Magnetic Refrigerators
Magnetic Refrigerators
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and General Electric have teamed up to create a revolutionary new type of refrigerator that uses magnets to create cold, also known as the magnetocaloric effect (lowering or raising the temperature of the material by changing the magnetic field).
Ultra-Efficient Heat Pumps
Ultra-Efficient Heat Pumps
The Building Technologies Office is ushering in the next generation of heat pump systems, which warm and cool your home by moving heat from one space to another. A fuel-fired, multi-function residential heat pump that can reduce primary energy consumption by 30 percent.
Clothes Dryers
Clothes Dryers
The same concept behind heat pump technologies that keep your home comfortable can also be used for another important application: drying your clothes. Oak Ridge National Laboratory and General Electric are developing a new type of clothes dryer that uses a heat pump cycle to generate hot air needed for drying.
Smarter, More Connected Homes
Smarter, More Connected Homes
We live in an increasingly connected world -- the same is true for our homes. New electronic devices and appliances can now be linked to the Internet to provide real-time data that makes it easier to understand and lower energy use.
Next-Gen Insulation
Next-Gen Insulation
Insulation is one of the most important ways to reduce your home heating and cooling costs. The Industrial Science & Technology Network is developing new foam insulation made with environmentally friendly and advanced composite materials that ensure heat doesn’t escape from the attic, walls and other areas of the home during cold winter months.
Advanced Window Controls
Advanced Window Controls
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pella Windows are working on new highly insulated windows that use sensors and microprocessors to automatically adjust shading based on the amount of available sunlight and the time of day to ensure proper lighting and comfort, saving consumers energy and money.
Reflective Roofing Materials
Reflective Roofing Materials
Cool roofs coated with materials containing specialized pigments reflect sunlight and absorb less heat than standard roofs. Expect these types of roof systems to get even “cooler” due to new fluorescent pigments developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and PPG Industries that can reflect nearly four times the amount of sunlight of standard pigments.

Energy-Saving Solutions

From heating and cooling to electronics and appliances, it takes a lot of energy to power our daily lives. Our homes use 37 percent more energy today than they did in 1980. But without energy efficiency -- through technology innovation and federal energy conservation standards -- this number would be a lot higher. In fact, even though our total energy use has grown, our energy use per household is down about 10 percent, despite that our homes are larger and contain more devices.

Energy Conservation Solutions

21 December 2024

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Where Should a Septic Tank be Located?

Category: Home improvement tips
You would need an option, including a septic tank and field lines, if you don't have access to a municipal sewer facility. In design and function, these systems are very basic. However, when laying out the septic tank, there are construction regulations and health hazards that you must remember, research by kitchen remodeling Oakdale, MN.
From the Home, Distance
Consult local codes and regulations for a particular response as to how far your septic tank must be mounted from your building. Requirements vary from one region to another, but 10 feet is the normal minimum distance from the building. However, if you are planning to use a private pool for drinking water, remember that many state health departments need a minimum of 50 feet between a new septic tank and a well.
At the same time as digging the footings for the building, contractors also dig for the septic tank and system. In some situations, since it's simpler and needs less piping, they can position the septic tank far closer to the structure. However, you, the homeowner, will eventually be liable for the tank location, so closely watch the situation while your home is being built.
Considerations of basic protection
There are some big precautions you can take on this project if you're a guy who likes to do stuff yourself. Check with the local utility firms for the positioning of service lines before digging the hole for the tank. Not only is it unsafe to isolate a gas line, water line, telephone line or electrical cable, but rectification can also be very costly.
Exercise caution until you finish digging the pit. Particularly in sandy or loose soil, the walls of the hole can cave in, which can cause injury or death. Bear in mind that a concrete septic tank will weigh up to 5 tons as well. Don't try on your own to maneuver a concrete unit into the hole. When the tank is shipped, have the hole ready and have it put directly in place.
Tips to Install Successfully
Make plans until you get your septic tank mounted and get your water supply switched on. The explanation for this is that, as soon as it is in operation, you need to fill the tank with water. This does not have anything to do with the septic system itself, but it is a wise step toward safety.
A resulting swell in the groundwater could cause an empty septic tank to float out of the ground if sudden rain occurs, even if it has been buried. It can be costly and time consuming to bring the tank back in position and fix any harm done to the lines or to the tank itself.