What I Will Learn

2. What I Will Learn • To discuss the services provided to the home • To create a sustainable home environment

3. Services to the Home • An efficient, safe and sustainable home is dependent on a variety of services. These include gas, electricity and water. • It is important to source these services from sustainable sources, where possible, and not to waste these valuable resources.

4. Gas • Natural gas is found under the sea bed. It is a fuel formed over millions of years beneath the surface of the earth from decaying plants and animals. • Service pipes lead into individual homes. • Bottled gas or gas tanks containing liquified petroleum gas (LPG) can be used in areas where piped gas is not available.

5. Uses of Gas in the Home • Cooking • Central heating • Heating water • Portable heaters • Gas fires • Underfloor heating

6. Gas Safety • Natural gas is odourless, so an odour is added to it for safety reasons. Gas needs to be used carefully. • All gas appliances should be installed and serviced by a qualified person. • Gas appliances should be used in well-ventilated rooms. • Carefully follow all the manufacturer’s instructions on all gas appliances. • Buy appliances that have a safety mark.

7. If You Suspect a Gas Leak • Do not ignore the smell • Turn off the gas at the mains • Open all doors and windows • Telephone the gas emergency line from outside • Do not use a naked flame, e.g. matches or a lighter • Do not smoke • Do not turn on a light or use any electrical appliances • Call the Gas Networks Ireland 24-hour emergency line on 1850 20 50 50

8. Gas: Did You Know? • Gas is a non-renewable source of energy so gas reserves are limited. • If consumption continues to rise, natural gas reserves may be depleted by 2050 (unless new fields are discovered). • Can you suggest any alternative sources of energy that are more sustainable?

9. Electricity • Electricity is not a fuel – it is a clean and efficient form of energy. Some electricity is generated from fuels, i.e. coal, gas and oil, and some is generated from water and wind. • Electricity enters the house through a service cable. It passes through a sealed fuse box with a meter, which records usage. Some houses have a second meter to record off-peak (night rate) usage, which can reduce costs. • It then passes into a consumer unit that contains the main switch. This can be turned off if an electrical fault occurs or if any repairs are being made. • The consumer unit has a safety device called a miniature circuit breaker (MCB) or trip switches, which turn off if a fault develops.

10. Uses of Electricity • Cooking • Central heating • Heating water • Portable heaters • Electric fires • Lighting • Powering appliances • Underfloor heating • Washing and drying clothes

11. Guidelines for the Safe Use of Electricity • Be careful when using electricity and electrical appliances to prevent accidents. • Repair and maintain appliances as required. • Be careful not to mix electricity and water. • Take extra care with children – keep all appliances out of reach and use socket covers.

12. Appliance Safety • Buy appliances with recognised safety symbols. • Always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. • Ensure plugs are correctly wired and have the correct fuses to prevent overheating. • Replace broken plugs, sockets and frayed and damaged flexes. • Never overload a socket with plugs or use multiple adaptors. • Unplug electrical appliances at night, except the fridge-freezer. • Take extra care when using electrical appliances outside to ensure they do not get wet.

13. Electricity Safety in the Bathroom Special precautions apply to wiring in a bathroom because of the high moisture content. • Never use portable electrical appliances in bathrooms, e.g. hairdryers or heaters. • Ensure electric showers are wired separately. • There should be no socket outlets except recommended lights and shaver units. • Only use pull-cords for operating wall heaters and shavers.

14. Electricity Safety in the Kitchen Electricity, water, hot surfaces and trailing flexes make the kitchen a dangerous part of the home. • Switch off and unplug all appliances before cleaning them. • Do not use or attempt to repair faulty appliances. • Never handle appliances, plugs or sockets with wet hands. Always dry hands before touching any electric appliance. • Never trail flexes across cooker hobs or sinks. • Do not overload sockets by using adaptors or extensions. • Do not use a knife to remove toast from a toaster.

15. Electricity Safety in the Bedroom • Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on electric blankets and check regularly for wear and tear. Never repair an electric blanket – replace as necessary. • Never warm clothes near or on electric heaters. • Unplug all appliances at night and when not in use.

16. Fuses • A fuse is a deliberate weak link in an electrical circuit. • It acts as a safety device: if a fault develops, the fuse will blow, cutting off the electricity before any more damage can be done. • An MCB will trip because of a faulty appliance, e.g. an overheated iron, faulty wiring of a plug, or overloading of the circuit which is caused by too many appliances running at the same time. • The MCB must be reset after the fault has been fixed.

17. Electricity • Electricity itself will not run out, but non-renewable fuel sources used to make electricity will, so we have moved our dependence to renewable sources, e.g. wind power, hydropower and solar power. • The government has set a target of 40% electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020 under the National Renewable Energy Action Plan. • Ireland has made big strides in accelerating renewable generation, especially with onshore wind farms.

18. Lighting Good lighting is important in a home to: • Prevent accidents • Ensure good hygiene • Prevent eyestrain • Provide adequate lighting for activities like reading • Create an atmosphere in each room

19. Types of Light

20. Energy-Efficient Lighting All bulbs are given a rating to indicate their energy efficiency. CFLs and LED bulbs are the most efficient bulbs available with an A rating. They use less electricity, last longer and are more environmentally friendly, but are expensive to buy.

21. Lighting Safety • Good lighting does not flicker or cause a glare as this may lead to headaches and eye strain. • Dangerous areas such as stairs should be well lit. • Lights in a bathroom should operate on a pull-cord switch or an outside switch. • Ensure all light fittings and shades are safe and use the correct strength of bulb for the fitting. • The shade should not be too close to the bulb.

22. Lighting Revision Activities • Differentiate between natural and artificial light. • Research the types of lights available on the market. Compare them under the following headings: • Description • Price • Energy value

23. Lighting Recap Activities (continued) • Choose an efficient form of lighting for a: • Kitchen • Sitting room • Bedroom Discuss the type of bulbs you could use in each and rate its energy efficiency. • Outline some safety guidelines for changing a lightbulb.

24. Water – Essential for Life • Did you know that a person can live for many weeks without food, but less than one week without water? • Every living thing on earth depends on water for survival.

25. The Water Cycle Water is one of our most important resources. • The water we use in our houses begins as rain. The rain falls, seeps into the ground and forms springs that flow into rivers and lakes. • It is held in lakes (natural) or man-made reservoirs, before it is treated and piped to our houses. • Water flows from the reservoir to the water treatment plant, where it is treated to make it suitable for use.

26. The Water Cycle (continued) • First the water is left to settle, then it is filtered to remove impurities (grit and plant materials). • To soften the water, chloride of lime is added. • Chlorine is added to kill bacteria. • Fluoride is added to reduce tooth decay.

27. The Water Cycle (continued)

28. The Water Cycle (continued) • Water leaves the treatment plant in large pipes called mains. • A branch of the mains pipe, called a service pipe, goes into each house. • There is a stop valve on the service pipe that can be used to turn off the water for repairs. • The service pipe supplies cold water directly to the kitchen sink tap. This is the freshest water in the house and should be used for drinking and cooking. This service pipe also fills the storage tank in the attic.

29. The Water Cycle (continued) • The attic tank supplies the water to toilets, other cold taps and the cylinder in the hot press, where it is heated.

30. The Kitchen Sink • Usually located under a window on an outside wall because it makes plumbing easier and it provides good lighting and ventilation. • Most are made from stainless steel because they are durable, stain- and heat- resistant, easy to clean and hygienic. • Underneath the sink there is an ‘S’ trap or U-bend, which is designed so that it always contains water. This prevents smells and bacteria coming back into the kitchen from drains or sewers.

31. The Kitchen Sink (continued) • After a sink is emptied, the ‘S’ trap should be flushed with clean water from the cold tap. • Sinks and drains need to be disinfected regularly to kill bacteria. • Find out what you can do if your sink becomes blocked. Share what you’ve learned with the rest of the class

32. The Kitchen Sink (continued) • What sink would you choose for your home? Explain why. • Find out what other materials kitchen sinks are made from. • (a) • (c) • (b)

33. Don’t Waste Water! • Never brush your teeth or wash your hands under a running tap. • Take shorter showers and install water-saving showerheads. • Fill up dishwashers and washing machines before using them and use the economy load setting. • Install a dual-flush toilet.

34. Don’t Waste Water! • Collect rainwater for using in the garden and for washing cars. • Use a spray head on a hose. • Make sure that there are no leaks in the system. • Can you add anything else to this list?

35. Burst Pipes Sometimes water pipes freeze in very cold weather. When water freezes, it expands. This might cause a pipe to crack, and then a leak could occur when the water thaws. What to do if a pipe bursts: • Turn off water at the stop valve on the service pipe • Run all cold taps to drain the system • Do not turn on central heating or use a back boiler • Call a plumber

36. Discovery Learning Watch this YouTube video about the Water Cycle.

37. Water Activities • Using this Sequence Chart Graphic organiser, summarise how water is brought into our homes. See Activity 22.12 in the TRB

38. Don’t Waste Water! Think-Pair-Share Why is it important to conserve water? • Suggest practical ways we can conserve water inside and outside our home. Share your ideas with the class. • Design a poster to get the ‘Don’t Waste Water!’ message across. Put them up around the school in appropriate places. See Activity 22.12 in the TRB

39. Heating • A home can be heated in a variety of ways, but all methods involve heat transfer (conduction, convection or radiation). • A home can be heated by central heating, background heating or by individual heaters.

40. Types of Heating Central Heating • Central heating means that the whole house is heated from a boiler. • The boiler heats the water, which passes around the house through radiators or in pipes under the floor. • Boilers are fuelled by electricity, gas, oil and solid fuel such as coal, turf and smokeless fuels, or partially fuelled by solar panels. • Central heating systems generally also heat the domestic hot water.

41. Types of Heating (continued) Background Heating • Background heating, e.g. electric storage heaters, give off gentle background heat. • They often need to be supplemented by another form of heating. • Storage heaters use off-peak electricity.

42. Types of Heating (continued) • Individual heaters can be gas, electric or solid fuel. • Some gas and electric heaters such as fan, radiant or infrared heaters can be portable. • Solid fuel heaters include open fires and stoves. Individual Heaters

43. Heating Activity • There are various types of heating solutions for a home. • Find out more about one type of heating and present a factsheet to the rest of the class, which: • must contain a description and picture/diagram or photograph of the solution • should include the advantages and disadvantages of this solution • could include prices and additional information Be creative!

44. Insulation • Heat is lost through the roof, walls, windows, doors and floors of a house. • Good insulation can reduce this loss by 75%. • Insulation works on the principles that the materials used are poor conductors of heat, e.g. air, fiberglass and polystyrene, thereby reducing heat loss from the house. • Good insulation makes a house comfortable and warm, helps to soundproof a house and saves money on fuel bills.

45. How Heat is Lost from Your Home

46. Insulation Activity Game • Look at the variety of insulation materials in front of you. • Discuss where each can be used. • Match the type of insulation to the place it is used and to the material it is made from. See Activity 22.14 in the TRB

47. Ventilation • Ventilation is the removal of stale air from and the introduction of fresh air into the home. • It is needed to control temperature and humidity and to prevent condensation. • Condensation is the process by which water vapour in warm air is changed into liquid when it comes into contact with cold surfaces.

48. Energy Efficiency • Houses are rated on a scale from A to G depending on their efficiency. • This rating is calculated using details of house construction, insulation, heating, lighting and ventilation. • All houses for sale or rent must have a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate.

50. Revision Bingo • Listen to the questions read out by the ‘Bingo’ caller. • Cross out each corresponding answer on your card. • The winner is the first person to get a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line.