October 2019 – actually tiny

The search for fixtures

October 31, 2019December 23, 2019Leave a comment

Ah the bittersweet first-world torment of finding the perfect shower and sink fixture.Looking for a well-styled inexpensive faucet that’s guaranteed to break immediately or leak within a year? Amazon is your place.How about a reliable brand with awful styling for an arguably acceptable price? Either big box store can help you there. (I don’t...

Outdoor shower details

October 29, 2019December 23, 2019Leave a comment

We finished the structure for the outdoor shower this weekend, just in time for my birthday today! Brian’s talked a lot about the construction in previous posts, but I’m going to walk through the details again here now that we’ve got photos to share.The roof of the shower structure will support the solar collector...

Timelapse: finishing the outdoor shower enclosure

October 28, 2019December 23, 2019Leave a comment

We finished building the outdoor shower enclosure today. This whole project has been really gratifying because it essentially built itself around the frame requirements to support the solar hot water collector which will form the roof of the shower area. Such a perfect way to get rid of leftover beams, siding and miscellaneous scraps...

Timelapse: constructing the solar shower deck

October 26, 2019November 24, 2019Leave a comment

We worked late to finish the outdoor shower deck and stairs. Very pleased with how it’s all coming together and grateful for the opportunity to use up lots of leftover wood and building supplies. It doesn’t look like Liz is doing much work in this video but she’s cutting, sanding, and staining wood as...

Constructing the solar collector support

October 25, 2019October 26, 2019Leave a comment

We took advantage of this beautiful fall day to build the support structure for the solar hot water collector. The beams we used are a bit oversized structurally but it was a good opportunity to use up some wood and large structural screws that were left over from previous builds.As I wrote in yesterday’s...

A setback in the solar system

October 24, 2019October 26, 2019One Comment

The plan for today was to refurbish an old solar hot water collector and make a video about the process for our YouTube channel. Unfortunately life had other plans. I’ve been building low cost solar hot water systems with old collectors for years now. My experience is that they are rarely damaged internally and...

Prepping the parts for the solar collector support

October 23, 2019October 26, 2019Leave a comment

After abusing my debit card one final time at the plumbing supply store (copper, ouch), we started work on the frame that will support the solar collector that will supply our hot water when the sun is shining.Similar to our porch roof, the panel will be supported by hinges that are fastened deep into...

Setting a pass-through block for the hot water system

October 22, 2019October 26, 2019Leave a comment

Well, I didn’t exactly cure cancer today (you’d have to start working before 1 PM to do that) but I did discover a few new tricks for cutting penetration blocks into a rain screen siding detail.What I’m working on today is setting a pass-through block for the copper pipes that will connect the solar...

Plumbing the wood-fired/solar hot water system, part 2

October 21, 2019October 26, 2019Leave a comment

Making good progress on plumbing our hybrid wood-fired / solar hot water system. My first task was to install a thermostatic mixing valve on the hot water outflow to protect occupants from the very high temperatures that can develop in a solar or wood fired system. Next it was time for a good ‘ol...

Plumbing the wood-fired/solar hot water system, part 1

October 19, 2019October 26, 2019Leave a comment

Our water heating setup is a hybrid wood-fired/solar/electric system that is a near copy of a system I built and lived with off-grid for ten years. The concept is simple: both a solar hot water collector on the outside of the house and a water jacketed stove pipe inside the house heat water which...