How to Create an Outdoor Water Fountain

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A water fountain adds charm to most any setting. Whether used as the focal point in a formal garden or as a whimsical addition to a casual gathering space, an outdoor water fountain is sure to please visitors of all ages. Although there is a wide variety of ready-made outdoor water fountains available for purchase, a much more meaningful and enjoyable feature can be made from an item with sentimental value such as a hand water pump from the family farm or Grandpa’s old whiskey barrel.

To make an outdoor water fountain, the following items are needed:

• Piece that will form the basis of the water feature;
• Water source, which can be as simple as a garden hose;
• Reservoir of adequate size;
• Re-circulating pump with ample tubing and a power source; and,
• Desired supplemental decor such as plants and rocks.

Create the water fountain by positioning the main feature so that water will flow over or through it and into the reservoir. Place the pump within the reservoir and arrange the tubing to circulate the water. Once all adjustments have been made so that the water is flowing as desired, add plants, rocks and other decor in and around the fountain as the finishing touches.

Maintain the outdoor water fountain, as needed. Drain and clean the reservoir, pump and tubing at least twice each season and ensure that the working components are put into storage prior to the first freeze each fall. With proper care, an outdoor water fountain will provide years of enjoyment.

Originally from: How to create water fountain

Water Treatment Systems – Types and Uses

Many types of treatment systems are available to address a variety of water issues. Some treatments deal with hard water only while others actually purify contaminated water to make it safe for human consumption. Following are some common water treatment methods and the problems that they correct.

[photo by: darkpatator]

Water Conditioners – Addresses hard water only. Prevents lime scale without adversely affecting the drinkability of the water. Improves the efficiency of soaps. Improves heating efficiency and extends the life of appliances that use water. Water conditioning systems, such as ScaleWatcher, are inexpensive to own and operate.

Water Softeners – Also prevents lime scale but water may not be suitable for drinking. Water softening systems are expensive to own and operate, and cumbersome to maintain.

Activated Carbon (AC) Water Filters – Removes organic contaminants and chlorine but does not filter out microbes or soften water. May remove heavy metals, depending on the system.

Ultraviolet (UV) Water Filters – Kills but does not remove most bacteria and viruses. Also does not remove other contaminants.

Water Distiller – Produces nearly pure water but at an extremely slow rate and high running cost.

Reverse Osmosis – Removes salts and mineral as well as other causes of unhealthy or unappealing water. Most of the water that enters the system is wasted, however, and the storage unit must be disinfected regularly to prevent bacterial growth.

The appropriate type of water treatment depends upon the type of problem to be corrected. To purify water for drinking, a combination of methods may be required. To treat simple hard water, however, a water conditioner is usually all that is needed.

Water Softeners Are Necessary For Health Today

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When is water considered hard? and when is it considered soft? Technically when water possesses too much concentration of calcium and magnesium it is called hard water. If and when calcium and magnesium dissolves the degree of the water's hardness increases. Hard water needs to be softened as they clog pipes and dissolves soap less easily. To treat hard water it goes through a process called water softening where in water would pass through a bed of resin wherein an exchange of positively and negatively charged ions occurs. The process of water softening is facilitated through the use of water softener, a unit designed to remove the chemicals that make the water hard.

Water softeners are classified into five categories: manual; semi-automatic; automatic; demand initiated regeneration (DIR); and off-site regeneration. Manual Water Softeners has its own set of variations but all of them need the operator to open and close the valves to control, rate and time length of back flushing and to control the frequency. Semi-automatic water softeners would only require the operator to push the button and the machine will control and complete the recharging process. Automatic softener are the most common softeners being used, the unit is equipped with a timer that initiates the recharging and all the steps in the process. All the operator has to do is add salt and set the timer. Demand initiated regeneration functions and automatically responds to the demand for soft water. It has two softening tanks and one brine tank, when one is softening the other tank is recharging.

Like every other technology, the use of water softeners does have its own advantages and disadvantages. Let us begin with the advantages; the use of softeners prolong the life span of appliances including washing machine, dishwasher and water heater; using softened water in washing clothes results in a softer feeling clothes; using softeners results in the reduction of water spotting. However the use of softened water in watering house plants, gardens and lawns is not advisable because softened water has strong sodium content; there could be possible health risks from the intake of sodium laden water; and it is not recommended for use in evaporative coolers and steam irons.

What most people would like to know is how long these water softeners would last, given the amount the buyer would spend; the unit has to be of top quality. With proper care and maintenance water softeners could very well last for a couple of years.

By: Tai Pham

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Isopure Water specializes in reverse osmosis and other drinking water filtration equipment since 2005. We also have an expertise in specialty media filtration when dealing with harsh water conditions such as water hardness, high iron or hydrogen sulfide levels, and aquarium water purification.

Advantages Of Using Water Conditioner

Tap water is sometimes called hard water. This is due to the high concentrations of contaminants and minerals in the water. A water conditioner works by changing the process of crystallization of calcium and magnesium. This changes the charge of the mineral molecules present in the water. These hard mineral molecules will then “stick” less to things it comes in contact with. This prevents mineral build up in your pipes, faucets and bath fixtures. The following are more advantages that you can get when you use a water conditioner in your house.

The benefits of having a water conditioner will not immediately show up as soon as you are done with the installation of the device. Factors that can affect the efficiency of this device are:
• Quantity of water stored – Houses with water tanks has a tendency to accumulate more of the mineral contaminants. This will take more time to soften the hard water.
• Degree of mineral saturation – The amount of water contaminants can also be a factor. It will naturally take longer to soften the water if there are many minerals present in it.
• Water consumption – The amount of consumed water will also affect the speed of the softening of your tap water. More water consumed means more water that needs to pass through the water conditioner.
• Severity of a lime scale buildup – Limescale buildup is the result of ignored water use. The more limescale present in the pipeline, the harder it will be to clean it.
In general, the benefits such as conditioners and shampoos will rinse easily, cleaning with water will be more effective and washing machines will need less soaps and detergents. This will be noticed immediately after 1 to 4 weeks after the installation of the device. In addition, your hair and skin will feel softer and healthier during this time.

Just after 4 weeks, the limescale build up present in your pipeline and faucets will begin to loosen. This will make them easier to remove with just scrubbing. Furthermore, it will also prevent the further accumulation of limescale. This will then lead to an increase in the water flow.

In the long term, this device can help prolong the life expectancy of your water appliances. It will also reduce the maintenance cost of home appliances that utilize water in its functions. The water from the faucet itself will be milder enough to be used on the skin of babies. The water conditioner can also save you money from the fuel cost of water heating appliances. In addition, since you are going to be using less water in your cleaning activities, you can also save up on water consumption.

With these many advantages, it advisable that you start installing your own water conditioner. It can lessen your expenses and help create a naturally healthy water for your family. Most people think that this is just an extra expense. However, this device is in fact a good investment that will do you good in the future.

By: Julia Jamie

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Matt Monroy is the author of this article on Water Conditioner. Find more information about Electric Water Softener here.

Water in the Winter Garden

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Adequate water in the garden is essential all year-round, even during the coldest months of winter. Although plants and trees may be dormant above ground, root systems continue to grow and develop despite frigid temperatures. Unless sufficient rain has fallen, supplemental watering is required. During winter, meet your garden’s various watering needs to ensure that plants stay healthy until warmer weather arrives.

Grasses and Other Plants

During winter, grasses and other plants need about 2.5 cm of water 2-4 times each month. Use a rain gauge to monitor the amount of rainfall and supplement, as needed. Do not water the lawn or garden when it is freezing. To prevent damage to plants, avoid spraying bare branches or foliage and water just at the ground level.

Trees

Like other plants, trees also need water during winter. Generally, established trees need 38 litres of water per 2.5 cm of trunk diameter 1-2 times each month during the winter. To remain healthy and thrive, newly planted trees usually require more moisture than established trees, and drought tolerant trees will need less. Be sure to water trees slowly to ensure adequate saturation of the soil and to prevent water run-off.

Remember the Birds

It is common in winter to put out feed for wild birds. In addition to food, these birds also need fresh water. In times of extreme cold, the usual sources of water for birds may be absent or frozen. When feeding birds during the winter months, be sure to regularly supply fresh water, as well.

What Exactly Are Water Softeners?

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Water softeners transform hard water into the so-called soft water. Reducing its mineral contents does the transformation. Hard water mainly contains calcium and magnesium metal, and sometimes bicarbonates and sulfates. Soft water, on the other hand, is the type of water with none or little content of the mentioned minerals.

A water softener is used in decreasing the calcium, magnesium, and in some cases manganese and ferrous iron dissolved in hard water. The fact is water softener is a system for transforming chemically hard water into a soft water.
Softeners replace the calcium and magnesium contents in hard water by sodium. Sodium does not accumulate in pipes and also does not react to soap. This means hard water effects are eliminated.

The principle of the water softener system is easy to understand. Hard water is allowed to enter the water softener. The water softener contains a layer of plastic beads and in some instances, the material used is called Zeolite. The layer of materials inside the water softener is soaked with sodium ions. Sodium is exchanged with the contents of the hard water, calcium, and magnesium. When water comes out of the softener, the water is said to be of the soft water type.

At a point in time, the plastic beads or Zeolite layer will be saturated with calcium and magnesium ions only. Regeneration process follows wherein water is mixed with high sodium content producing strong brine. Sodium ions again replace calcium and magnesium ions, which eventually are washed down the drain.

The ordinary cooking salt is cheap. The salt or sodium chloride is the source of sodium for water softeners. Large quantity of salt costs little. It is a good source for sodium used in water softener.

Utilized in a water softener system are a number of cylindrical tanks and large square containers. The tanks are used as storage of already treated water and the container is for the salt used in the process. The number of tanks depends on the output and the system itself.

When water softener is installed for domestic or household purpose, the water softener system is situated at the main entrance of the house plumbing system. In this manner of installation, all the water entering the house is already treated.

There are two main types of water softener systems. One is the electric single tank softener. This type, besides being costly, is a system with some setbacks. Soft water supply may run out since the system uses a single tank. It also may cause inconvenience because this type needs high pressure. Night hours bring high pressure. Noise caused by running motors is not welcome at these hours.
The hydraulic twin tank softener is the other softener type. This type ensures a continued supply of soft water for the household. The two tanks do the softening and regeneration processes alternatively. This way, there will be no chance of running out of soft water supply.

Salt containers should be refilled regularly. Most water softeners do not have salt level indicator; it is a wise decision to check salt level periodically to avoid contamination of water tanks. The water softeners operate continuously even without salt, which may result in tank contamination.

Salt-based water softener systems are not effective one hundred per cent. Only 75 per cent of the calcium and magnesium water content is removed. The salt-based softener also releases to the environment huge amount of lime brine.
A newly developed water softener system is digital. The Soo~Soft Digital Electronic Water Softening System is a revolutionary innovation in water softening procedures. It is environmentally friendly and as effective as a salt-type water softener.

By: Nayan Choure

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more information on Water Softeners and Water Softeners in Alabama.Please visit our website.

Regular Water Softener - A Waste Of Money?

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Millions of people are dealing with hard water problems. It's so common problem that sometime we are not even taking care of it. Or just using a regular water softener and have hope that it will work. Usually it doesn't and our money are just like putted in the garbage. Why not change that?

If you are looking for a solution for your limescale and hard water problem there is no point using the regular water softener. They are not working properly and money that we've spent on it can not be called a "well invested' one. So how to deal with this problem and why does a conventional methods doesn't work?

Having limescale is quite huge problem and in itself is a wasted money. The scale that deposits on the pipes is blocking them and when the water is heated a bigger amount of this heat is needed than in unclogged pipes. That means bigger bills. What's more scale can deposit on washing machines supplies, dishwashers and may cause the damages of any systems and machines in which water is heated. That's also money that is spent on repairing those supplies.

For those problems most of people are buying salt using softener or magnetic water softener. They are working by replacing the calcium and magnesium in the water with sodium. Or treating water with a strong magnetic field. Those are the regular methods. But they have serious disadvantages and that's why they are called a wasting money methods. First, sodium is unhealthy in big amounts, second, refiling regularly softener with salt might be expensive, third, there is have to be more than one devices bought to work properly (still expensive), fourth, needs good conditions to work.

But fortunately there is one more solution for this problem. This is an electronic water softener. That kind of water treatment is most efficient. Why? This type of water conditioner is a type that is descaling the pipes from the scale that has deposited earlier than the device was installed. It's dealing with existing scale. That kind of water treatment system works similarly to a magnetic one but sends much stronger signal, remains water treated for a few days, reducing the amount of scale and one unit might be used in whole house.

Of course, you can try first two methods on your own home, apartment. But none can tell you that it will work correctly. When using an electronic device there is almost 100% sure that it will help to deal with the limescale that is depositing and the scale that has deposited a months before. That's why you should deal with your hard water problems by using an electronic descaler. And forget about the regular one that are wasting your money.

By: michal costaminnego

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Deal with your hard water and limescale problems by using best water treatment system.