What have you done?

[Oddcaliber]

My Berkey filters have arrived! Now waiting for the magazines.

 

[Brent S]

My Berkey filters have arrived! Now waiting for the magazines.

I love my berkey and use it every day.

 

[Oddcaliber]

You might want to get more filters. Got mine on sale for $99.99 with free shipping.

 

[Amish Heart]

Love my Berkey, too. We've used one for years.

 

[GaRp58]

I will never be able to afford a Berkey. But I did build in a 4-way under the counter filter while building the kitchen here. A sand/residue filter is first, then the chlorine/fluorine, then another and finally an active charcoal filter. Even then I run this filtered water thru an on the counter Brita dual filter for tea, coffee, soups and other cooking/drinking purposes. If I turn on the cold, water it is filtered, if I turn on the hot water for cleaning and washing, it is just the normal tap water and I do not waste the capacity of the water filters and cut its lifetime down so bad.

 

[BillMasen]

Remember folks you dont need a complete BERKY or BERKFIELD you only need the fillter candles and a couple of food grade plastic buckets with lids and a cheap plastic faucet (tap) from the local hardware or home brewing store. For years before i bought my first 5 candle Berkfield I made do with two plastic food grade buckets with lids that used to hold Mayonnaisse and two Berkfield super ser candles.

 

[Brent S]

You might want to get more filters. Got mine on sale for $99.99 with free shipping.

I’ve got an extra spigot too. My well water is good but it’s always a good idea to filter everything you drink.

 

[Brent S]

Remember folks you dont need a complete BERKY or BERKFIELD you only need the fillter candles and a couple of food grade plastic buckets with lids and a cheap plastic faucet (tap) from the local hardware or home brewing store. For years before i bought my first 5 candle Berkfield I made do with two plastic food grade buckets with lids that used to hold Mayonnaisse and two Berkfield super ser candles.

You could even use some old stainless pots if you have then. Walmart used to sell a set of large cooking pots that were pretty inexpensive. Everything has increased in price lately though. The berkey is a nice unit but it is pricey. I believe there are cheaper knock offs that use the same idea too.

 

[BillMasen]

You could even use some old stainless pots if you have then. Walmart used to sell a set of large cooking pots that were pretty inexpensive. Everything has increased in price lately though. The berkey is a nice unit but it is pricey. I believe there are cheaper knock offs that use the same idea too.

Our version the Berkfield comes in two part plastic and two part stainless.

 

[Petoski]

Built quick and simple box to catch the ball bearings for my slingshot training. Nothing fancy.

 

[Brent S]

Built quick and simple box to catch the ball bearings for my slingshot training. Nothing fancy.

I remember years ago a guy had a metal box that would catch bullets and funnel them down for collecting. Pretty neat set up and I believe was homemade. Even though I don’t recast or reload I don’t like the idea of putting lead into the ground here and contaminating the soil.

 

[Brent S]

Our version the Berkfield comes in two part plastic and two part stainless.
View attachment 12323View attachment 12324

I have the big berkey in stainless just like the first image. I have a plastic one that looks just like it for the camper too. I’ve never seen the plastic one you showed here. Interesting and likely less expensive.

 

[Oddcaliber]

Scored a Leatherman Wave and a Craftsman wrench.

 

[Dracos]

I remember years ago a guy had a metal box that would catch bullets and funnel them down for collecting. Pretty neat set up and I believe was homemade. Even though I don’t recast or reload I don’t like the idea of putting lead into the ground here and contaminating the soil.

I cast and reload. I think it is better to decrease the random spread of poison than to concentrate it in my furnace.

 

[Brent S]

I put in all but two of the legs for the solar panel expansion today. Really sucks to not get them all in but I ran out of daylight. So just two more holes with concrete and a steel post to go Then attach the rails and panels to them. I’m adding 10 more 250w panels and will see how much of the household circuits I can run with them. I’m betting I can run everything except the AC/heat pump and the water heater. I have the new propane water heater to address that one at least. The AC just isn’t going to happen with solar in my lifetime unfortunately.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I put in all but two of the legs for the solar panel expansion today. Really sucks to not get them all in but I ran out of daylight. So just two more holes with concrete and a steel post to go Then attach the rails and panels to them. I’m adding 10 more 250w panels and will see how much of the household circuits I can run with them. I’m betting I can run everything except the AC/heat pump and the water heater. I have the new propane water heater to address that one at least. The AC just isn’t going to happen with solar in my lifetime unfortunately.

The heat pump is the only thing that I can't run on solar. They make something called a hot start (I think) that is supposed to make it easier to start the heat pump. I'll add one this summer. Last summer I needed AC for almost a week during August.

 

[Oddcaliber]

There a new Dollar Tree here. Grabbed some more food for the pantry.

 

[Acdoctor]

The heat pump is the only thing that I can't run on solar. They make something called a hot start (I think) that is supposed to make it easier to start the heat pump. I'll add one this summer. Last summer I needed AC for almost a week during August.

It’s called a hard start kit but you will not be able to run the auxiliary heat off of solar alone, amperage is too high to handle it. That being said they do make solar heat pumps or mini splits that are low power consumers.

 

[Brent S]

It’s called a hard start kit but you will not be able to run the auxiliary heat off of solar alone, amperage is too high to handle it. That being said they do make solar heat pumps or mini splits that are low power consumers.

I will likely just get an efficient small window unit for the bedroom as a backup. Trying to go to sleep in the south without AC sucks and we need it for a lot more than just a week here. Everything is a cost vs benefit equation. I could install a system large enough to run everything but compared to just buying electricity from the grid it’s ridiculously expensive. With solar it’s always best to reduce your need than to increase your output.

 

[Mountain trapper]

It’s called a hard start kit but you will not be able to run the auxiliary heat off of solar alone, amperage is too high to handle it. That being said they do make solar heat pumps or mini splits that are low power consumers.

Thats it. My heat pump will start when my backup generator is running, but I normally just keep the breaker "off" so that it won't try to start.
My gas furnace works fine on solar, of course it runs the battery's down fairly fast and the generator will start after awhile. About the only time I use the furnace is when we're going to be gone all day or overnight. Then I set the thermostat to 61.
The only thing I need the heat pump for is the AC. Besides adding a hard start I thought about plugging the heat pump in to another generator and just running it for a few hours when it gets hot. Another option is to sell the heat pump and just put a window unit in our bedroom. I have a window AC in my fur shed and it runs just fine on solar.

 

[Kevin L]

I hired a disabled Marine to teach me some of the finer points of knife fighting.

I was a little pissy at first because he's a hardass, but I sucked it up and persevered, and I can see myself being better than I was three weeks ago.

 

[GaRp58]

You can only be good if you learn from the BEST, Marines are some of the best...good luck and remember to take your pistol to the knife fight as a backup...

 

[Lindy]

We got a Mr Buddy heater for a back up heat source with two ten pound propane tanks. If needed we will put up a microcosm in the living room to help us stay warmer and will allow us to keep the setting at low and prolong the length of time we have propane. It is not perfect but it is a start. We had to move and no longer have a fireplace.

 

[Illini Warrior]

We got a Mr Buddy heater for a back up heat source with two ten pound propane tanks. If needed we will put up a microcosm in the living room to help us stay warmer and will allow us to keep the setting at low and prolong the length of time we have propane. It is not perfect but it is a start. We had to move and no longer have a fireplace.

this has been around for awhile but still not talked about much on the prepper channels - kind of neat >>>>

 

[Amish Heart]

They work well. When we bought our old farmhouse years ago, there was no heat except for a coal burner stove that was older than the hills and not safe to use. The place was such a wreck that we didn't sleep in the house, stayed in a travel trailer as we made it livable. But we had cold weather come in on one of our visits and the heater in the trailer went out, so we threw the mattresses from the trailer on the family room floor of the farmhouse and heated it with those heaters to stay warm all night.

 

[Lindy]

Th

this has been around for awhile but still not talked about much on the prepper channels - kind of neat >>>>

Thank you for sharing this I am going to check it out!

 

[Dracos]

They work well. When we bought our old farmhouse years ago, there was no heat except for a coal burner stove that was older than the hills and not safe to use. The place was such a wreck that we didn't sleep in the house, stayed in a travel trailer as we made it livable. But we had cold weather come in on one of our visits and the heater in the trailer went out, so we threw the mattresses from the trailer on the family room floor of the farmhouse and heated it with those heaters to stay warm all night.

Athena, there are two things I would worry about. First Co2 and second high humidity.

 

[Mountain trapper]

this has been around for awhile but still not talked about much on the prepper channels - kind of neat >>>>

I've got one of these, love it.

 

[Illini Warrior]

Th

Thank you for sharing this I am going to check it out!

about $50 for the cheaper ones - nice thing is that they can be used almost anywhere to move hot air - hotter the more CFM speed & movement involved >>> you could attach it to your gas stove when you're oven baking ....

 

[Amish Heart]

The Mr Heaters are good for CO2, ok to use indoors. But we also have a detector.