Quote:
Originally Posted by Servicetech
Making homebrew solutions with cheap/free parts certainly affects the break even period. Not to mention some of these projects are just plain cool... No way the project woudl have been effective if I would have paid the retail for the heater..
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Sounds to me like the project was very effective. It may not have been as ECONOMICAL if you paid full retail. Ecological and economical are two VERY DESPERATELY different goals in most cases. The only difference is that money is durable and lasts forever, while the ecology is easily disrupted and pillaged. To make something that is cheap, durable, and that does not rape the environment is HIGHLY challenging (to put it lightly) in this realm. Good luck and godspeed with that one.
When you are designing and/or building your own system, what matters to you the most must be decided by YOU. Sweat equity and/or bartering can level the field from an economic viewpoint IF IT MAKES SENSE TO YOU. Or you can order one of these for this much $$$$ and have it at your door in a jiffy.
Lots of members' setups don't make economic sense when you look at them from afar. Heck, some of them don't make economic sense at all. That's why we need experts on the forum: to paint some reality into the dream. With a little guidance, a severely lacking design can be changed into a really slick end product.