Sales of dual flush toilet is increasing everyday because of their water saving nature. In this era, people are becoming aware about the environment and try to save money in every possible manner. Therefore, they are going more towards water saving toilet system such as dual flush toilets.

A dual flush system has two buttons on the flush. One button is for short flush and other is for full flush. Short flush button is used to flush away liquid waste. It uses less than a gallon of water for this process.

If button for flushing solid waste is selected, it will use around 3/2 gallons of water. Water used to remove solid waste includes bowl water as well as water stored in tank.

Water used in full flush is double than water used in half flush. But even if you select the full flush button, a dual flush toilet still uses significantly less water than a conventional toilet.

Many standard toilets use between three to five gallons (approximately 19 liters) of water in every flush. However, a dual flush toilet saves a lot of water. Maximum amount of water used by this system for a single flush is around 6 liters, which is much less than used in other systems.

Dual flush toilets only use the power of water to flush away the waste whereas conventional toilets uses combination of air and water pressure for flushing. It also causes less water consumption in dual flush toilets. Generally these toilets have larger hole at the bottom to allow water to flow faster and with good pressure.

Like this a dual flush toilet helps a home owner to cut down the amount of water used in each flush. Toilet is a place in house where a large portion of water is used and by installing this kind of flushing system you can save a lot of water.

You should try to conserve water in every small and big thing like flushing, showering, and washing hands. It is very important to keep your environment safe and healthy by conserving water. A dual flush toilet will help you in saving a considerable amount of water and money in form of utility bills.

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Here are some common sense tips and advice of things to do prior to the winter season arriving. It is better to be snuggled up in front of your fireplace once old man winter arrives, rather than rushing around repairing items that some fall maintenance would have prevented. So with that thought in mind please peruse the following list:

1) Furnace Inspection

· Make sure your furnace is in good working order. Make sure that the thermostat and pilot light are working properly and that the pipe bringing fuel to your furnace isn’t leaking or loose

· Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.

· Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.

· If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.

· Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

· Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds. Check top of chimney for cracks in cap or mortar. Also check visible bricks and mortar for cracks. Have any cracks repaired prior to winter.

· If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote or buy equipment and do it yourself.

· If your home is heated by a fireplace or wood stove, buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.

· Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

· Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them with exterior quality silicone caulking.

· Use weather stripping around older style doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk exterior window joints to ensure no drafts are present.

· If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields. Ensure your window well drains are installed properly, covered with screen and then a layer of stone. They are tied into your weeping system and any debris could block your foundation weepers causing problems with your basement.

· Remove any un-needed screens and store until spring.

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Copper Plumbing and Your Home

Older homes which have not had their plumbing distribution upgraded can sometimes experience pin hole leaks in their pipes which is the first sign that their whole plumbing supply systems may require replacement.

Copper pipe can be eaten away by corrosion. The common causes of corrosion are; PH of water, O2 in water, presence of minerals, temperature of water and the velocity of the water.

Water PH – This is an issue where the PH is low. Low PH can lead to early corrosion of pipes which can be avoided with water treatment systems. (water softeners) This option is usually not available to apartment buildings etc where the consent of all tenants would be required.

Oxygen – Introducing fresh oxygen to your water system is supplying organisms that eat away at your plumbing distribution system.

Minerals – The coating of minerals on your plumbing distribution systems can sometimes protect and slow down the corrosion process happening in your copper pipes.

Water Temp – High water temperatures increase the rate of corrosion. Organisms thrive in warmer water which greatly accelerates the damage to your pipes.

Velocity –   Water travelling at a faster rate “scours” the pipe from minerals etc which causes wear to pipe. Creation of water bubbles and their collapse also cause creation of pinholes through a process known as Capitation.

Most plumbing systems are estimated to last 20 years before replacement is necessary. Pin hole leaks usually occur on hot water lines and then move on to cold water lines which then involves the whole system where an economical decision must be made to keep repairing or replacing complete system.

Copper pipe comes in different grades based on the thickness of the copper pipe wall. The thicker the wall the longer life expectancy. Copper comes in three grades, M for thin wall pipe used mainly inside homes, L for thicker wall pipe, used mainly outside for water services and K, the thickest, used mainly between water mains and the water meter. Copper lasts a long time, is durable and connects well to valves.

If you are replacing your plumbing in your home ensure you know type of copper pipe is being installed. Upgrading to thicker pipe is not an expensive procedure where labour is the major cost.

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