In the 1970's and 80's Solar Energy first emerged as a potentially viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional heating sources such as fuel oil, natural gas, coal, wood, and electric. Unfortunately, these first generation solar collectors were expensive, inefficient, and delivered long payback periods and lower returns on the initial investment than expected.

In the following decades leaders in the Solar Energy Industry went back to work, striving to create more efficient, more affordable, and more cost-effective Solar Water Heaters that would not only be a viable alternative to traditional heating sources, but would be able to supplant the majority of our heating needs, lowering the world's dependence on non-renewable energy sources, which cannot be replaced once they are depleted.

Today, there are three main types of Solar Water Heaters available. These collectors are for more efficient and cost-effective than their predecessors, and are well-suited for a number of applications such as small residential installations and pool heating, all the way to large commercial, industrial and municipal installations across the United States, and around the world. These three collectors are Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors, Flat Plate Solar Collectors, and Unglazed Solar Collectors.

Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors - these collectors are typically the most expensive of Solar Thermal Collectors. The unique tube design of these collectors makes them extremely efficient at collecting and transferring heat energy to your home's hot water. Because of the unique design, Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors, unlike Flat Plate Collectors, are great at operating at high efficiency earlier and later in the day than other solar technologies, and during the winter months when the days are shorter and the sun is a far lower elevation in the sky. This makes Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors far more cost-effective in these climates and locations.

Flat Plate Solar Collectors - these collectors are typically less expensive than Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors, but in warmer, southern climates, can just as, if not more efficient and cost-effective. Flat Plate Solar Collectors are not particularly freeze protected, and like a Solar Panel for PV Energy, require the sun to be directly overhead at as close to a 90 angle as possible in order to operate with decent efficiency.

Because of these factors, Flat Plate Solar Collectors particularly ineffective during the winter months in northern, cold climates where freezing is a problem, the days are extremely short, and the sun is at extremely low angles every day. However, in southern climates where winters are mild, the days remain long, and the sun remains at a relatively high angle, because of their lower initial cost, Flat Plate Solar Collectors are one of the most cost-effective Solar Water Heaters available.

Unglazed Solar Collectors - these collectors are specifically designed for Solar Pool Heating. These collectors are effective for Pool Heating because they are low-temperature (about 120-150 F) and high volume heaters. These collectors are the lowest cost of all Solar Water Heaters, often costing under $200 per collector, and are generally constructed of flexible tube like material that can simply be rolled out and mounted directly to a roof, fence, or the ground in a matter of minutes. These collectors are extremely efficient and powerful in all areas of the United States during the summer months, but are not rated to stand up to winter weather such as snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. If you are looking for an affordable way to heat your pool and extend your swimming season earlier in the spring and later in the fall, regardless of where you live, Unglazed Solar Collectors may be the right choice for you.

Any of these Solar Water Heaters can save the average American homeowner hundreds of dollars a year, and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the system once it is installed and operational. Today, home and water heating costs account for almost 40% of our annual energy bills, and these Solar Water Heaters can replace 65-80% of these costs for an initial investment of just a few thousand dollars. In fact, purchasing and installing a Solar Water Heater often costs as much as installing a new traditional heater, but through energy savings, will pay for itself in as little as 3-5 years.

By: Adam Farell
If you would like more extensive information, or would like help discovering the financial benefits of installing a Solar Water Heater in your own home, I recommend that you contact a Solar Hot Water Professional for a Free Home and Cost-Benefit Analysis today. Silicon Solar Inc, manufacturers of the SunMaxx Solar Water Heaters, the lowest priced Solar Collectors on the market, can be found at http://www.sunmaxxsolar.com.

When your home is on the market, the condition of your bathroom will make a real difference in how appealing the home is to the prospective buyer. Of course, there are a multitude of other factors involved in making your home the best it can be but don't forget about the bathroom.

Even if you are not planning to sell your home (at least in the near future) the condition of your bathroom will make a big difference in both the comfort and the safety of your home.

This brief article will focus on issues related to toilet problems, which are near the top of the list when it comes to maintenance in this area of the house. Let's start with the leaking toilet. Finding the source of the leak is the key in getting the problem fixed. Using a little food coloring in the tank is about the best way to trace the source of the leak. After putting in the food coloring, check the toilet bowl. If you find the water discolored by the coloring agent, your problem is a flapper valve that's not doing its job properly. You can try cleaning the sediment or chemical deposits off of the flapper valve, but these items are so inexpensive that a quick trip to the hardware store (taking the flapper valve with you to ensure a match) is probably your best bet. The valve is easy to replace and should stop the problem.

OK, the water in the tank is clean. Take a look at the area where the tank and the bowl are joined. If the colored water is leaking in this area, you will need to replace the seal that fits between these two sections of the toilet. This involves a little more work than replacing the flapper valve. The main job is removing the tank. First, shut off the valve that supplies water to the toilet. This valve is usually near the floor at the back of the toilet and should be relatively easy to turn off (turn it clockwise until you can't turn it any more). Second, bail out as much of the water from the tank as you can and remove the mechanical components inside the tank making sure you either remember or make a sketch of how to replace them. Third, unscrew the fitting that secures the tank to the toilet bowl and carefully lift the tank up and off the bowl. It's a good idea to put towels on the floor around the area to soak up any water that runs out of the tank. Finally, pry off the seal and take it to the hardware store to match up with a replacement seal. Reverse the process and your problem should be solved.

Hopefully you won't end up with colored water on the floor around the base of the toilet after each flush. If this is the case, the wax seal underneath the toilet is damaged and will have to be replaced. You can try to tighten the tank bolts that hold the toilet to the floor to see if this solves the problem. Sometimes these bolts work themselves loose (but not very often). One other possibility is that the toilet bowl and/or tank is cracked. A quick inspection should let you know if this is the case. If this is the problem, you will need to invest in a new toilet (try buying one that uses less water per flush).

Assuming that crack(s) aren't your problem, you will need to disassemble the toilet itself starting with the tank (see above). Next, you need to remove the bowl. Bail out the water in the bowl and remove the four bolts that secure the toilet to the floor. This is sometimes a daunting task because the bolts may be rusty. Use whatever methods necessary to get these bolts out or at least remove the bolt heads. Use pliers or a channel lock or pipe wrench to remove the threaded portion of the bolt. Don't worry about damaging the threads because you will be replacing the bolts anyway.

When removing the bowl, be very careful where you put your hands (use rubber gloves). Many toilets have jagged edges inside the bowl that will cut you quicker than a freshly sharpened knife. Lift off the bowl and pry out the wax seal at the top of the floor drain. Again, this is germ-laden and requires you to be careful not to introduce an infection through any cuts, etc. near or on your hands. Wax seals are pretty much standard in size and are usually available at just about any hardware store. If the bolts were damaged, take a sample with you to make sure you get the right size replacements.

Let's hope that the leaking that has reached the floor hasn't done damage to the underlayment or floor tiles. If it has, you've got a bigger job on your hands because these damaged areas need to be replaced or you're just in for a continuing headache. You can tell if the wood underlayment is damaged by its color and if it's soft or swollen. Please don't ignore the problem. Cut out the area and replace it. Damaged tiles can sometimes be difficult to match unless you have a small surplus on hand. Chances are that you won't be able to find any replacement tiles that match the existing floor. This being the case, considers a small rug that will fit around the base of the toilet and will hide the mis-matched tiles (unless you decide to replace the entire floor with new tiles).

With everything on hand, put the toilet assembly back in place, say a little prayer, and flush it several times.

Hopefully you will have solved the problem.

By: Chuck Lunsford
Chuck Lunsford is the content manager for LightnBreezy.com, a well-known source for home improvement ceiling fixtures. If you have more questions about other home repair topics visit us at plumbing repairs for the do-it-yourselfers.

Submitted by:
Rebecca Thornton
Law - USA

Replacing a toilet might seem difficult, but if you knew how easy it really was, you would not even bother calling the plumber.

You only need four tools to get the job done right: a small wrench, a socket set, a flat-head screwdriver, and a level. You might also need a scraper and an old towel.

In a pinch, you can use two adjustable wrenches in place of the small wrench and socket set, although using the right tools to do the job will make the job much easier to complete... I started to say "crescent(r) wrenches" until I realized that Crescent(r) is actually a brand of adjustable wrenches and other tools, owned by Cooper Hand Tools, a division of Cooper Industries, Inc. Here is a clear case of the brand name becoming universally utilized as a generic product description.

Parts Necessary For Your Toilet Installation

You will need to get the toilet bowl, toilet tank, toilet flange bolts, and we recommend a kitchen/bath silicone caulk. If you have uneven floors or tile floors, you might also need some rubber shims. Since the wax bowl ring only costs a couple of bucks, I would recommend that you replace it too. You should get the one with the plastic flange attached to it.

Pulling Up Your Old Toilet

The first thing you want to do when you are pulling your old toilet up is to cut off the water supply. In most cases, you will be able to do that from a water shut-off valve at the floor level below your toilet. Once you have closed off the water supply, then you will want to loosen the water supply line where it enters the base of your toilet tank.

You will be able to flush out most of the water in your toilet tank and basin, but you will never get all of the water out. So, it is good practice to have an old towel lying around to soak up the small amount of water that will spill when you take out your old toilet.

You will want to detach your toilet seat and toilet lid before you haul your old toilet out of the house. That is done by loosening the nuts directly below the hinge on your seat, from below the porcelain of the toilet.

At the floor level, you will see two plastic caps that will need to be removed so that you can get to the nuts below. Once you have removed these nuts, your toilet should come straight up.

Preparing The Area For Your New Toilet

When you pull up the old toilet, you will find a wax bowl ring on the floor.

This is the only part of the task that can get messy. When you pull up the wax ring, you might have some of the wax stuck to the floor. You will need to scrape up this old wax. Your old towel comes in handy here as well, since you can use it to clean the wax from your scraper, so you don't have to get the wax on your hands.

If you are putting new toilet flange bolts in, now is the time to do that. The heads of the bolts have two flat sides and two rounded sides. Turn them sideways to get them into the flange, and then turn them where the cornered sides are under the lip of the flange. With your new flange bolts set, there will be a plastic piece with a cross cut from the middle. You should slide this over the bolt and push is towards the floor. This will keep your flange bolts from sliding out of position.

Prepare Your Toilet Bowl For Placement

Take your toilet bowl out of the box, and place it upside down on the floor.

At this point, you should put the level on the floor to make sure that you are dealing with a level surface. If you are not dealing with a level surface, you will need to use the rubber shims to stabilize your toilet once it is put it in place. You can use masking tape to fasten the rubber shims to the base circumference of your toilet.

If you have a tile floor, you will want to use the rubber shims to keep your toilet from moving or swiveling after you have set it in place. Any movement of the toilet bowl after you have set it in place might break the seal of your wax ring. If your seal is broken, you will run the risk of having sewer gas leak back into your bathroom, or you will find that your toilet leaks unclean water onto your floor.

Once you have applied the shims to the bottom of your toilet, you will want to place the wax bowl ring on the base of your toilet. The plastic part that drops below the wax is supposed to go into the hole in your floor that leads to the sewage drain, so apply it to the base of your toilet bowl facing away from the toilet.

The last step you will want to take before affixing the toilet bowl to the floor is to put some kind of marker down to show you where the toilet flange bolts are located. The last thing you want to be doing is to be hovering the toilet above the floor wondering where the bolts are so that you can drop the toilet in the right spot the first time. Whether you put a couple screwdrivers on the floor pointing to the flange bolts or put a pencil mark on the floor is up to you, so long as you leave yourself a way to make a visual alignment from above the toilet.

Executing Your Bowl Plan

Once you get through this next step, it is all down hill from here. It is now time to flip your toilet bowl over and then to slowly guide it onto the toilet flange bolts.

If you put good markers on the floor to remind you where the bolts are located, you should be able to put the holes over the bolts on your very first try. From personal experience, I can tell you that not marking off where your bolts are located will lead to many headaches.

Once you have your toilet bowl on the floor, gently press it to the floor. Sitting on your new toilet is often a good choice. If you sense a wobble in your toilet, you may need to affix additional rubber shims to level your toilet. You do not want to lift the toilet back off the floor unless you have another wax bowl ring handy. I also learned that from the school of hard knocks.

At this point, you will want to put the plastic piece with the square hole onto your bolt on top of the porcelain, then put the washer on, and finally start your nuts on the bolts.

As you put on the nuts, twist them down to just above the porcelain, and then turn each just a few turns before going to the other side. The point is that each side needs to be tightened just a little bit at a time. This is important because you do not want to over-tighten the nuts causing the flange or porcelain to break.

Attaching The Toilet Tank

In most cases, there will be a rubber gasket attached to the bottom of the tank. Just slip the tank onto the top of the toilet bowl, lining up the three holes on the tank with the three holes on the bowl.

If the tank did not have a rubber gasket on the bottom of it that also surrounded the boltholes, the tank will come with rubber gaskets to be affixed to your bolts before sliding them into the holes from inside the toilet tank. Just slide the bolts into the holes from the top.

Put your level on top of the tank to help you guide the tightness of your nuts. You will want to make sure that when you are done, your toilet tank is level.

Put the washers on the bottom side of the bolts, and then start the nuts on your bolts. Once again, you will want to tighten each of the three nuts a little bit at a time, so that you do not break the bowl or the tank. Use your flat head screwdriver to hold the bolt in place as you tighten the nuts.

Final Steps...

We only have three easy steps remaining. First, you need to reattach the water supply to the fitting on the bottom of the tank. Do turn on the water to make sure that you do not have any leaks.

Next, put a bead of your kitchen/bathroom silicone caulk around the front and sides of your toilet. You want to leave the back open in the event that the wax seal breaks at some point. Leaving that area open will allow you to notice a problem, before damage is done to the floor under the toilet.

And finally, you will want to put your toilet seat back on your toilet.

Ready For Use

You are now ready to use your new toilet. Most people can complete this job in just under an hour.

By: Cecil Radmore
If you live in the UK and need plumbing supplies Buy Plumbing UK at http://www.BuyPlumbing.co.UK can help. They offer a wide selection of faucets, shower taps, water pressure boosters, and electric showers.

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Remodeling a bathroom can be a major task, especially when you don’t have a clear plan. Before you can make a plan for your bathroom remodel, you must know what your options are and what you want. When it comes to tubs and showers, there are many choices that reach beyond the traditional stand-alone walk in shower or the conventional step in tub. Some newer and more luxurious items in today’s world of tubs and showers include steam showers, clawfoot bathtubs, and walkin tubs.

A steam shower allows you to bring the luxury of a spa into your own home. A steam shower is a self-enclosed shower unit that uses a steam generator to produce water mist that is turned into steam. Electronic temperature control is a common feature in today’s steam showers, as well as a host of other luxury features including jets, foot massager, ceiling rain features, MP3 output, radio, and telephone. Many are even voice activated. Surprisingly, all of this can be installed in your bathroom in the same amount of space as a standard shower.

Although claw foot tubs have been around for many years, new features make them a great choice for a remodeled bathroom. Claw foot tubs available today are made of acrylic material instead of cast iron, which makes the tub lighter and more affordable. A claw foot tub is the perfect choice for giving your bathroom a new look with some old world style as well. There are several designs to choose from as well as different styles of fixtures, making it possible for you to personalize your bath area.

A walkin tub is a great choice if stepping into a traditional bathtub raises concerns about safety. Walkin tubs have a water tight door on them that opens, allowing for easy entry into the tub.

Replacing a bathtub or shower is a big part of a bathroom remodeling project. So remember to consider all options and develop a clear plan before starting the project.

By: Amanda Taylor
Amanda Taylor is a writer for various home improvement and home decorating websites. For more ideas and tips about creating the perfect bathroom with a steam shower, clawfoot bathtub, or walkin tub, visit http://www.bathtub-depot.com today.

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For links to plumbing fixture manufacturers and suppliers visit the plumbing fixtures manufactures and distributors directory.

Visit our Contractor Directory for links to material and building supply manufacturers and suppliers as well as contractors listed by specialty.