Homebiogas support said that a Homebiogas 6 system connected to their instant hot water heater can produce 25 minutes worth of hot water every 2 hours, and that after using it I would have to wait another 2 hours until I get another 25 minutes of hot water. Anyone with experience with their system I’d greatly appreciate your input. My farm produces 100+ tone’s waste fruit every year and am looking at getting 5 Homebiogas 6 systems to produce hot water 24/7 for underfloor heating. Cheers

Sorry for the dumb question, I just don't have a very good idea of what tools people actually use for this other than pickup trucks or trailers. My plot isn't big enough to warrant hauling it with a powered vehicle, I don't mind pushing it around.. but it would have to be able to hold at least a hundred pounds at a time and go on some unstable terrain, weaving in and out of trees, etc. Does something like this exist?

Edit: looking for something that is not powered. This will be for occasional work so not worth the investment for a powered vehicle of some sort. Looking to spend only a few hundred USD.

Is my potential setup overkill?

I’m looking to move off-grid around the 48th parallel and am looking to have a decent solar setup so I’m not reliant on a gas generator. I work remote and game quite a bit so I’ll have a larger load than most off-grid moves and in an area with extremely reduced sunshine in the winter I’d want it relatively beefy.

As far as usage I’m estimating:

I’m currently building a new computer that should only use about 250 watts for 16 hours

Camping fridge at about 50 watts for 12 hours

Lights at about 30 watts for 5 hours

Starlink at about 50 watts for 16 hours

Phone charger at 5 watts for 4 hours

Fan at 40 watts for 3 hours

In total that’s a daily consumption of 5.69 kWh with a max load of 425 watts.

I’m currently looking at 2 setups but am leaning towards option one

1. Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra (6 kWh) w/ 6 x 400W panels

2. 2 x Ecoflow Delta Pro (7.2 kWh) w/ 6 x 200W panels

I’m leaning towards option one because of the total energy coming in compared to my max load even that far north. I definitely want to have a much larger system but just need something to keep me going in the short term while I get everything set up. I’m also looking at total systems because I need it to work day one. What do you guys think?

Thinking of getting one of those EG4 48V lithium batteries and an inverter charger that has pass through and failover capabilities. But I just can’t decide what model is best.

My needs are something like 2000 or 3000w output, ability to charge 48v lithium (not just lead), and intention to function as pass through so it can work as a UPS. Meaning pretty fast failover.

What’s a decent option that’s not going to break the bank? I’ll pay what needs to be paid, but don’t necessarily need the most premium product out there.

Thanks.

(UK) I just bought a plot that's completely offgrid, so no sewer or drainage connections to get rid of waste water and I'm on heavy clay. I currently have a 10kL underground tank that has been used for horses and is fed by a soakaway system that collects surface water and rain from my yard area. It is all filtered through the ground before it reaches the perforated pipe and has never caused issues with horses drinking it (there is a screen filter at the tank inlet). I am in the process of adding a French drain around the barn to reduce flood risk after a really bad winter, I was planing to tee into the nearby (1m away) soakaway pipe and send all the excess water to that tank and then down to the trough and overspill onto the field. But I'm concerned it won't be clean enough for horses to drink and will contaminate the tank with anything on the road as the French drain will bypass the soakaway. There is a fair amount of road run off that comes on the property by the gate (land slopes down from the road slightly). The soakaway is about 80cm underground, the French drain will have non woven textile mesh "burrito" around 20mm~ gravel. French drain pipe is laid about 30cm deep in a trench 50cm wide. I might be worrying about nothing but it's a lot of work to mess up and I want to do it right!

Hello to everyone reading this.Im 18 living in california and plan on going off grid in Oregon in about 5-6 years from now(maybe sooner). I'm going to start my plumbing apprenticeship which is 4 years long in about a month. I was wondering what part of Oregon you were in and how are you liking it. I would also like to continue my trade while being there. Is there anything I should be worried about? Am I going into all this to fast? I know things will probably change by then, but would still like your feedback

Thank you for your time

Hi all. I'm working on starting my rainwater collection system with some new totes I got. My question is that I'm looking for a fine filter for my tote lid that would fit in the 2in plug. Any suggestions?

Got one from Costco for 2400+tax. Came home to look it up and I am thinking of returning it. Seems like the efficiency is low from some reviews.

Thoughts from anyone who has one?

Hi offgrid guru. I would like to ask for your advice on how to decide the battery capacity and inverter for my solar system.

I had a 200w water pump that I would like to take off-grid. It is served as pressure pump for my house, and as I planned to install a mist sprayer that would run for pro-long period (~6h/day) which bring daily usage to around 7-9h. I'm thinking about taking this off-grid as an experiment and maybe I'll take more of my appliances off-grid as well later.

For a 200w pump, I guess a 300w solar panel would leave me with enough wriggle room. But I still could not be able to wrap myself around how to calculate the battery size and inverter. I used some calculation site and it said that I need a 265Ah battery with 2kw inverter which sound a bit off to me, as majority of the time the pump will be running during day time with enough sunlight, hence do I really need that much capacity? Would the inverter use the power from solar panel during day time and fallback to battery power when there are no sunlight? When there are no sunlight I estimated the pump would run for about 2h at most, thus would a smaller battery and inverter works for my case?

Hi I saw a couple of videos on an updraft gasifier. Could I connect the gas created from one to a regular stove?

https://youtube.com/shorts/ctdhKBDpOpU?si=Y9_f2MKZ2iotRZ9s

Small disclaimer: I am only toying with the idea of MAYBE one day owning a small piece of land to live off grid. I am only doing the occasional google search and watch YT videos, but that's about it.

My only real option for a location is the UK, or somewhere in the EU (I'm an EU citizen, but with proper settled status in the UK). Since I fell in love with Scotland, I would love to settle there, but I've also been watching Kris Harbour, and Wales also seem like a pretty decent place to do so.

​

The biggest hurdle that keeps coming up is planning permissions.

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I am just wondering, which country would be better suited for off grid living when it comes to dealing with the authorities? Scotland or Wales? I really don't like the idea of going rogue with those (now possibly defunct?) 4 years rules, questionable "get free land" clickbait videos, and all that subterfuge and legal back and forth. I just want to do things above board, so there is no danger of some pencil pusher going after me because they are bored or want to feel important.

​

In Scotland I stumbled on the idea of "crofting" which might not be a bad avenue, but I would love to hear some opinions.

Ou est tu situé? si tu est comfortable a partager.

J'aimerais rester a la belle province c'est superbe.

Il y a t'il des régions moins stricte dans leurs affaires? toilete composte, facilité de permis pour une cabanne type affire. droit de garder un couples d'animaux...

Merci :)

New york state is potentially one of the hardest states to live off-grid legally. Yes, all you got to do is shut of your grid water supply & grid energy supply, but what about alternative infrastructure that comes along with this lifestyle choice like building having a compost toilet, dwelling in a tiny house, creating a pond & chill neighbors

Different counties have different land inspectors & cultural values. Have you lived in or heard of a county in New York that has been more off-grid friendly? Thanks

I'm moving from the day-dreaming to the actively-planning phase of the off-grid experience, and due to my personal circumstances the easier places for me to buy land would be the UK or Italy.

If I try to think ahead to what the climate will be like in those two countries 15-20 years from now, the UK is likely to experience increasingly milder seasons but a lot more rainfall, meaning plenty of drinking water but miserable mental health (especially during winter), higher flood risk and crop failure, and reduced solar efficiency.

While Italy is undergoing pretty rapid desertification, meaning plenty of sun but also water scarcity (happening already), increased risk of wildfires and flash floods (due to ground being too dry to soak up sudden rainfall).

Which poison would you pick?

I suppose I'd rather have drinking water than electricity, but what other factors am I not thinking of that should influence my decision either way?

I have been considering rehauling my life and moving out. Have recently considered becoming voluntarily homeless for a bit. However, I've heard for long term homelessness, life expectancy goes down by like 30 years. What I'm wondering is whether the stresses/setbacks of living outside or in a van for say, a year, could shorten my lifespan compared to normal.

I'm sure I would survive it unless I got really unlucky, but whether there could be long term effects that persist even when I get things together is a big factor I am weighing. Reason I am considering this in the first place is due to career issues, sure I'm fairly young, but I'm getting nowhere and have considered living in the woods or something for a while and eventually making/getting a place off-grid. Any insights are appreciated.

I have a creek with good water and an 8’ bank that I want to use for irrigation. Electricity is onsite, and I may be filling a cistern as well as direct water-to-garden application.

My question is what pump is best. I don’t want to use a hydraulic ram at this time, and would prefer a non- submerged pump. Any companies to look at/avoid?

We don’t have running water, and I pack our drinking water. I don’t want to carry irrigation water anymore.

I purchased an off-grid cabin on a 40 acre parcel in mountains of Humboldt County, northern California last year. This area has a rich history of the back-to-the-land movement, hippies, cannabis, logging, etc. The farm was historically a cannabis cultivation site, so it has a lot of leftover infrastructure (greenhouses, drying barn, pots, water lines, water tanks, etc.). I'm diligently trying to turn the farm into a produce farm...with the intention of selling produce through community supported agriculture boxes and farmers markets. I also want this farm to be a community gathering place, where we can make music together, enjoy meals, bonfires...you know, enjoy life together! The property is completely off-grid, with solar for electric, gas for cooking/hot water/back up generator; Starlink for internet; water from a spring. The property is situated 20 mins up the mountain road from the nearest town.
I want this place to be a community asset and space where people can find peace, community, and learn how to live a permaculture, off-grid life.

If anyone is looking for an off-grid experience and wants to help out with getting a permaculture farm established, let me know! I have a cabin with plenty of extra beds and lots of spaces on the property a person could pitch a tent or pull in a camper. If you're working here (20-25 hours a week), there's no charge for room or board. But if you're wanting to park a camper and just enjoy this space (without contributing to the work, which is ok), we'll need to work out some rent. I'm open to long term and short term stays. Please be relatively normal, nonviolent, and not addicted to any drugs or alcohol. Moderate drinking is fine as well as cannabis use. Must be OK with dogs, lgbtq+ friendly, and responsible/mature. Message me if interested or with any questions.

https://preview.redd.it/20dtkuj3lwtc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d78b2c9758b96d5e37aaf8525c81bf5be799ba47

https://preview.redd.it/fssw9fk3lwtc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fd5b40336392f2863ac1870717a5cf824ae2aa6

https://preview.redd.it/0ii4qfk3lwtc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efcc26b1b7c1cfe0008ce1f4f75d0317da7b8940

https://preview.redd.it/ovww1sj3lwtc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01d9ba9e8359c113a6a238dfc9c28c5eafd7f976

https://preview.redd.it/nb7udpj3lwtc1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01ba51df2bdd9cc73097f29a76ae41cf969fc54b

Does anyone know where I can fill large water tanks near Fredericksburg Virginia?

Hello everyone

I have a question… and pretty sure I already know the answer!

I just picked up a 1000gal tank to use for off grid drinking water. The farm I bought it from said they only used it to store water. There is a float and some valves already attached, so it appears they indeed used it for water.

I got it home and discovered a faded sticker that indicates it was originally used to store SikaRapid-1. Super disappointed I didn’t notice this before I brought it home.

I’ve tried doing some research, I’ve concluded that Sika is indeed a hazardous chemical…

My question is, after all these years of it being used for water, could it potentially be safe? Is anyone familiar with this product enough to tell me if there is a safe way to neutralize it, and ensure the drinking water is safe? Could a water test detect this chemical if I sent in a sample of water to a lab?

For now I have no plans to use it for drinking water, unless someone can shine some positive light to ease my mind.

Thank you!!

Back on grid for a busy construction season..

Installing a Sol ark on grid system for a customer

First small pipe job since the snow melted and frost is comming out.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMM9worVQ/

Millennial here, just got out of a long term relationship and reflecting on the life I’d like to live. My ultimate goal is having a compound (probably as a cooperative), with amenities such as a sauna, swimming area, etc. and even things like an outdoor jungle gym, rope swing, etc… an intentional space with people visiting either staying on said compound (bnb equivwlent) as a retreat space, etc. would love a small farm with animals, plants, etc. anyone else have a similar vision, or have a similar experience? How did you execute it? ❤️

My loved ones and I are purchasing a sizable amount of land and building a small community on it of friends. We were thinking of trying to get a bunch of prefabs for us all while we work on building better housing. Preferably the most cost effect and self sustainable we can get (and as off the grid as we can). We're talking multiple types of people too. For instance my partner and I love being crammed together in a single bedroom micro-home with our random stuff in a storage shed. Meanwhile my daughter and her friend want to live together and need two bedrooms for sanity sake. As well as a couple of single friends and a couple of... Well, couples. That many places adds up quickly. Especially when added to farming equipment and basic land development. Does anyone have some cost effective solutions? Oh and I need to be able to get them on the property ASAP.

(USA-based) Where is somewhere with good weather, where you can be close to infrastructure or a nice town but the land is inexpensive, safe, and can grow plants? Don't want to be completely isolated but also want to be in nature. It would be nice to be near a small town.

Im converting a Crawfter LWB, got a handle on the insulation, carpentry, etc. But electrics is like black magic for me.

I came across this tool online, and i'm tempted to use to sort my electrics - https://builder.vunked.co.uk/

Has anyone seen this? Do they think it looks good? wondering what people thought of it before jumping in head first?

Any help much appreciated :)

I’ve been researching states to go off-grid, and wanted to see if I could knock a few off my list based on advice here.

The criteria I have been working with: -“Northern” cold climate (a good winter w/ snow) -Deep woods forest, trees, pines (as opposed to desert or open landscapes) -Hopefully near lakes or other bodies of water -Cheap real-estate. Places where you can buy a home for $50-75k e.g. North Dakota, Missouri, WV, etc… I consider someplace like lower peninsula MI WAY too expensive (I’ve monitored Zillow listings there for about a year) -Isolated, away from the grid/major cities above 250k population -Low incidence of Lyme disease (I already know this pretty much knocks off the east coast, sadly) -Hate to add this, but should be safe-ish for a single gay male (I don’t advertise my private life, but from my experience some regions are just too sketchy)

States: Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, UP Michigan, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine

TY

I work in telecommunications and the amount of theft we see in our towers, buildings and even poles is just staggering now, it's gotten very bad in past few years. It seems the thieves are really spreading out. Lot of these places are in middle of nowhere and still get hit. They even cut our poles down and climb our towers to steal cables and equipment. We've even had big stationary diesel generators stolen. They just cut all the cables and rip it right off the pad. This seems to be a widespread problem so "move in a better area" isn't really an option. It's bad everywhere. In one province we service we even had them steal cable right off the poles, they will drive a truck and roll it on a reel as they drive and rip it off the poles and fill the reel up and then go sell it to scrap yards.

This has me worried about my off grid land. I really want to start developing it but I really don't want to constantly have to pack everything in and out each time. I tried doing it that way last year, I spent 90% of my time packing/unpacking and 10% actually doing work. It just doesn't work. Just too much to bring and too time consuming. I want to build a big shed/garage/cabin and actually be able to just drive there, and immediately be able to start working and have all my supplies there already. Like the good ol days of camping. If you had a camp you just went to it, and everything was setup.

Other than the obvious stuff like a gate, and cameras and locks any tips or tricks to stop or deter thieves? Doesn't help that the law protects thieves more than property owners so anything like traps etc wouldn't really work in my favour. I am thinking of maybe putting signs that state there are traps, without actually putting traps, but not sure if that would deter them or maybe even still be illegal. Any other ideas? How does everyone deal with this? It seems theft as a whole has gotten very bad in the past years.

I’ve been trying to remember this term for weeks. It’s a cute name for a bucket based toilet system. What it is?