A recent twitter post I received showed a manufacturer offering a beautifully-crafted combined wash basin and toilet that recycles the basin waste water through the toilet reducing the overall water use by 30%.
However the annual cost of water from this high tech idea is around £140, whilst your utility will provide you the same water volume for around £14.
So why not look for simpler and more direct ways to save water? Repair any leaking overflow or dripping tap, put a water-saver bag in your old toilet cistern to reduce its flush volume, or remember to use the half-flush feature on your modern cistern.
If you and I reduce our water use following these simple changes, we might just avoid a hosepipe ban when summer finally hots up.
Richard, domigo Happy Home Guru
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Why won't my room stay warm?
Everyone loves a cosy house to come home to and this unwelcome cold snap's playing havoc with our heating bills.
If your house was built before 1980, there's a strong chance that it was built to lower insulation standards than today's.
Why not check your loft insulation? If it is less than 150mm thick, or is worn and showing gaps, you might want to upgrade it - 300mm is the standard these days.
Stopping the heat from leaking out means cosier homes - something we could all do with while we 're waiting for spring to arrive.
Richard, domigo Happy Home Guru
If your house was built before 1980, there's a strong chance that it was built to lower insulation standards than today's.
Why not check your loft insulation? If it is less than 150mm thick, or is worn and showing gaps, you might want to upgrade it - 300mm is the standard these days.
Stopping the heat from leaking out means cosier homes - something we could all do with while we 're waiting for spring to arrive.
Richard, domigo Happy Home Guru
The best ways to save water are the most straight-forward
Innovation is admirable as highlighted in a recent twitter post of a manufacturer offering a beautifully-crafted integral washbasin and toilet that recycles the basin wastewater.
In their words, "Cost is comparable to luxury wall-hung WC, cistern, frame, basin, tap & all fittings but has added benefit of water-saving." Compelling?
But at £3,000 (including VAT) the price tag probably consigns this design to a luxury niche, meaning its overall water-saving contribution is minimal.
The reality is that the annual water cost of this idea is £140, whilst your water utility can provide you the same amount of water for around £14.
If you wish to save water then it is better to find a more effective way to do so. Avoiding water leakage, using a saver bag in an old toilet cistern, or remembering to use the half-flush feature on a normal toilet are all more likely to have a greater water-saving impact than this idea.
On the other hand if you want a beautiful toilet then I know a manufacturer who will sell you one.
In their words, "Cost is comparable to luxury wall-hung WC, cistern, frame, basin, tap & all fittings but has added benefit of water-saving." Compelling?
But at £3,000 (including VAT) the price tag probably consigns this design to a luxury niche, meaning its overall water-saving contribution is minimal.
The reality is that the annual water cost of this idea is £140, whilst your water utility can provide you the same amount of water for around £14.
If you wish to save water then it is better to find a more effective way to do so. Avoiding water leakage, using a saver bag in an old toilet cistern, or remembering to use the half-flush feature on a normal toilet are all more likely to have a greater water-saving impact than this idea.
On the other hand if you want a beautiful toilet then I know a manufacturer who will sell you one.
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Long term thinking will help you to survive the freeze
Does it feel like minus 5 degrees C in late March? How mad is that? More seriously is this a climate trend that we might expect to recur; along with more extreme temperature swings? Does it follow also that we might get more cooler weather given our latitude in future years?
What we do know is that many of our homes were not built for these colder periods. Pre-1980 homes were built to lower insulation standards.
As a result of this simple fact, you may be finding that your utility bills are going literally through the roof, it feels hard to keep your home warm and wondering what to do about it?
Symptoms of poor insulation are not only high bills, but large swings in room temperature that you find hard to control leading to a feeling of poor comfort.
You can check yourself to see how poor your home is insulated by asking a few basic questions:
Qu 1: is your loft insulation less than 150mm, crushed or showing gaps?
Qu 2: do your external walls have internal or external insulation? They will sound hollow when tapped if they do?
Do you have wall cavities? Older homes are likely to have uninsulated wall cavities unless they have been treated. (If treated you will see a line of small holes low down along the outside walls )
Qu 3: are your windows single glazed, solid frames with no thermal breaks and draughty?
Qu 4: do you have suspended timber or concrete flooring? In older homes this will likely be uninsulated. If so, floor temperatures will drop as low as 5 to 8 deg C in winter and will feel cold to walk on barefoot, even if there is carpet.
So what should you do, if many of the above apply to your home?
There is no escaping the fact that you should improve your home insulation where you can, as this is tackling the root of your problem.
The benefits are two-fold.
- Of course it will reduce your bills, but the payback is still likely to be many years.
- As importantly, it will greatly improve the comfort of your home, making for a Happy Home. People who have insulated their home comment on how much better they feel. Room temperature swings are much less and temperature is easier to control leading to greater comfort. It is also better for the home itself, reducing condensation risk and the potential damage to woodwork.
So what are your solutions?
For Lofts: 300mm or more of loose roll is needed. Or where you have a room in the loft, a good quality 75mm or greater slab panel insulation on the underside of the rafters.
For Walls: insulate the cavity if there is one, or seriously consider internal or external insulation. It is not as hard as you think. Believe me. I have done it.
For Windows: get a quote from a FENSA-approved contractor. Modern uPVC will make a big difference to your comfort if you have old windows.
Hardest to treat in my view are ground floors. But not impossible, if you are planning a refurbishment, such as a new kitchen or extension. It is important that you don't miss such an opportunity to make this long term improvement. Planning is everything.
But it all costs money? Well the Green Deal is at hand with incentives and help. So shop around.
I will blog on some of these points in more detail later. In the meantime, let me know if this sparks any thoughts or questions that you would like me to answer.
domigo Happy Homes Club is here to help.
What we do know is that many of our homes were not built for these colder periods. Pre-1980 homes were built to lower insulation standards.
As a result of this simple fact, you may be finding that your utility bills are going literally through the roof, it feels hard to keep your home warm and wondering what to do about it?
Symptoms of poor insulation are not only high bills, but large swings in room temperature that you find hard to control leading to a feeling of poor comfort.
You can check yourself to see how poor your home is insulated by asking a few basic questions:
Qu 1: is your loft insulation less than 150mm, crushed or showing gaps?
Qu 2: do your external walls have internal or external insulation? They will sound hollow when tapped if they do?
Do you have wall cavities? Older homes are likely to have uninsulated wall cavities unless they have been treated. (If treated you will see a line of small holes low down along the outside walls )
Qu 3: are your windows single glazed, solid frames with no thermal breaks and draughty?
Qu 4: do you have suspended timber or concrete flooring? In older homes this will likely be uninsulated. If so, floor temperatures will drop as low as 5 to 8 deg C in winter and will feel cold to walk on barefoot, even if there is carpet.
So what should you do, if many of the above apply to your home?
There is no escaping the fact that you should improve your home insulation where you can, as this is tackling the root of your problem.
The benefits are two-fold.
- Of course it will reduce your bills, but the payback is still likely to be many years.
- As importantly, it will greatly improve the comfort of your home, making for a Happy Home. People who have insulated their home comment on how much better they feel. Room temperature swings are much less and temperature is easier to control leading to greater comfort. It is also better for the home itself, reducing condensation risk and the potential damage to woodwork.
So what are your solutions?
For Lofts: 300mm or more of loose roll is needed. Or where you have a room in the loft, a good quality 75mm or greater slab panel insulation on the underside of the rafters.
For Walls: insulate the cavity if there is one, or seriously consider internal or external insulation. It is not as hard as you think. Believe me. I have done it.
For Windows: get a quote from a FENSA-approved contractor. Modern uPVC will make a big difference to your comfort if you have old windows.
Hardest to treat in my view are ground floors. But not impossible, if you are planning a refurbishment, such as a new kitchen or extension. It is important that you don't miss such an opportunity to make this long term improvement. Planning is everything.
But it all costs money? Well the Green Deal is at hand with incentives and help. So shop around.
I will blog on some of these points in more detail later. In the meantime, let me know if this sparks any thoughts or questions that you would like me to answer.
domigo Happy Homes Club is here to help.
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