Who hasn’t experienced the aggravation of running out of hot water halfway through a shower? Maybe the in-laws are in town and using all of your hot water or perhaps you just have a conventional water heater that is about to die. Whatever the cause, a tankless water heater could be the solution you are looking for. Although it may sound like bad science fiction, the truth is that a tankless water heater really works and is far superior to the old-fashioned gas or electric “tank” water heaters.
In a conventional water heater, be it gas or electric, hot water is stored in a tank. While this may keep a ready supply of hot water on hand for immediate use, the fact remains that the hot water just sits around when not being used. In time, the heat will dissipate and the water heater will need to reheat the water. This is a complete waste of energy and it is simply costing you money.
A tankless water heater, however, does not store hot water for later use. Instead, a tankless water heater only produces as much hot water as a person needs. So, when the hot water faucet is turned on, the tankless unit provides as much hot water as necessary until the faucet is turned off. You can literally leave the hot water faucet on for hours and the tankless water heater will continue providing as much hot water as needed. You never need to worry about running out of hot water again during a shower when you install a tankless unit in your home.
One of the biggest problems with conventional “tank” water heaters is that they leak. No matter how great of a unit you buy, the fact remains that they will start leaking water as time goes on. After all, they are constantly filled with water! That water can damage anything in the area and cause you one huge mess. A tankless water heater, on the other hand, does not store water and therefore will not leave you a big mess to clean up one day—because it doesn’t leak!
Another big advantage of a tankless water heater is its size compared to conventional units. A standard “tank” water heater may be several feet tall by 3 or more feet in diameter. But a standard tankless water heater is generally no larger than a standard laptop—although it may be a bit thicker. The point is, however, that it is generally no problem at all to mount a tankless water heater to your wall.
In truth, a tankless water heater will never force you to take a cold shower again because it never runs out of hot water. Plus, tankless units save energy (and money) compared to conventional “tank” water heaters because they don’t have to keep a large tank of water up to temperature all day long—even when not in use! Leak-free and compact, a tankless water heater is even more convenient than traditional units. So if you are tired of running out of hot water and dealing with messes because of leaking water heaters, look into a tankless water heater today and see how this modern marvel can change your life.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Why does my cat drink dirty water?
You know that cats should always have a supply of water, especially if you are feeding them dried food. There on your nice clean kitchen floor is a bowl of nice clean fresh water, in a nice clean bowl.
What does your cat do? Maybe gives the bowl a sniff and walks away from it, or just ignores the bowl completely, as if water were the last thing a self respecting cat would consider drinking.
"Okay", you think to yourself, "Kitty just isn't thirsty at the moment". But then later, you happen to spy your cat busily lapping up stale water from a puddle in your garden as if it was nectar.
Cats are self-reliant, independent creatures, but surely your cat is not going to turn its nose up at the nice clean water you provide, just to let you know it can survive without you? After all, kitty does not reject the food you provide even though it is perfectly capable of catching mice.
No, the answer is not your mouser's independence. Tap water is usually treated with chemicals, often chlorinated strongly enough for a cat to smell it. Cats noses are far more sensitive than human noses and many cats find this chemical odor very offensive. Stale water in puddles and pools has a far more attractive smell are far as a cat is concerned. Puddles may be full of rotten vegetation and microbes, but cats find this organic soup very tasty.
As well as the off-putting odor of chemicals in tap water, cats find the smell of detergents repugnant. So, because you diligently clean your cat's water bowl in the interest of hygiene, the detergent that you use deters your cat from drinking from it. You use the same detergent to wash your cat's food bowl, why then, does your feline friend eat heartily from the bowl, and not be repelled by the smell of the detergent? This is because the aroma of the fish or meat is stronger than the smell of the detergent.
With the water bowl, the combination of the two unpleasant smells, the chemicals in the tap water and the detergent, means that your cat will only quench its thirst from the water bowl if there is no better smelling option to be had.
So, what can you do? You need to rinse your cat's bowl more thoroughly than you would a plate for a human. Remember feline noses are far more sensitive than ours, every trace of detergent needs to be rinsed off. Secondly, let the water from the tap stand for a while before putting the bowl down for your cat, this will allow the chemicals to dissipate.
These two things should have kitty drinking happily from the dish, unless, of course, kitty has got so used to drinking from puddles it just can't kick the organic water habit!
What does your cat do? Maybe gives the bowl a sniff and walks away from it, or just ignores the bowl completely, as if water were the last thing a self respecting cat would consider drinking.
"Okay", you think to yourself, "Kitty just isn't thirsty at the moment". But then later, you happen to spy your cat busily lapping up stale water from a puddle in your garden as if it was nectar.
Cats are self-reliant, independent creatures, but surely your cat is not going to turn its nose up at the nice clean water you provide, just to let you know it can survive without you? After all, kitty does not reject the food you provide even though it is perfectly capable of catching mice.
No, the answer is not your mouser's independence. Tap water is usually treated with chemicals, often chlorinated strongly enough for a cat to smell it. Cats noses are far more sensitive than human noses and many cats find this chemical odor very offensive. Stale water in puddles and pools has a far more attractive smell are far as a cat is concerned. Puddles may be full of rotten vegetation and microbes, but cats find this organic soup very tasty.
As well as the off-putting odor of chemicals in tap water, cats find the smell of detergents repugnant. So, because you diligently clean your cat's water bowl in the interest of hygiene, the detergent that you use deters your cat from drinking from it. You use the same detergent to wash your cat's food bowl, why then, does your feline friend eat heartily from the bowl, and not be repelled by the smell of the detergent? This is because the aroma of the fish or meat is stronger than the smell of the detergent.
With the water bowl, the combination of the two unpleasant smells, the chemicals in the tap water and the detergent, means that your cat will only quench its thirst from the water bowl if there is no better smelling option to be had.
So, what can you do? You need to rinse your cat's bowl more thoroughly than you would a plate for a human. Remember feline noses are far more sensitive than ours, every trace of detergent needs to be rinsed off. Secondly, let the water from the tap stand for a while before putting the bowl down for your cat, this will allow the chemicals to dissipate.
These two things should have kitty drinking happily from the dish, unless, of course, kitty has got so used to drinking from puddles it just can't kick the organic water habit!
Are You Drinking Enough Water?
You probably already know that it’s important to drink enough water. A minimum of eight glasses of water a day is recommended. You should aim for more if it is really hot, or you are working out and sweating a lot. Getting enough water in your body will prevent you from getting dehydrated.
According to WEBMD the early signs of dehydration are increased thirst, dry mouth, sticky saliva and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache.
None of these sound very fun. I know it is hard sometimes to drink that much water; especially when sodas and coffee tempt us. However, to stay healthy and feel great, we should strive to drink those eight glasses of water a day.
Here are a few tips to help you remember to drink the water, and to make it a little more pleasant or interesting.
1. Keep a Log
This can be as simple as a little piece of paper on the fridge, or a page in your day planner. Just make a little checkmark, or dash on the piece of paper every time you drink a glass of water. The log will help you keep track of how much water you have had in any given day. You’ll also be surprised how motivating it is to try to get those eight little checkmarks on there every day. Another idea would be to use little stickers instead.
2. Add Some Lemon Juice
I tend to get bored with drinking just water after a few days. Change things up and add a little flavor by adding a teaspoon or less of lemon to your water. You can also try some other fruit juices. Just make sure you are still drinking mainly water. Just a splash of juice should be enough to make things interesting and give the water some flavor without adding a lot of sugar and calories.
3. Try Some Club Soda
If you are craving the fizz of a soda, try some Club Soda. Most brands have a little too much fizz for me. I end up watering them down with – guess what – water. If you want to get really fancy, check your local grocery store for flavored club sodas. Alternatively, you can also add a splash of fruit juice to your watered down club soda.
4. Drink Some Water When You Feel Hungry
Unfortunately many of us have gotten so out of tune with our bodies that we feel hungry when we are actually thirsty. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may just be thirsty.
5. Carry A Water Bottle
It’s much easier to drink water when you have it readily available. Carry a bottle of water around with you in the car, at work, while running errands, in the yard, and even while you are working around the house. You’ll be sipping away the water without even noticing it.
6. Drink More If You Are Working Out
We already touched on this, but it bears repeating. Make sure you drink a few extra glasses of water if you work out, or if you spend some time outside while it’s hot. Your body uses and needs more water when it sweats a lot. So don’t forget to fill back up on water during and after your exercise.
Just pay attention to how much you drink and implement some of these ideas if you don’t get the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.
According to WEBMD the early signs of dehydration are increased thirst, dry mouth, sticky saliva and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache.
None of these sound very fun. I know it is hard sometimes to drink that much water; especially when sodas and coffee tempt us. However, to stay healthy and feel great, we should strive to drink those eight glasses of water a day.
Here are a few tips to help you remember to drink the water, and to make it a little more pleasant or interesting.
1. Keep a Log
This can be as simple as a little piece of paper on the fridge, or a page in your day planner. Just make a little checkmark, or dash on the piece of paper every time you drink a glass of water. The log will help you keep track of how much water you have had in any given day. You’ll also be surprised how motivating it is to try to get those eight little checkmarks on there every day. Another idea would be to use little stickers instead.
2. Add Some Lemon Juice
I tend to get bored with drinking just water after a few days. Change things up and add a little flavor by adding a teaspoon or less of lemon to your water. You can also try some other fruit juices. Just make sure you are still drinking mainly water. Just a splash of juice should be enough to make things interesting and give the water some flavor without adding a lot of sugar and calories.
3. Try Some Club Soda
If you are craving the fizz of a soda, try some Club Soda. Most brands have a little too much fizz for me. I end up watering them down with – guess what – water. If you want to get really fancy, check your local grocery store for flavored club sodas. Alternatively, you can also add a splash of fruit juice to your watered down club soda.
4. Drink Some Water When You Feel Hungry
Unfortunately many of us have gotten so out of tune with our bodies that we feel hungry when we are actually thirsty. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may just be thirsty.
5. Carry A Water Bottle
It’s much easier to drink water when you have it readily available. Carry a bottle of water around with you in the car, at work, while running errands, in the yard, and even while you are working around the house. You’ll be sipping away the water without even noticing it.
6. Drink More If You Are Working Out
We already touched on this, but it bears repeating. Make sure you drink a few extra glasses of water if you work out, or if you spend some time outside while it’s hot. Your body uses and needs more water when it sweats a lot. So don’t forget to fill back up on water during and after your exercise.
Just pay attention to how much you drink and implement some of these ideas if you don’t get the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.
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