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How-To: Insulate Your Water Heater

casasugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:00:01 -0800

Even though we've already wrapped up (har har) House Warming month, I thought I'd show you how to insulate your water heater. After all, Winter's still ahead of us, as are those expensive heating bills. This project improves your hot water efficiency by keeping water in the pipes warmer, delivering hotter water when you run the hot faucet. This way, you're effectively wasting less water since the tap isn't running tepid water when you want hot water.

It's a really easy task, and you'll be able to find the supplies needed at your local hardware store. Make sure to read the manual that goes with your water heater, though, because some manufacturers preclude insulating their heaters. You should also be particularly cautious if you have a gas heater, as it could cause a fire. To learn the steps,

Casa Quickie: Keeping Bees Away From Your Pool

casasugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:00:02 -0700

It's hard to enjoy your endless Summer if bee stings come hand in hand with taking a dip in your pool. But bees have many uses for water, including drinking and using as material to build hives. So, unless there's another source of water nearby, you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be making a poolside visit. According to the USDA, bees will forage any open water source, so the only way to detract them is by making the water unpalatable. You can do so by filling a spray bottle with a mix of 1/4 cup of dish soap or vinegar and a quart of water, and spraying bees that are at your pool. This will eliminate bees as they forage on water, and prevent others in the colony from learning about your pool's location.
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Before and After: A Floating Home

casasugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:01 -0700

Architect Vladimir Plotkin recently showcased his design for a floating residence at Archstoyanie, an architecture festival in the small village of Nicola-Lenivets, located in Kaluga, Russia. Plotkin explained that the raft and house portions are meant to be separate, with the raft platform used for sunbathing, barbecuing, and socializing during the day. After the resident has had her fill of fun, she can then retreat to the elevated house portion of the structure to rest and sleep off the fun and sun. Here's what the floating home looked like in a computer rendering:

To see it in real life,

How-To: Save Water in Your Garden and Yard

casasugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:30:48 -0700

Did you know that in the Summer, outdoor water use at homes increases from 10-50 percent? This can lead to water shortages in some areas of the United States, as well as a big increase in your monthly water bill. Don't despair though, there are many easy ways to cut your water use.

Don't water your soil in your garden or lawn until it's dry. You can test for dryness by digging your finger beneath the soil surface. If the soil is dry at one-and-a-half inches deep, it's time to water.
You can reduce water needs for your lawn by raising the lawnmower's blade level so grass is cut at two to three inches or higher. Longer grass needs less water, since it shades the plants' roots, which in turn encourage deeper growth.
Water early in the morning, when your lawn or garden will retain the most water.

To hear the rest,

Casa Verde: Bring Back the Drinking Fountain

casasugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:45:48 -0700

Have you noticed that water fountains are few and far between, at least in the United States? I feel as if when I was a little kid, they were a lot more accessible in public places. My library even had one, which is more than I can say for my neighborhood library now. What's ironic about this fact is that the first water fountains were installed in Berkeley, where I live!

Luther Haws, a part-time plumber and sanitary inspector for the city of Berkeley, was inspired to invent the drinking fountain in 1906, when he noticed school children drinking out of the same tin cup. This germ swapping seemed to him to pose a potential health hazard. So, Haws set to work building the first modern drinking fountain out of spare plumbing parts, the ball from a brass bedstead, and a self-closing rabbit ear valve.

Now that everyone's starting to realize that plastic water bottles are terrible for the environment, I propose a return to the use of water fountains. They're sanitary, convenient, and in the case of many (including this one), occasionally beautiful works of art. Not only will it cut down on plastic use, it'll also help to do something equally important: foster a sense of community in your neighborhood or city.

How-To: 10 Easy Ways to Save Water at Home

casasugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:00:34 -0700

While I love to keep Summer style chic and easy, I also like to try to keep it eco-minded as well. The water rationing in the San Francisco Bay Area has encouraged me to redouble my water conservation efforts, and I've been striving to find ways to further cut down on my water use. I have a suspicion that many of you are also trying to minimize your water use as well — after all, it's both an economically and environmentally smart idea. Since my goal is to always make your lives easier, I've found ways to save water that don't involve intensive planning, gizmos, or installations that will also save money on your water bill every month.

Check for hidden water leaks at your house. Just recently, I realized that the piping for my home's deck spigot was leaky. I cut off the water supply to the deck spigot, moved more of my deck plants down to the patio, and now water the plants by hand. To get an accurate check of your water use, read the house water use before and after two hours, when no water is being used. If the meter does not show the same reading, there is a leak.
Your toilet may have a leak, too. To check, drop some food coloring into the back of your toilet (the toilet tank). If the color begins to appear in the bowl within half an hour, and you have not flushed then there's a leak. No worries though — in most cases this is a cheap and easy repair.
Transform your toilet into an economical, no-installation, low-flow toilet by placing plastic bottles in your tank. Take one or two individual-sized plastic bottles, put some sand in them to weigh them down, fill the bottles with water, and then put them in your toilet tank. You can save over 10 gallons of water a day with this simple method.

Want to know the rest? Then

Casa Quickie: Leftovers

casasugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:00:53 -0700

Hand-me-downs. Cold pizza for lunch. Last night's lasagna for breakfast. Defrosted wedding cake on your one-year anniversary. What's not to love about leftovers? And, as much as they can satisfy cravings, they will also satisfy plants! If you have houseplants, whenever possible give them a good pour of water that is left over from drinking and cooking. Obviously, you don't want to over water your plants (black thumb!); so, if it's not yet time to use that leftover water, why not store it in a jar rather than pour it down the drain? Repurposing and conserving water is certainly eco. And even better — the nutrients left over from boiling or steaming veggies will provide an added vitamin boost to your plants. What's not to love?
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This Just In: Celine Dion Top Water Waster

casasugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:00:14 -0700

Water conservation's been on my mind lately, since my local utility wants residents to cut water use by 19%. It seems like water conservation and rationing is big news all over. In fact, the central coast of Florida is in a drought, and the Palm Beach Post has revealed that the biggest water waster is crooner Celine Dion. While her heart may go on, apparently so does her sprinkler system, showers, and faucets, if her water bill is any indication.

How much water does the Canadian songstress use? Well, enough to fill a bathtub every four minutes, if that's a good visual. In more concrete terms, her Jupiter Island 5.7 acre property uses 6.5 million gallons of water a year — normal water usage is only 120,000 gallons a year. Here's hoping the singer will learn some tips from fellow celeb Leonardo DiCaprio and buy an eco toilet, as well as learn how to turn off that sprinkler system. I'd offer her the suggestion of shaving her legs without the water running, but apparently she's already got that covered.

Source and Source

Casa Verde: The Best Time For a Shower

casasugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:15:56 -0700

A shower for your garden, that is! To get the most bang for your water buck, water your garden after the sun goes down. This way, less water will evaporate from the sun and hot daytime temperatures, and it will be more likely to penetrate the soil. If you have trouble with slugs or snails invading your garden at night, switch your watering routine to the very early morning. This way you'll reap the benefits of watering at a cooler time of the day without exposing your plants to moisture-heavy, snail-tempting vegetation.

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Casa Quickie: Turn Off the Tap!

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:30:22 -0700

Did you know that running the bathroom tap for only two minutes while brushing your teeth can waste more than two gallons of water? If you run water for your morning and night-time toothbrushing, as well as for shaving, this can really add up. To get into the habit of turning off the tap, leave an inspirational photo of a lake or the ocean tucked into your bathroom mirror, to help you remember the necessity of conserving water. If you get into this habit, you can save up to 8,540 gallons of water!
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Casa Verde: Collect Your Rainwater

casasugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:15:59 -0800

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we've been deluged with rain all Winter long. Most of this rain simply spills across the pavement and gutters and gets funneled back into the sewers. However, smart homeowners in this area put all of this water to work for them by saving it in rain barrels. Since the Bay Area has crazy amounts of rain in the Winter and hardly a drop in the Summer, water becomes a precious commodity come July (just when gardens are popping with life and demanding more irrigation). Instead of stressing the local municipality's water service, folks with rain barrels can simply irrigate their backyard gardens and lawns with the rain saved in their rain barrels.

To find out how to make your own rain barrel out of recycled materials, just

How To: Keep Your Tree Looking Its Best

casasugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:05:42 -0800

To keep your tree looking its best (and to limit the amount of time you spend hand vacuuming up needles), make sure that it has plenty of water. Maintaining a steady water supply will prevent the needles from drying out and dropping off. It will also help to keep the boughs from drooping (and potentially causing ornaments to fall off). Best of all, in my opinion, a well-watered tree will be very fragrant!

For a list of other great tree life span-lengthening tips, just