Great Ways To Save Money And Turn Green Hunt

moginstein

geordie_joe wrote: »

Thanks, just been up and checked and it appears to be a Caradon with a model number next to the name.

I've also just noticed that there is no overflow!!!!!!

There's a hole in the tank for an overflow pipe but the tank is right up against the wall with nothing attached to the tank.

Hi Geordie Joe, I think you may have a similar cystern to us. This has an internal overflow mechanism, so instead of the water flowing out of a tube at the back throught the wall, any excess will flow into the pan (ours goes over the top of the tube in the middle of the cystern). If it is dribbling as you say, check that your fill level is correct - there shouold be a minimum and maximum level on it. You need to adjust the ballcock so the water is between the two levels - hope this helps.:cool:

harryhound

Another fine example of the government saying one thing and then caving in to Europe/big business interests:
"Let's go green save carbon etc blah blah blah; so we are going to let you dribble several gallons per day of pure fresh water into your Kazie and spend extra down at the sewage works making sure it is not toxic and and even more money purifying it again and pumping it back into the pipe it came from?"

At least dribbling the overflow down the side of the house over a window cut out half the process and gave the householder a positive incentive to repair the washer.

schoolfundraiser

I foolishly invested in a modern close coupled loo about 6 years ago and - like cars nowadays - when I open the cistern lid I haven't a clue what bits are what (apart from the ballcock)

On the old fashioned ones when the splitpin went on the ballcock arm it could be mended with a big paperclip from work until you got round to going to the plumbers merchant. They also had enough water to flush all the way round the rim not just at the back, so you didn't end up flushing more than once each use.

Needless to say I am waiting for an excuse to replace it with an old fashioned one if I can still get it. Preferably with nice brass fittings to the inside of the handle so I don't spend all my time tightening it up after each flush as I do with the plastic nuts and washers which I can't use tools on without damaging them!!

overspender_2

Realise that this is returning to an old subject, but I have a query about energy saving light bulbs which I hope someone can help me with.

We try to be 'green' in our household and dutifully went out and bought these bulbs for every room in the house. Now I keep hearing that even though the bulbs save energy they are full of all kinds of nasties like mercury etc which, when the bulb does eventually have to be replaced, will contaminate the ground/water of landfill sites.

As the bulbs can't (or shouldn't) be recycled with normal glass waste I have a dilemma Wouldn't it be better to continue using the old type bulb which doesn't contain the nasties and can be recycled? I also understand that old type bulbs will be phased out over the next few years so that we will all have to buy energy saving ones but that no provision is being made for their safe disposal.

Anyway after that long winded explanation I guess my query is - what do we do with energy saving bulbs when they blow as I have three sitting in a box in my spare room waiting to be dealt with!!!

Marishka

The current state of the advice seems to be, "Take them to the council recycling site". Not sure how that stacks up re energy saving if you live quite a way away and never go past normally, but that's how it is at the moment. Might be worth finding out if any neighbours regularly pass/use a council site.

CravingSaving

overspender wrote: »

Realise that this is returning to an old subject, but I have a query about energy saving light bulbs which I hope someone can help me with.

We try to be 'green' in our household and dutifully went out and bought these bulbs for every room in the house. Now I keep hearing that even though the bulbs save energy they are full of all kinds of nasties like mercury etc which, when the bulb does eventually have to be replaced, will contaminate the ground/water of landfill sites.

As the bulbs can't (or shouldn't) be recycled with normal glass waste I have a dilemma Wouldn't it be better to continue using the old type bulb which doesn't contain the nasties and can be recycled? I also understand that old type bulbs will be phased out over the next few years so that we will all have to buy energy saving ones but that no provision is being made for their safe disposal.

Anyway after that long winded explanation I guess my query is - what do we do with energy saving bulbs when they blow as I have three sitting in a box in my spare room waiting to be dealt with!!!

Energy saving lightbulbs do contain mercury. I would advise phoning your council to see if they have facilities for recycling them or disposing of them safely. If you know if anywhere that recycles batteries, the two usually go hand in hand for some reason. My local council dont recycle them yet, but have plans to soon apparently. Worth checking.

Linguistic_Chimp

Hi there,

Just wanted to highlight this ace website: http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/

It tells you how to recycle or reuse ANYTHING. And if the answer isn't there, then you can post your recycling question and have it answered by the online community.

Of course I guess you can do that here, but it's a great resource and will help us all save money!

Enjoy!

energyman

overspender wrote: »

Realise that this is returning to an old subject, but I have a query about energy saving light bulbs which I hope someone can help me with.

We try to be 'green' in our household and dutifully went out and bought these bulbs for every room in the house. Now I keep hearing that even though the bulbs save energy they are full of all kinds of nasties like mercury etc which, when the bulb does eventually have to be replaced, will contaminate the ground/water of landfill sites.......

First of all no lightbulb can be said to be eco-friendly and we should all try to reduce our use of electricity by switching lights off when we don't need them.

Secondly the amount of mercury contained in a low energy fluorescent bulb is less than 1% of that in a household mercury thermometer. Furthermore, when we use electricity, a third of it comes from coal fired power stations and coal contains mercury - the amount of mercury saved over its lieftime by using a low energy lightbulb is over 7 times that contained within it. As well as reduced mercury in the atmosphere, a low energy bulb leads to around 25kg less carbon dioxide released per year.

If you cannot get them to a council recycling site (without driving out of the way to get there!) then either store or dispose of with good packing around them.

By the way, you can now get dimmable low energy bulbs that work with most dimmer switches (Megaman are one make) - do a google search.

gorgeousgirlie

Just a note to beware of government grants!

We had a man come round to evaluate our house and were told we were eligable for cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. Having heard that incorrectly installed cavity insulation can be a problem, we just had the loft done. They basically chucked a load of glassfibre all over and were gone in no time. My husband went up and relaid it properly and its been great. But I was glad I'd not done the walls as how do you check its done right?

My elderly neighbour however had the works, including a whole new oil powered central heating system. I can only surmise that the government must get the company with the cheapest quote to do the work, because she has had nothing but trouble. The 'new' radiators were clearly secondhand, and we had to drain them for her after they left as they weren't working. The boiler breaks down at least 3 or 4 times per year - costing her a fortune in repairs. I think her 'freebie' central heating was really just old kit that they had taken out of some paying customers home. Add to that the fact she cant afford the £450 to fill the oil tank and the poor lady wishes she'd stuck with her open fire.

I'm sure this isn't the case with all those companies and I think in principle the grant is a brilliant idea. I just wish the government would check up on the work when its finished so they're not in effect costing vulnerable people even more.

Kerrie

harryhound wrote: »

"Hound Hovel" started life in 1928 as a shack. Like topsy it has grown since then and now is a 150 sq meter bungalow.

Some of its walls are solid 9" "Durox" (225mm foam concrete looks like aero chocolate) - I know I built them.


As well as my misgivings about how to get an experienced person to give me a quote; I am totally confused by the complex structure of "subsidies" in this market.

Though in my 60's, I don't think I qualify for the up front cash subsidies available to those on benefit or at risk of "fuel poverty". However there are generalised "subsidies" in the form of obligations put on power suppliers (I have no mains gas) and in the form of VAT rebates.

But the difference, when filling your cavity, is that you are stuck with your wrong decision.

Harry.

PS I also need to upgrade the insulation in the loft from 4" - 6" to 11"; and it is a big loft. This is a job I can do myself BUT here again there are subsidies floating about, so there is not much point in doing it myself if some other operative is subsidised to do it for me?

harryhound

Kerrie,
You must be psychic :eek:

Here is the next episode in my attempt to save 20% by 2020 (geddit).

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=783381

In-laws have had their cavities and loft done for free (over 70 ?)
The loft looks reasonable BUT I've a nasty feeling that the walls are a cowboy job.

Until you get dirty marks on the inside, like the staining over radiators or "pattern staining" where the lines of mortar can be seen on the wallpaper, the only way to prove it is with one of those infra red cameras, which make the hot spots on the outside a different colour on the image.

As far as the "free" or subsidised central heating goes, I have read lots of threads, complaining you can get a cheaper boiler upgrade without waiting a year, from a trust worthy local man.

Perhaps a government insulation installer (or former installer;)) can come on here and tell us the tricks of the trade.

Harry

PS And your neighbour has to fill her tank art least twice per winter or three times per year?
Welcome to "fuel poverty".