The end of my solar hobby.

[cs1234]

Do you have a Durastill or something similar?

Just one of the h2olabs stainless steel countertop models with glass carafe. I've been using it for years now, 3-4 gallons a day at 5 hours per gallon. I've never had the water it outputs tested, but it tastes noticeably better than the tap water (tastes like nothing!), pasta boils much nicer in it, rice cooks better.. just like distilled water from the store.

Price wise, per gallon, it beats the heck out of purchasing distilled water at the store. I used to pay $1 gallon at the store for it, and I've noticed it's gone up to around $1.25 a gallon lately. Water from the utility is cheap per gallon, about $.005.. electricity is more expensive from the power company.. at $.09 per kwh, 3kwh per gallon distilled.

I've saved well over what I paid for it in savings vs. buying distilled water. I'm also not purchasing distilled water that has been sitting in plastic milk type jugs for who knows how long.

I've been considering moving up to one of the larger Durastill models. But.. then I would want to have the model with the pump to get the water to a water spigot inside the house, and I'd have to clear space in the garage or in a shed to put it in, run water lines to it, run power to it, etc..

I've got to pick my battles, I can't let too many things compete with my DIYsolarforum posting time.

 

[cs1234]

@Mattb4

You are a smart guy with a lot of accumulated knowledge. Schools need good teachers.

My father, after retiring (much, much smarter than myself) from his work designing computers became a science and technology teacher at a rural school district. I think many places let you get a teaching certificate fairly easily these days. He does it for the love of teaching people science/technology.. and the school administration treats him all nice like because he went back to his childhood hometown to do it and he doesn't need the money or the job. You could pretty much have carte blanche at smaller rural districts.

Maybe just do volunteering of some similar sort.

 

[Mattb4]

... Schools need good teachers.

My father, after retiring (much, much smarter than myself) from his work designing computers became a science and technology teacher at a rural school district. I think many places let you get a teaching certificate fairly easily these days. He does it for the love of teaching people science/technology.. and the school administration treats him all nice like because he went back to his childhood hometown to do it and he doesn't need the money or the job. You could pretty much have carte blanche at smaller rural districts.

Maybe just do volunteering of some similar sort.

They do indeed. However it is not easy to obtain teacher certification in many States. Arkansas being one of those. I applaud your father for being willing to pass on his accumulated knowledge to others.

Volunteering is also a good thing for many to do in their Senior years. Once they confine me to the Senior Center for the criminally insane (SCCI) I hope to spend more time volunteering my services.

 

[cs1234]

They do indeed. However it is not easy to obtain teacher certification in many States. Arkansas being one of those. I applaud your father for being willing to pass on his accumulated knowledge to others.

Volunteering is also a good thing for many to do in their Senior years. Once they confine me to the Senior Center for the criminally insane (SCCI) I hope to spend more time volunteering my services.

Give it a few more years and there will probably be 0 requirements. The current teachers in many states are getting pretty unhappy.

I just hate to think of you having nothing to over-fixate on. Do you like animals? Maybe volunteer with a shelter or a rescue for a particular type of animal you like?

Clean up litter? My kids like to pick up litter at local parks and trails, people will actually come up and thank you for it.. not pick up any trash themselves.. but they will thank you for it.

 

[LydMekk]

@Mattb4

You are a smart guy with a lot of accumulated knowledge. Schools need good teachers.

Nah, schools don't hire competent teachers these days. You gotta have purple or red hair, noserings, have made your own bag, walking around in footform shoes and need a trouser pulldown before anyone can say if you're a + or minus...not to mention bloodred feminist.

So I am guessing Matts out of that race...

 

[JRH]

As I prepare to mount my last solar panels and hook them up it strikes me that I have reached the point where there is nothing left to do. The months spent investigating, researching, planning, building, wiring, tearing out, re-doing and just generally occupying my attention, are drawing to a close once the final setup is up and working. At this point it just transitions to routine maintenance and repair. My system meets the needs I am putting it to. It works.

Sorta sad.

I will have to transition to a new hobby (not yet envisioned) that can fulfill the time.

Where do you go from solar?

I’m personally going back to Vulcan..I see limited future here on earth…?

 

[mrdavvv]

How about Rain Harvest? Runs pretty smoothly. We did 3 x 2500gal tanks, capture 2000sq ft run-off (of 2600sq ft home) and we get ~18,000gal / year. At 2,000g/month we go 9-10months on rain harvest with no conservation. Works almost as easily / smoothly as Solar.
Main Tank + First Flush (small skinny tank)
View attachment 148511

Pump Room on other side of wall from black tank.
Tank -> Pump -> Pressure Tank -> 20micron (filter) -> 5 micron (filter) -> Class A UV -> house.
View attachment 148512

Automated valves to switch between city and rain harvest with flick of button in the kitchen
View attachment 148513View attachment 148517

Additional tanks for 3 x 2500gal. Little retaining wall to keep connecting pipe in dirt to retard freezing.
View attachment 148514

Final build-out with tanks, solar array, generator shed, and hopefully some grape vines
View attachment 148516

Do you have more info about your setup?, i want to do something simillar!.

Do you filter / clean the water before ingress to your main tank?

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

Do you have more info about your setup?, i want to do something simillar!.

Happy to answer specific questions - maybe via a PM or a different thread.

Do you filter / clean the water before ingress to your main tank?

The 1st level is the leaf strainer ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VMG05C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title )
Next level was a 400micron sock ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F7C1O06/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title ) before water entered the main tank for the 1st couple of years.

This caught some fine silt but slowed water ingestion causing backup/overflow/erosion in the dirt near the tank during big storms. I don't use it any more as the silt settles in the bottom of the tank and the pump ingest is ~6" above the bottom which avoids sucking it into the system. After 4 years, the silt in the bottom of the tank is minor.

Also, it's not about water quality because the 20micron and 5micron filters do their jobs no matter what comes in. Clogged filters still filter but the water slows coming out of the tap. I've found the 20" filters work for a year (18,000-25,000gal) without clogging at all. This is good enough for me as I change them once a year as part of yearly maint.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Seems like a lot of work to collect filter and disinfect water from a roof,
I just let the rain fall on the 80 acres, filter through the subsoil and collect it up filtered and cleaned from a 165 foot steel pipe stuck into the ground with a submersible pump near the bottom fed to the house. always clean and filtered, nice and cold but never freezes, almost no maintenance required other than the pump. {Just joking around, nice looking system there Matt}

 

[SilverbackMP]

Seems like a lot of work to collect filter and disinfect water from a roof,
I just let the rain fall on the 80 acres, filter through the subsoil and collect it up filtered and cleaned from a 165 foot steel pipe stuck into the ground with a submersible pump near the bottom fed to the house. always clean and filtered, nice and cold but never freezes, almost no maintenance required other than the pump. {Just joking around, nice looking system there Matt}

I dunno OP’s particulars, but my reason for a cistern is a large coal seam and sulfur (north central MO).

 

[venquessa]

I had this in a small way when I got the Multiplus engaged this week. It suddenly all felt different. Like it was no longer "DIY" "Hackathon" stuff, it was properly (mostly) specced out, pro-sumer off grid install. I can't really talk about the periles of maintaining and balancing DC loads anymore on a small system, the thing now just runs itself and gives me mains power I can just plug in and switch on.

As someone said, start again at episode 1. Turns out I need an independant and isolated DC bus for running teh admin and management stuffs. Also turns out my old 50W panel, charge controller and lead acid system is now free for a redo! SOunds like a match made in heaven, off-grid backup power for the off-grid power system!

 

[RV10flyer]

Ultralights of all types have intrigued me but with my luck I’ll find a microburst and get pile driven into the ground.

You’ll learn a lot about weather, your limits, your aircraft limits and aeronautical decision-making before and during flight. Ultralights are limited but still many good flying days and a whole lot cheaper to build, fly, store at home, self insure with liability only, run on 87 octane, no pilot’s certificate, no FAA medical, etc.

 

[EastTexCowboy]

You’ll learn a lot about weather, your limits, your aircraft limits and aeronautical decision-making before and during flight. Ultralights are limited but still many good flying days and a whole lot cheaper to build, fly, store at home, self insure with liability only, run on 87 octane, no pilot’s certificate, no FAA medical, etc.

It was the learning during flight that always increased the pucker factor! But back then I was an adrenaline junkie. Now I'm more laid back. I've noticed I don't bounce as well now as I did back then either.

 

[Mark Halvorson]

As I am ending one hobby, Live Steam Locomotive, and am starting the Solar hobby I understand.

For those that have no idea what Live Steam Locomotive are go look at and dream. https://www.steamworkshop.co.uk/

 

[Hedges]

Somewhat bigger "toy" steam locomotives in Vasona Park, San Jose:

BJWRR Locomotive Engineers Needed

The Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad needs you! The Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad is looking for LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS! Locomotive engineers are the life line of this organization, as we cannot run witho…

bjwrr.org

 

[Mark Halvorson]

I love the steam locomotives, diesels do not really do it for me. Lol. As I am now into boats and solar, I have to sell my 7.15 Guage steam locomotive

 

[Hedges]

Agreed. But you have to cut your teeth somewhere.

"All locomotive engineers must begin on the Diesel engine. Once engineer is signed off on Diesel and has accumulated enough throttle time, they may begin training on steam locomotives."

Usually when we visit the park it has been the diesels giving rides. And I think those are not faithful reproductions, just a normal engine tucked inside somewhere.

I hope that will be a steam-powered boat?

 

[Mark Halvorson]

mine is coal fired and steam powered.

See and hear her run. lol

 

[Crowz]

mine is coal fired and steam powered.

See and hear her run. lol

Thats cool.

I always wanted to build a steam powered generator at the older home but never did.

 

[SilverbackMP]

mine is coal fired and steam powered.

See and hear her run. lol

Your second line and the image just put a Roy Accuff song into my head that I haven’t heard in 30 years. Now it won’t leave:

“Here she comes, look at her go
There she goes, eaten that coal
Watch her fly, look at her sail,
Let her by, by, by, the Fireball Mail

Let her go, look at her steam,
Here the low, whistle and scream
Like a hound dog wagging its tail,
Let her by, by, by, the Fireball Mail

Engineer, making up time,
Tracks are clear, look at her climb
See that freight, clear the rail,
I’ll bet she’s late, late, late, the Fireball Mail

Watch her swerve, look at her sway,
Get that curve out of the way
Watch her fly, look at her sail,
Let her by, by, by, the Fireball Mail”