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Author Topic: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks  (Read 91298 times)

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Bill Brasky

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #150 on: May 18, 2011, 03:10:55 AM »


It all depends on the power company policy.

In bigger industry, they have whats called "interruptable customers".  If they're on nat gas, they also have oil boilers.  And at peak, they can be asked to get off-line.  In exchange for that, they get a discount rate.

The grids are in bad shape.  Power companies are gonna have to be creative, and quick, before everyone gets an electric car.  I know thats a ways off, but they have to make the incentives ahead of time, so the population can adapt and create their household projects.  Otherwise, people won't bust out the expense for no real profit.  It requires a groundswell before it becomes a norm.

And even if they quit at break-even, I'd think about it.  Depending on the area. 








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BonerJoe

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #151 on: May 18, 2011, 03:26:31 AM »

So, I'm thinking, 640 acres of parabolic mirrors in bumfuck Utah wasteland. Yeah.
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Bill Brasky

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #152 on: May 18, 2011, 05:02:59 AM »

I'd be into that. 
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Riddler

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #153 on: May 18, 2011, 07:24:42 AM »

the biggest prob. w/ pv solar, is that you have to have an enormous bank of batteries to stor the power you create during the day
you also convert the lights & applainces to run on low volt
24v lighting, etc.
i spose there is an inverter system, but that again takes away from efficiency.
i don't think too many solar systems ''sell back'' power. you create during sunny, and store the unused for night-nites & cloudy's.
wind is a good sell-back, if you're in the right area.
the hydro idea would be key.

wood is labor-intensive vs. coal.
it works if you have a viable processing system in place, to sell enough to break-even on what you use (what i do) or even make a profit.
prob. w/ me is finding reliable people to do the nig-work, in an efficient way, while i'm not around.
i don't have time to process the wood we use in a winter.
i'm just NOT going to spend my summer that way.
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Turd Ferguson

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #154 on: May 18, 2011, 09:27:02 AM »

I think I've solved the problem....







Just gotta figure out where im gonna get all these babies.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 09:31:11 AM by quickmike »
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Some peoples idea of hell is having to mind their own business.

blackie

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #155 on: May 18, 2011, 12:48:52 PM »

How much does the super-stor cost?

they're pricey.
if you have a solar system, you need a min. 80 gal tank
@ $1800-2000


that's what i'd sell it to you motherfuckers for
i'd pay @ $1500
That's not too bad. I had to replace a 120 gallon tank in the new place, and put in a 36 gallon tank. The plumber said it would cost $800, and then he came back with a $1500 bill. He was trying to charge $1200 for a $400 tank. So I know how plumbers try to fuck you over. I ended up paying $0.
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Riddler

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #156 on: May 18, 2011, 04:18:53 PM »

How much does the super-stor cost?

they're pricey.
if you have a solar system, you need a min. 80 gal tank
@ $1800-2000


that's what i'd sell it to you motherfuckers for
i'd pay @ $1500
That's not too bad. I had to replace a 120 gallon tank in the new place, and put in a 36 gallon tank. The plumber said it would cost $800, and then he came back with a $1500 bill. He was trying to charge $1200 for a $400 tank. So I know how plumbers try to fuck you over. I ended up paying $0.

electric???
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blackie

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #157 on: May 18, 2011, 04:23:01 PM »

I've seen it mentioned that people who are completely off-grid will get propane/electric refrigerators.  If the electricity quits, the propane kicks it on.  
I think a lot of those people go for straight propane refrigerators. Typically they are trying to reduce electricity consumption as much as possible. In the north you don't really need to use the refrigerator/freezer half of the year.

Quote
Every once in a while, I see a bank for sale.  A gods-honest, granite pillared bulwark.  Zero lawn.  Just a bank on a sidewalk.  

That'd be the shit.
I'm not sure how well it would work if you wanted to be off grid. Those banks are almost always in a bad location.

My Uncle has an old bank. My Grandmother had a hair salon in it. The vault is pretty cool.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 04:29:22 PM by blackie »
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blackie

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #158 on: May 18, 2011, 04:24:56 PM »

How much does the super-stor cost?

they're pricey.
if you have a solar system, you need a min. 80 gal tank
@ $1800-2000


that's what i'd sell it to you motherfuckers for
i'd pay @ $1500
That's not too bad. I had to replace a 120 gallon tank in the new place, and put in a 36 gallon tank. The plumber said it would cost $800, and then he came back with a $1500 bill. He was trying to charge $1200 for a $400 tank. So I know how plumbers try to fuck you over. I ended up paying $0.

electric???
No, I have a big ass oil boiler. It's that indirect shit you were talking about.

I'd like to go solar for that at some point.
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Riddler

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #159 on: May 18, 2011, 04:42:29 PM »

It's that indirect shit you were talking about.


shit, that price i quoted was just for the tank.
no labor or mat'l

that jamoke way underbid your 36 gal replacement......
some guys don't know how to price a job.
a 36 gal s.stor would be @15-1700 installed....if it were replacing another indirect....ie: supply/return piping from boiler in place w/ circ. pump, wiring, etc.
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Bill Brasky

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #160 on: May 20, 2011, 02:05:34 AM »

Every once in a while, I see a bank for sale.  A gods-honest, granite pillared bulwark.  Zero lawn.  Just a bank on a sidewalk.  

That'd be the shit.
I'm not sure how well it would work if you wanted to be off grid. Those banks are almost always in a bad location.

My Uncle has an old bank. My Grandmother had a hair salon in it. The vault is pretty cool.

For me, being off grid means a variety of things.  I usually think in woodsy terms.  But you could really be anywhere. 

Its not inconceivable that I could find a perfect place.  It doesn't mean I have to own it.  I could make some arrangements, and be very comfortable for a very long time, and own nothing at all.

That'd be off-grid, wouldn't it?

I think in slightly weirder terms than most.  I'm the kind of guy who would buy a lighthouse, and I'd probably get my ass crushed in it.

I'll know it when I see it.

--

The vault is the whole reason I want a bank.






 
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Riddler

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #161 on: May 20, 2011, 06:55:51 AM »

there's a great ital restaurant in downtown nashua, nh......located in an old bank

http://www.villabanca.com/
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alaric89

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #162 on: May 20, 2011, 03:05:03 PM »

How much does the super-stor cost?

they're pricey.
if you have a solar system, you need a min. 80 gal tank
@ $1800-2000


that's what i'd sell it to you motherfuckers for
i'd pay @ $1500
That's not too bad. I had to replace a 120 gallon tank in the new place, and put in a 36 gallon tank. The plumber said it would cost $800, and then he came back with a $1500 bill. He was trying to charge $1200 for a $400 tank. So I know how plumbers try to fuck you over. I ended up paying $0.
You got out of paying for the storage tank and the installation labour, or just the tank?
I always negotiate the entire job in detail before I agree either as a customer or as a vendor. I would rather lose a sale then have to deal with a difficult customer who tries to get something for nothing. I don't like to rip people off either, I pay my debts. My policy of pure honesty and above board dealings has always worked for me, any updates on the job are clearly laid out as well before I do anything different than the original deal.
I have been tricked by "confused" customers exactly once. I have had a difficult customers. They becomes "cash in advance only" but only after proof of being bad dealer.

blackie

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #163 on: May 20, 2011, 04:45:02 PM »

You got out of paying for the storage tank and the installation labour, or just the tank?
There was a bill of over $5000. I paid $0. So both tank and labor, and some other stuff.

Quote
I always negotiate the entire job in detail before I agree either as a customer or as a vendor.
My wife did. She even had set up a payment plan with the plumber.

Quote
I would rather lose a sale then have to deal with a difficult customer who tries to get something for nothing. I don't like to rip people off either, I pay my debts. My policy of pure honesty and above board dealings has always worked for me, any updates on the job are clearly laid out as well before I do anything different than the original deal.
I have been tricked by "confused" customers exactly once. I have had a difficult customers. They becomes "cash in advance only" but only after proof of being bad dealer.
That only works when you deal with honest people.

I paid them $2700 up front to dewinterize a place, get the heating system up and running, and cap the supply and drain for 12 sinks. I only had to pay 1/3 up front. I will never pay 100% upfront again.

After doing that work, they said a couple other things needed to get done. It was supposed to be around $2100, and my wife made an agreement that we would make four payments of about $525.

Over a month goes by, and no bill. We had asked for a bill multiple times.

We move to the place on a Friday night. On Monday morning I go to the office of the plumber, and ask if I can have the balance of my account. They say there is no account for me or my wife in the system, and also nothing for the property address. I leave my name and phone number.

I get a phone call about an hour later, and it's the manager guy.  I asked him if he had seen some utility sinks that are missing. He said he did see them at one point, and makes an appointment to visit me the next morning to go over the bill and explain to me what was done.  I had never talked to this guy before, so it was kind of weird that he wanted to talk to me, and not my wife. I didn't make any agreements with him.

Anyway, he shows up the next morning. We go down into the basement, next to the missing utility sinks, and the boiler, hotwater tank and that stuff. He hands me a bill for the hotwater tanks, and says "I'll let you open this". So I am looking at a $1500 bill, but it has my general contractors name and address on it. I didn't say anything.

I asked him about the sink. He failed to mention that his company had capped the drain line and done some other things to cover up the theft, and they were charging me for it.

Within a few days we let them know we would be disputing the bill, and they would need to provide an itemized list of the work that was done, and associated charges. We always said we would pay the $2100 we agreed to.

After about a month we got the first official corporate bill, with our name on it. The only thing on the bill was an amount.

My wife contacted the corporate office, and some operations manager got back to her. He was acting like a dick at first, but he was able to find out some info for us. He was able to tell us that they did cap the drain line to the utility sink. After he looked into it for about a week or two, he said he was making our account balance zero, and apologized.





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blackie

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Re: Mad Max / Off the Grid tips n' tricks
« Reply #164 on: May 20, 2011, 05:22:22 PM »

For me, being off grid means a variety of things.  I usually think in woodsy terms.  But you could really be anywhere. 

Its not inconceivable that I could find a perfect place.  It doesn't mean I have to own it.  I could make some arrangements, and be very comfortable for a very long time, and own nothing at all.

That'd be off-grid, wouldn't it?

I think in slightly weirder terms than most.  I'm the kind of guy who would buy a lighthouse, and I'd probably get my ass crushed in it.

I'll know it when I see it.
I guess I see being dependent on the sewer and water system as a big hurdle for more urban type places to be off-grid. I have this issue right now, and it kind of bothers me.

I don't think ownership really matters much to off-griddyness.

I understand the weirdness thing. I ended up in an old nunnery.
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