Fixing a 7 Year Mistake

Plumbing is not my profession. I have little to no knowledge of plumbing except what I have read online, in books, conversations with others who have experience, and the trial and error approach. Seven years ago, I made a mistake when installing my pressure tank, and we lived with that mistake until it failed completely.  …

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Tour our Off Grid Water System

When I mention I live off grid, many people suggest that it must be tough living without  running water and electricity. Huh? I have both running water and electricity. In the following video, I decided to give a tour of our new and improved water system.  We have pressurized running water between 30 and 50 …

Cistern Pump Quick Change

When the pump failed, I knew I had to change it before I left for work.  If I left the house before changing the cistern pump, my family would be without water for the day.  Unless they hand bucketed it from the cistern.  This was an early morning emergency that turned out well considering. Behind …

Saving Money on Your Electric Bill with DIY Plumbing.

Money… it seems to be the main driving force that built civilization. It also seems to be what people are most worried about.  The phrase “death by a thousand cuts,” describes many people’s financial burdens by over extending credit, which our society in America has made all too easy to do.  However, the phrase can …

Tankless Water Heater Install & Northwest Fires are Affecting our Solar Panels

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 …

Out with the Old; in with the New… (no more temporary hot water)

Each year it seems we upgrade our systems.  Much of what we setup to be as temporary finally gives way to more innovative devices that help modernize our home.  We have lived with the Ecotemp L5 propane tankless camping hot water heater for 5 years until it finally died this past May.  We managed to …

Save Money on Plumbing, Also Building a Bypass for a Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters are prone to corrode with hard water deposits and propane water heaters have a possibility of freezing in the winter due to the cold air sneaking in through the ventilation. A bypass is an easy way to avoid both scenarios. I created this bypass with parts anyone can purchase at a hardware …

Gas Vent Install & Thoughts about Blogging

Installing the tankless water heater gas vent was a bit of a challenge.  I had to measure the outside wall and match it up with the measurements of the inside wall.  I used a window to base the measurements to make sure that I would place the hole in between the studs correctly, which I …

Before Installing a Propane Tankless Water Heater

When a making a purchase of great importance to your home systems, I have always believed the kit would include everything I would need for an install.  However, I have come to realize that is not a common practice today with tankless water heaters.  Here is the complete picture and 5 important things to know  …

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 …