Forum: Appliances & Gadgets
09-29-20, 03:52 PM
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Replies: 10
Views: 25,388
Off-grid soldering
My dad used a gasoline blow torch for plumbing. For more delicate work, he'd heat up large lump of copper on a long handle with a pyramid tip. It had plenty of heat for large wires, and was fine...
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Forum: Geothermal & Heat Pumps
12-08-19, 03:58 PM
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Replies: 37
Views: 27,973
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Forum: Geothermal & Heat Pumps
11-20-19, 12:20 PM
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Replies: 37
Views: 27,973
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Forum: Renovations & New Construction
11-20-19, 11:46 AM
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Replies: 1
Views: 5,023
Steel Roof Tips
I recently had to re-roof an old house, and chose painted steel. To reduce the footprint created, I was careful to use both sides of the diagonal cuts and generally avoid scrap, and I used sawmill...
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Forum: Energy Storage
08-07-19, 04:53 PM
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Replies: 19
Views: 35,423
I can never understand why they would suggest...
I can never understand why they would suggest size limits. There's the household gravity light using a sandbag already. It sounds very similar to pumped hydro, just for different geography, etc. ...
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Forum: Wind Power
08-07-19, 04:43 PM
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Replies: 13
Views: 30,813
Wood is certainly adequate for moderate size...
Wood is certainly adequate for moderate size blades. It is still used for aircraft propellers, laminated as unidirectional plywood to avoid warps. Carving a first-class shape is not really hard. ...
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Forum: Lawn and Garden
08-07-19, 04:33 PM
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Replies: 1
Views: 12,561
Tree Conservation
My house is well shaded by an old Maple tree that has grown as four suckers from the stump of an original tree. The four new trunks all lean away from each other, and I expect them to fall some day....
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Forum: Appliances & Gadgets
03-21-19, 07:05 PM
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Replies: 159
Views: 290,401
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Forum: Solar Power
03-21-19, 06:53 PM
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Replies: 13
Views: 23,413
It is well to get some extra high-temperature...
It is well to get some extra high-temperature resistance in any ancilliary hardware, but the panels themselves are fine with heat, except for the reduced performance. So, output does not go up...
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Forum: Energy Storage
04-27-18, 09:58 PM
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Replies: 2
Views: 11,246
I certainly plan to insulate, etc. but in this...
I certainly plan to insulate, etc. but in this climate, losses can still be high. I also prefer a moderated temperature, so that I don't have to wake up and add a blanket every hour or so. If I...
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Forum: Energy Storage
04-27-18, 12:11 PM
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Replies: 2
Views: 11,246
RV Heat Storage
I'm fitting out a microcar as a one-man RV, and would like to store some heat for overnight and morning. The nights are still freezing here. If it gets a lot of use, I'll probably fit a water...
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Forum: Renovations & New Construction
08-22-17, 07:02 PM
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Replies: 8
Views: 14,436
Galvanized roofing is pretty durable, and the...
Galvanized roofing is pretty durable, and the next owner may demolish the house, or add a basement. I need some strength to resist 1/4 PSI water pressure, and the roofing is available free. ...
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Forum: Renovations & New Construction
08-21-17, 03:46 PM
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Replies: 8
Views: 14,436
Foundation Undermining
I have the oldest house on my block, and a new neighbour has diverted a seasonal stream onto my lot. My foundation is just a few inches of concrete around the perimeter, on stony soil, and I'm...
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Forum: Renovations & New Construction
10-18-16, 12:37 PM
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Replies: 39
Views: 29,187
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Forum: Solar Power
05-16-16, 11:03 PM
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Replies: 9
Views: 5,717
Parts Hacking
On Steve Roberts' Microship, he wanted very light but rigid panels, so he got a donation of plastic-coated silicon cells just lacking the usual aluminum backing. They would easily bend around a 1m...
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Forum: Appliances & Gadgets
01-12-16, 12:25 PM
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Replies: 18
Views: 12,711
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Forum: Wind Power
11-04-15, 03:20 PM
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Replies: 18
Views: 20,746
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Forum: Geothermal & Heat Pumps
12-13-14, 08:54 PM
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Replies: 37
Views: 27,973
Setting out to burn NG is likely to encourage...
Setting out to burn NG is likely to encourage fracking, but I love the idea otherwise. I'm appalled that we can't buy NG heat pumps based on free pistons, without all the extra parts. Electronic...
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Forum: Biofuels
07-09-14, 05:05 PM
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Replies: 9
Views: 14,476
The oldest walls are up to 22 cm, the new ones...
The oldest walls are up to 22 cm, the new ones lagging around 16. I've had a blower door test, and done all the detailing. The foundation, or lack thereof, is discouraging major investments, but it...
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Forum: Biofuels
07-08-14, 10:59 PM
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Replies: 9
Views: 14,476
I'm familiar with insulation, etc., thanks. Any...
I'm familiar with insulation, etc., thanks. Any other thoughts on the topic? Two other reasons it appeals to me are that it avoids awkwardness and expense on the chimney, and stops pollution at the...
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Forum: Biofuels
07-08-14, 02:09 AM
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Replies: 9
Views: 14,476
Thanks, guys.
I was figuring on either...
Thanks, guys.
I was figuring on either replacing the water frequently, or adding ash to balance the ph and filtering out the sludge. Wood heat is a daily chore anyway, eh? I've got gas laid on...
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Forum: Biofuels
07-06-14, 02:59 AM
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Replies: 9
Views: 14,476
Wood Stove + condensing water heater?
Could I use a standard or even obsolete wood stove to feed hot flue gas into a condensing heat exchanger, preferably adapted from a gas-fired appliance, with draft provided by a fan on the exhaust...
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Forum: Wind Power
10-15-13, 03:45 PM
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Replies: 56
Views: 66,089
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Forum: Wind Power
12-30-09, 12:19 AM
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Replies: 28
Views: 25,807
Blade Bias
If you buy blades, get windmill parts. Airplane props would be the equivalent of flying a cambered wing upside down. If you don't mind some extra stress on the tower and bearings, you don't need...
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Forum: Geothermal & Heat Pumps
12-11-09, 01:25 AM
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Replies: 10
Views: 13,836
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