Real life problem solving when it comes to off grid ! It is all trial & error but you got it going 👍, Some times the float will stick & the pump won't shut off so if it keeps trying to pump just little at a time it will freeze, as it has to shut of in order to drain back, looks like you have it solved for now :) Yes we enjoy the snow ! Stay warm, Take care"
so a couple of suggestions we have a farm in MT and a house in Gig Harbor WA 1. bigger pipe. burying it is good but really you need bigger pipe ...at both places we use 3 inch PVC 2. make sure you have positive down slope the entire length of the pipe it needs to be pretty sloppy so the water runs out rather quickly 3. when you can bury it but unless you can get it below the ground freezing line you are going to need to "spray" it somewhere and that includes letting it run... the slope and pipe size are essential. we dont use heat tape at all
A layer of snow will definitely help insulate the grey water line as well. When you bury it next year cover it with rigid foam insulation, we didnt even bury ours that deep about a foot and a half and it drains into whats called a french drain, which is a good gravel base covered with a half barrel then topped with dirt. We are in the pretty far north of Ontario, so its common to get -40s and lots of snow. All the best to you both!
Another method of protecting your drain pipe is to use square bales of hay and just lay them on top of hose and it will keep the line from freezing, also put some over the tank, speaking from experience
If your tank isn't buried too deep you should be able to trench and plumb right into the outlet of your tank and eliminate the need for a lift station and lift pump all together, have it all run on gravity and eliminate the possibility of a pump malfunctioning, looks like there's enough slope to your property for this to work, I work with septics for a living so I've just about seen it all, thanks for the videos, I'm also In canada and hope to start my off grid journey this spring!
Foam pipe insulation would also help wraped around the bubble wrap insulation, you need larger size which is not sold at the big box stores or use 2 of them and tape them together to go around the pipe.. The real solution is burying it and still keep it wrapped up with the heating cable...next year.
I have a septic system too and when things go wrong it’s so stressful. Two summers ago I had to get a plumber and a backhoe here to dig up the pipes. Someone flushed a towel down the toilet years ago and it finally decided to clog. Luckily it was July. So I truly feel your pain lol. ☮️💟
One thing I've learned over the years is to spiral wrap heat tape around pipe /hose and use zip ties to hold in place. Use the same with insulation. Doesn't cover as much but sure easier to apply. Better late then never. The staw and leaves will be good for compost pile next spring.
Your first winter off grid will be rough at times but you will learn a lot from it and be better prepared next winter. I was wondering if your wood stoves burn through the night? I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Keep up the good job.
I heard on Kyle's Cabins in Northern Minnesota RUclips channel that people in that area put a pile of snow inside the coup that chickens will pek at to stay hydrated if their water freezes. ❤
Wow. It’s really hard work but you both did excellent job. By keeping the pipes running. He is a great man. Cool video and nice editing. . Wish you warm house.
Errika, I have watched many of your videos last few days and I do have a tip for you: Make your large dog a supporting cast of this channel. I promise it will help your channel grow faster. Most off-grid/homestead/farm RUclips channel viewers like seeing dogs especially large dogs in the video. You do have a large sweet dog that your viewers would easily fall in love with but you are showing him too little in your videos. Try it and you'll notice the effect. Cheers. 🍩🍩🍩
This is so strange you actually said this ! I was thinking the same thing However their dog Molly stays outside so you don,t get that same bond ( like say Shawn James my self reliance and his golden retriever Cali who is by his side 24 / 7 ) Elsa and Baron are off grid and have both dogs ( Camp and Pilot ) also featured but again they come indoors .
@@margysfavourites8444 There are plenty of RUclips channels the owner and the outdoor farm dog show a great bond, affection, and love. Viewers love seeing it and the channel grows fast.
I've never been off grid so I guess I don't understand, but where is the leech field? I've never seen the water pumped out separate from having a field. I know it would probably require renting some equipment to dig a field, but that would be better than just burying the line because then the water wouldn't be coming out anywhere and risk freezing again. Maybe just having the line come out is cheaper, but in the long run, I would think a leach field would be the way to go.
I've noticed that people who live off-grid often underestimate the power requirement of electric heating. I live on a boat and most of my heat comes from my wood/coal burner. If I heat just using electric, it costs me about £50 a week (about $90CA). It would be a great deal more if I had to run external heating cables as well. Plus it doesn't generally get as cold here as you are over there.
Yes, I definitely had no idea how much power it would take! You learn a lot when you live off grid. You're on a boat, that's so interesting! Whereabouts do you live?
It's a canal boat. We have an infrastructure of canals crossing the country, a legacy of the Industrial Revolution. They are used for leisure purposes now. I'm currently moored in a boating marina in the countryside near Northampton. Most boaters go into boating marinas during the winter months.
Mine is size medium! Here's the size guide from Rebecca and I let her know we can't find it on the website, so I'm sure she'll fix that soon. Thanks! For the women’s coats: Xs hips 37, waist 28, bust 32 S hips 38, waist 30, bust 34 M hips 40, waist 32, bust 36 L hips 42, waist 34, bust 38 Xl hips 45, waist 37, bust 40 Keep in mind that the jackets can comfortably stretch 2-3 inches, so they can fit a fair bit larger than their stated size as well.
Honestly I would probably size up, I'm usually a small and the small did fit me, but I wanted a little more room for layering and the medium fits me great anyway, definitely not too big.
Living off grid is wonderful, but it always has it challenges. You guys are great problem solvers.
You have a new subscriber here. 😊
Yes, challenging and wonderful always. Wouldn't change it for anything. Thanks for subscribing!
Real life problem solving when it comes to off grid ! It is all trial & error but you got it going 👍, Some times the float will stick & the pump won't shut off so if it keeps trying to pump just little at a time it will freeze, as it has to shut of in order to drain back, looks like you have it solved for now :) Yes we enjoy the snow ! Stay warm, Take care"
so a couple of suggestions we have a farm in MT and a house in Gig Harbor WA
1. bigger pipe. burying it is good but really you need bigger pipe ...at both places we use 3 inch PVC
2. make sure you have positive down slope the entire length of the pipe it needs to be pretty sloppy so the water runs out rather quickly
3. when you can bury it but unless you can get it below the ground freezing line you are going to need to "spray" it somewhere and that includes letting it run...
the slope and pipe size are essential. we dont use heat tape at all
A layer of snow will definitely help insulate the grey water line as well. When you bury it next year cover it with rigid foam insulation, we didnt even bury ours that deep about a foot and a half and it drains into whats called a french drain, which is a good gravel base covered with a half barrel then topped with dirt. We are in the pretty far north of Ontario, so its common to get -40s and lots of snow. All the best to you both!
Thanks for the tips!
Another method of protecting your drain pipe is to use square bales of hay and just lay them on top of hose and it will keep the line from freezing, also put some over the tank, speaking from experience
Just thought I’d mention, If you can find them, Pool Noodles work great for insulation around hosing or tubing
It is truly a magical place. I love it there! Ty Erika.
If your tank isn't buried too deep you should be able to trench and plumb right into the outlet of your tank and eliminate the need for a lift station and lift pump all together, have it all run on gravity and eliminate the possibility of a pump malfunctioning, looks like there's enough slope to your property for this to work, I work with septics for a living so I've just about seen it all, thanks for the videos, I'm also In canada and hope to start my off grid journey this spring!
Thanks for the tip and for watching. That would be amazing if we didn't need a pump!
It’s good that your husband is very handy at fixing things
It definitely is!
Great job on working through the freezing issues 👍 Once trenched underground, this should no longer be an issue, as you already figured out 🙂
Foam pipe insulation would also help wraped around the bubble wrap insulation, you need larger size which is not sold at the big box stores or use 2 of them and tape them together to go around the pipe.. The real solution is burying it and still keep it wrapped up with the heating cable...next year.
Nice going! Being self sufficient has its moments but they're all worth it!
I have a septic system too and when things go wrong it’s so stressful. Two summers ago I had to get a plumber and a backhoe here to dig up the pipes. Someone flushed a towel down the toilet years ago and it finally decided to clog. Luckily it was July. So I truly feel your pain lol.
☮️💟
Thanks, Mary! Everything is working great now, so fingers crossed it continues that way! Thanks for watching and commenting, as always. 🙂
One thing I've learned over the years is to spiral wrap heat tape around pipe /hose and use zip ties to hold in place. Use the same with insulation. Doesn't cover as much but sure easier to apply. Better late then never. The staw and leaves will be good for compost pile next spring.
Screw the heater..drill a little 1/8in hole just above the pump so that line can drain back.
Your first winter off grid will be rough at times but you will learn a lot from it and be better prepared next winter. I was wondering if your wood stoves burn through the night? I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Keep up the good job.
So happy you got it working again ❤!
I heard on Kyle's Cabins in Northern Minnesota RUclips channel that people in that area put a pile of snow inside the coup that chickens will pek at to stay hydrated if their water freezes. ❤
Oh good to know!
I saw that video where he put snow in the chicken coop.
You can probably get more power from your Solar panels if you adjust the panels to the correct angle for the season.
Thanks for sharing your adventures, NC USA 🇺🇸
Good work. Don't forget to trench the line come spring.
It's definitely going to happen!
@@thehomeintentdo you not see my 2 cents worth, or are you ignoring my solid advice. See Newest comments maybe
Wow. It’s really hard work but you both did excellent job. By keeping the pipes running. He is a great man. Cool video and nice editing. . Wish you warm house.
Thanks!
Errika, I have watched many of your videos last few days and I do have a tip for you: Make your large dog a supporting cast of this channel. I promise it will help your channel grow faster.
Most off-grid/homestead/farm RUclips channel viewers like seeing dogs especially large dogs in the video. You do have a large sweet dog that your viewers would easily fall in love with but you are showing him too little in your videos. Try it and you'll notice the effect. Cheers. 🍩🍩🍩
I'll give it a go, thanks for the tip!
This is so strange you actually said this !
I was thinking the same thing However their dog Molly stays outside so you don,t get that same bond ( like say Shawn James my self reliance
and his golden retriever Cali who is by his side 24 / 7 ) Elsa and Baron are off grid and have both dogs ( Camp and Pilot ) also featured but again they come indoors .
@@margysfavourites8444 There are plenty of RUclips channels the owner and the outdoor farm dog show a great bond, affection, and love. Viewers love seeing it and the channel grows fast.
Seems like it worked, well done
I've never been off grid so I guess I don't understand, but where is the leech field? I've never seen the water pumped out separate from having a field. I know it would probably require renting some equipment to dig a field, but that would be better than just burying the line because then the water wouldn't be coming out anywhere and risk freezing again. Maybe just having the line come out is cheaper, but in the long run, I would think a leach field would be the way to go.
Tom from Quebec Canada
You need to make a ice house and a ice fridge you will save power
Here in Pakistan we use Word lpg instead of propane
Super Video,gruß aus Deutschland.
Get a bunch of straw bails. If it available in your area
The deer and rabbits love hay😀
Looks like you have a lot of effort & time into the septic. Seems to be a hassle for the winter. Why not use a composting toilet for those temps.
Heat tapes use a lot of power, it may be worth looking into adding another layer of insulation(thicker)
Great Family!😇!😇!😇!😇!👍
I've noticed that people who live off-grid often underestimate the power requirement of electric heating.
I live on a boat and most of my heat comes from my wood/coal burner. If I heat just using electric, it costs me about £50 a week (about $90CA). It would be a great deal more if I had to run external heating cables as well. Plus it doesn't generally get as cold here as you are over there.
Yes, I definitely had no idea how much power it would take! You learn a lot when you live off grid. You're on a boat, that's so interesting! Whereabouts do you live?
It's a canal boat. We have an infrastructure of canals crossing the country, a legacy of the Industrial Revolution. They are used for leisure purposes now.
I'm currently moored in a boating marina in the countryside near Northampton. Most boaters go into boating marinas during the winter months.
I'm confused, is this a septic or a well? It looks like a water line not a septic line, maybe its just for grey water?
Just curious why you chose the aluminum foil wrap instead of foam pipe insulation? Rodents?
Love from lndonesia 😍😍
Hi, new subscriber here!
Always challenging but so rewarding!
Hi, thanks for subscribing. Where do you guys live off grid? We're in Canada
@ Canada here!
Its a hard job to keep the water flowing in winter☺
Flowing water doesn't freeze 😉
Your dog is so cute! Is your wool jacket itchy?
Thanks! No, it's completely fleecelined, so very comfortable.
In the spring bury that pipe about 16" deep. ! 😇!😇!😇!😇!👍!👍!
What is the size of your coat urku? There is no size chart on their website 😮
Mine is size medium! Here's the size guide from Rebecca and I let her know we can't find it on the website, so I'm sure she'll fix that soon. Thanks!
For the women’s coats:
Xs hips 37, waist 28, bust 32
S hips 38, waist 30, bust 34
M hips 40, waist 32, bust 36
L hips 42, waist 34, bust 38
Xl hips 45, waist 37, bust 40
Keep in mind that the jackets can comfortably stretch 2-3 inches, so they can fit a fair bit larger than their stated size as well.
Honestly I would probably size up, I'm usually a small and the small did fit me, but I wanted a little more room for layering and the medium fits me great anyway, definitely not too big.
❤
I am uncomfortable with it getting so cold there in the winter and the pup stays outside! I can't watch this.
Would You consider a Wind Turbine especially for Winter ??
Possibly, there's a lot to research and change around here, but we are definitely looking into all the ways we can produce energy!!
Good Video, Where do You Folks live??
Thanks! We're in Alberta, Canada.