Living Off Grid

[rogerguzzi]

16 minutes ago, mattius said:

Do you not have to keep the hot water at 60 degrees and above to stave off legionella in hot water tanks? or do these filters protect against it?

Hello Mattius

                           I think as long as you take above those sort of temperatures every so often it is ok?

Our solar controller has a program to do this not sure of the time scale (not that we have it turned on!) still we all drive dangerous cars and think nothing about it?

If the Grim Reaper is coming for you He/she  will come anyway!

Roger

ps as my old Mother used to say I am passed my sell by date and probably my use by date not alone best before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just live life and drink the Vino if it happens it will if not we live another day to drive the old Triumphs!

                    

[thebrookster]

26 minutes ago, mattius said:

Do you not have to keep the hot water at 60 degrees and above to stave off legionella in hot water tanks? or do these filters protect against it?

Correct for hot water tanks. Potable water is hot and cold though, and generally can be counted as separate systems.

60 degrees is quoted as it definitely ensures a safe margin, anything over 55 degrees (IIRC) is fully safe, and 50 degrees is the danger point? That's without referring back to Google however, I may be out slightly.

But basically, legionella is only an issue with hot water tanks, cold water tanks are generally too cold for this to be an issue.

Phil

[PeterC]

2 hours ago, rogerguzzi said:

Hello Peter

                   "Potable water best not taken from a header tank, especially when it is chlorine-free"

Well that's me and Memsahib b*****ged then as we have been drinking ours from loft tank since 1976 !!!!

Still as they always said a peck of dirt is good for you! and does that mean I can not eat Apples, Pears, Plums and raspberries straight off the trees or a carrot that has just had a light swill under the tap(sometimes)

What is a rope filter? do you have details?

Roger

 

                  

Roger,

Mmmm, tasty....all that debris falling into the tank...drowned spiders, mice....  Keeps the immune system in tune.

Our borehole water was tested for lead, iron and bugs by the council and for radon. Its so clean there was no need for a UV-purifier. The polypropylene rope filter excludes rock flour and other particulates,but not bacteria.

Home grown berries, great !  But beware of imported stuff:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676618300052

if your well is shallow and has bracken growing around it......best you dont know

Peter

 

[thebrookster]

2 minutes ago, thebrookster said:

Correct for hot water tanks. Potable water is hot and cold though, and generally can be counted as separate systems.

60 degrees is quoted as it definitely ensures a safe margin, anything over 55 degrees (IIRC) is fully safe, and 50 degrees is the danger point? That's without referring back to Google however, I may be out slightly.

But basically, legionella is only an issue with hot water tanks, cold water tanks are generally too cold for this to be an issue.

Phil

My donations were out of date, I can't edit the post lol.

First paragraph should say potable water covers cold water, cold water is counted as a separate system from hot, hence why the advice is to never fill a kettle or pans from the hot tap.

Cheers,

Phil

[rogerguzzi]

Hello Peter

                   The water tank in the loft has a tight fitting lid and insulated it was all changed a few years ago after we found half of a mouse coming out of the tap!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I did a major upgrade with a new plastic tank and a new insulated solar hot water tank with various pockets for sensor and double coil inside

The old one was a home made job with a sidewinder coil fitted and solar was thermosyphon and now pumped and a lot more efficient.

I have remembered I have a 10" water filter I bought years ago when thinking of using chip fat in the generators(went off the idea to much decoking required)

So the thought is now to get a second one from Screwfix but a carbon one (£20) and fit both so the spun fibre one takes out the big lumps.

I capped our well years ago after a bad storm when surface water ran into it and all the water was a nice brown colour!

Now it has a concrete cap and surrounded by a large 6 foot square of gravel about 12" deep.

The well its self is about 15 foot deep the first 5 foot is bricked and the bottom is cut through solid sandstone and when I pumped it out to cleaned it and do a bit of pointing of brick work the water trickles in through a crack in the floor.

The whole area around us is sandstone when I dug so foundations for an extension a few years ago at about 2 to 2.5 feet it was solid so built on top of it>

The rest of the cottage stands on sandstone blocks on soil about 12" down!!!!!!!!!

Roger 

 

 

[PeterC]

Roger,   That's a good well. Its shallow wells in sandy soils growing bracken that increases the risk of oesophageal cancer, Around here there; masses of braken but its dangerous root exudates decay before they get down to the aquifer. Peter

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

               We now have 2 water filters in the supply from the well one spun fibre and one charcoal (I think it said  coconut carbon?)

So the theory is the spun one takes out the big lumps and filters are only about £3.50 and the carbon one other bits but not bugs I know!

Not sure why I have bothered after 43 years? plus we are off to India in 3 weeks time all being well!

So if we survive that it will be a miracle!

The one wind turbine has been howling today and still is they seem to have made about 10Kah  in the last 24 hours

Roger

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

               Just had a thought now the water is filtered could we sell as English water at some very high price? (discount if you bring your own bottles!)

Plus say it must be all singing and dancing good as me and the Memsahib are not on major drugs(me just Vino!) she on brittle bone ones and that's it! and we have drunk it for 43 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can feel the money rolling in!!!!!

Roger

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

             Ignore the wiring behind the filters(I have been promising myself to tidy it up for X years) but out sight etc!

Roger

Ps turned the old turbine off last night as the old girl was making a few funny noises but she is back on today we do not carry slackers!

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

                I am not being picky on a serious subject but can we have this moved to a Fresh thread as is not about me living off grid!

Roger

ps The storms have been terrible for the poor souls that have been flooded etc but the wind and sun! have meant we have only run the generator for 45 minuets in the last 10 days and batteries are still charged!

Roger

[Nick Jones]

I’ll see if I can figure out how to split out the plague part......

Edit:  Sorted - there is now a separate Covid 19 thread to continue the very interesting thread drift without interrupting Roger's off-grid stuff

But where is this sun that you speak of...... Rain? Yep - biblical. Wind? Oh yes...... Sun? Not a lot.....

[rogerguzzi]

Hello Nick

                    Thank's for that I accept it is important but not on this thread

We are still going to India at the moment unless we hear from tour people etc!

Me personably am more worried about Deli Belly!

Memsahib says she has got all the bung up tablets and wait for IT the Incontinent pants so should be ok even if sitting is S***T !!!!!!!!!!!!!

O happy days still practice for when the kids send me to a home?

But the way I look at it we are very lucky we have aches etc but not on drugs at 70 and nearly 75!

I read what the rest of you have and going through and it stops me moaning about living down a muddy lane etc

Roger

 

[Nick Jones]

Go for it I say 

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

               I thought I you have a look down our well today in case we are running out of water as it has been a bit dry lately!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The well is 15 foot deep and the water is only 7 feet down from the top so I think a water table of 8 feet should keep us going for a while!

I have seen it down to 2 to 3 foot deep in VERY dry years.

Roger

ps now I and told I will not be able to burn wood soon(we do not burn wet wood any way)but I bet the price of seasoned or kiln dried will go through the roof!

Will I be allow to season my own which we have done for years when we get the offer of a bulk load from various timber men? 

[Nick Jones]

Well looks good. Surprised the water isn’t up to the surface - would be here - got Several springs in the garden at the moment.

Wet wood........ I saw that..... and the definition of “wet wood” is? 

Presumably anything that hasn’t been supplied at an inflated price by a Tory party donor...... cynical? Moi?

[PeterC]

I burn smokeless fuel and that is going to be in sho;rt supply. On the other hand I can start burning wood of any sort.....in Wales.

Very doubtful smokeless fuel doesnt give off masses of PM2.5......

[Nick Jones]

Not a measure that does anything to help CO2 / global warming. PM xx largely irrelevant to that. Human respiratory health issue mainly in built up areas.

In fact I have seen it suggested that ”global dimming”, which is atmospheric murk from smoke, dust, aircraft con-trails etc reducing sunlight reaching ground level actually provides some minor mitigation of warming. 

[thebrookster]

2 hours ago, rogerguzzi said:

ps now I and told I will not be able to burn wood soon(we do not burn wet wood any way)but I bet the price of seasoned or kiln dried will go through the roof!

Will I be allow to season my own which we have done for years when we get the offer of a bulk load from various timber men? 

Yes, but from whatever date this comes in you can only buy in quantities of 2m3 or more, and the seller has provide education to your good self on how to dry it properly!

[mpbarrett]

2 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Well looks good. Surprised the water isn’t up to the surface - would be here - got Several springs in the garden at the moment.

Wet wood........ I saw that..... and the definition of “wet wood” is? 

Presumably anything that hasn’t been supplied at an inflated price by a Tory party donor...... cynical? Moi?

When I heard this news this morning I immediately wondered what other news they are trying to hide today?
Maybe to take the heat (!) off the home secretary. Don't have Dominic Cummings email otherwise we could ask him. 

It all seems very vague ok to buy processed coal from a coal merchant and small bags of wet logs, are you allowed to cut down your own trees to burn or will you need a 'Wood drying certificate' before you are allowed to burn it?

Mike

[John I]

So how do I classify the logs which are in the log store that had been seasoned 2 years plus but because the roof leaked in the heavy rain are now wet.

[thebrookster]

1 minute ago, John I said:

So how do I classify the logs which are in the log store that had been seasoned 2 years plus but because the roof leaked in the heavy rain are now wet.

From my understanding, fine lol. It is only the sale of wet logs that will become illegal, and only in quantities below 2m3. The entire thing is really not well thought out, for starters how many people on here with a stove/fireplace buy their wood 2 cubics (2 builders bags full) or more at a time??

[PeterC]

18 minutes ago, thebrookster said:

From my understanding, fine lol. It is only the sale of wet logs that will become illegal, and only in quantities below 2m3. The entire thing is really not well thought out, for starters how many people on here with a stove/fireplace buy their wood 2 cubics (2 builders bags full) or more at a time??

I used to. But had a lean-to to store it, right where the pick-up would drop it off. But smokeless is much less hassle for 24/7 warmth. 

[Hamish]

I wouldn’t worry about it. 
 

The effectiveness of any legislation comes down to how it is policed. 
 

typically this aspect is passed to the local government level. Thus your local council. 
 

they already have too much to do with too little resources. 
 

they can’t police the current smoke and air quality legislation. I do know I used to do it as a fully qualified EHO. 
 

it is most likely a point of sale regulatory task. So if you source your own fuel you will be ok.

[rogerguzzi]

Hello All

              First I was going to post some drone footage taken by a friend of a friend of our place.

But the file is to big and I am buggered if I can work out how to make it small enough to post on here!

I only want to know of something that is simple and easy to use and FREE!

We have decided to get rid of one of our log burners(nothing to do with all hoo  ha) 

More to do with the price of kiln dried good wood and the fact I am getting older and it is just another job I could do without(cleaning out bringing wood in stacking and chopping kindling)

Plus the room want's redecorating as it is a bit sooty now!

So we are going to get a Flueless stove rated at 3.1kw and 100% efficient!

I have done the sums and I do not think it will cost anymore to run!!!!

So here are my calculations

We buy gas at about £0.55 Lt (0.45p last year!)

1Lt of LPG gives 7.11Kw of heat = 7.3p/Kw

Logs last year were £320 = 4140Kw @ 7.3p

That's 1335hours  @ 3.1Kw = 166 days = 23.7weeks @ 8hours/day

            1800hours  @  2.3Kw = 225days = 32 weeks @ 8hrs/day

            2760hours  @ 1.5Kw = 345days  = 49 weeks  @ 8hr/day

This is the one I have ordered. 

https://www.superiorfires.co.uk/amberley-flueless-lpg-gas-stove-black.html?___SID=U

Roger

 

 

 

[RedRooster]

Bargain, we spent E1200 for 18cubes of wood last year, the stoves rated at 12KW and runs all the radiators as well.