Tips On How to Conserve Your Water

Everyone wants to "Go-Green"and that includes using less energy and water. Spring is here and summer is around the corner. Here's a few tips on using less water and saving you money!


Indoors
*Take shorter showers. Replace you shower head with an ultra-low-flow version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs They can be very inexpensive and they can save you up to 750 gallons of water each month!* Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
* Washing Clothes. Energy Star rated appliances reportedly use 30 to 50 percent less water, not to mention giving you incredible energy savings. Consider replacing your old washer with a newer, more efficient one.
* Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet. This may sound funny, but we all do it.

*Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.
*One thing that I am guilty of is letting water run while shaving or washing my face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling sink.


Outdoors
* Try not to hose down your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from these areas. Using a hose to clean a driveway can waste hundreds of gallons of water.
* This may sound a little funny but if you raise the lawn mower blade to at least three inches. A lawn cut higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.
*If you wash your own car, it can take about 120 gallons a week. There are commercial car washes that recycle water you might want to consider.
*If you are lucky enough to have a pool..Well, then you have a pool. :) They are a lot of maintenance and use a lot of water. Consider a new water-saving pool filter. A single back flushing with a traditional filter uses from l80 to 250 gallons or more of water.
These are points I'm sure we all have heard but it's good to think about the little things that help us save money and of course the environment. Hope this Helps, Cheers!

The Rush

It’s April 29th and home buyers have seemed to be scrambling to close on new homes to receive the $8,000 or $6,500 Tax Credit.

In reality, if a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, home buyers have until June 30, 2010 to complete the purchase. What some people may not know, is service members who were on official extended duty outside of the United States for at least 90 days between Jan.1, 2009 and May 1, 2010, may qualify for a one-year extension. That's good news for anyone in the military.

Whether you have taken advantage of this offer or not, it is important to keep in mind that rushing into buying a home is not the way to go. For a lot of people it is the most important decision of their life.