With recent severe storm in Texas and other parts of the country, many communities experienced the dreaded pipe bursts that can occur with pipes and / or fire sprinkler lines freezing and thawing. Although after the fact now, here are some lessons learned from communities around the country: If your community experienced frozen pipes due…
Category: Weather
When Your Solar Needs a Net: Solar Net Metering
People often wonder if it’s possible to put a solar panel on a property that actually makes the energy meter “spin backwards” and make money on a solar system. Some states let you do this and some do not. The hyperlink below is to a website that I found recently giving you the “where and…
Crossing Over with Grace: Managing Hot Water Systems
Most of us have properties with Domestic Hot Water Systems at our Communities. What most of us don’t consider is how much energy we lose (and money) when we have crossover between our hot and cold water lines. Spoiler alert: Crossover most commonly occurs when a shower cartridge fails and cold water contaminates your hot…
Opportunity on Mars and on Earth
In a recent discovery by the Mars Rover, Opportunity, NASA has found evidence that there was once water on Mars; potable water that you could drink. Mars, at one time could support life. When I think about the red planet and its similarity to the earth, it makes me want to check my toilets for…
Blame it on the Groundhog
Spring should be well underway in the United States according to forecasts made on Groundhog Day by famed weatherman Punxsutawney Phil. But instead many parts of the US have been experiencing cold snaps and even snow this week. As a result, an Ohio prosecutor tired of a prolonged winter has indicted Punxsutawney Phil for fraud. This lingering winter…
The Butterfly Effect
I believe that the 2011Tohoku earthquake changed our seasonality forever. I know that most folks would rather say that Climate change causes earthquakes and Tsunamis, but I think that roughly, the chicken hatched an egg that became a chicken. The 2011Tohoku earthquake had such extreme magnitude that it shifted the earth’s axis by estimates of…