All Friends Blog Weblog

My family has always recycled plastic and glass by putting it those recycle green tubs, then place it on the curb on recycle day, we also recycle our leaves and grass clipping by putting them in the special clear bags the city gives to you.  Well for the New Year 2008 we made a New Year’s resolution to recycle more and save money while doing it.  The first thing I thought about was WATER its free could we find a way to store it, when it rains outside, and later use it to water the grass or wash the car with rain water. I surfed the net for a solution and found this unique website that has rain water tanks that you can use to capture water and re-use for harvesting rain water this is a great recycle solution for our home and garden.  Water Harvest even has rainwater tanks for garden irrigation systems for commercial and industrial water re-use and harvesting and even grey water systems.  I really would like to get the above ground tank storage option, where the rain falls off your house and goes directly into the tank with a filter and it is stored until you use it. The rain water tanks they offer are a unique way of using water tanks and greywater as water saving solution. 

Rainwater Tanks
Rainwater tanks literally come in hundreds of different sizes, shapes and configurations. The main categories of tanks are:

In-ground Rainwater Tanks
Once again the choices are vast. Tanks can be constructed from concrete, polypropylene, even plastic crate systems. Capacities range from 10,000 liters to 200,000 liters plus. Our technical consultants can work with you to determine what system would be best suited to meet your requirements.

Above Ground Rainwater Tanks
The most popular types here is either round or slim line in shape, with capacities ranging up to 50,000 liters. They are constructed from either steel, often corrugated or plastic (polypropylene). 

I wrote this blog post on my experience with rain water tanks; because it was surprising to me personally that there are rain water tanks to conserve water for small routine water use.  To me it is recycling rain water and it helps you save money on your water bill while doing what ever you can recycle.  I live in Texas and we have many rainy NIGHTS where it is a Thunder storm warning and while you are at work that day, it is a very dryness in the air. Well here in

In the war between electric appliances versus gas appliances.  I personally lean on the side of gas, here in Houston TX, because we are in Texas and are on a separate grid from the rest of the USA. Electrictity is very expensive and costly with the average 3 family home costing $400-$500 monthly for electrictiy during summer months.  If you could remove any appliance from the electric bill it is always a good idea. 

I found this great site with the below information:

Dare to Compare

Find out what your savings would be for an electric heat pump versus a natural gas furnace. To calculate the costs for your house, just type over the suggested values in the form below (or select the correct value from a pull-down list or radio button) for each of these 10 questions:  When I visited thier website it was very informative and takes the calculations from personal to professional which I respect. We recommend this website to help you decide which is better gas vs electric?

You can click on this link for find more information Energy Right
These are all things to consider:

1. What is the heated area of your house?
2. How well is your house insulated?
3. What is the winter Heating Load Hours value for your location?
4. What is the efficiency (AFUE) of the gas furnace
5. Does the gas furnace have a standing pilot light?
6. How much per Therm do you pay for natural gas?
7. What is your monthly customer charge for natural gas ?
8. What is the efficiency (HSPF) of the electric heat pump?
9. How many cents per kilowatt hour do you pay for electric power?
10. What is your monthly customer charge for electric service?

I also found this website Cosumer Energy Center this website is the most informative I have found and it makes great scence. The California Energy Commission puts everything together and makes the direct comparison between gas vs. electric that is easy to understand and every can get it.  Think about the appliances as little deductions from your paycheck because they are.

 WATER HEATERS - When we think about where our energy dollars go, we notice the obvious choices we see every day around the house - lights, kitchen appliances, television, and air conditioning and heating. But we tend to overlook the expense of heating water for our daily needs, however 25% of each energy dollar goes to heat water.

Electric vs Gas

Your first decision should be whether to buy a gas or electric model. If you’re replacing an existing water heater, check to see what type you have now. Is it gas, electric or even propane? Do you have a natural gas outlet available at the water heater, or only an electric outlet? Many homes are not equipped with natural gas. Obviously, it would not be a good idea to buy a gas water heater if you have an all-electric home.

Which is better - gas or electric?

In almost all of California, natural gas is the most economical way to go. It usually costs three times as much to heat the same amount of water with electricity as it does with gas.

If you have an electric water heater and a gas furnace or stove, you may save money in the long run if you extend the gas line to your water heater.

If you live in a rural area that has propane service instead of natural gas, propane is usually less expensive than electricity.

Comparing Fuel Costs

To estimate your water-heating bill, locate the price you pay for gas, electricity or propane: (Based on general energy prices)