Cut Your Electric Bills

Well placed landscape lights are an attractive addition to any home. With a wide variety of light styles to choose from, it is possible to find a set perfect for your home. In fact, there are so many types and styles of outdoor lights to choose from you may feel bewildered when you actually go to buy lights for your home. Here are some tips to help you choose the set best for you.

First, before you go to the store, you need to decide if you want to purchase solar lights or electric ones. Solar lights are great if the area in which you wish to place your lights gets lots of direct sunlight each day. These lights have solar panels which collect the sun’s energy during the day. At night, this stored power lights the bulbs and provides a soft light that will outline your walkways, flower beds, or whatever other lawn fixture you wish to light up.
Electric lights, on the other hand, are great for places in you yard that don’t get much direct sunlight. Electric lights will also provide brighter light than solar lights. Electric lights also don’t require much power, so they won’t run you electric bill up.

Next you’ll need to decide which features of your house or yard you want to illuminate with landscape lights. If you want to spotlight your house, or a particular feature on your house, you’ll want to purchase spotlights.

Position the lights after dark so that they will illuminate exactly what you want them to. If you want to light up the end of your driveway so people will know exactly where you live, you might think about carriage style lights. These lights are generally like a front porch light on a pole which you can place where ever you’d like.

If you want to light up a walkway, making it easier for guests to find their way after dark, choose lights specific for this purpose. These lights will generally have shields that send the light downward onto the path instead of upwards into the eyes of the people trying to enter your home. Pathway lights can be operated by use of a sensor that will cause them to turn on at dark and off at daybreak.

If you’d rather, you can also have your lights turned on and off by a timer. If you use a timer, you will know your lights will turn on and off at the same times everyday. Using a timer or sensor can also help save electricity.

Landscape lights are a great way to add more light to the outside of your house. These lights can help signal where your drive is, make it easier to find your walkway, or just spotlight the front of your house after dark. Beware; however, there are a variety of landscape lights, so when you go to buy your set it helps to have some idea what you want so you don’t get overwhelmed by the variety.

Riley Hendersen
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-to-brighten-your-home-with-landscape-lights-137563.html

The get-rich-quick factor in the pond liner industry has forced up the price of pond liner kits to equal the cost of concrete construction. If you search for the truth about concrete ponds and waterfalls from reading the literature of the greed-driven liner pond industry, you will not find it. Why? Because if the truth be known, no one in their right mind would invest good, hard-earned money in a pond liner!

The pond liner track record speaks for itself:

More than 37% of all waterfalls have serious structural damage within 3 years of construction.

57% of homeowners say they are rather unsatisfied with the way their waterfall came out after the project was completed.

One in three waterfalls and ponds are leaking water within nine months of completion.

63% of “do-it-yourselfers” say they wished they had the proper information from the “get go” or that they had hired someone.

These statistics are from the pond liner industry itself (Bob Wilder, 48-Hour Waterfall). I can confirm and attest to these figures myself. I have built over 1,900 concrete and rebar waterfalls and ponds over the past 26 years. I have ripped out and replaced dozens of defective liner ponds and replaced them with concrete ones with lifetime warranties.

Pond liner guys will not attach more than a one-year warranty. They make no guarantee against rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots and sharp objects.

Let’s compare apples to lemons … First, let’s talk about apples (concrete waterfalls). We will construct a pondless waterfall that is 20 inches wide at the top by 20 feet long, becoming 24 inches wide at the bottom, to create a spillway 3 feet tall. At the bottom is a catch basin 4 ft. x 6 ft. x 3 ft. deep. The costs of excavation are as follows:

To dig a waterfall and basin takes two men 4 hours @ $20 per hour = $160.

The flexible PVC pipe is 35 ft. @ $1.25 per ft. = $44.

Concrete (3500 psi with stealth fiber)): 2 ½ yards = $250.

20 pieces of 20 ft. x 3/8 inch rebar = $100.

One 1/3 HP high efficiency pump, 2800 GPH, 356 watts = $429.

One anti-vortex drain = $10.

Four 2 x 4 ft. heavy plastic corrugated or galvanized plans to cover the collection basin = $35.

Setting the rebar: 3 man-hrs. = $225.

Pumping and finishing 2 ½ yards of concrete: 4 man-hrs. @ $75/hr. = $300.

Applying thoro-seal, 1 sack + 1 hour = $43.

Rock work + 8 sacks mortar mix: labor – 8 man-hrs. @ $75/hr. = $600.

Mortar: $40.

TOTAL EXCAVATION COST FOR A CONCRETE POND = $2,236.

With this type of construction, no filter is needed. The water in the basin is not exposed to sunlight, so there are no algae. Plus the top layer of rock and the planks are easily removed for cleaning out debris about once a year. If a plastic screen is placed over the planks before the rock layer, cleaning is reduced by 90%.

Now let’s talk about the lemons (the liner folks). The pondless waterfall liner kit advertised by all the disciples of the “liner messiah” on their websites is $1,940 + tax & shipping, or $2,176.

And now for the math: One concrete/rebar construction pondless waterfall completed with high-efficiency pump = $2,236. One pondless liner kit to build a pondless waterfall of the exact same dimensions = $2,176. If I did the math correctly, the completed concrete pondless waterfall costs $60 more than the pondless waterfall liner kit; however, it is still in the box!

Concrete and rebar pondless waterfall has a lifetime warranty. Liner pondless waterfall: 1 yr. warranty on labor, lifetime warranty against factory defect. But there is no warranty whatsoever against holes caused by rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots, sharp objects, etc. Sorry Charlie!

Concrete and rebar pondless waterfalls use a high-efficiency above-ground pump that is easy to service (it has a 3 yr. warranty). The 1/3 HP pump is small, very quiet, and easily hidden behind a couple of rocks or plants next to the falls, or piped to another part of the yard. The liner pondless waterfall uses a submersible sump pump that is placed in the bottom of the basin, and then buried with hundreds of pounds of rocks. To service this pump (only a 2 ½ yr. warranty), all the slimy, stinky rocks have to be removed from the basin first.

The concrete and rebar pondless waterfall pump produces 5,800 gallons per hour at only 356 watts (retail $429). The liner pondless waterfall kit comes with a sump pump (they advertise as “the best pump on the market”). It produces 5,700 gal/hour (100 gal. less) at a whopping 911 watts of power (over twice that of the above-ground pump). You will pay $525 more per year for electricity (at $.12/kwh) for that extra 555 watts. Their pump costs $600 retail ($171 more than the above-ground). Oh, did I mention “the best warranty in the industry” is only 2 ½ years, compared to 3 years for the above-ground?

The concrete and rebar pondless waterfall’s rocks are all mortared in place. So anyone, especially small children, can climb on the rocks without them moving, with possible serious injury resulting. With liner pondless waterfalls, rocks will move and shift on their own without help. After a few months, the ugly liner is exposed in the falls and around the pond.

While building the concrete pondless waterfall, design liberties can be taken, such as altering the length, width or shape of the feature. With a liner pondless waterfall, the parameters have already been set by the manufacturer of the kit.

The concrete pondless waterfall can utilize the large, open basin to install an Aquafill automatic water leveling device. In addition, the basin can be made smaller because the space for water is not taken up by rocks as it is in the liner pondless waterfall basin. The only rock that exists is on top of the galvanized or plastic plank cover.

Wow! Concrete waterfalls are stationary, permanent, lifetime life-expectancy, cheaper to build, cheaper to operate, easier to clean, easy to maintain, longer pump warranty, safer and more natural looking! Apples or lemons? You be the judge!

I am sick and tired of these amateurs giving my life-long profession a bad name by their exaggerated, dishonest and sensational claims – only to be backed up by a nebulous warranty and, at best, shoddy workmanship. My disclaimer: There are professionals installing liners that do take measures to prevent rodent or root attacks by placing a think layer of mortar under and over the liner. I found that if you are going to go to all that extra work and expense, just build it with 3500 psi concrete to begin with!

Happy koi, peace and joy … no koi, no joy.

Doug Hoover
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/pondless-waterfalls-concrete-vs-pond-liner-94772.html

Use similar rods of each metal. Stand them on a large piece of cobalt chloride paper on a tripod with the rods in a V shape so the points all come together over a bunsen burner. Make sure the paper will not be in the flame. Light bunsen, open air hole. As the rods heat up you can follow the progress of heat along each rod by the blue colour that appears. Longest blue line is best conductor. Compare lines.

Incidentally, not sure why this is in the chemistry section as this is physics!

i want a solar power system, but dont know if i choose 12v or 24v and why.

it all depends, since you’re going to be spending top dollar for the panels anyways you should just go with the best. 24v would essentially be better in the long run because it can carry a heavier load, but if you’re trying to save a few bucks get the 12v which isn’t bad, but expect more limitations.

Should I build a Vertical Axis or Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine for this? We get a decent amount of wind every year (12 MPH in winter and 8 MPH in summer), the turbine would be no higher than 20 feet. So should i make a VAWT or HAWT? If you say VAWT don’t say ‘because it’s easier’ because I need to get as much power as I can outta this.

the easiest system to build is the vertical type which from the top side looks much like the sign for the astrological gemini ..the capture side is presented to the wind constantly on a simple outer bearing and race..it takes thrust and is called a TDO (tapered double outer) race bearing …the inside presses against a lower TDO and an upper singe cup like your wheel bearing in your car. Vertical units have a better approach height from the wind..take up less space and are not as testy when it comes to turbulence…In 1998 i built a small model based on a design i got from a friend that uses lightweight sheet metal ..We only had a few problems and that was in the collector ring..
Now for the horizontal…it takes up a lot of space..20′ x 10′ footprint..its got no way of responding to the change of wind direction..Unless you build the feeder horn type which captures and diverts the air downward onto primary compression blades…In this case you built a vertical mill and just improperly named it…turbulence from the ground and safety issues ( neighbors dog jumps in) all have an added problem..there are some very odd calculations for the turbine collector and the way the blades a shaped and how captured air is exhausted no to cause a back pressure. Here’s what i found out..Height is 3 times width. of turbine tube… if the internal fan is 3 feet height is min of 9 feet..12feet is great 15 feet is best. If your going to build this thing from scratch remember to use a massive shaft (hollow) .My favorite is schedule 10 steel 4" .. bearings are expensive. grease is cheaper ..the fan is in a spiral along the shaft the pitch is about 1 turn in twenty
feet. Your selection of generators needs to be a higher value 8% than your actual design load. the transmission if used on a 90deg box should use lightest oil. every time you add a piece to the drive train you loose power…to best regulate the high speed use a flywheel ..I made one from from a 1" thick 18" diameter steel plate it will provide carry over by inertia short cycle and if you want you can attach your MAGNETIC induction tachometer to it…gosh there are so many things in favor of a vertical mill in most applications ..I think its the only way to go…But i am going to guarantee any of these are not tweak free.. No matter the skill or the budget ..Your in a very grey area…With the wind info you sent an 85% eff (during operation) will produce about 2400 watts of power at 120volts parasitic losses can account for 10% mechanical loss for 5 %..In a start up mode expect that it will take 3-5 months to get the mechanics correct. and for the electrics just follow NEC and other codes ..Please find a good slip ring collector. I salvaged the shaft form a broken gasoline welder for mine (250 amp)…all in all its sound like fun wish you were down the street…this was probably more than you wanted for an answer but I just couldn’t resist..Have fun From the E

My husband have gotten into the habit of turning our electric off at 11 at night (we live in florida) and I don’t usually turn it back on again until about 10 in the morning mon-sunday. So it is off 10-12 hours ever day.

Some days I will be working… about three times a week where I work until 4pm… so the air would be off from 11pm in the evening to 4pm the the next evening. So basically… roughly:

My air is off for : 95-110 hours every week. Which means my air is running 95-110/168 hours a week. Now just based on that and nothing else I would assume it would cut my electric bill at least to some extent but I don’t know. I do have a window unit that I keep in my bedroom that I run from 11-10 usually about 4 days a week just to cool our room while we are sleeping but I set it to 72 for that time. My house is usually at 70-74 range.

Is this a silly practice or willi t save us money? Any ideas electricians? I know that it costs more for the unit to turn on but it usually runs all day anyway (my main air conditioner, not my window unit).

Thanks for the help… I wonder if anybody will see this question and answer it XD

Anytime you can cut back on energy consumption you not only conserve energy but you also save a bundle. Up here in the northeast where energy prices are very high (around 23 cents per killowatt hour) my wife and I use power strips that you can switch on/off. Your TV and other electronic devices still use a trickle of electric even in the off position. When you retire for the evening switch the power strips off. The air conditioner and refrigeration along with a washer and dryer are huge energy consumers. A good idea is to make a point of reading your electric meter on a daily basis and keep a log of energy consumption and the temperature and humidity levels on that day. We use our air conditioner very sparingly and our clothes after washing are air dried. We use between 80 to 95 kwh per month where the average household uses triple that amount or more. GOD loves you and so do we………Franky.

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To Find Out How To Reduce your Power Bill And Generate
Your Own Independently visit:
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USE DOMESTIC WIND TURBINE TO POWER YOUR HOME AND HOW
Domestic wind turbine is fast becoming one of the better choices for alternative source of electricity due to the rising cost of living and environmental concerns. Windmill/turbines can be used to effectively supplement the energy needs of homes and help to reduce the reliance on power companies. Here we look at what you need to be mindful of in order to setup domestic wind turbine for your home as well as how you can do-it-yourself.

Using domestic wind turbine has its benefits and disadvantages. Also, it may or may not be suitable for certain households depending on your locale and weather condition. Using windmill to generate electricity not only reduces our use of dwindling fossil fuel, it also helps us save on monthly utility bills and reduce carbon emission which contributes to global warming.

In order for domestic wind turbine to be a viable solution to supplement your power needs, a location with enough wind is vital. Do a search on Google for “wind speed” followed by your area or country and you should be able to find a website that provides this information. For US residents, you can try Weather Underground and if you are in UK, you can go for British Wind Energy ociation website. In general, if you area enjoys wind speed up to 10 miles per hour, it is a good locale.

Turbines need a span of 5 meters from tip to tip in order to be effective. That means you need a big space to accommodate the system. The longer the wind blades, the more energy and hence electricity it will produce. The optimum space you need is about one acre or more of land. Having said that, modern windmill also comes in smaller sizes meant to be fitted on the roof.

It will be great if you can totally eliminate the need to stay on grid and rely totally on green energy. However, due to the nature of wind which can be unreliable at times, it is good for you to continue to stay on the grid to buffer for periods when there are no strong winds. Of course, you can use solar power system as a supplement to complement it.

George Tho is a DIY enthusiast. Read his review on a complete guide on how to emble a domestic wind turbine with less than $100 even if you are a complete DIY novice.

Author’s review website on clickbank
USE DOMESTIC WIND TURBINE TO POWER YOUR HOME AND HOW

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Solar Panel Wind Turbine – Slash Your Power Bill by 80% !
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Solar Panel Wind Turbine – Slash Your Power Bill by 80% !

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