-burning stoves and the type of wood fuel you can burn to heat your home.



One type of wood-burning appliance you may want to consider is a wood or dual fuel pellet stove. Dual fuel meaning wood and/or corn, cherry pits or other non-traditional fuels.



But compared to the traditional wood heat stove or fireplace, the pellet stove is really a different breed altogether. Although it can heat a home as well, or even better than a wood heat stove, there are important comparisons to note before making your buying decision.



Stove Style & Heating Performance:



Wood heat stoves are available in free-standing models (with or without doors), fireplaces, fireplace inserts, wood cookstoves and box heat stoves.



The first pellet stoves introduced to market were boxy and looked more like simple unattractive wood burners. However, their designs have been improved and in many cases, the average consumer would have difficulty telling them apart from a wood-burning heat stove. Pellet stoves are available with or without a viewing window.



As for heating performance, a pellet stove in many cases is more efficient than an airtight stove or fireplace insert. Check BTU ratings when choosing a stove, the higher rating is best. Both types will produce a comfortable dry radiant heat. A pellet stove operates when the hopper is full and the stove can be thermostatically controlled, whereas a wood stove burn must be maintained to keep the heat constant.



Read full article: http://housewares.about.com/od/heatingproducts/a/woodstvvspellet.htm



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from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/10017.html

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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

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from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/9532.html

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

How to Maintain Your Spa or Hot Tub

Are you up in the air about how to easily maintain your home spa, your modern fiberglass spa? Read starting at Step 1 to take the mystery out of spa maintenance! Keep in mind that individual spas vary greatly as does your local water supply.



Steps



1 Check the water every couple of days to see how it looks.




  • You should have 1-5ppm of free chlorine or bromine depending on which sanitizer you choose.



  • The pH should be in the range of 7.2-7.8 with 7.4 being the perfect target as it is the pH of the human eye.



  • Calcium hardness should be 125 to 400ppm and total alkalinity 120-180ppm.




2 Use eco-mode and turn your thermometer up about a half hour before you want to use it.



This temperature range 101°F to 104°F (38-40C) is comfortable for many people and waiting to turn up the heat until you are ready to use it saves energy. Turn it up and then go take a shower before you get in.



3 Use test strips two times per week.



Adjust chemical levels after you compare the strip with the chart on the strip container. It is really art, not science, but practice does improve your ability to manage your spa. All usually goes well if you can just keep the chlorine level and pH level balanced as it is often too hard to get everything balanced at once.



4 Change the water every three, four or six months.



Depending on how much your spa is used and how it looks, you will need to perform a complete water change out tow to four times each year.



5 Make sure your cover fits tightly over your spa to prevent heat from escaping.



A newer, better insulating cover may pay for itself by cutting your energy bill.



6 Condition your hot tub cover once a month.



This will prolong its life by protecting it from the UV rays which break the chemical bonds within the vinyl, causing it to harden and crack.



7 Follow the alphabet.



When adjusting your hot tub chemicals make sure to follow the alphabet. First adjust alkalinity if need be, then the bromine or chlorine sanitizer, then the calcium hardness and finally the pH.



8 Add only one chemical at a time.



When adjusting hot tub chemical levels be sure to only add one chemical to the water, then wait a full two hours before adding another chemical. This will allow the chemicals to disperse naturally and will help to maximize their effectiveness. Waiting also minimizes the risk of a direct chemical reactions between the additives which sometimes yield unwelcome products.



9 Saturation index is a calculation you can perform on your spa water that will tell you if the water is in a corrosive, scaling or balanced condition.



10 Purchase quality hot tub chemicals from dedicated swimming pool and spa stores.



Do not purchase department store or hardware store chemicals despite their attractive price tag. This is one of those things that you need to pay more and get more from.



Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-Your-Spa-or-Hot-Tub



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from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/9352.html

Sunday, May 25, 2014

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Saturday, May 24, 2014

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