Category: Saving Water

How Quickly Can Artwork Lighten Without Non-Glare Glass?

Glass does little to shield artwork when subjected to direct sunshine. The rate with which art lightens and fades without non-glare glass is right about the same as with it. Non-glare glass and even especially coated ultraviolet glass does little to protect artwork from fading. While glass manufacturers and retailers may attempt to convince you differently, museum curators know the reality. A memorial curator never places a precious piece of artwork on screen without ensuring its security first.

Sunlight and Artwork

How quickly a piece of artwork fades when exposed to light is dependent upon if it’s summer or winter. Sunlight has less impact on artwork but can still harm it with continuous exposure. A piece of art exposed to the direct intensity of summer’s sunlight fades more quickly, in as little as a few hours or days, compared to sunlight exposure. The majority of the retail glass available for protecting art does little to shield it from the UV rays of sunlight, especially when the art is subjected to harsh sunshine.

Conservation-Grade Glass

Museum curators use a particular kind of glass — called conservation-grade — that includes four distinct sandwiched layers and coatings. The glass typically comprises two special optical coatings, one on top and the other on the bottom, a layer of glass plus a third conservation-grade UV coating beside the glass prior to the final optical coating. When coupled together, conservation museum-grade glass may block up to 99 percent of UV rays, while still allowing around 97 percent light transmission. Museum-grade glass has a 1 percent reflection factor.

Protecting Art

Original pieces of artwork require protection from sunlight and even protection from indoor lighting, which can also emit UV rays. The very first step in safeguarding original art begins with hanging it where it does not receive direct exposure to sunlight. If you hang artwork on a wall that receives sun — even just a few hours every day — the artwork fades with time, with or without non-glare or UV glass. To avoid facing, place artwork on walls that face away from sunlight or on walls that don’t get harsh sunlight. If you add a light above your art, confirm the bulbs do not include UV rays too.

Choosing Glass for Artwork

The value of a piece of art is subjective, unless you have it assessed by an art appraiser for insurance or auction functions. In case you’ve valued art that’s also insured, don’t place it receives exposure to harsh sunshine. Insert a frame that contains museum-grade glass to watercolor art, signed and numbered prints, or lithographs by your favourite artist. Oil and acrylic paintings typically don’t have glass , but you also can shield them using conservation-grade glass if you would like.

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What Impact Does Common Vents Have in an HVAC System?

Like the thought that cranking the thermostat all the way up or down cools or heats a home quicker, the belief that closing some family ports increases overall HVAC performance and efficiency is a busted myth. In reality, it usually has the opposite effect. In today’s energy-efficient residences, air flow is balanced to preserve neutral air pressure in each room. When some ports are closed, that delicate balance hints, energy consumption increases and household relaxation declines.

Increased Duct Leakage

Even with all ports open, the Department of Energy estimates the typical house loses up to 20 percent of heated and cooled air through leaky ducts. But that percentage climbs even higher if some supply ports are closed. Air pressure inside supply ducts increases in proportion to the number of ports closed and shoves still greater quantities of conditioned air out of existing leaks. Your furnace or A/C runs more “on” cycles to compensate for your reduction, boosting operating expenses.

Pressure Imbalances

Although the supply enroll into your room is closed, the return enroll from the room (which cannot be closed) proceeds pulling air into the furnace or A/C. Room air pressure changes out of neutral to negative. A closed, depressurized room always sucks unconditioned outside air in through small gaps and cracks which exist in almost any structure. Room temperature gets cold or warm and transfers to adjoining rooms by conduction through walls, offsetting the air conditioner or furnace as well as increasing energy consumption.

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Sprinkler Systems & Wells

Sprinkler systems supply even watering for your lawn or garden on a program which you control. Setting up a sprinkler system typically involves measuring the pressure and water circulation of your home’s water main and designing the sprinkler system accordingly. If you plan on using a well to feed the sprinkler system, then there are a few things that you must keep in mind to avoid potential system issues or damage.

Water Pressure

Wells operate differently than a municipal water system, pulling water from the ground and then pumping it to your house. Instead of maintaining a constant pressure like lots of municipal systems do, the water provided by your nicely uses local pumps to give pressure. This pressure might differ based on the size and power of the pumps used and may be lower than what you would have access to on a bigger system. Another pump is frequently used to power the sprinkler system, providing more pressure inside the system and preventing pressure drops in the event you utilize water at the house while the sprinklers are functioning.

Variable Flow Rate

Calculating the flow speed supplied by means of a well is tricky since most wells feature a cylinder where your house draws its water. The flow rate provided by the cylinder frequently differs from that of the well itself, causing the speed of flow to fall if the tank gets empty. As sprinkler systems utilize a lot of water, your sprinklers can utilize all the water on your well tank if they pull more water than your principal well pump supplies. If your system attempts to draw more water when the cylinder is empty, air is pulled into the pump which can lead to overheating and eventual breakdown.

Backflow Prevention

A backflow prevention module is an significant part any sprinkler system. This is especially important for a well-fed sprinkler system, as it prevents dust, dirt and other unwanted contaminants that might get in the sprinkler pipes from leeching into the water storage tank which also provides your home. Various grades of backflow prevention modules are available and local statutes may specify a minimum grade for you to utilize to avoid waterborne illness or other possible issues.

Size Limitations

The pressure and flow rate limitations of a well produce a limit to the magnitude of sprinkler program you can install on your premises. You should consult the performance graphs for different sprinkler heads and pump systems to determine how much area you can cover the pressure and flow speed that your nicely supplies. Optimizing the design of your sprinkler system will help as well, as each bend or curve from the system reduces pressure marginally. Increasing the magnitude of the heels in your well will increase output pressure and flow speed, though this growth is limited by the magnitude of the pipes and other equipment employed from the well.

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To Conserve Energy By Enhancing Your Refrigerator Performance

Many homeowners love having a refrigerator that has lasted for several years, and even years, without any significant repairs or upgrades. However, home appliances in general have undergone a basic change in previous years, getting more energy efficient. Refrigerator styles now include bottom-freezer and French door, as well as the top-freezer and side-by-side models that many families are accustomed to using. One family’s energy conservation efforts may differ significantly from the house next door, based on the age of the refrigerator. Producing your refrigerator more energy efficient can involve using methods that use to then and today, standard and technical.

Standard Approaches

Make 1 trip to the refrigerator per snack or small meal. Think of what things you need from the refrigerator before opening the door. Use a food tray to take numerous things at once to the counter or island. This prevents warmer atmosphere from the kitchen surroundings from inside the cooler air in the refrigerator, which means the compressor does not have to use more power to revive and maintain the selected temperature.

Dedicate to an temperature setting to your refrigerator. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy suggests keeping your refrigerator in a chilly 35 degrees to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer compartment at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. If your appliance does not offer an specific temperature readout, buy a refrigerator thermometer so you have a precise reading.

Clean the condenser coils, each the instructions of the manufacturer. As air is drawn over the condenser, dust and dirt are inevitably pulled in as well, reducing the coils’ capability to cool off your refrigerator. Cleaning methods include using a duster and vacuum cleaner, however consult with the owner’s manual for specific advice. Some manufacturers have made refrigerators so the condenser never needs cleaning, by positioning this component in the bottom of the appliance rather than at the trunk.

Pull the refrigerator away from the wall, carefully, so the condenser gets a constant supply of clean air. Measure a distance from the wall of approximately 1 to 2 inches, or per the instructions in your owner’s manual. Gently slide the refrigerator back into position, leaving the measured distance between the trunk and sides of the refrigerator, and the wall. Check to find out if your appliance has casters or rollers, which helps movement go smoother. If no rollers are present, be careful to not scratch up your kitchen’s floors, or worse, then tilt the refrigerator over.

Specialized Approaches

Turn off the Humidity Control attribute, if you have a French or side-by-side door model. Manufacturers commonly design a hidden heater onto the door hinge seal of the device. This heater reduces or evaporates moisture away buildup on the refrigerator, but it also consumes electricity. If moisture isn’t a problem, deactivate this feature on your own appliance. Some manufacturers actually clarify the process of deactivating refrigerator humidity controls as Energy Saver mode, because of the significant power use.

Activate Holiday or Vacation style if you do not open your refrigerator for weeks or days at a time. Many modern refrigerators have automatic defrosters on a timer. Defrosting improves energy efficiency by using a heater to melt away built-up ice and frost, allowing for the free flow of cold air throughout the torso. If you are not frequently opening and shutting the door, there’s not any need for defrost mode, which conserves energy.

Turn off the ice maker if you don’t want frequent ice cubes. In some models, it is possible to simply raise a lever to halt ice manufacturing, although other models have an Off button or change. Check with your owner’s manual. According the EERE, automatic ice manufacturers increase energy use by as much as 20 percent. This also includes the ice dispensing mechanism on the exterior the doorway. Instead, revert to creating ice in trays, the old-fashioned way.

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