Snappy Green » Water

Wonderful Way to Save Water

ctgreenrealtor — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:38:06 +0000

Water in our country is plentiful (right now) and seems like an unlimited resource. However with only 1% of the earth’s water accessible and usable, combined with increasing world population, conserving water is a wise thing to do. This also seems like a good idea considering all the natural events that have been taking place.

You should know then, that assuming your home is a typical one, 16-25% of your water is used by the shower. A very easy and non intrusive way to get this percentage down is to install low-flow showerheads. This can save you 20 to 30 gallons of water for every ten minute shower you take. Low-flow models are inexpensive and are often provided to you as part of a home energy audit. Remember that taking shorter showers is an important part of the equation too.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com William Raveis Real Estate

My well water smells like rotten eggs

ctgreenrealtor — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:05:26 +0000

When your water smells like rotten eggs it may be unpleasant but its not harmful. The smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide which is formed by a type of bacteria that may occur naturally in water and is often also associated with iron and maganese. These bacteria use the sulfur in decaying plants, rocks or soil as their food or energy source and as a by-product produce hydrogen sulfide. Treatment options include oxidation through either chlorination or aeration.

If only the hot water is affected, the problem may be that the hot water heater should be flushed. If this is the case then you should know that some water heaters contain a magnesium rod in the tank to prevent corrosion. You may want to replace it with one made of aluminum or zinc. A licensed plumber or heating system pro should be able to help.

Water Conservation

ctgreenrealtor — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:41:12 +0000

Who would have guessed that much water could drip from my leaky faucet or toilet. The EPA estimates that a leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year. A leaky toilet can waste more than 200 gallons of water a day!

Harvesting Rain Water With A Pillow

ctgreenrealtor — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:50:37 +0000

by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

I don’t know if I’m ready for this but the fact that the Rainwater Pillow exists and that it was recognized at one of The TOP 5 Green Building Products for Homes at GreenBuild 2009 just shows you where the eco home retrofitting movement is going.

Essentially this is a system to capture rainwater from your roof and it’s interesting to note that the average 40×40 roof collects 1000 gallons of rainwater from 1 inch of rain. Check out this very interesting newscast to learn more and the diagram below from The Original Rainwater Pillow .

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com

Water Heater Basics

ctgreenrealtor — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:16:36 +0000

By Wendy Brandt Martinenas

Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 13%–17% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient model.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com