To northga, I found this post purely by accident. I thought I would give my 2 cents worth anyway. Do not bother with a larger hose ( if you need a new hose anyway by all means get the 3/4". Don't bother with the expense of a 1" ). The increase in pressure will be negligable ( unless you have a long run of hose ). Someone answered your post and part of his information stated that in your area it was common to have a 3/4 inch service line and water meter. If true your water venders' engineers need an education, 3/4 inch is absurd unless you are providing water supply to a camper. In any case it sounds like a plumbing problem ( very common ). Many times ( frankly most of the time ) pipe and fitting sizes are just to small ( even if 'up to code' )and create velocities that are to high, thus a more than reasonable pressure drop. I would love to sell you a booster pump, but that will not solve the problem ( considering the information you have provided). The first thing to due is to confirm the size of your service line and water meter ( if 3/4" you are out of luck ). Your water vender should be able to provide you this information. Second, locate your water meter. There will be some type of isolation valve(s)( shut-off valve(s) ). Be sure the valves are fully open ( you would be surprised how often they are not ). Next locate your pressure regulating valve ( yes you do have one ), if there are isolation valves here as well be sure they are fully open. I'm sure you have the same[pressure]problem inside the home when several demands are made on the supply ( this occurs in most every home due to small pipe sizes ).[ If the plumbing were sized and piped correctly your shower would not be affected by a toilet flushing. ] I am getting long here... A booster pump ( or any increase in pressure ) will not by itself provide an increase in flow ( gpm ). Flow is determined by what the plumbing (size) can provide within acceptable losses and by the demand on said plumbing. If you are demanding 20 gpm ( sprinklers, showers, dishwasher, etc ) all at the same time and your plumbing can only provide 12 gpm ( at 5 feet per second velocity ) you will give up the pressure that's available. There are many things you can do, even if your water meter is to small ( including but not limited to installing a booster pump ), however any "fixes" will result in increased flow and pressure for the sprinkler(s) and reduced flow and pressure in the home ( all things being equal ), short of installing a second service line and water meter. If there is a hose bib available upstream ( prior to ) of entering the house then do use this connection ( see "fixes" above ), this alone may provide you with the what [pressure] you are looking for. The bottom line is consider doing your outside watering during a time when houshold water consumption is not an issue. Hell, I've got to get back to work hope this has been some help. MChristensen, Technical Consultant Booster Pump Tech Here is a link that might be useful: GardenWeb

I have had to do a lot of research on dog food related illnesses lately because of problems my 3 year old lab had with gas and an upset stomach. From what I learned it sounds like your puppy could have developed a food intolerance to one of the ingredients in the food; probably a preservative or the meat type. If its having problems still, I would feed it boiled chicken and plain white rice for a couple of days in several small portions to give its tummy a rest and then switch its food to something that may be more gentle and offer a change of ingredients. I have always fed our girl high quality, grain free and locally sourced foods but she still ended up having some severe tummy problems. The vet put her on Royal Canine Gastritus along with medication which didn't fix the problem and caused her to start having problems with incontinence. It was because of her spay they said but after 3 vets and 1,000s in bills we still had a dog who was so miserable and getting sicker, not better. Knowing something wasn't right I spent countless hours researching her condition(s) and finally discovered the root of the problem was that the companies making the no grain foods often use beans in the ingredients as a protein source and the beans were causing severe gas. Additionally, she was eating too fast, needed smaller portions AND as hard as it is to believe, it was actually the ROYAL CANINE for Gastritus (that the vet put her on) that caused her to become incontinent. Yep, I read lots of complaints about lots of dogs who experienced the same problem! I immediately took her off that food and all the medications the vets had erroneously put her on. It took some more research but eventually I found a grain free food without beans called Holistic Select and literally within a week of starting her on the new food, ALL of her health issues diminished. I buy it from Chewy.com for a decent price and shipping included, it's grain free, locally sourced and made in the US. There are two or three grain free recipes, Imget her the Anchovy. Salmon, Sardine Adult/puppy kibble and she loves it. I just feel terrible because after months and months of misery all she needed was a change in food along with smaller portions fed in a bowl designed to make her eat slower, (a flower bowl, also bought on Chewy.com). If I only new then what I know now! It's been 2.5 months without one problem and is healthier and happier than she has ever been. Please, before jumping to the conclusion the your dog had some serious condition, check the label of the food you feed her to see what is actually in it and do some research to learn about food intolerance in dogs, its much more common than allergies, and vomiting is the first clue. dogfoodadvisor.com is a great place to start. Hey bestsyhac! long time no see, hope all is well!

I love my island (and kitchen). It defines the work zones and play zones well enough. It is a "P" shape. the round part is 4 feet wide, 3 feet wide at the bottom of P and 6 feet long. With the layout of the kitchen it is the perfect hang out island. The "BEST" feature is space, ie: 42 inch isles. You can have guest all around the island and still have room to work and room for people to get by to access the different zones. With out a doubt make room for 42 inch or more isles. The other day we were having a late meal with about eight friends hanging around the island, when it came time to eat, everybody filled there plate (buffet) and just naturally returned to the island to eat. My kitchen table remain MT. Some stood and some sat, but that night it was more fun to just hang out and eat at the island than to move (a whole 6 feet) to the table (they probably thought they would loose there drinks if they moved :)). What ever works. A few things to consider Layout is important with a large consideration to flow, in my kitchen i do not have to walk around the island to get things done, your kitchen is there primarily to cook but it is a "lot" more fun when guest are about to keep you company that can help with the wine consumption. I have no appliances or sinks or levels on my island (so nice, wouldn't change a thing) The island certainly has to be large enough to be functional otherwise you will be tripping over people and any amount of stuff on the island look cluttered pretty quick. The designed and constructed of my kitchen took about 12 months and is almost 100% done. Enjoy the process, take you time (i did), know that you will be eating out or eating cold cereal and cheese and cracker for at least two months, but it will be worth it in the end. I am sitting at my computer (where else) typing away with my cordless keyboard, on a very comfy piece of soft furniture in the corner of my kitchen with a hot coffee at my side. Yes it was worth the effort!!!

RE: solar potential in the Midwest. We can actually get very little sunshine in the winter and early spring and sometimes can go a month at a time without hardly seeing the sun. The upper Midwest is the second worst place for solar potential after the Pacific Northwest. Even so, apparently with photovoltaics becoming more affordable and efficient and the amount of sun that we do have, it's becoming more viable to use them as an alternative energy source. I'm seeing slightly different statistics than David on electrical and natural gas home fires. It looks like there could be as many as 500 deaths caused by electrical home fires each year, with over 50,000 total fires, meanwhile roughly 2500 home fires are started by natural gas. The number of at home natural gas related deaths was a little less clear. I saw the 10 per year number, but that seemed to include all natural gas fire, not just in homes, and that wouldn't account for other natural gas deaths. Though in either case while the probability may not be as little as 1000:1, the chances of a natural gas fire as compared to the total number of dwelling units in the United States is about .002% each year. Also another factor in the sustainability equation: currently most of the power in our area is produced with coal. Until that changes, which is hopefully in the near future, it could be considered more environmentally friendly to continue heating with natural gas.