How to Pass Eco-Friendly Driving Test

Pupils will need to show that they are aware of the need for fuel efficiency and an environmentally friendly approach in all aspects of their driving. As an ADI they will need to be able to encourage their new drivers in the use of all these various techniques.
Eco friendly driving can make a significant impact on the global use of conventional fuels and make a positive contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions. This process starts with an awareness of the availability of vehicles with alternative fuels such as electric and dual fuel power.
To make an improvement in your own fuel-efficient driving, there are many areas that can be considered,

1. Acceleration: The use of acceleration should be steady, smooth and progressive whenever possible, avoiding unnecessary speed peak, a smooth driving style can save up to 10% of fuel used. Where appropriate cruise control should be used as this can be more efficient on fuel usage.
2. Braking: Use of footbrake should be smooth and positive with a certain amount of tapering on and off. Avoid any harsh use of the brakes by easing off the accelerator earlier where possible.
3. Gear changes: Gear changes need to be made effectively with block changes up and down where appropriate. Move into the higher gears reasonably quickly, cars with manual gear change are more fuel-efficient than automatics
4. Hazard awareness and forward planning techniques: These planning techniques should be used effectively to minimize any unnecessary or harsh changes of speed or direction. Hazard identified at an early stage giving adequate time to respond and to decelerate as appropriate.
5. Vehicle sympathy: Engine speed should be kept relatively low whenever possible. Generally keeping engine speed to about 3,000 rpm can save a considerable amount of fuel. All control should be used smoothly to avoid any unnecessary sharp fluctuations in speed.
6. Manoeuvring: Reversing into a parking space and then driving out forwards is regarded as more fuel efficient than reversing out when the engine is cold
7. Speed: keep to all legal speed limits and plan well ahead for any changes. Some experts reckon that by reducing your speed from 80 mph to 70 mph can save a considerable amount of fuel. Complied with all speed limits. Speed is appropriate to all road, traffic and weather condition.
8. Air conditioning: avoid using air condition or climate control unless it is necessary. Also avoid driving with open windows and sunroof.
9. Starting up and moving off: avoid excessive use of the accelerator. Moves off promptly and smoothly.
10. Engine power and torque: utilized higher gear at lower engine speed where appropriate without causing the engine to labour.
11. Cruise control: used in appropriate situations but without compromising  road safety

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Replacing a Garage Door

What Kind of Garage Door should I buy?


When looking for a garage door, you notice that there are two major designs: tilt-up doors and sectional roll-up doors. Sectional roll-up doors are more expensive than tilt-up doors, but the extra cost is well worth it.

Tilt-up doors consist of a single panel of material. To open the door, you have to pull it out and pivot it up to slide it along the roof of your garage. Sectional roll-up doors, on the other hand, are made of a number of horizontal sections. Each section is hinged to the next section, allowing the door a certain degree of flexibility. Because the door is mounted on rollers, to open a sectional roll-up door you just have to lift the door and it will roll into place along the roof of your garage.
Sectional roll-up doors are superior to tilt-up doors. From a purely practical point they take up less room. Because you don't have to pull the door out, there will be more room in front of your garage door for things like your car. The door will also take up less room in the garage, since it can be placed higher up than a tilt-up door.

What should my Garage Door be made of?

Garage doors, both tilt-ups and sectional roll-ups, are primarily made from wood or steel. Of these two materials, wood is the cheaper and - arguably - more attraction option. If you decided to get a wooden door please keep in mind that just like your deck, a wooden garage door will be more easily damaged by the weather than a steel door. If you live in a particularly hot or cold climate, you may find your self with a warped or damaged garage door.

Steel garage doors are more expensive, but you will not face the same problems that you would encounter with a wood door. If you decide to get a steel door the main thing to check is that it has been properly prepared to prevent rust.


Garage doors are also occasionally made with aluminium or fibreglass. While both of these materials are less expensive than steel doors, you should be careful when using them. Neither material is as strong as steel so they will not hold up to the usual wear and tear of a garage door. And once again depending on your climate, they will not be as energy efficient as a steel door if that is a concern to you.
How do I look after my Garage Door?

Just like any other exterior surface on your house, your garage door will need periodic maintenance to keep it working smoothly and looking as good as the rest of your house. You'd be surprised how the look of your garage door not only affects the overall look of your house, but the perceived value of your house too.


Wash your Garage Door Regularly

No matter what material your garage door is made of, it should be washed regularly. If you have a wood door, you should repaint the door every other year to ensure that the wood stays protected. If you have a steel door, you can give it a yearly shine with car wax

To prolong the life of the mechanical parts, you should lubricate all moving parts with motor oil whenever the door starts to feel sluggish.

Safety Concerns with Garage Doors

Every year, children are seriously injured from accidents involving garage doors. To avoid these preventable accidents, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that you should only use automatic garage door openers if they have an automatic reverse function. This will reverse the closing of the garage door if an obstacle is encountered.
 
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Steve Dolan is a homeowner and DIY enthusiast. Go to http://www.allgaragedoorsweb.com for articles and resources for all your garage door needs.

Gaining Storage Space from a Loft Conversion

More people are trying to gain some additional storage place by moving up as opposed to out. A loft conversion can overcome the financial constraint that might prevent you from taking full advantage of your house. There is never enough storage space in a house and a loft makes a great storage place. However, a loft conversion can also require numerous permissions and regulations that are dependent upon the structure and condition of your house. Most lofts can successfully be converted into a large storage area where you can store most anything, from Christmas decorations to toys and old furniture.

To accomplish a loft conversion project, you will definitely have to hire an architect. A calculation must be made to make sure that the floor can support the weight of each load you want to place on the loft’s floor. In addition, you must comply with all of the fire regulations during every step of the loft project. A loft conversion can significantly increase the worth of your house if you do everything by the rules. Never take any chances with a loft conversion and ensure that you hire professionals to accomplish the project.

A loft conversion usually includes many stages, so be prepared for some serious work around your house. These stages include:

1. Erecting the scaffolding.

2. Accessing the roof so that the workers can begin the inside work.

3. Externally erected framing.

4. Loft stairs attached and completion of the insulating.

5. If more loft partitions are required the frames must be installed and the walls boarded and plastered.

6. Approval by the building inspector.

A loft conversion project also includes some wiring work. A qualified electrician will install a system of lights in the loft by using the house’s existing electrical system. Although it is expensive, another good idea is to install a roof window. Roof windows are excellent escape routes in the event of a fire, and they also give you the opportunity to use the loft as a room. A loft conversion is a great alternative to a house extension. The primary difference is that you move up to gain the additional space rather than through the expansion of the sides of your house.

To accomplish a loft conversion project, you will definitely have to hire an architect. A calculation must be made to make sure that the floor can support the weight of each load you want to place on the loft’s floor. In addition, you must comply with all of the fire regulations during every step of the loft project. A loft conversion can significantly increase the worth of your house if you do everything by the rules. Never take any chances with a loft conversion and ensure that you hire professionals to accomplish the project.

A loft conversion usually includes many stages, so be prepared for some serious work around your house. These stages include:

A loft makes a great extra bedroom, children’s room, office, or workout space. An architect and a professional contractor will provide the best end result for your loft conversion in terms of design, functionality, and safety. That way, the loft conversion will flow with the rest of your house and make great area for storage.


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Website Translates Arabic and English

A new website hopes that the idea of removing the barrier of language by allowing a person to write in Arabic it is translated into English, or the other way around, will help enhance diplomacy of the citizens in the West and the Middle East. Its goal is to reduce the tensions between the two cultures.

The website named Meedan allows users to post comments and stories in Arabic and have them translated into English automatically, or to do just the opposite. With this website, people won’t have to share a common language in order to have an online discussion in near real time. It can be considered a social network that is filled with people who don’t know each other but want to have a conversation.

The website is effectively bilingual that has volunteer editors conducting the translations after the fact. These machine translations are quite good, but they still have difficulties in handling comments. The website also uses open source to help the state of the art of translation to move forward.

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Meadowhall Replaces Outdated CCTV System With IP Technology

Meadowhall Shopping Center, located in Sheffield, UK, Meadowhall Shopping Center, is one of the country’s biggest shopping malls that has hundreds of retail outlets has recently replaced its outdated CCTV recording system with IndigoVision’s new IP video system. The new system is required to ensure the security and safety outside and inside of the mall.

The designer and installer of the new system is MITIE Security Systems. They have worked closely with the mall to choose the best solution to replace the old system. Meadowhall wanted a flexible, modular, and scalable solution to replace the old DVR technology that was costly and difficult to develop any further. The new system had to be able to be supported by their IT department. The ability much of their original CCTV equipment as possible, first class local support, and technology that has been proven in the field were reasons the new system was selected.

The flexibility of the new IP Video technology permits hybrid digital and analog systems to be developed easily. The result is that the old analog systems can now be expanded or updated with the latest digital technology that is IP based, while being able to keep and use much of their original CCTV equipment. In the case of Meadowhall this was accomplished through the replacement of the old DVR equipment with 12 standalone Night Vision Recorders (NVRs). The original monitors for the control rooms, analog matrices, and cameras were all saved.

The new IP Video system was configured as 12, 10 channel racks and was connected to each camera feed. This new system converts the analog signal to MPEG-4 that has a full frame rate of digital video for use recording onto the new NVRs. The Control Center for the new IP Video system and alarm management software has numerous tools that permit the operators to rapidly analyze and retrieve the recorded footage. The high quality video clips are tamper proof and can easily be exported to the police for evidential purposes. The 12 NVRs provide the Center with more than 30 days of recording. This upgrade was accomplished in just under a week with both recording systems running in parallel which helped to ensure zero downtime during the transition.

The designer and installer of the new system is MITIE Security Systems. They have worked closely with the mall to choose the best solution to replace the old system. Meadowhall wanted a flexible, modular, and scalable solution to replace the old DVR technology that was costly and difficult to develop any further. The new system had to be able to be supported by their IT department. The ability much of their original CCTV equipment as possible, first class local support, and technology that has been proven in the field were reasons the new system was selected.

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Control of Aquatic Plants

Control - Chemical
The use of chemicals such as Clarosan in still water for submerged weeds is ideal but it is still a difficult operation. No more than 30% of the surface area of water can be treated in one application. Clarosan is classed as a self dispersant and if you are not treating the whole water body or may still have weed left in the areas where the Clarosan was originally placed.
All inlets and outlets must be closed for at least 10 days. A still water is defined as a water body which is moving less than 5 metres per hour. This can be applied by hand or broadcaster. Glyphosate can be used to spray emerged plants such as bull rushes and lilies. This would be applied with a knapsack, quad bike with booms, hand lance or boat mounted sprayer.
If the water is moving between 5 and 90 metres per hour and has no floating sediment present then a viscous gel formation is specially designed for flowing water, but can be used in still waters. On contact it gives rapid control of submerged weeds and certain floating weeds. Only weeds in the immediate vicinity of the treated area are affected, so making par treatment of the waterway possible.

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Bouncy Castles Party Guide

Inflatable bounce houses make an attractive centerpiece for your childs birthday party. These objects are a big hit among people of all ages. If you think that you will be unable to control a group of boys at a party, then getting bounce house inflatables can be a good idea.

The best pastime for most children is jumping. If they can jump around at a party, they feel the party to be a success. The jump house provides them with the fun they want. Though mostly expensive, bounce houses can enhance the mood of the party.

In order to decide on the type of bounce house, there are few things you need to go through. You should check out the space available, sort out the number of guests you want to invite and an approximate estimation of how much they will weigh. There are different bouncer houses for different age groups like a small baby bouncer for toddlers and a large bounce house for grown ups.

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Eco Friendly Driving

Driving test to measure eco-friendly motoring

in adition to logging their faults in parking, mirror use and clutch control, examiners will now also measure candidates' fuel efficiency.

The new test has been introduced by the Driving Standards Agency in order to comply with European Union legislation.

While no one will be failed for not being green enough, would-be drivers will be given a detailed environmental assessment of their performance and receive instructions on how they should improve. Among other orders, drivers will be told they must not move down through the gears when preparing to stop, and that they should memorise the mantra "gears are for going - brakes are for slowing".

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