Tag Archives: Running Costs

9 Important Tips For Getting The Most Power Savings From Solar Hot Water

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Conserve hot water by using it efficiently and follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for maintenance of your solar hot water system.

When feasible, do jobs requiring hot water early in the day, so the water remaining in the tank is reheated by the sun, reducing the need to use the booster.

Choose the type of booster attentively as there are different types available including gas and electric, the booster cuts in when there is not enough sunlight and during the night if the water that has been heated by the sun has run out.

Another power saving tip worth mentioning is making sure the booster thermostat is set at 60 Degrees C, because the lower the thermosat setting the less energy that is consumed.

On hot water pipes that come from the solar hot water service make sure the installer has insulated at least the first two metres, this stops excessive heat loss.

Cut your running costs by connecting your hot water system to the most economical tariff – check with your electricity supplier.

40% of all energy used in the home is used for heating water so choosing the right solar hot water system will make a huge difference to your energy bills.

On average a household will use between 90-120 litres per day of hot water. Of course this depends on how many people live there, number of showers, baths, cloths washing and cooking is required. To ensure you get the right system discuss this with your solar hot water supplier to make sure you get the right size system for your requirements, because if you get wrong in the beginning it will be too late, it’s better to go for a bit larger system rather than scraping it fine and getting a system that’s too small.

When you install a solar hot water system in a new house, or replace an old system, give some thought to the type of system that best meets your needs. After all the purchase of a solar hot water system requires a significant upfront intial cost as well as a commitment to purchase energy for the expected 10 – 15 year life span of the system.

 

What You Need To Know About Electric Bicycles

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Every day more and more electric bicycles are appearing on our roads. Which is understandable when you weigh up the benefits over other types of vehicles. So, just what is an electric bicycle? It is a regular bike with one main difference – it is fitted with a powerful electric bike motor which is powered by a rechargeable battery.

There are two kinds of electric bicycle – throttle activated or pedal activated.

With the pedal activated bicycle the electric bike motor kicks in when you start to pedal. So, not only are these types good for longer distances, but because of the pedaling action, you still get the beneficial exercise too – but without the strain and sweat.

Throttle activated electric bikes offer the same benefits too. But with this type, you activate the motor with a grip on your handlebars, similar to a motorbike.

The other major component of an electric bicycle is the battery. The type of battery to use depends on what use you intend for the bike and the riders weight.

So, the main advantages of an electric bike are :

  • You will not get hot and sweaty riding one
  • There are no harmful emissions
  • They do not make any noise
  • Running costs are very cheap

To recharge the battery only takes around three hours , and at around 5 cents per charge. You do the recharging from any regular household wall electrical outlet.

Electric bicycles are available in a wide range of different styles, sizes and speeds, so you can be sure to find one that suits you perfectly .

An electric bicycle is ideal for commuting short distances every day . Just think, no more traffic jams, no more high fuel costs and insurance, and no more hunting around for a parking space when you arrive at your destination. And an electric bicycle is ideal when you need to pop to the store for one or two items.

Maybe you are thinking how fast can these bikes go? Well, they can reach a top speed of around 30mph, which is a lot faster than you can go in a car on a traffic congested road. And unlike a car, the cost of maintenance is practically zero .

You do not have to buy an electric bicycle to experience the sheer joy and fun of riding one. If you already have a bike, you can simply upgrade it by fitting one of the easily obtained electric bike conversion kits. These come in various flavors for all types of regular bikes.

Once you have experienced riding an electric bicycle, you will never go back to riding a regular bike – the experience will spoil you for life.

Save Money Using Solar Covers and Solar Water Heater For Your Pool

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Having your own pool is a privilege, along with is an excellent way to relax as well as exercise. However, swimming pools are not without their work. The pool has to be kept clean, and also the pool has to be heater to a nice ambient temperature to manufacture the experience as enjoyable as likely. However how is this heat generated, and how much will it cost. Well in the past there were options such as using oil, gas or electric heaters to warm the pool. Yet this is just no longer affordable for most people. Also, using fossil fuels to warmth a no essential space such as a pool is not a very environmentally responsible practice. There is a source of fuel obtainable to use which we can take advantage of, the sun. Even in mild climates there is still a huge amount of solar energy accessible which can be captured for heating. One method to capture solar fuel is by way of using solar covers for pools. Solar covers allow solar energy into the water plus then try to keep it there. Solar covers are also good at keeping the pool clean, by means of stopping leaves etc into the water. On the other hand solar covers may not provide as much heat as you need, therefore using a solar water heater along by way of solar covers is a brilliant way to capture as much solar fuel as possible to get pools to an ideal temperature by practically zero running costs.

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As stated, using solar covers along with a solar water heater can eliminate the require for fossil fuel fuel to be used, and by means of good reason. Gas prices for instance are set to raise by 60% over the next 5 years, plus more green taxes are on the way. Installing solar heating answers we warmth your pool for free. Below is a video of a passive solar water heater. Passive solar water heaters are positioned on the ground and can be placed next to the pool. The design is uncomplicated however proficient, in addition to is the cheapest solar water heater to create in addition to maintain. The video below shows how to build a passive solar water heater.

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The parts list to build a passive solar water heater is actually very easy. Firstly, a black water storage vessel is required, by means of its size depending on the size of the pool. The tank is then placed within a insulated and reflective solar box. The box captures the solar energy in addition to reflects it against the black hot water tank. Building your own solar water heater is much simpler than you may think, and can be constructed very cheaply.

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