is it a hard thing to get used to, does take long, etc.

A neighbor sent me this link... Everyone is stocking up pre-tariffs... One neighbor installed 10 of them about four months ago, and says they're running great. He has a second set on the way. Has anyone here tried these out?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/356177656363

ETA: I sent the guy an offer... $2500/10... I will let you know if he bites. This would be insane if it works out.

Howdy.

I have ~100 acres in NorCal (near the Mendocino National Forest but on the east side, the dryer side.) We have an off-grid setup here -- 30kW Generac, 38 kWh of battery, solar panels, the whole nine yards. Currently, my water situation is two 3000 gallon tanks and I pay someone to truck water out at approximately 30 cents per gallon delivered.

I've been looking at a few different options that would be more self-sustaining, all with various pros and cons. I'm curious for the take from this community, optimizing for long-term viability / cost-per-gallon. I care more about having reliable, clean water and I'm not overly cost sensitive.

We live here part-time and I don't have full water usage information at present as I'm still building out my sensors in the tanks to measure usage, but it's looking like ~500 gallons per week. Super rough estimate.

The options I've been exploring:

(1) A well, of course. I unfortunately paid someone to come out and drill, he made two holes, one down to 400 feet, and the best we got was 1 gpm (intermittent) of water that just isn't great. It's hypersaline and has various farming chemicals and heavy metals and such.

Three different water filtration companies estimated that it'd be a ~$100k job to set up a filtration system (industrial quality RO) and of course the ongoing yearly maintenance of filters and such.

I have also gotten a referral to someone who can come "look for water" using some sort of very-low-frequency radio or something which in theory will let them spot aquifers or underground streams. I'm not convinced. My neighbors generally have poor wells, too, although mine is definitely the worst. One neighbor has 20 GPM and it's pretty good, but he's down in the ravine whereas my property is not.

(2) Pond/lake filtration. I have a fairly large (several acre-feet) pond that has water year-round, although it's stagnant during most of the year. It only gets inflow during rain (which is 3-4 months a year) and it has no outflow. There are of course ducks on the pond and frequently cows drinking out of it, although I could stop that.

I'm told that filtering this water is cheaper, but it's dodgy since it's stagnant surface water. I haven't investigated it too deeply since it just seems like the worst option, but I'm happy to be wrong/learn more about this.

(3) Water catchment. We do get rain, 2-3 inches per month, a few months a year. I have a ~2500 sq ft house here and by my calculations, I could nab a few thousand gallons per month during the wet seasons. I believe it's much easier to clean this kind of water, too.

I have tons of open ground and could "easily" put in very large underground storages, but I'm just not sure how hard it is overall to filter and use this water as a primary drinking source.

(4) Take from the stream. We have water rights (maintained and paid for yearly) to a nearby creek. It is technically in the neighbor's property but we have an easement to it. I could in theory build out something to take water from this stream, which at least is running -- although it's only seasonal. When it does run, it actually goes into the pond up above

(5) Keep hauling. This is already set up since it was easy and cheap to get going and the well didn't work out, but it is going to run us ~$600/month at least by my estimates to have water here. Of course, most of the above options are going to be significant investments to get going... so breaking even on any water project is going to be a many-year endeavor.

(6) Other? Am I missing something obvious (or not-obvious) here?

Bonus question: Any experience with greywater systems to reclaim/reuse water from showers/sinks/washing machines? I haven't looked much into this since I'm still working on the basic equation of getting reliable water, but I'm curious.

Thank you in advance!

I am in need of advice or direction concerning how one can get some land ? I have a small but very steady income I just need a beginning or a miracle or a gift. To start a life away from the city. I am a brand new christian and a year clean and sober. any advice or info or just prayers would be so appreciated!!!!!

I recently bought a trailer that came with a nature’s head composting toilet. There is a lot of gunk build up INSIDE the lid where the urine gets diverted. I can’t figure out how to access this to clean it out besides sticking something skinny into the urine holes which isn’t ideal. I’ve seen videos where people take the whole lid off and spray it down but I don’t have running water in the winter. I think the build-up is blocking where the trap door diverts urine and therefore some liquids can end up in the solids tank. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’ve done so much researching and can’t seem to find any information on this issue.

Up to 600w output* I plan on putting it in a sailboat with a 100w solar panel on the roof. I would be using my laptop a LOT, so I'm trying to find something that more powerful than a power bank.

Ill be mainly using it for charging my phone/laptop and tablet.

Any tips or advice appreciated <3

At this point in my life I realistically don't have the money to buy my own land. What are some ways that I can get off-grid without purchasing land? I'm willing to work, volunteer, etc., especially if I can develop the skills I'll need once I'm on my own. I can move to other countries as well, and I'm pretty adaptable. Used to the heat and the cold by now, just want to get off of the grid for a few months and start to build my skillset.

OK so I don't have an electrical backround besides getting shocked quite a few times and deciding its not my thing. Here's what I'm trying to do. I'm going to run a tiny home off a 9000 watt 12000 starting watt generator. I want to install 11 outlets and one big guy to run a small washer and dryer combo. I would like to mount a power box and run it like a normal house. Is this possible and if so can you guys point me towards the right panel. FYI I will be using an electrician for the instal I just need to know where to start material wise.

Just wondering what people’s thoughts are on having an all-in-one charger inverter (Victron Multiplus) vs having separate components.

My take is that separate is generally more expensive, but less system down time and more expandable. Thoughts?

(I posted this in Homebuilding but thought I might get some valuable insights in this forum):

Hi folks,

My wife and I are in the design process of creating our dream home at this point. We don't want to hire an architect until we're mostly certain of what we're trying to build (though obviously we will be open to suggestions made by a professional).
We are completely off grid so we want to build a house that is passively heated by the sun as much as possible. The rest of our heating needs will be met by burning firewood.
The house build location is on a slight slope with a fair bit of wind exposure (I'm already planting wind rows to manage that). We want to build a house that takes in to account the view, energy/water efficiency, lasts generations (if that's possible), and that can comfortably accommodate our family and a certain number of guests.
I should also mention that the road to our house is for 4x4 vehicles only so we can't have a big cement truck drive up there or anything like that.

Essentially we want to build a 3 bed/2 bath, 2 story house with a living room/kitchen space as the main gathering space on the 1st floor. Here are some of my more specific questions:

1. Insulation: I've heard that rockwool is good for it's fire resistance but it also is an all out attraction for rat nests.. is this true? The other alternative I'm considering is this injection foam stuff. I've heard it insulates extremely well but I don't know much about it. Anyone have any experience with that?
2. Structure: We are strongly considering building our house on steel stilts (is that what you call them?.. or structural posts?) cased in concrete. It would be impossible for a cement truck to arrive at our location to pour a foundation so I believe that is really our only option. I would consider wood stilts if we didn't live in a climate with lots of rain and moisture which over time would rot the stilts. I'd like to make the frame of the house out of steel too but with wooden inlays like large wooden rafters on the ceiling for their aesthetic value. In fact I believe we will make the entire interior out of wood. So my questions: Is it possible to combine wooden structures with a steel frame? Is steel a good option for the frame of a house? I assume it's substantially more costly?
3. Heated floors: We want to connect our wood stove to a water heated thermal floor. I'm not exactly sure how this is done.. is it done with PEX or copper tubing? What are the requirements to make sure it never leaks or fails? A steam vent? Case the system in cement?
4. Bathrooms: We are toying with the idea of separating bathing areas from toilet areas (as they do in France I gather?). Is this worth the extra plumbing/space use?

Also this is probably a really ignorant question but do waste water drains have to line up vertically (i.e. do we have to place our 1st floor bathroom directly underneath our 2nd floor bathroom?)?

5. Roof/outside paneling:

We plan to use metal sheeting (kind of like corrugated steel panels) for the outside layer of the house and the roof. So my question is related to moisture barriers (like Tyvex kind of stuff): In a climate that is both rainy and cool do you place the vapor/moisture barrier on the outside of the structure (like right against the outside layer of panels)? Or do you place it somewhere on the inside?

6. Building on a slope:

What considerations are there to be made for building on a slope? We have bedrock at only 2 or 3 meters down...should I anchor our house stilts to the bedrock somehow? Is there a recommended depth for house stilts on a slope? The likelihood of a mud slide in this area is pretty much nonexistent but I like to play it safe in general. Is there anything I should consider in my design?

7. Water:

Maybe this isn't the right forum for this topic but we will be collecting water on our land from a stream that we have water rights to. And we will be using gravity to drop it down to the house. The source of water is something like 80 meters above the house which I know is too much pressure using gravity. My thought was to send the water down to a holding tank at the perfect altitude from the house to create pressure that will easily reach the 2nd floor bathroom. Does anyone know what kind of pipe I should use for such a system? I'm thinking about just using 1 inch poly pipe but I'm not sure this sort of pipe could handle the pressure.. maybe 2 inch poly? Also what depth should I bury it to prevent frozen pipes?

Well that's all the questions I can think of now. Hopefully I can get a few of my questions answered. Always grateful for some solid advice.
If you have any thoughts unrelated to my questions I'm happy to hear them as well.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I have a hilly property and have larger rounds (30" diameter, ~100lbs) on the lower part that need to be carried to the upper part by hand, does anyone have a DIY idea or is there a backpack that is similar to a firewood carrier that would allow me to carry rounds like this (and also rocks of similar weight) uphill? I can carry them with my hands but if I could strap it to my back it'd be much easier and faster... The rounds will not fit in any normal backpack.

Hello out there. I am wondering if anyone can refer me to a source of power that can operate my woodburning tools. I am a pyrographer and wanting to be able to generate some income with my art. I typically use my iron for 6 to 8 hours per day. I have two tools with the average wattage of 45 watts. Is there an inverter battery portable generator that could accommodate this? My solar power is only 400 watts and where I live, in Prince Edward Island, Canada, is overcast for at least 4 months of the year. My gas generator is too loud and too expensive to operate for that amount of time. I would also like to operate a small deep freezer or apartment size fridge.

I am looking to get at least 5 acres of land to make a compound for about 5 families. We're all saving money for the land and to build permanent houses, but in the meantime what makes the best inexpensive temporary houses? Mobile homes, RVs or tiny homes? There are so many choices.

Hi, so I was wondering how long do these biogas systems last before parts need to be replaced? Such as the bags, how often do they need to be replaced? I've tried looking it up on the internet but I can't find an answer. So can someone point me in the right direction or share with me their experience? Thanks in advance!

Thinking about setting up an off grid system entirely. Would this system

https://shopsolarkits.com/products/remote-solar-power-kit-rpk-pro

Be compatible with this generator?

https://www.generac.com/residential-products/standby-generators/gaseous/24kw-standby-generator-with-whole-house-switch-wifi-enabled-7210/

I already have the generator ( not the exact same but similar specs other than the wifi) set up, but I noticed it keeps making lights blow and my electrician couldn’t get it to work off grid consistently because it doesn’t feed back to the grid. Generac people didn’t seem to think it was set up wrong, but cant use it. I was thinking about using it to charge the batteries above as needed depending on if the sun is out of not. Does this sound like a viable system that wouldn’t cause a fire hazard?

I'm going off grid very soon however won't have access to running water, how do I do laundry? Obviously hand wash but are there any machines that can spin it well enough so it can dry? Or even washing machines that don't require a water hookup and pressure (can be manually filled)? Were doing compost toilet, and manually filling our tanks with water etc but as far as machines that require pressure, nope. Does anyone have ideas on how to collect and dispose of waste grey water too? Were doing this in a static caravan home.

My husband and I just got married and I need a new car. My Toyota Camry is not gonna last long driving on the back roads. I can’t get out of our drive way when it rains and I don’t feel very safe when it snows.

We don’t have kids yet but we want a vehicle that will be able to hold at least 3 car seats. We’ve been thinking about a Toyota 4Runner with a third row but I wanted to see if anyone has suggestions here for alternatives or if they have experience with the 4Runner and have advice. :)

Hello, I unfortunately have an urgent need to ask 1-- does anyone use the 275-300 gal cagged water totes for hauling and or storing water?? And 2- How the hell do you keep them from freezing in winter?? I thought i was doing pretty well, no freeze ups and then it got really cold - 15-18*f - most of the day. Please help, any suggestions? Burying is not an option.

Humans as a species have lived close to nature for 89% of our entire history. We have consumed raw milk, bread loaded with gluten, butter, & things fried in tallow for untold generations. We've done our best to respect the environment that we've lived in during that time. Then, somewhere close to a couple thousand years ago, people in certain parts of the world began believing (by decree of law) that we were not equal, but instead above, the nature around us. We decided that we could scar the bones, skin, and flesh of our Mother to make Her fit us in where She didn't initially want us to be. And then a couple hundred years ago, we decided we didn't have to live off the land anymore.

Most of us moved into these giant settlements with little to no evidence of where we once belonged present therein. We began taking jobs we hate at businesses we have no ancestral connection to or passion for just to keep living this life we were told was the best way to live. We believed them when they started telling us that doing things the old way is "inconvenient" and "a hassle". We believed them when they said that we need to eat the stuff that is already mostly done because "we don't have time to do everything".

We used to be so physically able throughout our lives that we didn't need to stop working except for crippling injuries, but now with all those premade heavily processed and artificially preserved foods, those jobs with low physical demand, our bodies deteriorate fairly quickly as we age. We simply must "retire" because our bones can't take it anymore.

And all the while, we wonder why we feel disconnected from living.

Hello. We are from Europe, completely off-grid and have Pylontech LFP lithium ion energy storage battery system and three Pylontech batteries, model FH9637M, each of them has a capacity of 3,552 kWh. Is there any other way besides solar panels to charge these batteries? Perhaps with generator?

Hi all, looking for recommendations here - I have a farm in Sicily with two large water tanks (10k gallons), and need to hook them up to pumps. Since there's no electrical, I'm getting a couple 500W EcoFlow inverters hooked to solar.

THIS is where the tricky stuff comes in - theft is common in the area and an inverter sitting on the property can get snatched quickly. So I'd like to get casing for them that I can concrete into the ground. The case/box obviously needs ventilation and adequate rain cover as well. Any suggestions or alternatives would be appreciated!

Hi all. I have some questions/concerns. I’ve been wanting to move my family more remote/off grid. The plan is to be in the Ukiah area of northern Cali. So it’s not completely remote and cut off from resources. But currently we live the urban/city life. I have outdoor experience and I’m not concerned about the capabilities of handling a more remote lifestyle. But I am worried about moving my child away from what she is used to. She is very involved with school, she’s social, and she does a lot of extra circulars like gymnastics and performing arts. She will be 7 in June. My fear is if I move her it will affect her negatively and she will be unhappy with her new lifestyle. Do any of you have some wisdom or experiences you can share when it comes to moving your family off grid and how the adjustment was? Anything you wish you would’ve known beforehand? Or anything you would’ve done differently?

I bought a house in a major city suburb in the Midwest and want to take it as off-grid as possible. Thankfully, the house is not in an HOA and has 12,000 square feet of land to work with. The county has more relaxed zoning laws from what I've researched. What are some recommendations and order of operation to start with, Book recommendations and other shareable knowledge would be greatly appreciated. I plan on starting a garden, rain collection, and solar. info on that would also be helpful.

I know this is probably a commonly asked question but I'm new to reddit and still trying to figure things out anyway I was wondering based on: property prices/tax, land fertility, weather/climate, laws/codes/regulations, ect... what would some of the best states be for starting my off grid lifestyle I have been looking at: TN, AK, WY, MT, ID, NH, and VT

Thanks in advance for your time and your responses have a great day!

it's mostly on the southern hemisphere, meaning it's at least better protected from nuclear fallout than the northern hemisphere, in addition to that it's at the equator so the earth cooling won't be as big of a problem for your base as anywhere else

no humans like at all, maybe some isolated tribe 500 km away but that's it

pretty good natural barrier for your base (the 500 km of a fckn jungle tha'll eat you up)

bunch of resources, you can hunt and even do some farming if you manage to improve the soil quality (which is actually pretty shit in the amazon)

and overall an amazing hideout spot, satellites or drones won't ever find you if you hide below the trees

i guess the biggest problem is gonna be some major Brazilian settlement in the middle of nowhere which decided to spread out after being forgotten by the government but even then the amazon is fckn huge they probably will never reach you

and you won't freeze to death like in siberia

Has anyone tried to made their own electric log splitter? All the commercial ones I’ve seen run on a standard 15a 120v outlet so they’re limited in their power and kind of suck for oak and harder woods. I split all my soft woods by hand but would like to use a splitter for the stubborn oak chunks.

It would be trivial to add a 240v outlet to the outside of my power shack (and maybe share duty with a plasma cutter or bigger welder) but there is no commercial high power electric log splitter in existence.

I’m thinking about getting a big 240v motor and driving a big hydraulic pump to operate a ram like a normal gas log splitter. Does anyone have experience designing home made hydraulic systems? I’m not sure where to start with sizing.

Edit: found one commercial version:

https://www.woodsplitterdirect.com/products/20-ton-horizontal-vertical-electric-log-splitter

It was zero degrees this morning, but it sure was pretty.

I have had to replace the oven ignitor on my oven after just a couple months use.

I assumed that the ignitor would only turn on when the burner needs to come on. What I found out is the ignitor stays on the entire time the oven burner is on. Unfortunately, the ignitor sucks about 600 watts when it's on.

Does anyone know of any nice gas stoves that maybe have the little clicker ignitor or have a gas valve/ignitor configuration where the ignitor turns off after the burner is lit?

Thanks

I’m planning to connect the phase and neutral wires from my inverter’s output to my main distribution panel and use it to supply power to a few basic circuits (lighting, outlets, etc.). The entire house is grounded to a single equipotential point. I’d like to use the same grounding bus bar as the grounding point for my entire off-grid system, but I’m unsure if this could cause any problems. This is especially concerning since the neutral in my system is grounded before the residual current device (RCD), and after that, the neutral and ground remain separate in the circuits.