How Solar Hot Water Works

Aside from cost and greenhouse gas emissions savings, the beauty of a solar hot water system is its relative simplicity and durability!

There are two types of collectors used in a solar hot water service:

flat plate collectors (suitable where tank roof mounting is required)
evacuated tubes (great for frost prone areas)

Flat plate solar collectors

Flat plate collectors work on copper pipes running through a glass covered collector, often connected to a water storage tank on the roof. The hot water can then thermo-siphon itself in and out of the tank, thus heating the water.

Evacuated tube solar collectors

Evacuated tubes use a glass tube with a vacuum inside it and copper pipes running through the centre. The copper pipes are all connected to a common manifold which is then connected to a slow flow circulation pump which pumps water to a storage tank below, thus heating the hot water during the day. The hot water can be used at night or the next day due to the insulation of the tank.

The evacuation tube system are superior as they can extract the heat out of the air on a humid day and don't need direct sunlight. Due to the vacuum inside the glass tube, the total efficiency in all areas is higher and there's better performance when the sun is not at an optimum angle - such as when it's early in the morning or in the late afternoon.

The water tank and thermal mixing

As heat rises, the hot water delivered to the tank from the solar collector is drawn from the top for use in the house. As the temperature of the water may exceed 60 degrees Celsius/140 degrees Fahrenheit (a requirement to kill bacteria), in order to ensure a safe temperature at the taps, a tempering valve will reduce the temperature to around 45 degrees Celsius/113 degrees Fahrenheit.

Electricity and gas boosters

While the sun can provide sufficient energy to provide you with plenty of hot water for most of the year, there may be extended periods of cloudy, cold days where your system will need a helping hand. This is provided with an electricity boosted or gas booster system.

Boosting using a tankless gas water heater is the most efficient boosting method as boosting only occurs when hot water is used. With an electric system, the tank is heated as soon as the internal temperature drops.

Retrofitting for solar hot water

If your current hot water system has plenty of serviceable life left or you've recently purchases a gas/electric hot water system, you can still go solar with a retrofit kit!

Hot water and household energy usage

Electric and gas hot water systems accounting for approximately 20% of a household's greenhouse gas emissions. By installing a solar water system you will reduce these emissions and also save up to 75% of your water heating costs!

Getting to Know More About Solar Hot Water Systems

Solar hot water system Brisbane are not new, people Australia was the use of home water heating kits for more than 100 years. For example, in Sydney over 30% of households were using solar water heaters and 1897! If our ancestors could use solar energy more than a hundred years we have now!

However, the discovery of huge oil and gas supplies from Australia meant that the creation of the energy of the sun is declared in favor of fossil fuels for heating methods. However, solar hot water kits are increasingly popular as people look to the environment.

Recent statistics show that more than 500,000 of these devices use heaters in Sydney. Many of these are used in houses and swimming pool. The use of solar water swimming pool and showers are a great way to prevent pollution of fossil fuels and reduce their electricity account. You will also your carbon footprint.

Solar battery consists mainly of black water, a wooden box and glass. When the sun shines on the panels and the pipes, the water in the pipes hot. Imagine the sun as a source of energy for your hot water boiler. However, unlike the cover of electrical switches, the sun heats your hot water free!

So what are you waiting for? You can use these simple systems, the heat in your home or pool. Do it yourself solar hot water panel is actually easier than you think. There are stacks of manuals and plans are available on the Internet.

Prepaid Mobile Phone Plans

It is important to make an informed decision and take time to compare all available prepaid cell phone options. This allows you to analyze your prior calling patterns and usage, if you have any, before you go ahead. Information can easily be obtained from the various company websites, detailing the features of various pay as you go mobile phone plans. These do vary considerably and you will need to be diligent.

Pay as you go cell phone plans give the user, whether they are a business traveler or a family with teenagers, a better, more cost effective way to use mobile phone services. Many people simply do not want to make a commitment to the phone companies, fearing contracts of any kind. Other people may be feeling a little bit "fiscally challenged" and may not be sure if they can come through on their end of the contract.

It is important to make an informed decision and you should take time to compare all available options and to analyze your prior calling patterns and usage, if you have any, before you go ahead. Information can easily be obtained from the various company websites, detailing the requirements and features of various plans. The types of services and the amount of features or functions do vary a lot amount wireless network providers. It is best to do your research and pick a prepaid cell phone service that has all the features wrapped into a pay-as-you-go package.

Prepaid cellular plans generally come with a longer list of "restrictions", rather than "freedoms". The vast majority of cell phone service providers restrict the number of call minutes and the amount of data you may transfer for prepaid customers. Most of the advanced features are for contract users only. This is changing as new no contract cellular providers are emerging. This may extend to text messaging options, for example. This type of cell phone plan generally attracts usage rates that are set at a higher premium, as compared to contracted services.

In some plans, the carrier will require you to keep a minimum account balance or your account may be de-activated, but the good news is that almost all services offer easily accessible records allowing you to make real-time inquiries about your usage and available balance.

Month to month or pay as you go cell phone plans are designed to save the consumer money. Service providers make sure that they put very few roadblocks in between themselves and their prospective customer. Often the prepaid phone services do not require long term contracts or mandate a credit check because services are rather inexpensive. The prepaid phone plans can be canceled at any time.

Whether you are paying for phone services by preset collar increments or getting a cellular services that bill a month in advance, you can now find international calling and unlimited minutes for mobile to mobile call services. Again, the cost per minute charge is fairly high, so you will need to take this into account. A slightly more flexible plan involves prepaying for the service, in advance for each month, and this is a less expensive option than the pay-as-you-go option but generally more expensive than a regular contracted plan.

As a rule of thumb, you should research your options and figure out if a no long term mobile phone contract is the way to go. Just figure this out before signing any type of service agreement. Doing some homework and figuring out exactly what you and/or your family needs from a prepaid mobile phone plan is your first priority. You will need a list of all requirements then figure out the negatives and positives for each prepaid cell plan that is available.

Optus Business Australia Offers Mobile Cell Phone Cap Plans

Cap plans offered by all major mobile operators in Australia, and prove to be very popular. However, they will give you a lot of value for the money you think?

The cap plans are very similar among the major telephone carrier; OPTUS, Telstra and Vodafone all give him $ 550 worth of calling credit on $ 79 cap.

It is almost one too good to be true, and in some cases it is! The companies make their money by walking to the call charges and related costs. In some cases, the actual cost of making a call is three or four times more than would cap plan! An example of great value to the plan as ga me, say, $ 89 for opening a credit for the price of $ 79, but the call charges remain unchanged. It would be worth $ 10 for me, instead I almost mistake to think that I have $ 471 free when he could actually cost me more, more.

In Business smarter OPTUS $ 79 Cap calls are 30c per 30 seconds, with a flag fall (connection of charge) at 35C, to a one minute call will cost you to 95C. The same nickname for OPTUS Yes smarter business plan is just 40C (Smart Rate).

Pitfalls of a completed mobile cap plan, the situation that you are a user can use your cell phone or unpredictable, or if you have a quiet month, and mobile usage is low, and in the coming months are very busy and it is almost glued to the ear . If you are in a plan to cap the $ 550 call credit is low, remains in charge rates (95C for 60 second call.) This can lead to a bill of hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

But there is a market where the Caps work and works well. Caps can be great if you are on a budget, you can subscribe to a pre-Cap. Should recharge every month after you turn your $ 550 credit is achieved, so that was never a big project. Prepaid Caps are great for teenagers often, you decide what the maximum is $ 29, $ 39, $ 49, etc. and when called up all credit is the next month (if you like a soft touch My father!)

Others who are benefiting Caps, both Prepaid Caps or cap plans that can ensure that does not exceed the amount of calling credit. They are more time to talk with their money, and know they do not exceed the limit.

OPTUS Business smarter with cap as there are other benefits: Unlimited free voice mail, and a smarter choice between Fleet - Free calls, SMS and MMS-24 / 7 to other mobiles on your account or Business Time - five minutes of free calls to three numbers 24 / 7, or the standard fixed line or mobile telephone numbers OPTUS. You may also receive the first two months free if sign a contract 24 months and have its own phone with you.

No matter which carrier you choose to use, ensure that the vendor gives you all the options available to you. There are many plans out and normally one to meet the needs of all. Sometimes, sales can be blamed for pushing the Caps to consumers who are understood to be easier to sell because you think they have a tremendous amount of call credit for free! Make sure you know the real cost of making a call, and that the vendors meet the needs and not their own.

My bad experience with mobile plans

And so there I was a babe waiting and waiting for my plan to get approved. I told the agent I spoke with that I have already submitted all the requirementsthat he

needed from me and I see no reason why he is taking too long to make things happen.

The bad experience started when I trusted the agent to do things for me instead of doing everything by myself. I could have just taken the time to visit the customer service center to pass my papers and then relaxed after. But instead I gave my papers to an agent, thinking he got the connections to speed up the process for me . But it turned out to be a disaster. I waited patiently for a month with no results. I ended up being the perennial prepaid plan subscriber then.

Now, I learned to just be contented with scratching cards to get the credits loaded

in my phones. The trouble of waiting is not for someone like me. And I think, all of us would agree to this. Nobody likes waiting.

I'm writing this blog then to get my angst off and to express myself to the mobile communication tycoon. If they can come up with an idea to get plans done in weeks then maybe they would have another customer added to their roster of clients. But for the moment I'm out

to be happy with my prepaid plan.

Mobile plans in the market place today

Just like any other competitive retail industry, the field of mobile phone communication is constantly challenging market share and continuously improving through research and new discoveries.

One of the latest inventions would have to be in the mobile wireless communication business.

Out there you would see it in the billboards, TV commercials, print ads, radio ads and even event hosting. These mobile

communication giants would spend money on these mediums just to grab your attention to buy mobile phones and mobile contracts as one package.

Designed to engage you to subscribe to their first rate mobile contracts or simply buy a prepaid card from them. Media

messages are geared toward brainwashing the average Joe to check and compare mobile phone plans.

The fact that you are going to reach out to your pocket to make a purchase of a prepaid card is already a profit making

gesture for them, so we need to know, which is a better phone plan for ourselves? Are we really getting the benefits of a prepaid plan or will it be better if we are postpaid plan subscribers?

What is a prepaid plan?

A prepaid card is something that you can purchase very conveniently.

To sum it up, prepaid plans are more practical for people who need not make phone calls all the time. You are released from the obligation of waiting to get the mobile phone plan approved also from the hassle of making a deposit. No termination fee, contract or any hidden charges to surprise you. You can just reload and go.

What is a post paid plan?

See postpaid plans are simply confidential mobile contracts that needs credit investigation and approval. Consumer

friendly mobile phone plans would require terms and conditions that serves as a bond between the subscriber and the mobile company. Yes, the process takes time but it is all worth it.

Advantages of a mobile phone plan over prepaid plan

If we are to compare it with the process of getting a postpaid plan application to something as easy as taking a shower then

we will not be able to see the beauty of the postpaid plan.

Unlike the prepaid plan, you can't just go in and out of a store to be able to avail of the service. The postpaid plan then

is perfectfor those who are financially capable of paying the plan monthly mobile contract.

Analyzing the credit standing of a person is a factor in determining which plan will be good enough for the mobile phone users

When you have a postpaid plan, the talk time is much cheaper. The rates are lower compared to the charges in a prepaid plan. This is good for people who are always on the road with frequent business interactions.

In the other hand, a prepaid plan user would have to worry about losing their credit if not used within a certain period of

time. Sad to say collect calls or third party billed calls entertainedfor prepaid plan holders.

Developing strategies to draw more mobile phone subscribers to avail the most appropriate mobile contracts. Mobile companies would come up with promotions and advertisements brainwashing our less complicated lives.

At this point in time, we would need to look closer as to what these mobile communication companies are really after. At the end of the day, it would still really be your choice to make.

Unlimited Internet Connection Forever

Technological advances are indeed amazing. I remember the time when having a laptop was considered a luxury. At these times, having a computer or a laptop is considered a necessity. School and work now require computer skills such as typing and internet navigation. Students need to use the computer and to access the internet for some of their school requirements. Office workers also need to use the computer in writing documents, creating spreadsheets, making slideshows, and editing videos for presentations, among other things.

As online media became more popular, the need to have a good internet service provider arises. Before, companies would charge a relatively high monthly subscription and you can only surf the internet for a certain number of hours. Times have changed. Nowadays, it is not surprising to see internet service providers advertising unlimited internet access for a monthly fee. The good thing is that you can stay connected or online for as long as you want. I find that arrangement quite attractive because I will stay connected to the internet while I'm watching dramas or movies online. And that's in addition to the many other things I can do such as downloading files!

How to maximize your unlimited internet plan

Surfing the internet is now considered a priority in practically everyone's to-do list. Some businesses are web-based and even those that don't have uses for online services. Correspondence is conducted via email, since getting one is very easy. You can even have more than one email address - one for work, one for personal, one for subscribing to various newsletters, etc.

Internet providers have also come up with ways to attract customers to subscribe and get an internet connection such as unlimited broadband. It's not uncommon to see various promos related to unlimited internet access. For a fixed monthly fee, you can surf and download to your heart's content.

Oftentimes having an unlimited broadband internet is not enough. You probably become overwhelmed and start downloading all sorts of media files and software. Then you feel frustrated when the computer lags or when the internet connection seems slower than what was promised to you. Are there any tips in making your internet connection faster and thereby make you do more work and have more downloads?

Generally, the speed of your connection depends on the type of unlimited internet access that you have. Dial-up is considered the slowest connection. Downloads involving small files, say a song, can take hours. And that's on good days. ADSL, broadband, cable, and at times, Wi-fi connections are some of the best in terms of speed. So if you require fast connection in your work, then you should get these connections.

So how do you maximize your unlimited internet plan once you have it? First, understand the maximum speed that you can have. Do you know how kilobytes differ from kilobits? Most internet service providers use kilobits while Windows use kilobytes.

Once you are connected, look for a good internet browser. Some of the best browsers are Mozilla Firefox and Opera. Such browsers can help you navigate through websites with lots of media uploads and thereby increasing the number of downloads that you can have. Browsers like Firefox also have add-ons which you can use to help you make the most of your unlimited internet.

Another thing to help you maximize your unlimited internet access is getting a download manager. You can pause, resume, schedule, and organize your downloads. Once you've set up your download manager, you can just let it do its work while you're busy watching videos or reading blogs. You can even leave it running while you take a nap, prepare food, or take a bath.

You can also consider getting a web-based job, even if it's just part-time. This will definitely help you maximize your unlimited ADSL and at the same time, let you earn some extra cash. If doing additional work isn't your thing, you can let your friends or neighbors rent your computer for a fee. Just make sure that you protect all your files so they don't have access to all your confidential files!