It seems this summer, that firewood and the tankless water heater were the majority of my progress. The weeks have passed by rapidly. Family has come to visit and days have been filled with which project to do next. Having the tankless water heater working has been a blessing. After a long day working in … Continue reading Tankless Water Heater Install & Northwest Fires are Affecting our Solar Panels
Water
Unboxing our new off grid water heater
This past week I have been busy installing our new off grid tankless propane water heater. The tankless propane water heater we had before was only a temporary fix that lasted 5 years. I never intended on using it for so long, but other needs on the homestead kept taking priority. We are finally … Continue reading Unboxing our new off grid water heater
Off Grid: Having a Washing Machine
When Mark and I were talking about living off grid, we decided early on that we wanted to have as many modern conveniences as possible. We both did not want to have to hand wash our clothes. So, having a washing machine was on the list of appliances that we wanted to have. When Mark … Continue reading Off Grid: Having a Washing Machine
Thermosiphon equals free hot water
In this blog post, we created a video which explains how we use thermosiphon to heat our domestic hot water through our wood cook stove. We have received requests to create a video post which walks through the process. We hope you enjoy the video and our attempt at creating a Youtube presence. Our channel … Continue reading Thermosiphon equals free hot water
Reality Check… we live off grid (part 1: of our transition period)
Sometimes my wife and I have to remind ourselves that we live off the grid. We do not receive any electricity from the power company. We make our own electricity using our solar panels and sometimes back up gas generator in a pinch. During evenings, I like to unwind by watching Youtube on the television. … Continue reading Reality Check… we live off grid (part 1: of our transition period)
The toilet, a topic we don’t like to discuss…
Having a flush toilet has been by far one of the most rewarding, peace of mind additions to our home. We installed our flush toilet back in 2013 and have no regrets making the move away from our compost toilet. Now, I must admit I never converted my AC composting toilet to DC. I hooked … Continue reading The toilet, a topic we don’t like to discuss…
Here comes the sun…
After a dreary month of January, the sun is making its appearance again. We are all relieved and choose our own way to bask in sun's warm rays. The solar panels have produced very little and we have relied on the storage capacity of our battery banks and the back up generator on a weekly … Continue reading Here comes the sun…
Preparing for a winter storm … Grateful to be off grid
During the last storm in our area, many people were left with out power for days because the wind had knocked out the power in several places. Many homes today are designed to be completely dependent on the grid. When a power outage occurs, the obvious lights, electronic devices, and refrigeration goes down, but that … Continue reading Preparing for a winter storm … Grateful to be off grid
“Beat the Heat” with homemade water guns
During the summer months in Northern Idaho, many families spend substantial time collecting, cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood. Our family is no different since we use firewood to heat our house, cook our food, and heat our domestic hot water in the winter. The best way to beat the heat is not to be out … Continue reading “Beat the Heat” with homemade water guns
Water, water every where nor any drop to drink…
Watering our orchard and garden has been a debacle these past few years. Our Shurflo 24 volt DC booster pump made for small installations has been taxed beyond its recommended limits. The pump is about what would be expected to use for a RV, and we have been using it for our 1,110 sq. ft. … Continue reading Water, water every where nor any drop to drink…
