Author Archives: Salman Zafar

About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the CEO of BioEnergy Consult, and an international consultant, advisor and trainer with expertise in waste management, biomass energy, waste-to-energy, environment protection and resource conservation. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biogas technology, biomass energy, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. Salman has participated in numerous national and international conferences all over the world. He is a prolific environmental journalist, and has authored more than 300 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. In addition, he is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability through his blogs and portals. Salman can be reached at salman@bioenergyconsult.com or salman@cleantechloops.com.

The Function of Central Heating Radiators

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Regular furnace tune-ups and maintenance just before the cold weather will help maintain your furnace and your HVAC system at top condition during the winter months. There are some common tips you can follow that will help ensure your furnace runs at peak efficiency through the long cold winter months:

heating-radiator

Help ensure your furnace runs

It is suggested that all of your HVAC equipment be cleaned and maintained before winter arrives. Beginning in early fall, have all of your cooling and heating equipment checked over thoroughly. Have a professional come out and check the furnace’s blower and ducts as well. In addition to ensuring that these are running smoothly, this will also help to prevent an increase in your home’s utility bills. If there is a problem in any of these components, you’ll need to replace them before winter fully sets in.

Finally, once your furnace has been turned back on, you’ll need to check your heat exchanger and duct for leaks. If the duct is leaking, then you may need to call a professional to take care of the leak or replace it with new ductwork. If your heater is not properly vented, then there’s a good chance that mold is growing behind the burner or behind the ductwork. You may actually be causing a foul smell from your furnace. Instead of calling a furnace service technician to come out and make you a furnace filter replacement, why not do it yourself?

First, get a flashlight and inspect your furnace’s ducts for blockages or clogs. A regular flashlight with disinfectant should work just fine. Take note of any spots that seem unusual where the air flows through. The spot could be a filter or the blower, depending on which system the furnace uses. If you see any areas with a thick black stain or smell, that’s a good indicator to clean or change the filter.

Getting furnace repairs

Once the furnace is checked and cleaned, you should conduct furnace service at least once a year. If you think you can’t do it yourself, call a reputable company in your area to get the job done. The costs for getting furnace repairs will vary depending on the make and model of your furnace and even the age of it. If you have an older model, you will probably spend more money than if you have a newer one. There are different ways to save on furnace service costs, so make sure to ask a professional about any suggestions you might have.

Remember that the experts say it is important to have regular maintenance on your furnace. However, this is not something you should take for granted. It is important to remember that the malfunctioning of your furnace could be due to the fact that there is a dirty duct where the oil or air gap gets filled up and causes the furnace to work hard to push out the air. In this case, hiring the services of a skilled and experienced furnace repairman in Calgary is essential so you don’t have to worry too much about the furnace’s condition.

If the problem with the burner is due to the presence of mold and mildew on the exterior portion of the heat exchanger, you can safely clean it yourself using a disinfectant spray made of chlorine and water. The spray must be used carefully so as not to damage the internal components of the heat exchanger and the burner. You should wear protective gloves so that you don’t spray the chemicals directly into the eyes. You can spray the area in a circular motion to avoid leaving streaks. This may also help in keeping the lining of the heat exchanger clear and free from dust, which is a common cause of friction.

Cleaning of heat exchangers by furnace service technicians is often recommended by manufacturers as an additional measure to prevent loss of refrigerant gas and to keep temperatures constant. A clean line allows for easier access when maintenance is necessary and prevents potential damage to the heating system itself. The cleaning process can take place during the summer, at night, or on days when there is little else that should be done.

Central heating radiators are available in a wide variety of styles to match any decor and to meet any budget. Whether a radiator is new or old, its function should be the first thing to be considered before buying. The more that the space heated by the radiator is heated by electricity, the more efficient the unit will be. Radiators will also heat the entire room, which could be a major plus depending on your budget.

The Role of Biofuel in Low-Carbon Transport

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Biofuels offer a solution to climate change that shouldn’t go ignored. In fact, the amount of biofuel used in low-carbon transport has to increase by a factor of seven in order to prevent climate catastrophe, a recent report on 1.5C warming by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states. The report also places biofuels in the same league of importance as electric vehicles when it comes to replacing unsustainable fossil fuels by 2050.

Biofuels are increasingly being used to power vehicles around the world

Electric cars: benefits and limitations

A typical gas-powered car emits roughly one pound of carbon dioxide per mile traveled. On the other hand, electric cars release zero tailpipe emissions. However, light-duty passenger vehicles represent only 50% of the energy demand in the transportation sector worldwide.

Heavy road vehicles and air, sea, and rail transport make up the rest — electrification of this remaining 50% would be an expensive task. Additionally, demand for transport is expected to increase in the future. Vehicles will need to use even less energy by 2050 to ensure the global transport sector’s total energy demand rises no higher than current levels (100 exajoules).

Biofuel: a necessary solution

Several sustainable, carbon-neutral synthetic fuels are currently in developmental and demonstration stages. For example, synfuels can be produced from carbon dioxide and water via low-carbon electricity. However, this also requires cheap and low-carbon power systems (similar to the ones already running in Quebec and Iceland).

Biodiesel

In 2013, Audi was the first automaker to establish an electrofuel plant — it cost €20M and produces 3.2 MW of synthetic methane from 6 MW of electricity. Additionally, synthetic biofuels can be made from woody residues and crop wastes, which has a lighter environmental footprint than biofuels made from agricultural crops.

Examples of eco-friendly cars

While biofuels continue to be developed, there are plenty of electric cars on the market right now — all of which can help us reduce our individual carbon footprints. For example, the Hyundai Kona Electric is an impressive electric car. This vehicle offers sleek exterior styling, plenty of modern tech features, and has an impressive range of 258 miles in between charges. The price starts at $36,950. Alternatively, the Nissan LEAF is another eco-friendly model priced from $29,990. It’s powered by an 80kW electric motor and runs for 100 miles per charge.

Electric cars and synthetic biofuels are both valuable technological changes. Focusing on developing both of these sustainable options should take utmost priority in the fight against climate change.

How To Help College Students With ASD?

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Autism is basically a disease or rather a lifelong disability that a person develops with and normally appears in the early stages of childhood. On the other hand, ASD is more or less the same as autism but differs because ASD is brought about by differences that occur within the brain. It greatly impacts a person’s relationship, communication, social skills, and self-regulation.

Tips to To Help College Students With ASD

The common signs of autism include: delayed communication skills and speech, having a problem of understanding the emotions of other people, they greatly relying on routines and rules, and getting mad at minor changes. People with ASD usually have their way of learning, paying attention or even moving. How they perceive senses, how they move and learn, and how they cope with strategies are normally affected, d this might cause hidden challenges. Don’t freak to pay for research papers.

From the characteristics stated above, we can be able to know some of the issues these students might be facing. And with that, we can derive ways in which we can comfortably accommodate them.

First, they have a problem communicating: they find difficulties expressing and receiving communication. Some of these challenges may be minor. If not well looked they might easily lead to misunderstandings of how they receive communication; they may not understand jokes and sarcasm or might take longer to process verbal exchanges.

On the expressive part, they may find it hard to initiate conversations, turn-taking issues, stick to the topic or cannot follow the communication protocol. To cater to this, give them enough time to express their verbal cues, give them the teacher’s notes and when administering tests, provide them with a study guide on the same. It would also help the student if their teacher sought clarification from them instead of just making assumptions.

Movement skills

Can be affected by either fine or gross motor skills. When the fine motor is affected, activities such as writing, turning pages, drawing, playing instruments, using utensils, manipulating tiny objects and using keys and locks are affected. On the other hand, activities such as sitting, walking, running, swimming, and balancing might be affected when gross motor skills are affected. How a person places their body on the ground is a major concern when walking cause balance affects body movements and might cause difficulties with navigation.

To accommodate autistic students, in this case, make sure that learning takes place one step after the other. Ensure that you use models and other learning resources and provide extra time for assignments and tests. Also, for students taking physical education classes, ensure that you consider further accommodations that might prevent further complications. You can also allow them to use desktop computers to do their classwork, tests and assignments.

Learning styles

Learners with autism mostly have a very uneven learning style. They often do perfectly well in a non-conventional way. Their rote memory is normally long-term and excellent. They are normally said to be right-brained thinkers. To perform well in class, they first have to develop a liking and trust for that teacher. They suffer from attention problems. Repetition is boring; they wouldn’t want to hear it again once taught something.

Their sequential learning is very poor. Despite all these, these students e believed to perform pretty well in their academics. They produce outstanding grades and so the need to further their studies beyond secondary school level. To accommodate them, you need to give them extra time for submission of tests and assignments and provide for the use of calendars because students with ASD work best under organization tools. Always provide reinforcement and motivation at each opportunity. Use demonstrations, visuals and other teaching aids, for example, review sheets.

Coping skills

They are mostly affected by stress and anxiety arising from communication expectations, social anxiety and sensory sensitivities. These might force the student to portray certain behaviors that might be considered rude and disruptive. To students who have autism, this behavior is just okay and is calming. When they’re under stress, they might do activities out of the norm to relieve themselves. Some activities include chewing clothes, flapping hands repetitively, waving, pacing or even teaching topics they love the most.

They may also decide to quit a situation during or before the suggested time. To cater to or accommodate them, ask them if they need any help or want anything. Do not disrupt them unless the activity is extremely disturbing because it is not their intention. Teachers and lecturers should also be prepared to receive them. Allow them to have their sensory objects or anything they’d think is of help to them.

Social skills

Class discussion and group work is necessary and are equally as important when it comes to earning a good grade. This necessitates the application of social skills. Socially these students have a problem of understanding other people’s opinions, they cannot maintain eye contact, and at times they cannot share their space. They cannot interact well with their colleagues and cannot negotiate well with others or work in pairs and groups.

beating procrastination

To accommodate them, give them breaks at certain intervals and allow them to use certain objects that will act as a ‘ social buffering.’ They will at least have something to distract them, for instance, a book or a computer. Also, respect their eye contact level and provide written rules that you’ll use when asking and answering questions.

Sensory differences

Some of them suffer from extremely high sensitivity input, while others have extremely low sensitivity input to take in what is in the environment into their five senses, sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. Some of them might suffer from synesthesia. Here the actual information is perceived differently and not the intended one. Florescent lights that produce different colors in a classroom setup may cause ‘overload.’ Some sounds are perceived to be painful, such as dragging desks.

Some ASD students are allergic to certain scents, of maybe perfumes and deodorant. In this case, to accommodate them, allow them to wear hats, sunglasses and tinted lenses for lighting and earphones and earplugs for painful sounds.

5 Home Improvement Projects That Add Instant Value to Your Property

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It’s no secret that home improvements add to your property’s value. You can get your house looking and performing better, and when you do, you can usually sell it for a higher price when you want to move on from it.

We’ll talk about a few home improvement projects you should consider right now before you start raising funds for your home improvement. If you haven’t done these yet, you may feel that they’re worth the price.

1. Eco-Friendly Upgrades

About 70% of homebuyers seek eco-friendly upgrades, so you should keep that in mind if you have money to spend on your house this year. You can probably think of dozens of eco-friendly home improvements if you put your mind to it.

mistakes when switching to solar energy

You’ll need to look at cost-effective ones. You’ll also need to consider whether you can do any of them yourself or whether you’ll need to hire a company to do them for you.

For instance, you might switch to solar energy. Many companies will now install solar panels on your roof. They don’t usually cost all that much, and they can reduce your electric bills.

You might add color with some eco-friendly paint, or you can start a compost pile in your backyard. You can hire a company that will do an energy audit for the property. They will identify anywhere you’re losing heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. Then, they can stop up all those cracks and crevices.

2. A New Roof

A roof can last you for twenty years or longer in some instances. At some point, though, you’ll likely need to do a total tear-off and put on a new one.

Unless you work professionally as a roofer, you probably can’t do this upgrade on your own. You will need to hire a company to do it. Make sure to talk to a few different roofers so you can get some estimates. You never know if one might give you a much better price than another.

You can pick a nice color for the shingles and get the company you choose to install the roof at a time of year when the weather’s not much of a factor. Once you have that new roof on there, you can point to it as a significant selling point when you’re ready to move.

3. You Can Get a Tankless Water Heater

You might get rid of your old, bulky water heater and install a new tankless one. You’ll probably want to find a plumber to do this, although you might try it as a DIY project if you feel ambitious.

Tankless water heaters are eco-friendly, and they don’t take up nearly as much space as an old-fashioned kind. You can stick them down in the basement, and you’ll barely notice they’re there.

They usually give you faster hot water when you run a bath or turn on the shower. Also, you can often get a government rebate when you install one, so the total expense should not come to more than a few hundred dollars.

4. You Can Install a New Deck

You might have a backyard with a deck overlooking it. An old deck isn’t very nice to look at, though, and it’s probably unsafe on top of that.

green-deck

If you’ve got kids that like to run all over your deck and play in your backyard, you want a sturdy structure that won’t collapse or stick out a rusty nail that ends up in a child’s foot. Installing a new deck isn’t cheap, but that’s another potential selling point when you get ready to move on.

You can enjoy your new deck once you install it. A new deck represents a commitment to the property, but you can also spend time out there during nice weather. The neighbors will want to come by, and you can have BBQs if you set up a grill. If you want to be the next master chef in your neighborhood, don’t forget to checkout our kamado joe buying guide.

5. You Can Install a New Fence

Maybe you have a front and backyard, but you don’t have a fence yet for either one. If so, you may think about installing one. If you put in a fence, you can allow the kids to play behind the house or in front of it, or you can let your dog out and know it won’t run out into the street.

You can look into different fence styles as well. A chain-link fence won’t cost you very much, but you might want to select a more elaborate option to improve your home’s aesthetic appeal.

Why Businesses Need to Reduce Their Carbon Output?

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According to a recent Nielsen study, 81 percent of consumers feel strongly that businesses should be taking measures to reduce their impact on the environment. This passion is shared across generations, and it’s safe to say that businesses that have little regard for their corporate social responsibility are significantly less desirable to consumers.

Despite this, a 2018 survey by Carbon Credentials found that only 10 percent of UK businesses had strategies in place to cut carbon emissions. Of those that did, none had a set science-based target in their carbon reduction plan. We know that climate change will devastate the economy and drastically increase the cost of doing business. That’s not even mentioning how it will impact resource scarcity and the global population as a whole.

At the same time, businesses that take the initiative to reduce their carbon footprint can look forward to many more immediate benefits. Here’s why your business needs to conduct a full carbon audit to reduce its carbon output and do to highlight climate action in the sustainability reports.

Cost Savings

Naturally, your expenses go down with your resource usage. From using more efficient equipment to streamlining your transportation operations to recycling office supplies, there are countless measures every business can take to make this happen. Within the first month, you’ll have more money to allocate towards growth – instead of utility bills.

Regulatory and Tax Compliance

Year-on-year, laws are passed to penalise businesses that don’t make an effort to reduce their impact on the environment and reward those that do. In the UK, this includes the Climate Change Levy, the EU Emissions Trading System and capital allowances on energy-efficient equipment, among other schemes.

Public Image

A 2015 Nielsen study of 30,000 consumers found that 66 percent of them would pay more for sustainably manufactured products. Among millennials, that portion increases to 77 percent. Gen Z is known to be even more conscious in this regard. The more your business cares, the more your customers will care about your business.

Employee Morale

In a similar light, going green fosters positive feelings from your employees as well. This has many benefits. For one, your staff will be more productive and motivated to achieve if they know they’re working for a good cause. Additionally, turnover will be reduced as employees will be less compelled to leave a work community that cares.

The Bigger Picture

This should go without saying, but reducing your company’s environmental impact has lasting benefits for your community and the economy as a whole. The likelihood of your long-term success and prosperity is far greater if the environment is in better shape.

What You Can Do

The list of measures your business can take to become more environmentally conscious is quite frankly endless. Get started by taking a look at this post on Utility Bidder, an energy supplier comparison website, about some simple ways that businesses can reduce their carbon output. The internet serves as a wealth of information on this topic.

Implementing greener practises is extremely beneficial to your business and more often than not, it is a dead-simple process. Getting started today will help you reap the benefits and reach your business goals sooner.

Why Stop/Start Technology Saves Fuel?

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If you have recently purchased a new vehicle that features stop/start technology, you might be wondering how exactly it can save you fuel?

In the past, many people were under the impression that switching your car off and starting it again while at a red light would use more fuel than letting it idle. This is actually not the case, and stop/start technology can make this process easier for you.

Read on to figure out just how this process actually works and why it can save you a lot of money on fuel.

Why Stop/Start Technology Saves Fuel

How much fuel does stop/start technology actually save you?

Many new vehicles like the Mazda CX-5 are fitted with stop/start technology, so there is clearly a reason for it; otherwise, manufacturers would not fit it into their newest vehicles.

Stop/start technology can actually save you a lot more fuel than you think if you regularly drive in the city or in heavy traffic. A recent study noted that using start/stop technology in heavy traffic can improve the fuel economy of your vehicle by up to 8 per cent.

While this may not sound like a lot on paper, these numbers begin to add up over time, which means you could save yourself a lot of money on fuel in the long run if you use a car with this feature.

How does stop/start technology work?

Automatic stop/start technology works in a very simple manner. When you come to a complete stop in your vehicle, the engine automatically shuts off to stop your vehicle from using any fuel and letting out harmful emissions.

This technology was previously only implemented in extremely fuel-efficient cars, such as hybrids, but has since become standard fare, as stop/start technology has made its way into nearly every new vehicle on the market due to how effective it can be at saving fuel.

How is stop/start different from me switching my car off manually?

In practice, you may think that you might be able to achieve the same effect in a vehicle that is not fitted with stop/start technology by switching it on and off manually, but, unfortunately, this is not the case.

If you don’t have this technology, it is not a good idea to switch your car on and off when you are in heavy traffic or driving in the city. This could possibly damage your starter motor and leave you with a hefty repair bill!

What changes do manufacturers make to vehicles to allow this technology to work efficiently?

Vehicles fitted with stop/start technology have sturdier starter motors in order to deal with being used more frequently. These vehicles are also generally fitted with crankshafts and rod bearings covered in a special coating in order for them to be able to handle more frequent restarts.

Electric pumps are needed to circulate coolant and keep a consistent level of hydraulic pressure in the transmission as the engine will be off. This will help to cool the engine despite it being off at the time.

Vehicles with stop/start technology also have to have their electrical systems laid out differently to vehicles without it, as; otherwise, your radio, air-conditioning system, and lights would switch off every time your car’s engine did!

Will stop/start technology have a long-term impact on a car’s engine?

While you may think that frequently turning your engine on and off can damage it or shorten its life span, this is not actually the case.

There are many situations in a traffic jam where you may come to a stop for a second before having to move forward again unexpectedly. While this would normally affect a vehicle using stop/start technology, many manufacturers have developed a workaround.

Many manufacturers fit their vehicles with a tandem solenoid battery, which allows this process to happen seamlessly without damaging your car.

This works by one of the solenoids engaging the starter motor, so it can equal the speed of your engine and avoid damaging it, while the other engages the gear that the driver selects.

When is stop/start technology most effective?

While stop/start technology has already been proven to save motorists fuel when they are driving in the city or in heavy traffic situations, it can be less effective in certain conditions.

If a motorist with this technology drives with their air-conditioning on in their car, it can reduce the amount of fuel that stop/start technology can save you quite substantially.

Tesla Model X: The Electrical Car That Will Change The World

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Cars have changed a tremendous amount in recent years and are providing driving experiences that are unlike anything anyone has ever imagined.

Electric cars are now available and what an exciting time for the automotive industry. Lease Loco has your curiosity covered with these vehicles.

You can get an electric car lease just by the click of a button on the Lease Loco comparison site.

Reasons to lease an electric car

Reasons to lease an electric car

The electrical car already sounds otherworldly and because they are a quite recent invention they are extremely expensive to own. Particularly the Tesla Model X.

What better way to feed your curiosity than by leasing an electrical car. The biggest and most important factor here is that you are not obliged to own the vehicle.

Leasing allows you to have the drive the vehicle for a short period of time. Once the lease period is over you return the car and that is that. Leasing is the perfect opportunity to test drive the car. Test its features, its comfortability and perhaps at the end of the period you will decide on whether it is worth owning or not.

How does Tesla Model X work?

The simple answer to this is that instead of using an internal combustion engine like most cars, the Tesla X uses an electrical motor.

This means that it does not run on petrol but instead electricity. The Tesla X has a built-in battery that needs to be charged.

It has the latest ion-battery technology that is connected to either a single-electric motor or a double-electric motor that either power the rear wheels or all four of the alloy wheels.

The brakes of the Tesla regain energy as the car slows which ultimately charges the battery while driving. These brakes also give power to all of the mechanical systems of Tesla.

Tesla does not have multiple gears in the transmission. This is because the electrical motor already offers maximum torque at the start which means it only needs one gear to get acceleration and top speed.

The batteries are made to last very much longer than an internal combustion engine and are practically maintenance-free. They charge quite quickly and batteries in Australia should have a warranty for up to eight years.

What you need to know about the Tesla X

The Tesla X is described as quick and high-tech. It is an expensive but interesting and very unique vehicle.

It comes with a double electric motor which gives off 670 horsepower as well as has an all-wheel drive. It has an upgraded version called the Plaid with a triple electrical motor that gives off 1 020 horsepower. There will be a mega motor version that will be released later in 2022.

It is spacious and can the second row can even be ordered with captain chairs. It of course boasts cool infotainment that has a green screen across the dashboard for all of its features. It also has a very interesting rectangular-shaped steering wheel.

It has a range of up to 363 to 351 miles per charge. It costs around $116 440 in Australia which is quite expensive for a vehicle.

The Tesla X comes with two electrical motors, situated at the front of the axle and one at the rear. This enables all-wheel drive.

The Tesla X can reach an impressive speed and can go from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds.

Charging and its battery life

The Tesla X battery can cover a range of 351 miles. Charging does not take long, with charges available throughout Australia. You are even able to charge it at home with a 240V or 120V connection, which may be slower but they will get the job done. You would have to purchase these at home chargers from Tesla at an additional cost.

Driving Assist

The most exciting feature about Tesla is that it has autopilot. It has a semi-autonomous driving mode which allows you to be on the road, driving with no hands on the steering wheel or feet on the pedals.

It uses multiple cameras, multiple sensors and radars to stay on course as well as to detect objects, people and other vehicles.

It has a touchscreen infotainment system that takes over the dashboard and is equipped to control almost all of the Tesla X’s features and settings.

How to Protect Your New Tesla?

If you’re lucky enough to have just purchased a Tesla Model X, you’ll want to take steps to protect your investment. The best way to do this is with a Tesla Model X Cover. A car cover will help to keep your Tesla clean and free of scratches, while also protecting it from the elements. In addition, a Tesla Model X car cover can also help to deter thieves, as it makes it more difficult for them to access the vehicle. With so much money invested in your Tesla, it’s important to take every precaution to protect it.

Conclusion

Leasing a vehicle like the Tesla X is a good way to test out all of its fun gadgets and cool features. Visit the Lease Loco site for deals on an electric car lease.

Best Ways To Reduce Waste

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We deal with waste every day and its becoming problematic. It is our responsibility to become aware of our own personal impact to the environment. Even if we hire a good rubbish clearance company to remove our waste, still is our duty to think about the consequences and to try following some good methods and produce less waste.

top ways to reduce waste

1. Reuse clothes for cleaning clothes

Some of our old clothes can be usable. So instead of throwing them away, you can reuse them as cleaning rags to wipe up messes and clean surfaces. You can use them all the time, after cleaning, toss them in the laundry and they can be used again.

2. Try buying unpacked food

Fresh fruits and veggies are normally obtainable unpacked in the produce section, and you can also buy package-free products in grocery stores. You can also bring your own reusable bags or containers, to purchase and avoid plastic bags. Most food these days is wrapped in plastic.

sustainability-food-supply-chain

Plastic bags need to be a thing of the past, so instead of using keep in mind to bring your own bag. Cotton bags are perfect for loose fruit and veggies. Don’t be nervous to say no to single use plastic. Click here for some simple ways to avoid plastic.

3. Shop local

Local markets habitually use a lot less plastic to cover their foods. So try planning your daily shop to visit the local farmer’s market before heading to the supermarket. It’s a great way to reduce waste, as well as experience a sense of community from shopping locally.

4. Avoid single-use items

Try avoiding items single-use items. Instead replace them with reusable, or multi-purpose options, simply by saying no.

5. No straws

Avoid that extra plastic and try saying no to straws when you drink. When ordering a drink, respectfully ask for no straw. Adults, don’t really need to drink their drinks through straws. One-use straws suck. Try teaching your kids to drink without a straw. And If you don’t want to give up straws totally, you can try and use a reusable straw instead.

reusable-straw

Many manufacturers are replacing plastic drinking straws with titanium.

6. Recycle

There are numerous people out there still not recycling. Make sure you’re recycling everything at home, as well as taking that extra effort to make sure items that aren’t collected from your home are taken to recycle at your local dump.

Recycling keeps things out of the landfill with the purpose to transform used materials into new products that can be used again. Recycling right means keeping material out of the landfill, and also decreasing uncleanness in the recycling stream.

7. Stop buying unnecessary items

How to reduce waste? Simply stop buying that much stuff. When you buy new things, you don’t do anything but increase the amount of waste. Just try to buy what you need, and also appreciate what you already have.

8. Repair your old items

Before you buy something new to replace that item that has cracked, see if you can fix it. Do whatever you can do to repair it, and don’t get sucked into this throwaway culture.

4 Simple Furnace Repair Tips

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Experienced HVAC repair technicians perform furnace repair and maintenance services. They have years of experience repairing high-end furnaces, including both wood-and hybrid models. Whether you’re having trouble with your boiler or other heating device, it’s best to contact an experienced technician. They will be able to diagnose the issue, offer the most effective solution, and fix your furnace in less time than it would take you to replace it. With trained furnace repair professionals by your side, you can feel confident that they will do their best to make your heating unit run as efficiently as possible.

furnace-repair-professionals

There are several things to look out for when trying to repair your heating system. Here are the simple tips for furnace repair:

1. Proper Certifications

One of the first steps is making sure the technician has the proper certifications. In order to qualify, he must fulfill HVAC National Board Certified Qualifying Board (HVAC NSB) qualifications. As part of being certified, he must also complete a comprehensive heat installation training program and pass the state exam. When checking out prospective technicians, make sure to ask what certifications they hold and how long they’ve been doing this type of work.

2. The Right Equipment

Next, it’s important to check out the technician’s equipment. Since many HVAC services perform work using heaters, it’s important to find out what kind of equipment they’re using. Ask to see their gas tank to see if the gas is topped off. If so, it’s a good idea to wait a few hours while the technician tops off the gas. Leaving the gas in for too long can cause serious problems like leaks and possibly explosions. If you notice signs of wear or damage on the heating equipment, contact the gas company immediately.

If the furnace repair is running but not producing enough heat, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue. First, turn the power to the furnace on and check to make sure it’s actually functioning. If it’s not, then the next step is to open the furnace door safety switch. This is located directly above the furnace itself. You’ll need to unscrew the two screws that are holding it in place and pull the safety switch straight down. It’s important to note that this step doesn’t require any tools and will allow you to safely open the door.

3. Check the Filters

Next, if you find that the furnace filters are clogged, these are the repairs you’ll need to do. Remove the filter from the furnace and wipe it clean with a damp cloth. If it appears to be damaged or dirty, you may need to purchase new filters. If not, simply replace the ones you’ve removed and wipe the rest of them clean with another cloth.

4. Cool off the Blower

For the last step in furnace blower repairs, you’ll need to remove the blower and place it in an open space to allow it to cool off completely. This step is particularly important if your heating system hasn’t been running for a while and you’re afraid of overheating it again. Once the blower has cooled down completely, it can be removed from the system. Again, you’ll need to perform all of these steps one at a time in order to ensure you don’t skip any of the necessary parts.

5. Tackling Gas Leaks

One more furnace repair tip involves cleaning and repairing gas leaks and defective heat exchangers. These are especially common in older heat and air-conditioning equipment, often resulting from poorly maintained duct work and outdated insulation. Blocked ducts allow cold air to freely enter the furnace room, which then warms up the interior of the room. Warm air can create a drafty environment inside the house, causing expensive energy bills to go through the roof.

Blocked ducts are also known to cause hot spots, especially in areas where there’s not enough duct work in the house. These hot spots will typically show up as small bluish-green stains in ceilings, walls, doors, and windows.

To fix hot spots and prevent drafty drafts, you can perform a filter change on your furnaces. It’s important to note that filters should only be changed with a qualified technician, as filters can be dangerous if changed by an untrained consumer. Filters should be replaced every three to six months, depending on the size of the filter, but they should always be replaced before they become blocked with dust or grime. Furnace repair professionals can perform the proper filter change for your furnaces and can guarantee that the process is done right.

Solar Panels – The Advantages and Disadvantages for Homeowners

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Solar panels are seeing a huge surge in uptake, with around a million roofs of UK homes now being adorned with them. One of the main reasons for this surge is the interest in renewable energy and climate change. Before you decide to go solar, take time to check out the main advantages and disadvantages as discussed below.

energy efficient technologies

The Advantages of Solar Panels

There is no doubt that one of the biggest advantages of solar panels is the potential to save money on your energy bills, something that is highly attractive when consider alongside the increased cost of living. According to the Energy Saving Trust, most solar panel owners can make savings of between £250 to £600 a year, location-dependent, and will be able to sell any unused energy back to the grid for other users.

Another potential advantage is the ability to sell any unused energy back to the grid via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The SEG allows suppliers to buy any unused energy direct from solar panel owners in return for a cash payment. This not only helps your finances but also supports the demand for renewable energy and lower carbon footprints.

Finally, the other main benefit of installing solar panels is that it is a no-fuss solution that will not need excessive maintenance, nor will it make any noise when they are in use. Plus, most installers offer a 25-year guarantee on all the panels in case of any issues.

The Disadvantages of Solar Panels

Despite offering so many benefits, there are disadvantages that you will need to consider before forging ahead with solar panel installation. The first one is the initial cost of the system that you will need to invest in to get your solar panels up and running. Most homes can expect to pay over £6500 for solar panels even with the ongoing drop in prices as they become more popular.

Next, you will need to be realistic about the amount of energy your solar panels will create with the British weather. Solar panels are always going to work better on bright sunny days, meaning that your production will slow on cloudy days and through the winter and produce less energy for you to send back to the grid.

solar energy diy

Finally, solar panels are not suitable for every home, and you may find that your roof does not face the right way or have the right angle to accommodate the panels. Even if you do have the right roof, your solar panels will take up lots of space, so you will need to work out if your roof is big enough to offer the supply that you need.

Solar Panels – a Summary

Getting to grips with all the pros and cons can be daunting, so we have summarised them below for quick reference:

Pros Cons
Offers a genuine saving on energy bills Takes a long time to make any money back
Reduce your carbon footprint Can be expensive to install
Simple to maintain Hard to move once installed
Range of financial support options Weather can reduce performance
Several types of panels to choose between Can look unattractive
Make cash from the energy you do not use Needs lots of space
Noiseless once installed Not suitable for all roofs

If you are keen to proceed with solar panel installation, then take the time to search for the best deals and check out all the financial support packages that may be open to you as this will help you get the best return on your investment for years to come.