How to keep your pipes from freezing next winter

How To Keep Your Pipes from Freezing Next Winter

It is inevitable that pipes freeze in winter. However, the damage can vary. Sometimes it is merely an inconvenience of not being able to run water until it thaws, but other times there is extreme damage to the property caused by flooding. While it is the cold temperature that causes pipes to freeze, a combination of frigid temperatures with high winds allow the cold to penetrate the pipes even deeper.

Virtually any pipe can freeze, but the most susceptible are pipes in the garage, crawlspaces, those in exterior walls, and basements that are left unheated. Even though it is impossible to stop freezing temperatures, it is possible to prevent pipes from freezing. Begin by disconnecting all water hoses and accessories that are located outside of the house. The hose will hold water in and cause it to freeze as opposed to letting it drain before it reaches that point.

As an additional precaution, shut off the interior valves that control the outside faucets. To prevent damage to your garage, make sure all the doors and windows are closed as much as possible. You may even consider supplying heat to the garage to keep the temperature from dropping below freezing. Just make sure you choose a safe method to do this.

Many more measures can be taken to prevent pipes from freezing inside your home where the damage will be more detrimental. First, open cabinets that hide water pipes . This will allow heat to penetrate the pipe with greater ease. Next, during frigid weather when the chance for frozen pipes is highest, allow both hot and cold faucets to drip slightly.

The risk of freezing is decreased due to the movement of water. Call in a plumbing company to clean your drains. They will remove the buildup of debris that may be causing your pipes to run slow. Under normal conditions this can be an inconvenience, but it can turn disastrous when the temperature is below freezing.

Crawlspaces and attics are not to be ignored when it comes to freezing pipes. Just as with the garage, make sure all openings of the crawlspace are closed, and consider safe heat. Also, electric heat wrap can be applied to the pipes that are prone to becoming frozen. The same ideas can be applied to prevent pipes from freezing in the attic, raise the temperature, keep cold air out, and allow the water to move.

All these precautions apply to houses that are occupied and unoccupied. Do not leave your house unheated if you plan on traveling unless your home has been winterized by a professional. Also, do not over rely on insulation. While it does slow down heat loss, it does not produce heat. An insulated pipe can still freeze if heat is not added and the water does not move.

When winter weather is upon you, consider calling a plumber to inspect your pipes. This is especially important if you have an old house. It may take a professional to adapt some of the new methods to your old building that can prevent pipes from freezing. Make sure the water in your water heater is kept at an ideal temperature to prevent freezing in such conditions.

How can you take advantage of online parcel services

How can you take advantage of online parcel services?

In the present scenario, customers can be choosy when it comes to utilizing parcel services. This is because there are several online providers that offer commendable services for sending the parcels both within the home country as well as abroad. The services provided by online providers are appreciable since they help in relieving the customers of the hassles and stress that is related to sending parcels through the conventional method. Moreover, traveling to the local office was often inconvenient for people since it was a time-consuming activity. Therefore, people were required to take time out of their busy schedule.

During the recent past, several post offices have witnessed a close down in small towns. This at times caused a lot of inconvenience to people since it could mean an out-of-town travel for many people. Thus sending parcels seemed to be a cumbersome activity. Whatever be the reason for sending a parcel, you would always want to make sure that you are able to fulfill the mandatory requirements with minimum hassle and fuss. This could mean sending the parcels to their destinations at the most reasonable price. Moreover, the mode utilized for sending parcels should also ensure their delivery in the best possible manner and within the shortest span of time.

The benefits of using online parcel services are clearly noticed. Firstly, they ensure the simplification of the process by allowing the pick up of your consignment from a specific location. This means you need not visit the post office for sending the parcel. Moreover, such services make use of leading courier companies which implies that you can be assured of your parcel being in safe hands.

If you have an important package to send, there is a wide range of services from which you can choose. These services not only ensure quick delivery of the parcel, but also make sure that the parcels could be sent overseas within a period of three days. Therefore, the next times you feel the need for sending a courier make sure that you are utilizing the service of an online courier company. This would enhance the convenience of your service.

How to benefit from working with speakers bureaus

How to Benefit From Working With Speakers Bureaus

What Speakers Bureaus Do For You

The bureau’s job is to know where and how to find the right speaker for your event, send you materials to review, schedule conference calls, secure / contract the speaker and facilitate financial arrangements. Like travel agents, speaker bureaus smooth the process for securing talent for your event and charge you nothing while saving you enormous amounts of time. Since speaker bureaus get paid from the speakers fee, they receive compensation only when you book a speaker they suggest.

Bureaus act as partners for researching speakers and finding the perfect match for your event. They can assist with determining the appropriate mix of content, personality and entertainment for the presentation. Finding the right speakers who can meet your needs and budget is the bureau’s objective.

Bureaus generally represent a large roster of speakers (ranging from local business experts to worldwide celebrities), and can also book speakers they don’t exclusively represent. Speakers bureaus work with professional speakers who are seasoned experts and have demonstrated excellent speaking skills, professionalism and expertise of their topic. The bureau interviews them, checks their references, reviews their performances in person or on tape and determines that they will deliver the best presentation for your event.

Bureau Process

First, bureaus will ask you about the goals and objectives for your event and about your company / division. During the interview, a bureau agent will listen to your program needs and assess what type of speaker would fit your program objectives and budget. Is your company downsizing? Experiencing tremendous change & growth? Sales slow? Company morale low? Conference theme?

Next, your bureau agent will research the large pool of available speakers to develop a short list of the top candidates for your event. Your agent will then send you you press kits and/or videos of the speakers you find most interesting. Finally, they will confirm availability for the speaker(s) you have chosen and will arrange all contracting, finances and specific presentation and travel requirements.

How to Maximize Your Bureau Relationship

Using Multiple Sources to Find Your Speaker

Since speaker bureau services are free, meeting planners will often contact numerous bureaus to help find a speaker. This can lead to confusion and wasted time. Instead of developing a close relationship with your chosen bureau and receiving a few excellent speaker suggestions for your event, you will receive piles of speaker kits (many duplicates) and dozens of calls from various bureau agents and speakers.

By using numerous bureaus, you can quickly diminish the time savings you would gain in the first place. Often, bureaus will not devote much time to these «multiple bureau» projects since they have less chance in closing a deal and the speakers they work with will be confused from multiple bureau contacts.

For example, a meeting planner contacts five bureaus and five bureaus send them four speakers for review (many are duplicates). What do they do then? Who do they choose to book the speaker? The meeting planner will have all five bureaus calling them to find out what their decision is and how they can help.

Communication

Bureau agents work hard to help meeting planners locate and book the perfect speaker. It is important to clearly communicate throughout the speaker search process. Give your bureau agent as much information about your goals and your chosen event theme as you can. Provide clear and quick feedback on speakers they may suggest and keep them informed about your selection process.

We all know the meeting process can be ever changing, especially committee run selection processes. Your bureau agent knows this, so don’t be afraid to involve them in your process, even if it means letting them know the budget has been cut this year or that the theme has changed. Your bureau agent wants all your events — for years to come — to be successes.

If you are using other sources, it is always a good policy to let your bureau(s) know others you may be working with. Let them know immediately if you are considering booking a speaker from another source. This way, multiple bureaus won’t continue contacting the same speaker trying to secure «holds» for your event date.

Bureaus take care of many of the details for booking speakers — from locating the perfect speaker(s) available for your event to contracting negotiations and presentation details — which ultimately saves you time and money. Working with bureaus is a time saving and rewarding experience.

Importance of electricity

Importance Of Electricity

Electricity can be made in a number of ways. Each method involves the use of a turbine to spin and convert kinetic energy into electricity. The three important ways in creating electricity are sun, wind and water. Water is a source of energy. The flow of water is used to make electricity in a hydroelectric power station. The flowing water can be used to turn turbines and produce small amounts of electricity. The force of water must be very strong. You get electricity in your house through wires, generators, batteries and cells. Sun is another source of energy. The heat from the sun burns fuels that can create electricity. Wind is another cheap ways of creating electricity. When the wind blows, the blades of the windmill begin to spin. The stronger the wind blows, the faster the blades go. This makes electricity.

Without electricity we cannot live. If you take a look at your house, you will see that different devices need electricity in order to work? Electricity is needed for television, computer, air conditioner etc. Electricity from batteries keeps your car running and makes your flashlights shine in the dark. Electricity is made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of three smaller particles. The three main particles are protons, neutron and electron. Electrons spin around the center, or nucleus, of atoms, in the same way the moon spins around the earth. The nucleus is made up of neutrons and protons. Protons form a positive charge and electrons a negative charge. Neutrons do not have a positive or negative charge. Electrons can move from one atom to another in a flow. When these move between atoms, a current of electricity is created. One electron is attached and another electron is lost. Like that electricity passes along a wire and circuit. The charge is passed from one atom to another when electricity is passed. This is how a current of electricity is created.

Nuclear energy is used to create steam to turn turbines. Uranium is split apart to create heat energy. The heat energy is applied to water, creating steam for use in turning a turbine. Once electricity is created, it travels through a transformer and changes from low to high voltage electricity. High voltage electrical current moves within thick transmission lines. Traveling current is kept high above the ground by transmission towers and insulators are employed for the purpose of keeping electricity in the transmission lines. Transmission towers and insulators are vital for ensuring the safe transportation of electricity.

Jobs in iraq — what to do with all that money

Jobs in Iraq — What to Do With All That Money?

People accept positions in the Mideast, such as jobs in Iraq or Afghanistan for various reasons. Some will take these jobs out of a sense of duty, or to do their part for the cause. Others for the adventure or even to fine tune jobs skills in a very dynamic environment. For others, it’s simply a quicker way to make a lot of money.

For most, salaries earned while working jobs in Iraq or Afghanistan are the most they’ve ever earned. Many pull in salaries in excess of USD$10,000.00 every two weeks, which quickly compensates for the doldrums of living in a war zone. The money builds rapidly, and without a plan many will quickly squander it. Of course that’s not always the case, and for some, their goal may be nothing more than to take care of short debt, help out family members or put it away in a savings account until they decide what to do with it. Others will just spend it.

I’ve seen many who spend hard earned money as fast as they make it. They get to comfortable with their new salaries, as if the job is never going away or they plan to spend a career in a war zone. They’ll return home on vacation, buy a new car for the spouse, add an addition to the house, etc., etc.. Before they know it, the money is gone. Now they end up staying another year to recoup the savings that they’ve just spent.

I’ve met people who’ve fallen into this trap and end up working in these locations for years to cover their own spending or that of a family member. When I was in Iraq, I worked with a guy who had a spouse in Thailand. He spent a year working in Iraq, quit his job and then spent a year unemployed living the good life in Thailand. Certainly the dollar goes much farther in Thailand although in his case he built a big beautiful house and really lived it up. After that year was over and the money was gone, he was back in Iraq.

Others however, travel to a war zone with distinct goals in mind. They know what they want to achieve and how long it will take to get there. They’ve communicated with their spouses and prepared the family for their absence. These are the people who rarely return.