Barrie  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 71 Bryne Drive
 Barrie, ON
 
 Belleville  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 219 Millennium Parkway
 Belleville, ON
 
 Brampton – South  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 370 Kennedy Road South
 Brampton, ON
 
 Brampton – North  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 10111 Heart Lake Road
 Brampton, ON
 
 Brantford  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 215 Henry Street
 Brantford, ON
 
 East Gwillimbury (Newmarket)  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 18401 Yonge Street
 East Gwillimbury, ON
 
 Hamilton  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 1945 Barton Street East
 Hamilton, ON
 
 Maple 
 200 McNaughton RoadLowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 Vaughan, ON
 
 Oshawa  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 685 Laval Drive
 Oshawa, ON
 
 Toronto  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 1300 Castlefield Ave.
 Toronto, ON
 
 Whitby  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 4605 Garrard Road
 Whitby, ON
 
 Windsor  Lowes Home Improvement Canada Stores
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 1848 Provincial Road
 Windsor, ON

Natural Organic Gardening And Compost

 When I first heard about natural organic gardening and compost it appealed to my Scottish nature – I could use all sorts of free recycled materials in my garden. Now it seems we can buy home composting bins costing up to $400! That doesn’t appeal to me as much.

Contrary to general belief, organic growing is not about composting, it is about ‘feeding the soil, not the plants” and compost rarely occurs in nature.

What does occur in nature is mulching, so the hayground organic gardening people have the right idea. If you have a large garden or are between a natural garden and farming you can even do your composting using hay bales as the walls of your stack.

Mulching in the home garden can be free with materials that don’t attract flies. All your lawn clippings and torn newspapers can be spread as mulch. I spread lawn clippings about 30cm deep, and they rot down to about 10cm after a few weeks, when I can add more lawn clippings.

Animal manures are the leftovers after the animal has removed the best nutrients from plants. If you spread hay as mulch, you will get all the nutrients, not just the leftovers in manure. When you pull out weeds, drop them between the plants as mulch. If the weeds are aggressive, make sure the roots are upwards, so that they won’t take root again.

Some authorities warn you that lawn clippings will form a mat impervious to water. I have not found it so, but if you do, just mix in some torn newspapers to aerate the lot. Some authorities warn you about causing a Nitrogen debt. The way this works is that when you put high carbon material into the soil, the bacteria grab nitrogen from the soil to help rot down the carbon, leaving less nitrogen for the plants.

This is only true if you dig the material into the soil – not if it lies on top as a mulch. For materials that are too nasty to use as a mulch, such as household scraps, animal manure and fish scraps from your fishing expeditions, you can make the worms do the work in a cheap worm farm.

Worms need humidity, darkness and plenty of vegetable matter, or they will go looking for a better place. They mostly prefer to stay in the top fifteen cm (6 in) of the waste, and they like a sprinkling of sand to use as grit to grind their food. It is up to your ingenuity to use materials that you have at home to give them what they need. Here are some ideas for a beginner to organic growing.

Take an old 200 litre drum with no top. Cut a 15 cm hole in the bottom. Support it off the ground on bricks. Cover the hole with heavy wire mesh (recycled shelf from an old over or fridge from the annual rubbish collection?) and start adding food scraps. Cover the bin with old carpet, sacking, carpet underlay, a sheet of tin, or anything else that will keep out the flies. Add torn up newspapers to absorb excess moisture from the food scraps. When the waste is about 15cm deep, buy 1000 worms from a worm farm (advertised under “worms” in the Yellow Pages) and add them to the scraps.

Don’t let it dry out, keep adding all your food scraps, and gather the worm casts that drop through the mesh at the bottom to put on your favorite plants. Every year or two you may manage to fill the drum in spite of the efforts of the worms, so just empty it, keeping the raw stuff at the top with all the worms to start again.

If you have larger quantities of waste (for instance if you live next door to a seafood processing plant) make a larger worm farm. Worms prefer not to drop through an airspace, so most worm farms should have a perforated base held off the soil. Use what you have at home, or can salvage from the annual rubbish collection. Old iron or asbestos sheeting, aluminum from old screen doors, or even old floor-boards can be used as a base.

Make sides about 20 cm (4 in) deep with available materials – old bricks or a wooden box would do for example. You also need a cover to keep out the light.

Start in one corner with your waste materials, wait a week for preliminary rotting and cooling, then add your worms. Plan to rotate the worms through eight areas in your worm farm, taking about three weeks per area. Each three weeks start filling a new area, taking up half the width of your farm, with scraps, and when you get back to the beginning again, you can dig out the finished worm casts in the first area and start again. Worms don’t like to compete with their hatching young, so they will move on to each new area that you fill.

The final method costs nothing and is for starting a new garden. Go to one end of the garden, and put down a layer of wet newspapers about 20 sheets deep, in a strip. Cover the strip with organic matter to about half a metre (20 in). Depending on where you are you can get free sawdust, human hair from hairdressers, lawn clippings, tree clippings, seaweed, clotted blood from abattoirs, animal manure, grape residues, spoiled hay or straw bales.

Anything that has lived before will do. Don’t forget to sprinkle on a few handfuls of dirt. The worms will work in the top 20cm (8 in), but the material will soon collapse so that the depth gets closer and closer to 20 cm and the worms have to move down.

Start another strip beside the first. When the fourth strip is complete, plant things in the first strip, and follow up your moving worm farm with your planting. If your layer of wet newspapers is thick enough this is supposed to smother even kikuyu grass.

Finally, some of your waste will be leafy tree branches. I throw these into a heap with some worms, and occasionally add lawn clippings. Every spring I empty the heap, and the branches that were too big to rot down go into my water heater. There is a big load of lovely compost there, with no work on my part – the worms do it all.

Don’t forget, mulch is better and cheaper than compost if the material is suitable for mulch. If you can get free spoiled hay, mulch with it, don’t compost. These are my opinions only, not necessarily those of natural organic gardening and compost enthusiasts or organizations, but my ideas are certainly cheaper.

Of course, if you are going to go for lawn natural gardening, you will want compost. But a lawn seems a waste of good space to me.

Monitored Security System

 Monitored Home Alarm Systems Compared

Protect America, Inc has protected over 200,000 families nationwide with the state-of-the-art GE Wireless Home Security System. We are one of the fastest growing security companies in America with customers coast to coast! Make sure you are prepared in the event of an emergency anytime day or night. Defend your home and family against the threat of invasion, burglary & forced entry with a GE Home Security System!

Protect America Home Security System From GE

In 1992 Thad Paschall founded Round Rock, TX, based Protect America, Inc. Since 1992 Protect America, Inc. has been providing state of the art home security systems. And in less than 10 years, we have become one of the fastest growing security companies in America with customers coast to coast! Already, Protect America, Inc. has protected over 169,000 families nationwide and is ranked in the top 10 of residential security systems installations! Why is Protect America, Inc. experiencing unprecedented growth? Part of it is because of our acclaimed 24/7-monitoring service. You’ll always be able to get warm, friendly customer service from us when you need it. Solid company support! Protect America, Inc. has ranked in the Top 10 in volume of residential security system installations for the last three years according to SDM Magazine, with entire emphasis on customer support after the sale. The company utilizes cutting-edge computer technology to provide instantaneous product support and 24-hour protection of your home and family. Included Equipment

Talking Command Station:

This attractive countertop console speaks to you in plain English, giving audible voice instructions that assures your system is operating properly at all times. By simply pushing the Status button you can be notified of an open door or window, low battery, etc. The internal siren will activate immediately to let an unwanted intruder know they have selected the wrong home.

One Button Arming:

You arm your system by pushing a single button. The Peacekeeper comes with entry/exit delays at the doors you select, and you can also put these same doors and windows on instant alert with the push of a single button. Door Chime: The system will, at your request, act as a door chime. Should your child try to slip out a door unattended, the system will pleasantly notify you.

Pager Feature:

The system has a pager feature. Should your child not return from school at the proper time and turn off the system, the system can be programmed to page you.

Additional User Codes:

The system allows you to input additional user codes for your baby-sitter, housekeeper, neighbor, relatives, etc.

24-hour Emergency Button:

You have access to an emergency panic button that allows you to summon help 24 hours a day.

Battery Back-up:

In the event of a power failure your Command Station will automatically convert from AC to DC.

Fully Supervised (Self-testing):

Each module in your security system communicates (or reports in) regularly to the Command Station by sending a signal. In the event a module does not report in, the Status Button (see next bullet) on your system will light up. This informs you that your Command Station has some important information to share with you.

Status Button:

Your Status Button is part of your product on-site communication system. If the Status Button is lit… you simply press the button and your Command Station will notify you if a particular module needs battery replacement, or if there has been an activation in your absence, etc.

Compare Monitored Home Alarm Systems

It is time you looked into a GE Home Security System By Protect America.

Make Money Investing In Rentals

Rental properties are a great way to build equity in real estate without carrying the burden of hefty monthly mortgage payments. With guaranteed monthly income coming off your property, you can secure higher financing and make your monthly payments while still clearing a profit.

However, as with any business venture, there are risks. For some tips and tricks that will help you make money investing in rental properties, keep reading.

Go for Higher End Rentals

While it can sometimes be harder to fill pricier rentals, you’re more likely to find quality tenants that are older, respect the space, pay their rent on time and won’t cost you money in the long run.

Overall, high-priced luxury units can be difficult to rent, but mid-to-high range urban rental units tend to attract young, professional couples who are responsible and good tenants. While you shouldn’t upgrade a rental unit too much, a fresh coat of paint and a few design touches can go a long way when it comes to attracting quality tenants.

Do Credit Checks

If it’s allowed under your state’s tenancy act, credit checks are one of the best ways to get a clear picture of a prospective tenant’s payment history, financial picture and level of responsibility.

While a credit check is going to cost you anywhere from $20 to $60, the amount you’ll save on lost rent, chasing down delinquent tenants or filling a broken lease is well worth the expense.

Be Competitive

If your property is in a renter’s market, you’ve got to be competitive to attract tenants. And once you have them, you need to stay competitive to retain quality tenants.

Remember, if raising the rent 10 percent on a high-quality tenant means you might lose them, you’ll also be losing at least a month of rental income, the expense of finding a new tenant and the peace of mind that a good tenant provides. Sometimes, that extra $50 per month just isn’t worth it in the long run.

Other ways to stay competitive as a landlord in a renter’s market is to offer incentives like included utilities, cable television or free wireless Internet access.

Opt for Amenities

Something as cheap and simple as placing a washer and dryer into a unit can raise your rental income by a few hundred dollars every month. Adding small amenities to your rental units will not only set your apartment apart, it will also translate to higher returns on your investment.

A number of great rental property tips are available for your consideration, including the warmth and beaches at South Florida rentals, trees and beautiful nature areas of Smokey Mountain cabin rentals, incredible waterfront views of Sanibel Island rentals, or even Maui condo rentals – all will help you maximize your property rental experience.

Ordering A Custom Mattress

If you have wondered where some of the unusual beds that you see come from, good news, now you can order a custom mattress made to your specifications. If you have thought how great it would be to sleep in a huge bed all spread out, then a custom mattress, may be your answer.

If your bedroom has an unusual shape, you have rounded walls or a room shaped like an octagon, then a standard rectangle shaped bed would likely look out of place in such a contemporary room. The problem is, you don?t ever see a circular shaped mattress in a showroom. Or perhaps you own a bed and breakfast and are looking to set up a honeymoon room. A heart shaped bed would really make that room a romantic haven for newlyweds. But the only place you have seen anything like that is in far away Las Vegas.

There are many situations that require a custom size or shaped mattress. The most typical include, Antique Beds, Platform Beds, Houseboats, Yachts, RV’s, Cabin Cruisers, Sleepers in commercial vehicle Tractor Trailers, etc. However, the most common situation requiring custom size mattresses is typically Antique Beds. This is because many antique beds were hand made in the 17th and 18th centuries. A few beds were made in the early 19th century as well. Most of these antique beds were designed with a particular family or individual in mind. The size of these beds was usually dictated by the room size, the size of the person the bed was being made for or simply the materials available at time of manufacture. Most times, these beds were handcrafted by the best handyman in the family, out in the barn, to meet his own specifications. This meant there were a multitude of sizes, shapes and constructions, none of which were in any form of a standardized size. There are many things to be considered when producing custom size mattresses to fit an existing bed.

Thanks to the Internet, you can now order a mattress in standard rectangle shape, round or heart shaped or however you desire. These special orders are custom built to match the location you have in mind.

The following information should be considered a minimum required to place a custom mattress order. With the following dimensions, a custom mattress supplier can design a custom mattress that will fit any family heirloom.

1. Confirm the opening of the bed measured from inside side rail to inside side rail where the foundation sits. This is the width.

2. Measure from headboard to footboard on the plane where the foundation will rest. This will provide the length.

3. If there are any height restrictions, measure the height from the point where the foundation rests on the side rails vertical to the highest point of the footboard. This determines the thickness of the mattress.

4. Confirm any obstructions which could interfere with the placement of the mattress by looking down the bedstead. An example would be a post bed where the post protrudes into the area where the box spring foundation rests. This can be accommodated by creating a notched corner.

5. Typical custom mattresses come in six comfort levels: Ultra Plush, Plush, Firm, Super Firm, Latex Mattresses, Foam Mattresses

Many people hesitate to buy a special order mattress for fear that they will not be able to find sheets and spreads to cover them. Again, in the Internet world, some specialty linen shops and web sites offer to make linens to fit any bed. You just have to provide the dimensions of the bed so that your bedding can be made to order.

Another way you can customize your order is by choosing all natural materials. In place of the synthetic products used to build most sleep systems, some specialty sites offer a variety of all natural fabrics and stuffing for your bed. One such choice is the all natural latex foam core. You can order a latex core that is 99 percent pure rubber. One major advantage of natural latex mattresses is that the foam does not break down with age. The common latex mattress breaks down into particles that can be inhaled can harm the lungs. This is especially important if you have asthma or any other breathing disorder.

Another natural product that can be used in your custom order is natural wool. Wool does not hold heat like some other fabrics and it dries quickly. Wool is also more resistant to crushing and permitting your mattress to last longer. Custom ordering a mattress makes a lot of sense if you have special needs. Whether it is for an antique bed or you?re seeking a particular, hard to find size, shape, or material, you can get just what you want if you are willing to wait a little longer and pay a little more.

D. Lyne is a frequent contributor to mattress review websites and blogs.

Pick The Correct Color Schemes

Interior décor doesn’t have to be this huge, elaborate design that breaks the bank. In fact it can be as straightforward as getting a good color scheme that adds life and balance to your rooms, no matter how tiny it is or how cheap your furniture and furnishing are. A good color scheme, that is to say a color scheme that imitates your personal flair and one that makes you feel like you’ve ambled into your own fantasy palace, is the start of all good home improvement ideas.

Interior decorating should form the background for the way you elect to live in your dwelling. And we all use our homes differently, so for instance, if you are a reader and spend a a lot of your time surrounded by books and shelving then your color scheme should only serve to enhance your experience. So good shelving and a nice little organization scheme are suitable ideas to initiate with, but because colors really appeal to the senses, a color scheme will absolutely be the thing that will draw you to your books. For instance, plain wood shelves look best in an real library ambiance, but don’t be scared to play around with even your wooden furniture by either darkening the varnish or lightening it and certainly you always have the alternative to paint them white or another color that will really fascinate you.

With any good color scheme in your interior decoration ideas, don’t only focus on
the furniture or the furnishings, but think about your room’s actual
foundations like the walls and floor. Consider the lighting in a specific area because this can enhance or detract from its complete design since it is paramount in actually showing off your color scheme. If you are not sure what color to utilize then play it safe and go for a light cream or magnolia that can add sparkle up your room and compliment your soft furniture as well. Well placed lamps and ornaments that accentuate your existing colors are suitable ways to maintain a balanced color scheme in your dwelling too!

Home interior decorating covers many aspects of the job and because many homes are an amalgam of several pieces of living room couch and tints of colors it is usually a hard task trying to include all of these. But it doesn’t have to be an extraordinary task and it wouldn’t be if you take some time to figure out an interior decorating colour scheme. Whether you just desire to spruce up a specific area or give it a whole fresh look, a color scheme is the one detail that will make it all come together. When you have selected a color scheme, you will be amazed at how effortless it will be to choose other accents like mats, pillows, cushion covers, curtains and even knick-knacks that add the finishing touches to your décor because you will now be more certain in picking hues and tones that are in accordance with the existing color scheme.

Designing A Home Entertainment Room

A Home Theater Room is a marvelou place for the sports nuts to assemble for that important playoff game, for the kids to have their classmates over for a few hours of on-line fun, for getting Mom and Dad together with the little ones to watch the current, popular, movie sensation, or for a romantic couple to snuggle with a glass of wine while watching something that might be restricted to the youngsters. There are many things to consider when planning a home media and entertainment center. Of primary importance is the amount you have to spend. Even though a home theater room could become an expensive proposition, it can be done for a lot less than you would think. when this year’s model supplants last year’s model, the old technology becomes much cheaper. And that makes a home theater room more and more possible.

The focus of any home theater must be a high-definition television. Even though there are dozens to choose from, it will quickly become obvious that it will produce far better video reproduction than the old box TV it will replace – no matter what you pay for it.
It’s the same story for the sound system, another critical component of a home theater room. Systems that can provide super-realistic surround sound have dropped in price dramatically. You will also have to consider furniture during your remodeling home theater project.
Though existing furniture might be utilized, such as couches, sectionals or recliners, other homeowners are opting to purchase cushioned, movie theater-style seats. There are drawbacks to certain kinds of furniture, though, so do your research carefully!
If hiring an expert is not in your budget, you can get a good education in the technical design aspects on the internet. An good, inexpensive alternative might be an e-book on home theater design, which will lead you through the process, one step at a time, of building your new home theater room.

There are myriad components, both technical and aesthetic, that go into the design and construction of a home theater space. In that sense, research and planning are the first and perhaps the most important steps you can take. Utilize the information the internet has to offer; free articles and low-cost e-books can be a wonderful resource. Done properly, a well-built and well-conceived home theater room will not only enable your family to experience many hours of fun and satisfying entertainment, but will also might significantly increase your home’s market value.

Frank Sarntarpia
Home Improvement Blog

Improve House Values

 Some simple home improvement tips that actually improve the value of your home. Maybe you plan to place your home on the market for sale or maybe you just want to add those little touches that make it a nicer home.
Attend to little details such as the lawn, gardens, bushes, and trees.
Eliminate any unnecessary yard clutter
Check the appearance of little things like chimneys or flag poles. Are they clean, straight and painted?
Does the paint, bricks or siding look fresh? Maybe you need to power wash or touch up. Power washing services are widely available at increasingly competitive prices. Many handy and effective power washers are available at stores such as Lowes Home Improvement.
Are your roof shingles curled and showing exposed areas where the little stone surface has eroded away?
Clean out your eaves trough. They will drain better and last longer
Clean and or repair windows. Dirty windows show quite easily on clear bright days and a little elbow grease can make all the difference in the world.
Observe drapes and blinds from the outside. These items also stand out from an exterior appearance. It doesn’t need to be a high cost experience to spruce these up a bit.
Be sure your outside lights are operating correctly. They serve you and your visitors very nicely during dark conditions. They provide extra security and safe movements outside in low light conditions.
Similarly, ensure your doorbells are operating correctly
Are door handles tight and working?
Check the weather-stripping around doors and windows. Not only will this improve the appearance, but will definitely save you money on heating and cooling.
Try to keep a clean, uncluttered entrance.
Clean the bathroom. This may seem like a strange bit of advice but have you used a washroom that doesn’t look clean. I’ve seen several surprisingly and you just don’t feel as comfortable using them.
Many of these items are easy and inexpensive things to do but can dramatically improve the appearance of your home. Don’t forget – Use the big box store such as Lowes Home Improvement. They are extremely helpful.

Home Safety

Chemical Safety

When thinking home improvement, nails lumber and paint usually come to mind first and foremost. Have you ever thought about the chemicals you might encounter when performing these projects?

Sometimes we take for granted and minimize concerns about safety when using common items such as paints and cleaners. We really should take the time to consider the safety issues though. They may not seem that big but they really are important.

 Be sure to store paints, cleaners, fertilizers and similar chemicals safely. They should always bear the label showing actual contents. Using the original containers will minimize the risk of any misunderstanding the contents. If using alternate containers – take the time to label them properly. Store them so they are not accessible to small children. Cupboards mounted up high or that may be locked can be found at stores such as Lowes Home Improvement. Many are made of plastics now that are impervious to chemicals and environmental breakdown.

Be aware of the chemical properties of the chemicals you are using. You may be allergic to certain chemicals and if so, reading the warning labels will allow you to be safe in your handling of these products.

Some chemicals are just not meant to be mixed together yet this happens all too often. Common chlorine based cleaners do not react nicely when mixed with the also common ammonia based cleaners. You might actually produce deadly chlorine gas by mixing these two handy cleaners. Again “Read The Labels”. Just wiping up with a rag that gets exposed to both elements at different times could cause a reaction. Take care when handling your cleanup tools as well.

Some of the common items that might expose you to these chemicals include glues, adhesives, mortar, cement, thin set, caulking, paints, polyurethane, lacquer, and paint strippers. All chemically based products should be treated with a great deal of respect and caution.

Always read and follow the manufacturers instructions. The manufacturer does know the safest and best way to use and store their product. Note any health warnings.

Remember the applications in your house such as carpet glues. flooring finishes and paint applications, can emit noxious fumes slowly over a long period. If you or someone in the family is sensitive to these conditions – select your product carefully.

Stores such as Lowes Home Improvement will be exceptionally helpful in selecting safe and appropriate products.

Tankless Water Heater

Tankless Water Heater Operation

The tankless water heater works by heating water as it is called fro by the user. It does not operate in the same way as traditional hot water heaters that require storage tank.
For this reason there is no heat loss. Heat loss is the heat energy you lose when heating water and then storing it in a tank. This tankless water heater is thus much more energy efficient.

Cold water is taken into the unit and is heated by a heating element. The heating unit can be electric resistance heating coils or a gas burner requiring natural gas or propane. There are three variables that have to be considered in sizing the unit. The volume of water the user will require, the temperature of the water entering the system, and the desired temperature of the hot water to the user. Those three factors determine the type, size and flow rate of tankless water heaters. There are two basic types of tankless water heaters, Point of Use and Whole House. Point of Use Tankless Water Heater The point of use tankless water heater is relatively small and will usually fit inside a sink cabinet or in a closet. They are typically dedicated use heaters meaning the unit serves one sink, faucet or shower. Point of use tankless water heaters are typically less expensive than whole house units. Whole House Tankless Water Heater Whole house units mean that they have higher flow rate capability and can supply more than one fixture at a time. The number and type of units served is important. Some shower heads can use six times more water than a bathroom sink. The size and number of whole house tankless water heaters you require will be determined by flow rate. Flow rate is determined by the number and types of fixtures. You may need more than one whole house tankless water heater for multiple shower usage. These can be hooked up in parallel to meet higher hot water demands. Whole house units are typically much more expensive than point of use units. Determining Desired Temperature Rise The difference between the the temperature of the hot water leaving the heater and the cold water entering the unit is called the temperature rise. If you want a shower up to 110°F and you live in south Florida with groundwater at 72°F, then you need a 38°F temperature rise (110-72=38). A tankless water heater is sized by rating its temperature rise at a given GPM. So that could be rated at a 38°F Temperature Rise at 2.0 GPM. If less water may be required, this same unit might also provide a 65°F Temperature Rise at 1.0 GPM. The lower the flow demanded by the unit, the more the water can be heated.