Save Water - Discover How to Save Water

There are some easy ways to save water around the home that could reduce your water consumption considerably. This not only helps the environment but if you are on a water meter it could save you hundreds of dollars in water bills over time. 

1. Ensure none of your taps/faucets are dripping. As soon as a tap starts to leak, get it fixed as not only is a dripping tap wasteful, it will cost you more on your water bill.

2. Try to imit showers to four minutes. It's also a good idea to invest in a water efficient showerhead ideally with a filter to remove hard water minerals. It will make showering easier as well as saving water and money. Check out this amazing water saving showerhead from Evolve:
Evolve Showerheads SS-2202CP-SB Water Lily Water Saving Rain Showerhead, Chrome Polish

3. Another way to save water is to wash only full loads in your washing machine. Do not just wash one or two items of clothing as most machines use the same amount of water whether you wash a full load or not. When buying a new washing machine, buy the most energy efficient model you can afford. It will save you more than the extra you pay over the life of the machine.

4. When peeling vegetables do not peel them under a running tap. Fill a bowl or the sink with water and rinse them as you peel.

5. Not overwatering your garden is a great way to save water. Plants need to seek water underground to establish a strong root system. Over watering encourages weak root growth and a weak plant.

6. Another water saving tip is to consider using grey water on your garden. Grey water is the water used in washing your clothes, dishes and showering. You can buy diversion kits nowadays that connect to the outlet of your plumbing and divert the water to the garden.

7. Do not use your dishwasher unless it has a full load. Perhaps even consider not using the dishwasher unless you have a party or special occasion where you use more than your usual amount of dinnerware.

For a great Energy and Water Savings Calculator, click on the link below to find out how much water and energy you could save.

http://www.itseasybeinggreen.com/conservation-calculator

If you have any comments about this post and ways you have saved water, feel free to post them below.

Carbon Media - Ancient Water Treatment Works the Best!

One of the most powerful ways to deal with unwanted water contaminants and hard water minerals these days is to consider a water treatment device that contains carbon media (you can see me holding a spoonful one some in the image on the left). They have come a long way since they first appeared decades ago and are probably the way forward in the years to come as they have been proven to work time and again.

Carbon filtering is a method of filtering that uses a piece of activated carbon to remove contaminants and impurities using a process known as chemical adsorption. Each piece of carbon is designed to provide a large section of surface area, in order to allow contaminants the most possible exposure to the filter media. One pound (454g) of activated carbon contains a surface area of approximately 100 acres (1 km²/kg). This carbon is generally activated with a positive charge and is designed to attract negatively charged water contaminants. Carbon filtering is commonly used for water purification, but is also used in air purifiers.

Carbon filters are most effective at removing chlorine, sediment, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water. They are not effective on their own at removing minerals, salts, and dissolved inorganic compounds and are usually used in combination with other filter media to remove hard water minerals.

Typical particle sizes that can be removed by carbon filters range from 0.5 to 50 micrometres. The particle size will be used as part of the filter description. The efficiency of a carbon filter is also based upon the flow rate - When the water is allowed to flow through the filter at a slower rate, the contaminants are exposed to the filter media for a longer amount of time.

Carbon Filters in ancient Times

Carbon filters have been used for several hundred years and are considered one of the oldest means of water purification. Historians have shown evidence that carbon filtration may have been used in ancient Egyptian cultures for both air and water sanitization.

2000 B.C. Sanskrit text refers to filtering water through charcoal (1905 translation of "Sushruta Samhita" by Francis Evelyn Place) The first modern use of a carbon filter to purify potable water occurred in 1862. Carbon filtration was further advanced in the mid 1970's by H. Allen Rice and Alvin E. Rice when they first manufactured a porous carbon block for drinking water use.

Carbon Filters in Homes Today

Currently, carbon filters are used in individual homes as point-of-use water filters and, occasionally, in municipal water treatment facilities. They are also used as pre-treatment devices for reverse osmosis systems and as specialized filters designed to remove chlorine-resistant cysts, such as giardia and cryptosporidium.

As described above, carbon filter media is granulated carbon that works by trapping unwanted water contaminants in the microscopic cracks within the granules to remove them from solution. It is also know as activated carbon media and is the basis for may water filters and reverse osmosis water filters. 

If you are looking for the best type of water treatment device, reverse osmosis water filters are hard to beat - the one opposite is by Watts and is worth considering if you want one that's been proven to work. They contain all of the necessary stages to provide ultra pure water and are great if you're looking for the piece of mind for you and your family.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filters - The Industry Standard

Reverse osmosis water filters are used alot in the water industry these days, especially on water treatment works. They can really help to reduce hard water stains from forming around the home. Just the other day at work I saw one being installed on a lead rig...

It was added to remove the unwanted contaminants from the water so that the lead rig could  accurately detect the lead composition in the water. They usually contain two types of filter which remove different components from the water. Culligan reverse osmosis water filters are a particularly good manufacturer to go with if you are looking for a reliable source.

You can see from the picture that this one has two cartridges that filter out all kinds of unwanted minerals and produce water that is about as clean as it is possible to get these days. In fact they are the industry standard and are also used in homes by people who want to be sure that their water is the best it can be.

If you are interested in preventing hard water stains and limescale from forming around the home they can be a great addition to the water supply. They are easy to install and once set up they remove about 95% of the calcium and magnesium minerals responsible for the ugly white stains found on faucets, sinks, bath tubs, shower cubicles and in toilets.

If you've got any questions about reverse osmosis water filters or are considering purchasing one, feel free to email me at support@hardwaterstainstips.com. I'll be happy to point you in the right direction and help you out.

Any comments about this post, again, let me know your thoughts below...

Water Softening Benefits to be Studied...

The effect of hard water around the home can increase heating bills by hundreds of dollars a year. Simply adding a water softener is a great way to combat these effects and reduce the build-up of limescale and hard water stains.

The effects of softening water are now being studied at WQA Aquatech USA. The conference and exhibition will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, March 9 - 12, 2010.

One of the best water filters around at the moment is the Pelican PC600 Premium whole House Water Softener. Click on the image below for more information...

The results of the conference will be very revealing and I'm sure will confirm that hard water continues to be an ever increasing evvironmental issue due to the extra energy is costs to heat homes and businesses.

The full article about the conference can be found at http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=73367

If you have any comments about this post feel free to add them below - I be happy to hear your thoughts.