How much water your toilet tank holds will dictate the size of or amount of void space you can include with either a brick or water bottle, and considering that the most efficient of toilets get as low as 1.5 gallons per flush, it is conceivable to fill 2 gallons worth of space (If you have the 3.5 tank). Having said that, it is advisable to test out your system a few times with different sizes to check the system is still efficient at passing on waste

This should be quite a simple task the costs nothing assuming you have an old brick lying around and can recycle a water bottle (a bit of sand or small rocks in the bottle will aid in sinking it) and can potentially reduce your water bill by 15%.

The Water Heating  in your house accounts for about 10 – 20% of your annual energy costs. Water heaters are usually located in the basement, garage or some other non-heated utility section of the house, the difference in temperature between the desired water temp (120-140 Degrees f) and surrounding temp is why there can be such a great stress on energy usage. If the outside of your water heater feels warm to touch, then you are loosing efficiency through lack of insulation. Modern Water Heaters are insulated so they wont emit as much heat, but older Water Heaters can be aftermarket insulated using a ‘Water Heater Wrap Blanket’, this insulation keeps the heat locked in and especially when hot water is not being used it reduces the amount of energy the system uses (around 15%) to maintain the water body’s temperature.  Wrap Blankets cost $15-$30 and are very easy to install.

water from the  Faucet and Shower. Standard faucet aerators will allow flow rates of 2.5 – 5 gallons of water per minute and bathroom low-flow aerators attachments deliver 0.5 to 1 gallon of water per minute whilst emitting a similar force of spray with an even spray pattern. These same figures are applicable to the shower head fixtures

Whilst often thought of as aesthetic features, the inclusion of Houseplants acts as a natural filter to counteract the effects of the complex chemicals in the house as well as stabalise the balance of internal humidity.

Recent NASA research on the contaminant absorbing qualities of indoor plants has found that they are so effective at air filtration that some will be included aboard in future launched space missions. The studies focused on the effects of common chemicals found in the house including; ’Formaldehyde’ which is found in everything from particle board or pressed wood products, paper products, shopping Bags, floor coverings, carpet backings and permanent-press clothes. ’Benzene’ which is used in the manufacturing of detergents, explosives, pharmaceuticals, and dyes, and further found in gasoline, inks, oils, paints, plastics, and rubber. Trichloroethylene (TCE) used in printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, and adhesives. Finally, Carbon Monoxide which needs little introduction as it was the original gas chosen for the gas chamber. Each of these chemicals has been found to be the cause of everything from headaches to Cancer.

When Choosing plants for the house It is important to select a suitable position not only cater to the plant’s photosynthetic needs, but also as to where it will be in the best position to filter drafts and moving air. It is recommended that a plant be allocated to each 90 sqft of each common room in the house to adequately contribute toward good air quality.

The following plant species are recommended to be kept as indoor plants due their all round ability to absorb toxins and easy of keeping/durability.

•  English Ivy - Hedera Helix
•  Janet Craig - Dracaena “Janet Craig”
• Weeping fig - Ficus Benjamina
• Marginata - Dracaena Marginata
• Rubber plant - Ficus Elastica
• Bamboo Palm- Chamaedorea Seifritzii
• Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Sansevieria Laurentii
• Pot Mum – Chrysantheium Morifolium
• Peace Lilly - Spathiphyllum Cochlearispathum

around 25% of that. The Bottled water industry has developed dramatically over the past 30 years and in that time come under huge scrutiny due to the negative environmental effects of packaging and transportation as well as the impacts of production through groundwater extraction.

Installing a water filtration system in the house  will eliminate or greatly reduce the dependency on bottled water. Filtration  systems range in price from around $20-$200 a water filtration system and can be very easy to install.  Add that price to the cost of tap water being just 5% of the average bottled water price and it makes sense to install one. Some products attach onto the end of the faucets and others are installed in the plumbing.