Solar, Grey Water & Rain Capture: What You NEED To Know
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- Опубликовано: 3 июн 2024
- Sharing my candid thoughts on which of the energy and water systems have been the MOST worth it so far at the Epic Homestead, as well as how I would sequence and prioritize them if I were doing it all over again.
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Rainwater Collection System
01:51 - Grey Water
03:24 - Outdoor Shower
04:24 - Solar Power
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I really really appreciate the part with "it's important to make your life comfortable". I think a big reason for people avoid the homesteading life is that it requires a lot of work and not many of them consider how much technology can help. A good irrigation system on a timer can save hours of work and improve your yields. Using foil or cardboard will decrease the amount of weeding you have to do. An automated feeder system for the animals means you don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn if you don't feel like it. There are a ton of solutions that can be implemented to make it comfortable and still live a life closer to nature and produce your own food.
I once lived on a rental property for 17 years. My landlord was a very practical man. He used kitchen grey water to irrigate the pecan trees out front. It was just a straight pipe that drained every time water was used. Then he planted a large berry patch out back. He decided to use the grey water from the bathroom & the laundry room to water it. He actually built a small septic system to do the watering on the berry patch. I thought that was pretty smart, to have a settling tank to make use of that grey water. (Reducing the soap foam) There was no need to monitor the watering, it was self watering. I can say that it worked very well. That berry patch was lush & productive.
Super smart setup
I'm a farmer in Australia and captured rainwater is my only source of domestic water. The garden water (and all water for livestock) comes from a dam (pond). We have an average of 850mm (32.5 inches) of rain annually
I find these “big picture” videos particularly useful. It’s awesome to look back and see how far your homestead has come in such a short time. Thanks for all you do Kevin! (And garden hermit)
Point about grey water systems vs rainwater capture. For us in the wet cold north, the equation is flipped. Gray water and rainwater are both nice but grey water systems require additional pumps because most peoples laundry is in a basement. With 3-400 gallons of rainwater storage (55 gallon plastic drums are readily available from commercial mechanical contractors around here) Most people will never have to use any city water until maybe august but then the September rains fill you back up.
Also true in the Great Lakes states.
Kevin great vid man! I am an older single woman who relies on people who are experts to help guide me to as much self sufficiency as possible. Thank you for showing me how you would prioritize your projects.
I also live in San Diego county and have more projects than funds at any one time.
Would love to see more vids like this!
Grateful.
I'm sure you hear this alot but what I wouldn't give to be able to hang out and talk with you for a day. I love learning and this is first season gardening and I have done so much wrong and sadly research to figure out what went wrong has been fruitless in most cases. Thank you for the videos and information you share with everyone. Hopefully I can eventually have a garden as great as yours
I have a rain barrel here in NE FL (it rains A LOT in the summer). I feel so much better putting rain water on my plants than tap water, as it is heavily "amended" by the city here. The barrel works great for my area but I can see it not being worth it in a place that doesn't get a lot of rain.
Unfortunately, microplastics and forever chemicals are seeding clouds and raining back down again. Even rain isn't as "safe" as people assume it is anymore. However, for some people whose city water might pull from really nasty ground water or polluted groundwater, rain is still a best option
Hello My lovely friend.
@@ellenkuang8853 That is an interesting point, I’ve wondered about that. Is it worth it you think to get that water tested?
@@Nikki-mx5my what ellen is talking about is probably one level below microplastics, nanoplastics. they are very hard to measure afaik, even in a controlled environment. Also, the measuring is kind of unimportant, as particles that small are probably found in similar concentration around most areas of the world, as they disperse in the atmosphere pretty wildly.
@@yy-sf1xq Thank you for the response, both enlightening and depressing in equal measure. So there’s really no escaping it then.
Great update! Really useful info Kevin :)
One thing in my experience is that where I'm from (UK), water capture can be really cheap. Guttering is usually already on all roofs and water buts can often be found second hand which is a massive saving (80%). For a smaller garden, smaller storage container do the trick.
I am from a dry climate in New Mexico. So knowing that you got more value from gray water systems is very insightful to me. Thank you.
Great update! Would love to see more content about the little details of establishing a homestead like you mentioned at the end of the video!
I bought an abandoned dairy farm to begin my homesteading journey. The house plumbing was already set up with the grey water plumbed separately and ran directly to where I wanted to build my garden. Once the county got involved with the inspections they required me to remove that plumbing and route it to sewage. They also wanted me to collapse a 100 year old 30 ft deep hand dug well with a working motor/ wind turbine set up. Although we ended up taking out the grey water system, I fought to keep that well. Only problem with the well is that it is no where near my garden and chickens 😂 but I have it in case I ever need it.
Great video. I appreciate the candor. I’m aspiring to develop systems like yours that work for my property, so I love to hear about prioritization and what worked and didn’t work. Thanks.
Very interesting Kevin, never really thought about collecting grey water as a more efficient option over rainwater collection!
Love the update! Also, not sure if it's a new camera, but the footage was SHARP! 👌 The real star of the video though was that Jacaranda Tree!! It's absolutely gorgeous 😍 I don't think I've ever seen one so packed with blooms! 💜💜
Love the content about building out the different systems and reviewing their performance
Loved the update! You've talked about garden-compatible soaps and stuff, but I'm wondering now about whether you've had to be more conscientious about your clothes and whether they're possible sources of plastic microfibers, etc. Is that a concern for your laundry grey water system?
I think the effect is minimal in my garden, but am considering a micro filter!
Stop wearing or using plastic based clothing..win win for farmers and the earth
I'm not super interested in solar after researching it for my area but the grey water system could be an excellent update. I'll have to look into it.
Kevin - excellent and honest overview! I think it’s always good to do an assessment of your yard and house and the projects you have done, even small ones, and see how they are working for you a year or two later. Thank you
So helpful!! Thank you!
I really appreciate this! I'm planning a washer gray water system right now.
Thanks so much for the update, so helpful.
Very helpful. I do some rainwater capture but it's been a drought (not typical) this year and it would be very easy for me to do gray water from laundry and figuring out other systems are worth pursuing. I can't route the water into the garden, though, because I'd need lines below frost line here in New England and I have ledge 4"-8" down (not deep enough). So schlepping gray water would be needed or some other seasonal creative solution but this really helps get the wheels moving and to nudge me in the direction I want to go. Thanks, Kevin!
Enjoyed hearing this summary. Thanks.
The way your home and lot is setup should be the standard code for new homes especially with climate change and food shortages. sustainable renewable living. Saving/ capturing water, reusing waste and repurposing on site, and renewable energy production from solar or wind turbines. Animals optional of course. 👍🏾
I love your videos. You make the context fun and entertaining to watch while still giving lots of great info. I would love to see more of the homestead (home inside, how you store your food, etc).
Thanks for the update, I’m getting a lot a of helpful tips from your work ❤
Great update! I have the opposite situation: tons of rain water, lots of cloudy days
Great video. I like the way you work through the different systems and how they work together. Thanks.
Great video about sustainability. I have followed along and the journey has been inspiring
Brilliant video. I get a lot out of follow up videos with lessons learned good and bad . Thank you
This is just what I need to research and eventually implement. Thanks for a terrific video.
Your video made me feel even better about our decision to go solar! Thanks for the updates.
An excellent level of info and honesty as always. Glad to see you are living your dreams. X
5:57it’s a shame you don’t have net metering where you are. Seems like one of the best incentives to motivate more people to go solar, plus the bonus electricity eases the strain on the grid.
Thanks for these insights!!
Awesome water feature.
I really like this video. The how-to videos are what made me subscribe to this station and are what keep me coming back.
Thanks for this breakdown! As Epic Gardening continues to grow, it would be great to get more perspectives on sustainability in various climates.
Great stuff Kevin. I watch all of these practical videos. More is good.
Thanks it was helpful, as i plan on doing something similar.
Amazing system, thanks for sharing
Brilliant strategy!
You should take a look into forced air/Aerated static pile (ASP) composting. Its a really cool method that speeds up composting time dramatically.
Ty sir
Thx, very helpful
How inspiring! Great video! I want to start a self suficient lifestyle too, I live in México, its gonna be hard, but worth it I hope! Thanks for this!
I have 8 of the HUGE terracotta colored rain barrels you have (mine were previously olive barrels and smelled HEAVENLY upon arrival). One gathers the discharge water from my washer in the service porch (I don't use soap for skin reasons) and are connected to 3 more that sit beside it. The last barrel has a hose running to the four identical barrels at the end of my patio maybe 20 yards away. There is one barrel under the roof gutter downspout with three identical barrels next to it. That last barrel has the connection to the hose leading from the ones under my service porch window. If my wash water happens to fill the four barrels under the service porch window, I can open the spigot and have them empty into the barrels 20 yards away, and vice versa. Actually, they all have enough water in them at the same time so that I just leave the connection open so all 8 barrels share water. Only once or twice since I've had them have all 8 barrels filled up to the top with rain water...if they spill over, that's fine, maybe once or twice a year. I'm one person, after all! In LA County, we hardly get any rain anyway. My barrels paid for themselves right away after each addition. I wonder how LA rain and San Diego rain compare.
Good update. Rainwater harvesting works for me but it rains a lot where I live (UK). You have to work with your environment, because you'll have no luck working against it.
Thank you so much!!! This video is definitely helpful!! 🔥🙌
Very helpful thxs😊
A very useful video. Thank you. I’m having trouble with the end point part of my L2L system. I notice that you have filters at the output points in the asparagus bed. Where do I get these? And I think you used compost/mulch in the orchard? If that part wasn’t fully explained, could you do a video on how much and type compost/mulch vs the filters?
Hi Kevin I love this video it was a great update and filled with great advice thank you. I would love to see a video on how to eliminate the Bermuda grass for new beds either raised beds or in-ground beds. I know that you have built both and that you said you would do the Bermuda removal differently. But I have questions because comments on one of your videos or rather one of your blog posts that was written by someone on your team I think included arguments over the use of cardboard at the base of a lasagna gardening bed. The point was made that it suffocates the soil. I want to put in new garden beds in my front yard where I get the best sunlight. But I have a Bermuda lawn out there. Advice from a wiser and more experienced Kevin or team member would be really appreciated.
Great one
I would love to see what sort of fencing and staking systems have worked best for you in your space ☺️
Will do!
Hello Elle
amazing! this is my dream of being fully on my own, this is a great help!
Nice follow up. The grey water and solar are great for your location. I'm on a septic system so all of the water stays on site except when the tank gets pumped out. I would love to get a solar system but I would need to replace the aging roof and my roof center ridge runs N-S, so not ideal. The roof is large so might be able to meet our needs if both the E and W slopes had panels. ($$$) OR put the system on the ground which would be better and probably cheaper. hmmm..... 😀
Reminds me of some of Rob Greenfield’s experiments. Good work mane.
I made a compost bin out of wood once. Lasted about 4 years before it composted.
Great job! Btw, the awesome hat matches and brings out your eyes! Very lovely 😌🙏🏽
Hey you mention your strength is the sun and your weakness is the lack of rain. What would you do for energy in the rain forest ? I live in a place where we don't get much sun through the darkest few months of the year, solar isn't really a good option. What would you do? Get lots of rain mostly. We do have a creek but it's just mountain run off so it's not always strong flowing and drys up in the summer.
I've heard that infrequent "deep" watering is best for citrus trees. How is your orchard doing on the grey water system? Is it too much/too little water?
I'm very curious because I'm thinking of doing the same with my own citrus row.
My 70 year + neighbor just put in solar so I really wondered how she would see a return on her investment. But you said 5-6 years really surprised me. I don’t think our state gives us rebates but we get a lot of Sun and idealogically, it seems to make sense not to waste it. She loves her system
in my family we mostly have about 30 more years of life at 70+
What detergent do you use? Doesn't the laundry grey water contain detergent and then that goes to the garden?
The problem with gray water is if you have a water softening system to protect your pipes, so you don't get pin holes, the salt in the softening system will kill your plants.
Cheers from portugal
Used gray water always to water my garden... Killed of the micro organisms and made the ground water more bubbly
Always good to hear another perspective. Did you use biodegradable soaps etc?
@@thematrix3663 sadly it wasn't bio degradable detergent, used the usual Tide, Surf Excel that we find here
@@SwatejK well that explains the microorganisms die off.
@5:00 what is that purple tree on the street?? It's awesome
Jacaranda
@@epichomesteading It's friggin gorge....Probably an SOB for allergies though..
Yes! More! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
sell your extra power. you have several options: neighbor AC power, battery charging DC power. what more do I need to say.
So now the seed trays I've been waiting for over 6 months are no longer even on the site. What happened to "coming very soon?"
Could you do a program, or maybe mention, what percentage of the food you eat comes from your Homestead.
For sure
How does your solar energy play into the “don’t charge your electric vehicle” situation. Do you personally have a energy storage system?
How do you find professionals/contractors who know how to work with these types of systems? It’s super easy to find solar contractors. I don’t even know who I would talk to you about building a gray water system.
keep going with these vids,
I just had 2500 gall rainwater tank installed but he didn't add First Flush. I I'm wondering if he lied. I asked for it to be included yet was told no.
Which video did you build your compost bin on I can't find it anywhere. Thanks for a great and informative channel. /Barbara from Sweden
Main channel, most recent video!
@@epichomesteading I of course watched that video and posted my question. I saw nothing on how they were built just thought they looked great. Did you do a video where you built and installed them and how you are planning on using them?
Hello Barbara
@@bendonaldson9026 Yup, you are a stalker. 🤣
Thanks for the update on your systems, you hit many of the target issues and answered questions I have and it was helpful to see them all in one video too.
Hello Jen
@@bendonaldson9026 Are you a stalker? 😋
Interesting status summary. For you solar, which is certainly effective in San Diego, how do you source your power in the night time hours? The Grid? Batteries? Since you didnt mention batteries, i assume the grid. And does the daytime production generate enough credit that the night time usage is more than offset financially?
I'm betting he uses the grid to use some of his credits.
I believe you can now get 30% off from the federal gift on your solar install - straight dollar for dollar off your feel taxes - because the inflation reduction act that just became law boosted the deduction to 30%
What is that beautiful purple tree in the background at 5:00 called?!
jacaranda
@@sunnyday_lemonbars thank you! I want one. It's gorgeous! 😍
Where did you get the panels for shower with the palm leaves
OutDeco
Anybody else quote Field of Dreams when Kevin walked out of the cornfield . . . . “if you build it, they will come”
Great video Kevin! Really great information on grey water too. Despite not watching your videos I never thought about running it myself. Do you have plans on setting up your own greenhouse in the future & if so would you do a Polly tunnel or a glass / polycarbonate house?
Sometimes I just go in there and hang out 😂
FYI: The rain water thing can change based on your location. Here in Canada, we get a decent amount of rain and my rain barrels are almost always full. This is my biggest criticism about gardening videos in general; not this video in particular. Good content, but your mileage will vary based on your location.
Thanks Kevin for this video. I have a 400 gallon tank that collects rain water for my kitchen garden. We did get a good amount of rainfall so far this year in Trinidad.
Amazing!
My state (oregon) claims ALL water belongs to them.
Just my opinion: I would try to do something to make the gray water tank blend in a little better. My eye is immediately drawn to the tank, it skips right over the beautiful pond to the big tank sitting there. Again just me, maybe you don’t mind that. 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃
Putting passion fruit in front of it!
I wonder if it could be painted like the mural.
@@Nikki-mx5my He said that he was going to be planting passion fruit to screen it. 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃
@@Nikki-mx5my I like that idea
I remember a video you did about rats in the garden. I will be putting in a compost system like yours and wonder if the tidiness of your new bins is less encouraging to them, than the pile? I live in the mountains and wildlife are something to keep in mind-the crows stole all my little fuji apples but one. I don't have rats, but little field mice that tend to be happy with the fruit n veggie scraps I give them, in exchange for leaving my garden alone. It's been working!!
We'll have to see! I have my garden cat helping too
If you washed 1 load of Laundry EVERY day for a month.
The cost is like... less than $5 where Ilive.
I'm not collecting $5 of NASTY waste-water unless I lived in the middle of the boonies or california(as if!)...
You are EPIC.
you have enough rain water for a nice carnivorous plant collection
Not trying to be rude...Great video/info...but I need to know what that purple tree is in the front of your neighbor's house or yours!!! thanks
Jacaranda!
I noticed that too and thought it was gorgeous.
I want to add solar to my home but some businesses that you contact say it costs the same amount that my electric bill costs. How did you find your company?
Go with companies that install for a fee, not rent or "lease" panels
Very informative
Yes, decentralized tech + nature =
Thank you for the video! You've helped so much with all the information. 💜🔮🌱🐾
So sad that gray water is illegal where I live. (Eastern Washington)
Was it pain getting all these permits approved for all these projects?
Free men don’t ask permission from the crown to live.
🌽🎼🎶 I'm comin' out of the corn and I'm doin' just fine 🎵 🌽