What is a Heat Pump?
A heat pump is a machine or device that moves heat from one location (the ’source’) to another location (the ’sink’ or ‘heat sink’) using mechanical work.
Most heat pump technology moves heat from a low temperature heat source to a higher temperature heat sink.
Common examples are food refrigerators and freezers, air conditioners, and reversible-cycle heat pumps for providing thermal comfort.
Heat pumps can be thought of as a heat engine which is operating in reverse.
One common type of heat pump works by exploiting the physical properties of an evaporating and condensing fluid known as a refrigerant.
In heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications, a heat pump normally refers to a vapor-compression refrigeration device that includes a reversing valve and optimized heat exchangers so that the direction of heat flow may be reversed.
Most commonly, heat pumps draw heat from the air or from the ground. Some air-source heat pumps do not work as well when temperatures fall below around −5°C(23°F).
Source: Wikipedia
Going off the Grid
The shortage of power, the rapid consumption of non-renewable energy, the ever-increasing demand for power, the daily warnings about our environment all tell us that it’s time to do something.
So, what can we do?
For starters, how about living off the grid?
If that proposition startles you, let me tell you that living off the grid not only helps the environment and ssave power; it also cuts down our electricity bill substantially.
Now, that’s a tangible benefit apart from all the good you will do to the world. Trust me, you will feel good doing this.
Let us first study the advantages of living off the grid.
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Home Sellers: Top 5 Home Improvement Projects Based on Cost and Return on Investment
Make note of these tips from HomeGain to improve and increase the value of your home – especially the point about plumbing!
RISMEDIA, November 10, 2009—HomeGain.com, one of the first websites to offer Web-based free instant home values, announced that it has released the results of its nationwide home improvement and home staging Home Sale Maximizer survey.
HomeGain’s recent survey shows the top do-it-yourself home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers. HomeGain received responses from nearly 1,000 Realtors nationwide and configured a list of the top 12 do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements that cost under $5,000 and benefit sellers most when they sell their homes.
According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers based on cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI) are:
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What is Energy Star?
ENERGY STAR is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products.
It was first created as a United States government program in 1992, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted the program.
Devices carrying the Energy Star logo, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, save 20%-30% on average.
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The World Energy Crisis
The world is gradually marching towards a severe energy crisis, what with an ever-increasing demand of energy overstepping its supply.
We have always known that the energy we use everyday is not unlimited, yet we take it for granted. Oil, gas, power, even water has limited availability. Yet, we have not taken enough precautions to deal with a possible energy crisis. When I say ‘we’, I am not referring to the governments but to all of us, the common people.
Oil and gas have already become too expensive, and with each passing day, they are moving towards being extinct. Some ignorant people think that energy crisis is a myth. They fail to see the big picture. There have been three major energy crises so far – the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, and the 1990 oil-price hike, apart from several regional crisis.
Prices have been rapidly increasing for the last five years, thanks to the ever-increasing demand and the increasing shortage of energy resources.
How soon will it be all gone?