Property Maintenance

Homeowners across South Africa have been encouraged to switch off their geysers to save electricity, but does this make any difference to the overall demand? Get the facts…

1. Switching off the geyser doesn’t have a substantial impact on overall electricity demand

In an average household, the geyser accounts for around 40% to 60% of the total electricity used in a month.

So when you have thousands of geysers all running during the day and night, this places tremendous strain on the supply grid.

This is the primary reason that Eskom frequently requests consumers to install geyser timers that control the geyser’s operating times. He says this also ensures that the geyser is off during peak demand periods.

The Eskom Residential Mass Rollout (RMR) programme specifically targeted household geysers and recommended the installation of both geyser timers and geyser blankets to reduce demand.

2. Switching the geyser on and off consumes more energy

A geyser operates by using electricity to heat water to the set temperature of the thermostat.

Once the heat from the water dissipates due to natural thermodynamics, the thermostat then switches the element back on to reheat the water. This cycle can happen 15 to 30 times per day.

Most people don’t need hot water throughout the day and so a lot of electricity is wasted when the geyser is heating water when not required in the home.

A 150 litre geyser needs about an hour to heat water to the set temperature from cold. So switching the geyser off when hot water is not required and switching it on an hour or so before hot water is needed will cut the amount of electricity used.

Alternatively, the geyser will simply run for 24 hours, resulting in high electricity wastage, especially in winter, and more so if the geyser does not have a geyser blanket to prevent the additional heat loss, he says.

3. Switching a geyser on and off damages the thermostat

Absolutely not. The thermostat switches on and off during the normal operational cycle anyway.

The only damage will occur to the geyser breaker switch as it is designed to trip only when there is a problem with the geyser. He says it is not designed to be frequently switched on and off.

4. Switching a geyser on and off will cause it to crack 

No, definitely not. The geyser switches on and off during normal operation and is designed to withstand the temperature and pressure created as the water heats up.

5. If you use a geyser blanket, the geyser doesn’t need to be switched off

No, while the blanket assists with reducing heat loss, keeping the water hotter for longer, which in turn results in less electricity being used – when the geyser does switch on, the average saving achieved with a geyser blanket alone is only about 8%.

Controlling the operational times of the geyser using a timer would add between 15% and 18% savings over and above the blanket.

Controlling the geyser’s consumption offers greater energy saving than just the blanket. In short, a geyser timer alone is about twice as effective in reducing energy usage than using a geyser blanket alone.

6. Geyser blankets can overheat, explode or catch fire

Geyser blankets that are made from recycled PET (2L Coke bottles) don’t burn, overheat or explode. He says if there was a fire in the roof, the blanket would simply melt in the heat.

7. Using a timer on your geyser is a more efficient way of managing electricity demand 

Most definitely. As a company that has installed more than 1 000 geyser timers, they know that switching the geyser off during peak demand, and operating based on the water usage patterns of the household, makes a significant difference in both cost and demand to both the consumer and the grid.

How can homeowners use their geysers more efficiently?

Install a geyser timer, geyser blanket and energy- or water-saving shower-heads:

–  Know your water usage patterns and then have a timer or similar controller installed to ensure that your geyser only operates to meet those usage requirements.

For example, a family of four that needs hot water in the morning and evening for showering or bathing, and only some during the day for dishes et cetera, doesn’t need to have their geyser running 24/7.

With a timer and blanket installed, having the geyser come on at around 4am and off at 6am will provide enough hot water for the morning up to around 12 midday, without having to run the geyser again.

You can have the geyser on between 1pm and 2pm just to maintain the water temperature. From there, the geyser can be switched off until around 4pm, and can then stay on until 6pm. Thereafter, switch it off for the rest of the night.

This way, the geyser is not running during peak demand periods and contributes to lower demand on the grid, while efficiently supplying the hot water needs of the household.

–  Energy- and water-saving showerheads reduce the flow volume of the water by more than half. An average showerhead can use around 20 litres of water per minute, of which around 40% is hot water.

In a single 5-minute shower, that amounts to 100 litres of water and 40 litres of that is hot water.

Four people having a 5-minute shower twice a day would use 800 litres of water and 320 litres of hot water.

Installing energy and water efficient showerheads will reduce that flow to just 9 litres per minute.

Source: https://www.property24.com/articles

With home prices on the rise again in most popular areas, more buyers are open to the idea of acquiring a “fixer-upper” property that will allow them to gain cheaper entry to their favourite area in return for some of their own labour or “sweat equity”.

Buying a home that needs some work is a tried-and-tested formula for getting more house for your money, especially if you’re handy and enjoy DIY.

However, you do need to be able to tell the difference between a property that is worth working on and one that would cost more to fix than it will ever be worth.

Even if you plan to live in the home for several years, you need to evaluate it as if you were going to sell it immediately after fixing it up. In other words, you don’t want to have to spend any more on it than the amount that would bring it up to the current average market value for the area.

So what you should be looking for are properties that require cosmetic fixes and have been somewhat discounted to allow for those, and homes that may require more work, but are structurally sound and where the seller is really willing to negotiate a good deal.

This is where the help of a trained and experienced agent who is familiar with your chosen area can prove invaluable. Tell this agent what you would be willing to look at, or rather ‘look past’, and he or she should be only too willing to help you.

After all, shabby and neglected properties are the hardest to sell, and it’s not every day they have someone specifically looking for just such a home.

To help fixer-upper buyers, here is a compiled list of items that are relatively inexpensive to fix, and may just give you the leverage to acquire a hidden beauty of a home in your dream location. These include:

1. Faded and worn

Faded paintwork, worn carpets, scuffed and scarred countertops, old light fittings and an overgrown garden, which are all to be found in homes where the owners didn’t want to invest any more time or money prior to selling, and where all that is really needed are a few purchases from hardware and home improvement stores, some spadework and a good clean to bring it up to standard.

2. An ugly cloak over good structural “bones”

Sometimes all it takes is to get rid of badly-planned or executed additions and renovations to expose a well-designed home that you can return to its attractive original form. The seller will need to be willing, though, to discount the property considerably.

3. Roof leaks and stained ceilings

Both these problems can usually be solved by putting on a new roof, which may also create an opportunity to open up a dated or dark interior by leaving the beams exposed to roof height and perhaps installing some skylights.

4. Bathrooms that are more than retro

Provided the plumbing is sound, it is really easy to update a bathroom with a huge range of shower, bathtub and vanity options on offer, and the cost of specialist tiling and flooring labour is relatively low.

5. An old kitchen

Replacing a whole kitchen is one of the most expensive renovations you can undertake, especially if you have to make plumbing and electrical changes, but also one of the best in terms of return on your money and improving the liveability and appeal of an older home.

6. Small rooms and dark interiors

You will need professional advice before you do this, but by taking out non-load bearing walls, you may well be able to create one modern open plan living area out of two or three smaller rooms.

And if it’s more light you need, installing bigger windows and sliding doors will usually solve the problem, provided, once again, that the purchase price is right.

However, there are some problems that just can’t be fixed, no matter how much you spend, and you need to be sure that the fixer-upper you have your eye on has none of these or it will just become a money-pit.

These include serious structural problems, cracks and shifts due to problems with the foundations or local geology; major fire, flood, wind or earthquake damage; drainage, flooding or damp problems due to poor sitting; and signs of serious soil erosion or land slippage nearby, especially if the property is on a slope.

Source: www.property24.com

There are plenty of easy and affordable ways to give your home a cosmetic facelift. Much as you use make-up to doll up before leaving the house, you can do the same for your home by using a few cost-effective design tricks.

When it comes to open plan dining rooms and kitchens, sometimes all that is needed is to declutter the space. While tackling home improvement projects might cost you a fortune, some fresh touches here and there can be done at a fraction of the cost and give your home a completely new and fresh look.

Living Room

If your living spaces are lacklustre and need some TLC, paint always offers an affordable and easy way to brighten and update a room. Visit your local Builders and grab some Plascon colour swatches to take home.

You will find plenty of advice in the decorating section on choosing colour and painting a home, but if you are scared to stray too far from your comfort zone, a neutral palette for walls and trim will give your home a refreshing makeover that will last for several years – or until you want a new look.

Working with a backdrop of neutral walls and trim allows you more freedom to introduce colours with accessories like rugs, curtains, artwork and cushions.

Shop for a new look at your favourite home décor store. You will get plenty of summer inspiration at Mr Price Home. Swap out last year’s colours with a beach theme that incorporates light grey and blue cushions and rugs for cool summer looks.

While wallpaper can be used in bathrooms, only use it in a bathroom that is well-ventilated.

Having your worn furniture reupholstered, or replaced with new furniture, will do wonders for a home. Don’t be scared to try and do your own upholstery projects. The most difficult part of any re-upholstery project is taking the first step.

Nowadays, the internet provides access to almost unlimited resources for reupholstering all kinds of furniture. Doing it yourself could save you thousands of rands. What is important, though, is to take your time and do a professional job.

Dining Room and Kitchen

When it comes to open plan dining rooms and kitchens, sometimes all that is needed is to declutter the space.

Packing away clutter will free up countertops and make the room appear larger. It’s amazing how clutter can make any room feel claustrophobic; only keep essential items on your countertops.

As with living rooms, a coat or two of paint can do wonders for rooms that are starting to look grubby or dated. White and ivory is a classic and timeless look for kitchens. Use a water-based paint like Plascon velvaglo in light shades to give dark cabinetry a modern finish.

When you think that a can of velvaglo will cost you around R400 and will be enough for the cabinets in an average-sized kitchen, it doesn’t cost that much to invigorate your kitchen. Complete the look with a few choice accessories, a bowl of fresh fruit, or a vase filled with fresh flowers.

If your living spaces are lacklustre and need some TLC, paint always offers an affordable and easy way to brighten and update a room.

 Bathroom and Bedroom

Summer is the time to layer the bed with fresh cotton bed sheets, throw open windows and allow the evening breeze to circulate through the room. While neutral colours are perfect for any room in a home, in the bedroom they are just the thing for creating a cool and serene space.

If you are struggling to find the perfect bed linen to finish off your bedroom, make your own fitted sheets, duvet covers and matching accessories.

Even if you have never used a sewing machine before, fitted sheets are simple to make. A basic sewing machine costs around R600, and you will soon master the technique for simple stitches that will allow you to create your own accessories for every room.

Bedrooms are rooms where it’s easy to have piles of clothes and general clutter lying around. Find plenty of solutions for adding or organising your storage on Home-Dzine.

If you are in the market for a new bed, consider a bed frame that offers built-in storage drawers underneath, or make pull-out storage drawers on casters.

Making up simple boxes with wheels that fit under the bed provide tons of storage for clothes or bed linens, and you can easily conceal the drawers with a fitted night frill.

Don’t forget that all-important headboard to finish off the bed. Once again, making your own upholstered headboard is easy enough, and you can select fabrics that coordinate with the colour scheme or fabrics used in the room.

Before you begin your bathroom makeover, clean it from top to bottom, replace any peeling sealer around baths and basins, and restore grimy grout.

There are plenty of easy and affordable ways to give your home a cosmetic facelift.

In a bathroom tiled from floor-to-ceiling, something as simple as adding new accessories can instantly give any bathroom a cosmetic facelift. Replace tired towels with thick, fluffy bath sheets that add a luxury to your bathroom and your bathing experience. And don’t toss out your old towels – use them to make mats or rugs.

If you have opted to go tile-less in the bathroom, you have so many options for giving the room a new look. Use Plascon Double Velvet in pale, muted tones for walls. Plascon’s Urban Glow colour palette is perfect for creating a relaxed atmosphere, or you can go with Natural Balance and turn your bathroom into a spa room.

While wallpaper can be used in bathrooms, only use it in a bathroom that is well-ventilated and choose vinyl wallpaper that is thicker and less likely to peel at the corners and along the seams. Proper installation is essential when applying wallpaper to bathrooms.

Keeping the bathroom clutter-free and adding just a few coordinated accessories, is all that you need to refresh a bathroom.

SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za

Open plan living spaces might be a way to create a home that feels spacious, but it does have its disadvantages when it comes to creating a certain amount of privacy in living zones. Let’s be honest, unless you’re an absolute neat freak one hundred percent of the time, you’re bound to have areas that you would prefer not to have in full view.

If you’re looking for a place to hang art in an open plan home, why not consider building a freestanding art wall.

Here are some modern solutions for dividing open space living areas:

Being able to section off a seating area creates a more comfortable space to sit and relax. Place Wood beams vertically to create a ‘fenced off’ area that separates the living zone from the rest of the house.

A wall of trellis panels divides the main house from the dining area without completely closing off the open plan design.

Functional and good looking, a divider of different sized wood beams creates a feature between relaxation and work in this office environment. This design would work just as well in any home.

Natural wood beams designate the dining area without closing in the room. Although an expensive option if you buy raw wood beams, using salvaged or reclaimed wood for this project would reduce the cost.

A dramatic fireplace wall serves as a place to mount a flat screen TV for the living room. The fireplace will not only heat up other areas in the open plan space, but also provides a certain amount of privacy between living zones.

Vertical jute rope division walls allow for defined ‘zones’ but still retain light and visibility throughout the entire space.

Something as simple as a hanging curtain or lengths of rope suspended from the ceiling adds a sense of privacy between living and dining. Little effort and expense is required for this type of installation, but choosing a quality hanging will make a difference between cheap and nasty, and a dramatic feature.

If you’re looking for a place to hang art in an open plan home, why not consider building a freestanding art wall. Building a simple frame using 9mm or 12mm supawood, with mountings floor to ceiling will give you the perfect spot for a gallery wall or photo gallery.

For those with green thumbs, a living partition or room divider might be just the thing. A vertical garden brings a touch of outdoors into your living spaces. Just be sure to install plenty of lighting to ensure continued healthy growth.

SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za